Irene Latham's Blog, page 163

THE GEE'S BEND QUILTERS ARE HERE!

This week at the Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham, the Gee's Bend quilters and a group of mud cloth makers from Mali called Groupe Bogolon Kasobane will be working on a collaborative quilt project. They will be set up in the lobby, working away, and you're invited!

Also, tomorrow at noon, I will be there talking about my love for the quilts and the quilters and how Ludelphia's story was born in a little book called Leaving Gee's Bend.


Oh, and here's our family's contribution to the community quilt project:
(It's batik. Youngest son created it with the help of honorary grandmother Liz Reed. Thanks, Liz!)

EXCERPT ALERT! (DON'T FEED THE BOY)

I posted today over at Smack Dab in the Middle, where our monthly theme is "gratitude."

Indeed, I have much to be grateful for.

And my characters in DON'T FEED THE BOY feel the same way-- although not all of them speak English. Check it out!

2011 GOODREADS AWARDS LIST FOR MIDDLE GRADE

Have you seen the list?

Two of my very favorites made the list:

I can't even vote, because I can't decide which I prefer... please, no one put me on any Awards Committees! I love books for different reasons -- there are just SO MANY good ones.

To name the "most distinguished" of the ENTIRE year, like those fabulous librarians do for the Newbery?

Uh-uh. Can't do it.

Did any of your favorites make the list? Which ones??

TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Look what I got in the mail:    BOOKS  &  CHRISTMAS FABRIC!!!
[image error] Thanks to the talented, generous Terry Lynn Johnson, author of DOGSLED DREAMS and dear, faithful, I-don't-know-what-I'd-do-without-her Pat.

I seriously don't know what to do first, read or quilt. Hmmmmmm........

ODE TO THE SUGAR MAPLE IN MY BACKYARD

Is there a better time of year??!

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ME (AND THEN SOME)

For Poetry Friday, the lovely, talented, generous Robyn Hood Black posted an interview of me. (blush)She asked some great questions! And there's a Halloweenie pic too. Check it out!And don't forget to visit Diane at Random Noodling for Roundup.Happy weekend, All. xo

THREE REASONS YOU SHOULD READ VANISHED BY SHEELA CHARI

1. It's a mystery!

2. The mystery centers around a veena.

Don't know what a veena is?

Well, I didn't either. Until I read Sheela's book. (For the impatient: it's a very large stringed musical instrument from India that sings of magic.)

3. It's transcontinental. Yep, by the end of the book you feel like you've traveled to India. And I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to go to India. And now I have.

BONUS REASON: Sheela's a lovely, giving author you'll be glad to get better acquainted with! Visit her website, the Elevensies and From the Mixed Up Files blog.

THREE REASON YOU SHOULD READ VANISHED BY SHEELA CHARI

1. It's a mystery!

2. The mystery centers around a veena.

Don't know what a veena is?

Well, I didn't either. Until I read Sheela's book. (For the impatient: it's a very large stringed musical instrument from India that sings of magic.)

3. It's transcontinental. Yep, by the end of the book you feel like you've traveled to India. And I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to go to India. And now I have.

BONUS REASON: Sheela's a lovely, giving author you'll be glad to get better acquainted with! Visit her website, the Elevensies and From the Mixed Up Files blog.

MESSAGE FROM MY MAIL CARRIER

Yesterday I put over a hundred envelopes in my mailbox for the mail carrier to deliver.

As I was flipping up that red flag, I thought, hmmm, I'm not sure my mail carrier is going to be as happy about all these letters as I am. So I real quick jotted her a note -- "thank you" with a smiley.

Later, when I noticed the red flag had been flipped back down, I checked my box to find a reply from my mail carrier:

Love that attitude! Totally makes me smile.

ARS POETICA FIVE FOR FRIDAY

Yippee, it's Poetry Friday again! Jama the Delicious has Roundup, so don't forget to drop by.

Now I give you 5, all poetry-related:

1. My book THE COLOR OF LOST ROOMS won the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Prize for poetry!


It will be announced in the 2012 March/April issue. (How's that for advanced notice?) To find out why this is extra-special to me, check this out.

2. I sold my first poem in the children's market!!! It's a persona poem, in the voice of a shipwreck. The fabulous publication? Scholastic's Storyworks , which is one of those distributed-in-the-classroom magazines. Awesome editor Lauren Tarshis is also the author of the Emma Jean Lazarus books, which I adore, and a whole bunch of other great titles. I'm so honored she selected my poem!

3. We had an overwhelming response to our call for submissions to the 'storm' issue of Birmingham Arts Journal-- and they're still coming in. It broke my heart to reject so many good poems... we just don't have enough space in our magazine. But oh, the ones that did make the cut! Lovely, wonderful, inspired! Thank you for writing them. Keep it up.

4. I just read HIDDEN by Helen Frost. It's a novel-in-verse that has gotten a bit of Newbery buzz. And isn't the cover gorgeous??!

5. I'm also reading BEAUTIFUL & POINTLESS by David Orr.

The author makes an argument in there about how one should approach poetry as one does travel to a foreign country. Which means you've got to expect a little confusion. You've got to be patient with yourself (and others) as you learn the language. And oh the rewards that await if you do! (If I wasn't so snug under my quilt I'd jump up and give the specific quote. I'm sure I don't do it justice. Sorry, Mr. Orr!)

Wishing everyone a fantastic fall weekend!