Irene Latham's Blog, page 74

Poetry Friday Roundup Brought To You By the Number 13!

Count von CountHello and welcome to Poetry Friday! It's my honor to host Roundup here today at Live Your Poem.

Before we get to the links, in celebration of Friday the 13th, I give you...

13 Thoughts About 13

1. I am reading a wonderful middle grade novel THE WONDERLING by Mira Bartok. Before the main character (a one-eared stuttering fox-like creature) is named “Arthur” by his friend Trinket, he is called “Number 13.” Why? I don't know yet! But I am certain the book will reveal this. Also, a movie based on the book is in the works! As I'm reading, I'm feeling a similar enchantment as I did when I read the first HARRY POTTER. Check it out!

2. My labor at the end of my third pregnancy was induced (because our 2nd son was a 10 pounder!), so we expected our youngest son to arrive on the 12th. BUT... he took his time, and didn't come until the 13th. (NOT a Friday, but still!)

3. Here's a poem "Thirteen Reasons Why Not" I wrote for Tabatha for Summer Poem Swap, after the novel Thirteen Reasons Why.

4. Did you know some people have a fear of the number 13? So many that there's actually a word for it: Triskaidekaphobia

5. 13 is a prime number, divisible only by 1 and itself. (I rather like simplicity of prime numbers. Aren't they... clean?)

6. "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens.

7. Banished from ships and skyscrapers, I suspect 13 dreams of oceans and elevators.

8. 13 not-so-sweet syllables for autumn:


jack-o-lantern leersas maple shedsher crimson robe
 - Irene Latham
9. There's still time to nominate 13 (or more!) titles for CYBILS Poetry... check out the list and add a book for the committee to consider! (see how I snuck that in there? ha!)
10. Write a rondel -- it has 13 lines!
11. A baker's dozen = 13. 
I'd like a baker's dozen of these tasty little mice
(found at a coffee shop in Hattiesburg, MS)!
12. Apollo 13.
13. The most wonderful thing about this Friday the 13th? All your links! Please leave them below. Wishing everyone a lovely day!
p.s. If you missed it: Here's a post from earlier this week on writing dialogue poems!

An InLinkz Link-up

Crazy About Dialogue Poems

Don't you love it when the poetic universe sends you something from two different galaxies, and somehow they converge in the same sky?

Well, that happened to me recently. First, I taught a poetry workshop to creative writing students at Chelsea High School. We wrote after Pixar postcards. Here is the one I selected:

Monsters, Inc. concept art by Harley Jessup (Disney/Pixar)I immediately started thinking about what this little girl might be saying to the monster. I was also thinking about how to use the tools I'd just given the students: include imagination, description, and emotion. Here's what I wrote:

Conversation with the Monster Under the Bed

I think YOU should do it.

       Why me?

Because you're big and blue
and you have horns.

     But you're small
     and pink and have shoes.
     Plus I'm scared.

You're scared? Of what?

     What if they don't like me?

What if they DO?
-----------------
I don't know yet what these two are planning... do you? I guess I'll find out when I work on the poem some more. I DO like the switcheroo of the girl giving the fearful monster courage...

And then the universe gifted me with a copy of Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong's latest project PET CRAZY: A Poetry Friday Power Book (illustrations by Franzi Paetzold). (Thank you, Sylvia/Janet/universe!)

This book reminds me of my homeschooling-mom days because it's really a workbook. I would have loved exploring it with my sons... lots of engaging activities and illustrations. Plus, PETS. I mean, what better way to bring kids to poetry than with animals?!

AND lo and behold, Powerpack 9 is called "Time to Talk" and includes, among other things, a dialogue poem prompt and mentor poem by Janet Wong.

Ben
Good News!

Me: "Kristy's cat is sick."

     Mom: "That's part of having a pet."

Me: "Is Kristy's cat going to die?"

     Mom: "Let's see what they hear
                  from the vet."

     Phone: Ring! Rringg!!

     Mom: "What did you say?"
                 "That's great! That's crazy!"

Me: "Kristy's cat isn't sick?"
   
     Mom: "She's just having babies!"

- Janet Wong
---------------

Good news, indeed! Wee me would have been delighted by that news... and was, many times, as my mother raised and sold Himalayan cats. Also, one of my most favorite books as a youngster was TOO MANY KITTENS, which I have blogged about before. 

You'll notice Janet labels the speakers in her poem, and I didn't. It's the poet's choice, though younger kids might be confused if you don't label it. Or you can do what I did, which was give a clue in the title. Or maybe you have a completely different idea about how to write a dialogue poem! And who should be talking and what they might be talking about... the point is, you should definitely write one. PET CRAZY even provides a page for you (and students!) to do just that.

And if you need further inspiration, here's one I love by Lilian Moore.

Corn Talk

Listen to a cornstalk
whispering
to the autumn wind,

     "Once I was a
     kernel, juicy in
     tight skin.

     Long long ago
     in April
     I sank into new-turned
     earth.

     In the warm sweet
     dar, I drank
     rain.

     Stretched by light
     I grew
     green-tall,

     prince of the garden
     in fringed tassels,
     in proud summer
     silks.

     Plump kernels
     fattened on my
     stalk,
     each ear secret,
     mummy-wrapped . . ."

"Corn talk again!"
sighs the wind
in the empty garden.

- Lilian Moore, as seen in Something New Begins: New And Selected Poems (Atheneum, 1982)

Happy writing!

Movie Monday: BATTLE OF THE SEXES

This weekend we took a trip back to the 70's to see BATTLE OF THE SEXES, the movie version of the tennis match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs. (Paul remembers this event, but I was too young!)

Emma Stone and Steve Carell were great in these roles, and the story was about more than just tennis -- we see Billy Jean coming to terms with her homosexuality AND Bobby Riggs (and his family) suffering the consequences of his gambling addiction. Some things change; some don't.

It's important to remember that for change to happen, sometimes you've got to walk away from the sure thing and really take a risk (as Billy Jean and the other female tennis players did). It paid off for them, and for all of us women who have followed. Also important to remember how far we've come. And just like Billy Jean is advised (by a gay man) to focus on equality for women when she aches to publicly enjoy a relationship with a woman, we need to remember change happens one small step after another. It takes time and patience. But every step is progress, and while we may not enjoy the fruits of our labors, those who come after us will. And isn't that what this making-the-world-a-better-place is all about?

I didn't LOVE this movie -- there's a certain distance in the storytelling? -- but it's definitely one worth watching.

The Sweet Art of Writing An Aubade

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit lovely Violet Nesdoly for Roundup.

I am once again away from my desk, but I wanted to pop in and share with you a poem from GONE CAMPING: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger, illus. by Mathew Cordell (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). A follow-up to the adorable GONE FISHING, this one is told in the voices of Sam, his sister Lucy, and their Grandpa. I was delighted to find an aubade tucked in those pages!

An aubade is an "early morning" poem, often a love song upon the leaving of a lover. They can be wistful and sweet and so often gorgeous. But of course they can have darker flavors as well. More generally they might be considered a poem of beginnings.

Here is a favorite: "Appalachian Aubade" by Traci Brimhall.
And here is an aubade that I wrote. And now for the aubade I found in GONE CAMPING:

Lucy
GOODBYE, LAST NIGHT
Aubade

Little light, a little lighter.
Bit of bright, now burning brighter.
Dark is shifting - drifting away.
Goodbye, last night. Hello, today.

Did it rain? The forest is glimmering.
Leaves and pine needles are shimmering.
How lucky to see the sun's first ray.
Goodbye, last night. Hello, today.

- Tamera Will Wissinger

And here are a few words from Tamera, in response to some simple prompts. Welcome, Tamera!

The Delicious: Finding a fresh, close to my heart story to tell and working with different poetry forms to bring the story to life.
The Difficult: I underestimated the tricky balance of writing a sequel. Before doing it I assumed it would be easier since the characters are familiar, but it's more challenging to ensure that there is enough of that familiarity without telling the same story.
The Unexpected: The joy of revisiting fond memories of my own childhood camping experiences through Lucy and Sam.
-----------

Thank you, Tamera! Readers, be sure to check out GONE CAMPING and share it with young readers in your life. And I would love to read some aubades by Poetry Friday friends... happy writing!

Downsizing for the Joy of It

Hello and welcome to Spiritual Journey Thursday! Today we are gathering at Maya's Move Over ADHD to discuss how small steps lead to big change. This is a great topic for me right now, as we are in the process of downsizing. I look at my bookshelves, my walls, my closet, my kitchen, and I feel completely overwhelmed!

But. We (fortunately) are not on a deadline. It doesn't have to be completed today or this month or even this year. Which means I can take those small steps -- one shelf or cabinet or wall at a time.

The hard part for me is living in the chaos. I very much like things DONE. I like checking tasks off, I like the feeling of accomplishment when I dust my hands off after completing something. And as Paul says, I'm already gone. Already moved in at the lake, looking at this 20-year-great-place-to-raise-kids house in the rearview mirror.

But this is a process. And what I am learning about myself is that all this task-checking over the years has been a way for me to feel more in control, a way to manage or redirect my feelings. Which is interesting, because I am no more in control when I am accomplishing things than when I am not! Perhaps this gradual, little bit at a time downsizing is helping me to learn how little control I actually have, and how life is happening now, a shelf a cabinet a wall at a time. It's all part of the process.

So, yes. Small steps add up to big changes. Today I am learning to see the untidyness as LIFE, instead of a step toward life.

This is it! I'm living it, and yes, it's a little messy right now, and I'm not in control, and I'm shedding things I once held dear, and that's changing me, too.

I have always been so sentimental, always NEEDED items to remind me of loved ones, of beauty, of experiences... and today I need them less. I am learning those people, those moments -- they are inside me, a part of me. Maybe I don't need all those things after all.

Two resources for those who might be experiencing similar circumstances: THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP by Marie Kondo and children's book creator Elizabeth Dulemba's Tedx talk: Is your stuff stopping you?


One a-ha moment for me during Elizabeth's talk is how we keep stuff to feel more permanent -- and isn't that what a girl (like me) might do after moving 11 times by the age of 14? I have always craved long-term and permanence. When that doesn't even exist.

Also, I don't like to admit this, but in the spirit of small steps for big change, I'm pretty sure one motivation for the things I've kept these long years has been a desire to impress others: look at all the poetry books Irene has! Did you see all that art? Isn't Irene the coolest? Yep. Another area in my life where I might be looking outside myself for validation.

Well. The new house -- the lake house -- it's not about anyone else but me and Paul. And it's about NOW, this moment. So we are keeping it really simple, aiming for utility and pleasing ourselves (joy!).... with as little clutter as possible. And I take great inspiration from one of the quotes Elizabeth shares in her Tedx talk:

“I have a hobby. I have the world’s largest collection of sea shells. I keep it scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you’ve seen some of it.”' - Steven Wright
Isn't that wonderful? Working on it. xo 

Sherman Alexie on Quilts, Relationships & Racism

I've just finished YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME by Sherman Alexie. It's a memoir centered around his mother, written not long after her death. As with many a mother and children, it's a complicated relationship. I enjoyed the mix of poetry and prose.

I learned Sherman's mother Lilian was a quilter:


My mother made quilts.She would sew instead of sleep
And rage at sunrise.
- from "The Quilting"

I learned his father was quiet:
My father wouldn't throw a punch or pull a trigger or names names. Silence was his short bow and quiver of arrows.

I learned Sherman is complicated, as we all are:
me with Sherman (NCTE, 2012)I am the one
who is half monkAnd half clown.
Look at me pray!Look at me pratfall!
I will beg, I will begFor your devotion
Then do my best To lead you astray.
- from "Love Parade"


I learned some of Sherman's thoughts on racism:
I have lost track of the number of times a white person, hilariously thinking they were being complimentary, has said to me, “But Sherman, I don't think of you as an Indian.”Throughout my rural and urban life, among white conservatives and white liberals, I've heard many other variations on the same basic sentiment.“Sherman, you're not like other Indians.”“Sherman, you're a credit to your race.”“Sherman, you barely seem Indian.”“Sherman, I don't think of you as being Indian. I think of you as being a person.”“Sherman, you're not just a Native writer. You're a writer.”“Sherman, I don't see color. I see the person inside.”All of these statements mean the same thing: “Sherman, in order to fit you and your indigenous identity into my worldview, I have to think of you as being like me – as being white like me.”
-----Lots to think about. 
Also posting today, my story of "The Summer a Library Saved my Life" over at Smack Dab in the Middle. Enjoy!

On Choosing Not to Be Offended

In between a thousand other things, I'm preparing for some upcoming presentations, including those scheduled for AASL and NCTE in November. And then yesterday, as I was reading -- and loving -- the new middle grade novel INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CATCUS by Dusti Bowling, I found a passage I can't wait to include in at least one of my presentations.

You've got to read this book! It features "Armless Aven," who was born without arms and has such a positive outlook -- being armless isn't going to stop her from doing ANYTHING. I love it!

And because I believe one key to a more loving, tolerant world is to give people the benefit of the doubt, not take things so personally, choose NOT to be offended, I dog-eared a particular passage from a scene that includes Aven and her very cool mom. Thanks to Dusti for giving permission for me to share it. When you're done here, go forth and find thyself a copy of the book! You will love it.

My eyes filled with tears. “When Connor was here yesterday... he called me disabled.”
Mom scrunched her eyebrows “Well...okay. Did that make you angry?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because,” I said, trying to hold back more tears. I know I am. I don't need other people telling me I am and telling me what I can or can't do.”
“I'm sure he didn't say it to hurt you.”
“I don't ever want to be seen just as a disabled person,” I said. “I don't want to just be Aven Green, that girl with no arms. I don't want to be labeled like that.”
“I think Connor would be the last person to label you like that. You shouldn't get so offended if someone calls you disabled, Aven. You do have extra challenges that others don't have. It does take you longer to do most tasks. Your movements are limited. There's a big difference between saying you're disabled and saying you're incapable.”
“Well, he tried to say I was incapable of becoming an astronaut.”

 She laughed and stood up off the bed and faced me. “I think it would be extra challenging for you, but I don't think it's impossible, not with robotic arms and all that.” She did a robot dance to show off what I assumed were some ridiculous robot arms that would never be of any use to an astronaut. “I don't think anything's impossible for you,” she said as she continued her display.”
- Dusti Bowling, INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS

A Star for CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship

The first trade review for CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship is IN, and it's from Kirkus, and it's a star!

I'm honored and delighted to share this with the whole team: co-author Charles Waters, illustrators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, and the find folks at Carolrhoda/Lerner.

You can read the full review at Kirkus, and here is the closing sentence:

"A brave and touching portrayal worthy of sharing in classrooms across America." - Kirkus / STARRED

Readers, it's the "brave" that makes my heart pirouette. Talking about race and racism isn't easy. But if shy, private me can be brave, others can too. Let's do it together, shall we?

"Writing in Fall" Poem for the First Day of Autumn

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Amy at the Poem Farm for Roundup.
I have been away from my desk all week, traveling with the amazing folks at Alabama Library Expo! Lucky me: Paul joined me for the first three stops, and my dear friend Pat joined me for the last stop!
Over the four day tour I met nearly 600 librarians, about a dozen book vendors, and two other authors -- and it was so much fun! Here is a quick collage:

One of the things I told the librarians (who might also be writers) was to treat writing like brushing your teeth -- don't go to bed without doing it!
With that in mind, while in the hotel room at one of the stops, I crafted a wee poem in celebration of the Autumnal equinox. I do love fall... and I love WRITING in fall. It's my favorite season!

created at BeFunky.com (because PicMonkey
is no longer allowing me free services... grr!)Writing in Fall
O muse,      o maple,
o sweet sweater      days:
thank you      for firewind
words gusting      the page –
how they tumble,     driftpile –
leaving plenty
to gather,     rake
           rearrange.
- Irene Latham

On Ducks and Baby Names & "One Voice" (for International Peace Day)

Eirene, Greek goddess of Peace"Irene" is the Greek word for peace. Apparently there is a Greek goddess named Irene.

That's not why my parents chose the name for me -- I was named for my great-grandmother Hannah Irene Dennis, who, I'm told, "never said a bad thing about anyone."


I'm pretty sure no one has ever said the same of me, though it IS something to aspire to. And, in a way, it's a definition of peace.

A few years ago a friend referred to me as "Serene Irene." Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And yes, I am quiet. Yes, I am not prone to fighting or violence of any kind. Yes, I love solitude and am perfectly comfortable when a silence falls across a dinner table. But. There's so much you can't see! Michael Caine's duck comes to mind: calm on the surface, but paddling like crazy underneath.

I think the duck I want to be is calm on the surface, paddling only as much as is necessary. Slower. Gentler. Feeling the silky water, not driven by hunger or danger. Just enjoying a swim.



Another name that means "peace," is Oliver. Which is why we selected it as a middle name for one of our sons. It was a way to name a child after me without naming him after me. :)


“A Mother With Her Sleeping Child”
by Léon Bazille Perrault
via Wikimedia CommonsOur baby boy has been in the news this week, about the song called "One Voice" he and friends created that's certainly on the topic of peace.

Here's an article from Shelby Co. schools and from our local ABC 33/40 station. And here's the video that inspired all the attention. We couldn't be prouder of these kids!




 Wishing you a peaceful day! Be sure to visit the Peace padlet put together by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and Madeline Engle. xo