Irene Latham's Blog, page 171

POETRY PARTY: FAVORITE WORD

During a Q & A session last week, one of the kids asked, "What's your favorite word?"

I said,
The kid was confused. He repeated the question. (I guess he was expecting something like supercalifragilistic or somesuch.)

And yes, I have been known to put "yes" in a poem. Is there a word with more possibility?

It's featured in today's poem at Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac, entitled "God Says Yes to Me" by Kaylin Haught.

And it's in the title of the book I'm currently reading: OPERATION YES by Sara Lewis Holmes.
This one has been on my nightstand since Sara and I were on a panel together at a book festival last year in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the first chapter, the awesome Mrs. Loupe tells the class, THEATER IS THE ART OF SAYING YES.

I would say, LIFE is the art of saying yes.

What's great about YES is how it's like a door opening. There's mystery and satisfaction and wonder. But at the same time, it makes you hungry, eager, alive. Know what I mean?

POETRY PARTY: WHEN THERE ARE NO WORDS

Life sometimes throws us challenges and sorrow and heartbreak that simply cannot be expressed in words.

At least that's how it seems. Until poetry rises to the challenge.

Take this Mary Oliver poem, for instance. When a dear poet/friend's daughter was dying, he took great comfort in these words.

Turns out, poetry does the same thing for the happiest, most joyful times in our lives -- the moments we feel most grateful, most connected to others, most immersed in the experience of being human. This poem by Sharon Olds, for instance.

I haven't found my poem yet for today, but I'd like to share some pictures of something that touched me deeply:

Thank You Notes from Mrs. Ward's 7th grade class (Alabama Christian Academy)!

And here are some close-ups of some of my favorites:

Isn't this version of Ludelphia precious?

A Ludelphia Love Poem (to Mama, of course!) -- SO creative!

And these notes specifically about the poetry presentation:

One of the bits of wisdom Beth Ward came out of her childhood with was "if you love someone, tell them."

Or, put another way: express your appreciation. Which is what she did by sending me all these wonderful notes. I will treasure them always. And I vow to do better at expressing my appreciation. Probably in a poem.

What poems speak to you during the highest and lowest moments?

POETRY PARTY: IDEAS LIKE CONFETTI

Someone asked me yesterday, "Where do you get your ideas?" And I said, "ideas are everywhere." Like confetti.

So today I want to share a few confetti moments with you from last week's adventures.

1. This lovely goodie bag from Beth Ward who is the librarian at Alabama Christian School in Montgomery, Alabama. I was so impressed by these 7th graders. They knew LEAVING GEE'S BEND backwards and forwards, and you should have seen the posters they created! Also, Beth knows how to take a theme and run with it! Walking into that coffee house was like walking into Gee's Bend.

But this goodie bag says it all: homemade vanilla flavoring and a tin of cinnamon. With homemade labels. Sounds like a poem to me!

2. Ben Sollee at the Grocery on Home in Atlanta. When my crazy/innovative/sweet friend Matt Arnett invited me to meet and listen to Ben in person, I was thrilled beyond thrilled that I was able to work it into my busy schedule. I mean, I am only Ben's BIGGEST fan. And oh MY, what a show! Ben's songs ARE poetry, whether we're talking lyrics or the way he communicates with that cello. And guess what, friends? He's coming to Samford University's Harry's Coffeehouse April 21! And his new album will be released May 10. DON'T MISS.

3. I always ALWAYS enjoy Fay B. Kaigler's Children's Book Festival in Hattiesburg, MS. It was great to see librarian-friends and make new ones. And of course, at my signing table, the talk often turned to quilts. And when one of the librarians whipped this "Three Little Pigs" quilt out of her bag (she'd been stitching during sessions), I thought, Poem Poem.

Yep, ideas are everywhere. During the next week I will focus on getting my poems ready for the Rebecca Kai Dotlich retreat. Deadline to send 'em in is April 25. I'll also be talking LEAVING GEE'S BEND and poetry at three Mountain Brook elementary schools this week. I fully expect more confetti!

POETRY PARTY: CRAFT TIPS

One year when all three boys were in preschool, we hosted an Easter party at my house. And because I'm a crafty mom, we did a number of take-home crafts that I learned about from Family Fun magazine (back when it was just a print magazine, not the online monster it has become).

Pretty much all craft projects for this age group have three things in common -- and all three can be applied to writing poetry:

1. COLOR -- We're not just talking crayons on plain paper here. It's important that poems move beyond simple description. You can "color" your poems with strong verbs that convey emotion. You can add a splash of figurative language. Or surprise us with a startling image or observation. "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee has an abundance of color to admire.

2. CUT -- It takes a while for kids to learn to use scissors. Poets, too, can find part of the process very frustrating. Remember "The Red Wheelbarrow." Start small by cutting articles, transitional phrases, redundant lines. Cut the cliches next. Then look at your first and last stanzas -- poets often spend too much time with set-up AND wrap-up. Try your poem without these stanzas and see how it changes the reader's experience.

3. PASTE -- Now go back and add in new bits. Turn the cliche inside out and upside down. Bring in strong verbs to substitute for adjectives. Work in a stronger image. Insert the "unexpected inevitable." Try Stephen Dunn's "A Secret Life."

And by all means, post that beauty on the fridge!

Want more poetic goodness? Check out Kidlitosphere's celebration of National Poetry Month. And Round Up is at Madigan Reads!

The Poetry Party continues next week -- and I will also be posting pictures from this week's adventures in Montgomery, Atlanta and Hattiesburg! FUN!!

POETRY PARTY: WHY WRITE POETRY?

Those who don't write poetry often wonder why anyone would spend time on a market so unpopular and little read. It's not for the fame-hounds or money-hungry, that's for sure. Even when you are lucky enough to have a book of poems.

Consider these quotes:
"There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money, either." - Robert Graves

"Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo." - Don Marquis

Yet, to me, poetry is absolutely essential. And since I posted today at Smack Dab in the Middle about why I write for the middle grade audience, I thought I would continue the theme here, except address the subject of writing poetry.

1. It's short. You can write an entire poem in a day - or at least several drafts of a poem. This makes it perfect for the time-challenged, young mothers, over-extended. Unlike a novel which takes hours upon hours, you can crank out a first draft of a poem in minutes. You can hand your lines to a reader and experience immediate gratification.

2. Word play is fun. When every syllable matters, things get intense. But that's where the joy is. That's where assonance and meter and rhyme come in. Writing poetry is about playing with language. You can even make words up, if you want to. And oh, the satisfaction when you find Just The Right Word -- is there a better feeling in the world?

3. It makes you a life-long student of the world.
When you write poetry, you approach life with curiosity and wonder. Leaves don't ever merely fall to the ground. Some dive, some twist, some jet, some dawdle. Poets are keen observers. We are constantly on the lookout for analogies, patterns and oddities in nature and in relationships. We see things, hear things others don't. Because those are the things we want to put into our poems.


4. It gives you permission to explore all emotional terrain in a safe way. Poetry is compressed emotion. The whole point is to create an emotional experience for yourself and for readers. If you have fears about death, you can put them in a poem. Anger, sadness, joy, despair... poetry is the place for the most sustaining and destructive emotions. Your job to be passionate. This passion is the vehicle that will take you toward your own emotional truths.

5. Different is good. Unlike many other areas of life, when you write poetry you are expected to be a little odd. You might even be celebrated for this oddness. You can embrace all that is eccentric about yourself -- and even cultivate new eccentricities. You can do this on the page or in real life, and no one blinks. Because you're a Poet. And poetry is not bound by a strict set of rules. (The only rule is there are no rules.) It's quite liberating, actually. And allows you to invest more fully in the best poem of all: You, Your Life.

IT'S A POETRY PARTY!

It's here, it's here, it's finally here!

Happy National Poetry Month! Here at Live. Love. Explore! I'll be hosting a month-long Poetry Party with poetry quotes, trivia, craft tips, publishing resources & free books!

Okay. So we'll start with the basics. WHAT IS POETRY?

For some great definitions, check out this book:

I use it whenever I speak to teens or adults about poetry. With entries like "It is far far cries upon a beach at nightfall" and "Poetry is what can be heard at manholes echoing up Dante's fire escape," it'll open your mind!

Another one of my favorite definitions comes from Marianne Moore: "Imaginary gardens with real toads in them."

Yes!

If you're not sure how to celebrate, the Kidlitosphere can sure fix you up:



Susan Taylor Brown will post Lessons Learned (Mostly About Me) in a Poem-a-Day

April Halprin Wayland will be writing and posting an original poem a day during April.


Liz Garton Scanlon will give us her third year of a Haiku-a-Day every day in April!

Jone MacCulloch will post 30 Days-30 Students: A poem a day from students

A Poem A Day: A Personal Journey

Poetry Postcard Project: Have a student written and decorated poem sent to your
home. Email her at macrush53 @yahoo. com.


Gregory K. will present 30 Poets/30 Days -a whole month of never-before-seen poems by a slew of fabulous poets writing for kids.
*** Greg also has a fantastic, exciting, INSPIRING project in the works: Poetry: Spread the Word!

Jama Rattigan will present her 2nd Annual Poetry Potluck (original poem and favorite recipe by guest bloggers)

Andromeda Jazmon will be doing her fourth year in a row of haiga (original haiku + my photos) at A Wrung Sponge

Janelle at Brimful Curiosities will host a National Poetry Month Kids Poetry Challenge in which kids are invited to create pictures for the poems she posts each Friday.

Biblio File will be featuring a poem or review of a novel-in-verse every day in
April.

Anastasia Suen has set up a blog and a Twitter account for students (of all ages) to write
Haiku (about what they leaned at school that day).
Also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EduHaiku


Tricia Stohr-Hunt will host a Poetry in the Classroom series, which will highlight a topic, theme, poet, or book and talk about uses in the classroom.

Stasia Kehoe will be including poetry links, a giveaway of signed arc of debut YA verse novel AUDITION and reviews every Thursday of verse novels.



The Poem Farm will introduce a different poem idea-strategy or poetic technique for children and teachers every day. Each idea-strategy/technique will be followed by links to a few poems from this past year. The blog will also feature poem sharing ideas through "Poetry Peeks" into classrooms.

Lee Wind will present sprinkled-throughout-the-month GLBTQ poetry posts.

Mary Lee Hahn will be writing a poem a day again this year, and posting them at A Year of Reading.

Oh, and today's POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP is at The Poem Farm!

PROPHETS, KINDERGARTEN AND SUNSCREEN

My father sent me one of those chain emails with a subject line that reads "Handbook 2011." I'd like to retitle it "Handbook for Life."

It reminds me of some of my other favorite "handbooks":

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum


and of course Baz Lurhmann's Sunscreen song:



A boy in college wrote his own version, especially for me, and I still pull it out from time to time, so I'll always remember.

Here's some of my favorite instructions from the email Handbook:

Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
Forgive everyone for everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

What are some of your favorite pieces of life advice? Where do they come from?

THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YOU

Many moons ago when I went to social work school, we were taught that no emotion is bad. If you feel depressed, it's just one feeling. It's normal. And it will pass.

But what if it doesn't pass?

In today's pharmaceutical-happy world, prescriptions are handed out like Dum-Dums at the bank drive-thru. Some folks actually need the medication. Most, I would argue, do not.

My wip is, in part, about a girl trying to help jerk her grandmother out of a depression. And it's got me thinking about home remedies and other creative ways to deal with the downs in life that inevitably follow the ups.

For me, there are two things that work:

1. Service to others

Depression really is a self-absorbed condition. It's exacerbated by this woe-is-me, let-me-wallow kind of attitude. And the quickest way to release oneself from that egocentrism is to focus on someone else: volunteer for something, sign up to help in the church nursery, make a casserole and deliver it to someone recovering from surgery. As soon as your focus shifts from yourself to someone else, you start to feel better.

2. Get crafty

This doesn't have to be all quilts and crochet and scrapbooking, although those work great for me. Any kind of creative, DIY projects will work. The key is to DO something. Here's some out-of-the-box ideas from Popular Mechanics. And hey, March is National Craft Month! So go to Hobby Lobby. Try something new.

Right now I am working on quilt 4 of my 2011 Quilt a Month challenge. (see above pic) I wouldn't be nearly so far along if my friend Pat hadn't cut so many squares for me. (All my quilts have at least a little Pat in them!) And you can expect to see some of this self-help philosophy in my wip. There will be no prescriptions, that's for sure. I'm excited to see what happens!

GETTING TO KNOW MARK TWAIN

Last night we watched a Mark Twain documentary on Netflix (Have I mentioned how we adore Neflix? Documentaries! Independents! Foreign Films! Seriously, it's almost overwhelming.)

Samuel L. Clemens was quite a guy. And for all his adventures, he endured a great deal of heartbreak too. And lost fortunes. And he hated the lecture circuit! Who knew? But he loved his custom-made home in Hartford, Connecticut. (Totally on the to-do list! Harriet Beecher Stowe's home is in Hartford, too. And Caragh O'Brien, who is just plain WONDERFUL as a writer and friend invited me. Yay!) For all his writings that mocked the wealthy, he certainly enjoyed a certain lifestyle. It's almost like he had a split personality: there was Samuel, and there was Mark Twain. No matter which hat he was wearing, he was completely fascinating.

Of course me being me, I was most interested in the heartbreak. Probably the most tragic time for him was the death of his oldest daughter Susy. She died in 1896 at the age of 24 while he was off on the international year-long lecture tour to earn enough money to pay off his debts.

Samuel (I think it was Samuel and NOT Mark Twain) had these words engraved on her tombstone:

Warm summer sun,
shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
blow softly here,
Green sod above,
lie light, lie light,
Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.

For many years those words were attributed to Mark Twain. Actually they were borrowed from a poem written by Robert Richardson entitled "Annette" that was published in 1893, three years before Twain's daughter died.

While writing his autobiography, Twain said that he could not remember the author's name, and apparently he was uncertain of the exact wording of the poem. But as soon as he learned of "Annette" he added the author's name to the tombstone without changing the verse, although it was slightly incorrect.

Richardson's original words are as follows:

Warm summer sun, shine friendly here
Warm western wind, blow kindly here;
Green sod above, rest light, rest light,
Good-night, Annette! Sweetheart, good-night!

Twain's daughter Susy was his favorite, according to the documentary. Maybe because she was also a writer and wrote adoringly of her father. I'm a sucker for father-daughter stories, and I have been known to write adoringly of my writer-father, so this spoke to me.

If you'd like to know more about Mark Twain -- and Samuel -- crank up the Netflix! Good stuff. Happy Poetry Friday. Roundup is at Andromeda's!

TO GIVE AND TO GET

We humans are a generous, compassionate species. That quality is never more evident than when natural disaster strikes -- I mean, who doesn't want to help the people in Japan? So many countries have offered aid. We all know such tragedy could have just as easily been on our shores, destroying our families, our lives.

And then there are those humans like Amy C. Collins and her mother Sharon Griffitts who came to my presentation this past weekend at Florence-Lauderdale Library in Florence, AL. They know I love quilts and art, so they offered me this gorgeous Faith Ringgold print: Amy and Sharon welcomed me into their happy, yellow, art-filled home where they had enjoyed the print for a number of years, and they asked if I'd like to give it a new home.

Of course, I said YES. So we loaded it up, and I brought it home.

This kind of giving touches me so deeply because it's so personal and so unexpected. That's the kind of giver I want to be. And isn't that the point, anyway? Isn't that why we work to earn extra money, so we can give it away?

I've been thinking lately about what cause I want to embrace (or create). Which means I've been thinking about the things that matter most to me: love, children, family, books, striving. I want to be on Secret Millionaire someday, or create a scholarship for writers or a book prize or writing contest for kids. Only I don't want it to be some generic something, some plain check sent through the mail. I want it to mean more than that.

And I want to give in other ways too. Like the way my friend Pat Weaver does. Whenever she goes to the fabric store, she gets fabric for me too. Then she sends it to me, and it's a Christmas morning moment. She sends us home with cinnamon bread and bandannas for the puppy and little glass blue elephants, because she knows we like things that catch the light. It's such a special way to love someone-- to give.

So, THANK YOU, all you wonderful givers out there. I want to be just like you.