Irene Latham's Blog, page 159

MERCEDES MARATHON. TODAY!

Could it BE any colder??!

Good thing the racing spirit is STRONG.

Best of luck, runners, each and every one! I'm putting on my earmuffs and gloves as soon as I sign off here.

RUN HARD!

GRIEF POEM

One of my dearest friends is dealing with a sudden loss, which is hard for so many reasons, and in part because there's nothing I can do for her or the rest of the family.

And whenever I feel like there's nothing I can do, I always turn to poetry. Always.

This poem in particular speaks to me in times of grief and powerlessness:








In Blackwater Woods  by Mary Oliver
Look, the trees
are turning
their own bodies
into pillars   of light,
are giving off the rich
fragrance of cinnamon
and fulfillment,   the long tapers
of cattails
are bursting and floating away over
the blue shoulders   of the ponds,
and every pond,
no matter what its
name is, is   nameless now.
Every year
everything
I have ever learned   in my lifetime
leads back to this: the fires
and the black river of loss
whose other side   is salvation,
whose meaning
none of us will ever know.
To live in this world   you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it   against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go. What poems do you turn to in times of grief? For more poetry visit the amazing Laura at Writing the World for Kids!

THE FIERCE CHRONICLES, VOL. 1

When I chose "fierce" as my one little word for 2012, I didn't know why. I had no grand plan in mind, no real vision for how the word would impact my life. I just liked the word. And that mystery, I think, is part of what drew me to it.

So now it's February, and I've been been reading like a Cookie Monster. Ever time I see the word "fierce" in print, wind chimes tinkle in my head. And when I encounter an especially fierce character, it's like a tornado siren.

Which is why I'm writing today: I met a girl name Puck in a book called THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater. Maybe you've heard of it, as it recently earned a Printz Honor Award.

The whole book is fierce, not just Puck. But especially Puck.

Read it. It will make you FEEL.

ARE YOU A MEMBER OF YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION?

Yesterday I found out something kinda cool:

Because I am a member of my alumni association, oldest son is eligible for alumni scholarships (at UAB, where I got my bachelor's degree in social work).

And guess what school is oldest son's top choice?

Yep. UAB.

So if you've wondered "what's the point?" of joining your alumni association, think of it as an investment. And if not in your own child, in the future of some other deserving child.

FIVE FOR FRIDAY

1. February means flowers in Alabama!

2. I posted today at Smack Dab in the Middle on the theme of "Things We (Writers) Love."

3. Anyone seen THE GREY with Liam Neeson? Ever since reading THE WHITE DARKNESS, I've been on a cold kick. This movie looks promising.....

4. After exercising restraint throughout January, I'm going to the fabric store today! My sister gave me a smooth, well-loved sheet set she wants to use as backing for a quilt. Which means I get to choose coordinates for the front. (The sheet has a tropical fish print with all sorts of vibrant color, so I'm excited!)

5. It's Poetry Friday! Roundup is at The Iris Chronicles. My days lately have been especially poetry-filled as I continue my latest poetry project... and I had that poetry reading... and I've been working on another assignment for Storyworks... and thinking about National Poetry Month, which will be here in a jiffy. Good stuff!

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

SCENES FROM SOUTH ALABAMA

After an inspired and inspiring time with poets of all ages and experience at University of South Alabama in Mobile, youngest son and I meandered back to Birmingham by way of backroads. Here's some of what we saw:
Cows!
War Memorial
A woman hanging clothes on a line
A Caboose (Frisco City)
Public Art (Monroeville)


A Young Musician

So Many Churches!
Soul Food (Ms. Kitty's in Camden)
A horse staked out beside Hwy. 29
Abandoned building on Hwy. 5
Cemetery (Selma)

SIBLINGS ON MY MIND

Home from Tennessee, where my sister and I had a wonderful time. Our baby brother joined us on Saturday:


I still marvel at all the ways the three of us are so very different from one another -- yet we have the most important things in common. I am so grateful my parents kept having babies!

Tomorrow, youngest son and I are off to Mobile, where I have a poetry reading. We are also making stops in historic Monroeville (home of Harper Lee and Beehive Coffee & Books) and Wilcox County (Black Belt Treasures! Gee's Bend!) as we meander along central and south Alabama. I'll post pictures!

Meanwhile, I hope all of you have a great end of January/beginning of February. Spring is coming!

SISTER-LOVE & BOOKS

I'm super-excited because I get to hang out (starting tomorrow!) with one of my most favorite people:


I can't remember a day in my life that I didn't adore my baby sis. And while I know conflict is the at the heart of every good book, I get a little put-out by all the sister books that feature a relationship of opposites and competition and often out-n-out hatred.

If I ever write a book that contains sisters, it will not contain this type conflict. It will be a Sisters-Against-the- World kind of thing, where the sisters are the evil-fighting duo. Sure there will be problems and differences, but their devotion to each other will not be called into question EVER.

Dear readers: do you know of any existing sister books like this? Hit me with some titles, if you've got 'em. Thanks!

MOVIE MONDAY: THE ARTIST

Wow, I sorta can't believe I'm writing my third Movie Monday in a row. After what seems like months of ho-hum, three really good films!

Today, I want to tell you about THE ARTIST. It's a throwback film in black & white that begins in 1927 and progresses through the transition in Hollywood from silent film to talkies. And it manages to do a lot without ever saying a word. Here's what I got of out it:

1. Fear of change can ruin you life.
2. You CAN reinvent yourself. At any time, at any age, at any point in history.
3. Pride is just stupid. Let. People. Help. You.

Beautiful to watch -- I love all that exaggerated movement and facial expression required of actors during the silent era. And I love how the musical score is nearly like another actor on the set. And this film features
Go see it! You won't be disappointed. And be looking for it to carry off a few nominations when they announce the Oscar contenders Tuesday morning!

SHIPWRECK POEM

In a week when the 'net has been full of shipwreck news, it seems sort of appropriate that I am finally able to share my poem "Ship Spies a Light" as it appears in Scholastic's Storyworks magazine! It's the first poem I sold in the children's market (though not the first to appear in print), so it's a wee bit special to me. :) Thanks so much to editor/author Lauren Tarshis for selecting it!


For more poetry visit Elaine at Wild Rose Reader for Roundup!