Sally Murphy's Blog, page 16

Poetry Friday: Stairs

This week on a car trip I listened to the audiobook of Winnie the Pooh and laughed anew at the stories I loved as a child. I especially always love that Pooh is a poet, and makes up poems when he’s feeling sad, or glad, or just because. They are often nonsensical but always fun to repeat.

This lead me, in turn, to pick up my copies of A.A. Milne’s poetry books and revisit them. I was home alone and found myself reading them aloud, because that is what I felt like doing (As an aside, being home alone can be just fabulous for thing like reading!).

And I came back to how much I love many of those poems, but always always this one:

Halfway Down

Halfway down the stairs
is a stair
where I sit.
there isn’t any
other stair
quite like
it.

(you can read the rest of the poem, which is copyright,  here)

Why this poem? I think because, growing up, we had a big staircase and those stairs were the scene of a lot of games. I grew up in a country hotel and we lived upstairs while my parents ran their business downstairs. the stairs were not grand, but to a child they were exciting, and adventurous, and I spent many hours trying to master jumping to skip more than the bottom three, or to slide down the bannister (sorry Mum). But also, just sitting on the stairs, reading, or waiting for Mum, or dreaming.

So, it seemed this poem was written just for little me. And when I read it now I still get the tingle of rightness of this being for me, about me. Do you have a poem from your own childhood that does this – or, like me, more than one such poem?

I am pretty sure I have shared this clip before, but what’s not love about Robin the Frog sharing my favourite poem?

 

These days I don’t love stairs so much, but on my beach walks, I do need to climb down (and then, of course, back up)these amazing stairs.

And now I’m off to find more poetry that makes me smile, because it’s Poetry Friday, hosted today by Carmela at Teaching Authors.

 

Poetry Friday: Verse Novels are Awesome

Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of being part of  the School Library Association of Victoria’s online Reading Forum, with a panel discussing one of my great loves – verse novels.  Panellists included  the amazing Kathryn Apel (poet extraordinaire), the equally amazing Zana Fraillon (whose prose I always adore, and whose first verse novel I cannot wait to get my hands on), (amazing librarian from Brighton Grammar School) and Ruth Nitschke (from the fabulous National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature). And the attendees were librarians, teacher-librarians and other educators from across Victoria and further afield.

What an event! So much love for verse novels from the presenters and the attendees. One thing I loved was that we did not  meet and plan who would say what, and yet we were such a great combination, with common threads running through without being repetitive. I know many of the attendees were already fans of the verse novel, but I also got the feeling that they were leaving with big to-read lists and even more passion for sharing verse novels with young readers.  Winning!

Some of the takeaways for those of you who missed it:

Verse novels are awesome.They exist on a range of topics, for a range of age groups and can appeal to readers of all interests.Verse novels are awesome.They offer poetry in a way which is accessible and relatable, but offer depth and empathetic experiences.Verse novels are really awesome.They can be used in the classroom for writing, for building reading skills and for exploring curriculum, but they can equally (and perhaps most importantly) be read for pleasure.Verse novels are totally awesome.White space! I think we all mentioned the white space in verse novels as being important, but it what was Zana said that really resonated with me – reminding us that the white space is both physical and metaphorical. That is – it is in what is not said, in the spaces, that a lot of meaning and connection is allowed to bloom.Verse novels are totally, absolutely awesome.

Okay, maybe I’m repeating myself on the awesome bit, but this was truly the message that the evening got across – both from the presenters and from the participants.

I logged out with a huge smile on my face, and a new list of to-reads. I am constantly surprised by how many verse novels I haven’t yet read – but also delighted because that means more reading joy in my future.

You can find the recommendations from Kelsy on her padlet here.  I also cannot wait to get my hands on Zana’s The Way of Dog. I am lucky to have already read all of Kat’s verse novels, including the wonderful What Snail Knows, which I reviewed here.  And, of course, a massive shout out to the amazing NCACL Verse Novel resource, where you can learn more about all the wonderful verse novels for children and young adults which  have ever been published in Australia.

The other reason I’m smiling, is because today is Poetry Friday – so there is lots more poetry goodness ahead as I browse my friends’ poetic offerings. Rose is hosting this week’s  the roundup here.

 

 

 

Poetry Friday: The Science of Poetry

Last week’s post was a bit of a passionate rant about how important it is to share poetry, and to do so in ways that are pleasurable.

All week I have been wondering why I didn’t mention a little piece of research that I came across during my doctoral studies and which I often cite. So, here it is: reading poetry does magic stuff to your brain that reading prose doesn’t.   In short, a study using fMri (a brain scan technology) found that when participants read their favourite poetry the parts of their brain related to memory and physical reaction (like shivers down the spine) were activated. For a better explanation, you can see this news report here or, if you want the more detailed scientific paper, you can search an academic library  for the full article by Zeman, Milton, Smith and Rylance (abstract here) .

 

I love it when science proves what we poetry lovers already know – that poetry is a whole body, whole self activity. Because while we don’t need scientific proof, that evidence is great for sharing with poetry doubters.

And, while I must confess that I have not written a poem of my own this week, I figure this is a good time to share a poem which definitely gives me all the feelings.

A Quoi Bon Dire

Beautiful Sa Pa.

by Charlotte Mew

Seventeen years ago you said
Something that sounded like Good-bye;
And everybody thinks that you are dead,
But I.

So I, as I grow stiff and cold
To this and that say Good-bye too;
And everybody sees that I am old
But you.

And one fine morning in a sunny lane
Some boy and girl will meet and kiss and swear
That nobody can love their way again
While over there
You will have smiled, I shall have tossed your hair.

 

Why this poem? It is  a little sad, but, for me, it warms my heart with its observations (even celebration)  of love, and how we can hold that love long after someone has left our lives. It may be a romantic love, but in my case, this week marks anniversaries of two losses – my sister and my father – and it doesn’t matter that are gone six years and one year respectively – I love them just as much now as I did when I could see them.

I’m off to read more poetry and more thoughts about poetry because today is Poetry Friday. The roundup is being hosted Jama  So if you want to activate your  brain, head over there and do some reading of your own:)

 

And the Winner Is….

Thank you to everyone who entered my book giveaway and came along to celebrate the double birthday of Worse Things and Pearl Verses the World.

 

The winner was determined randomly – I entered all entrants into a spreadsheet in the order they commented, then used Google’s random number generator to select a winner. The winning number was entry number one:

 

And this entry belonged  to Gail Erskine. This is well deserved as Gail is an amazing educator and advocate for children’s books.   Your book will be winging its way to you very soon Gail!

 

If you entered and didn’t win, I’m sorry – but hopefully you enjoyed entering. Both books (and my other verse novels) are still in print and therefore available in good bookstores and online – or at your local library!

 

Thanks again everyone. 

Book Birthdays – and a Giveaway!

Happy birthday to you!    

Happy birthday tooo you!

Happy birthday dear Worse Things

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooouuuu!

That’s right, today is a special day because it is Worse Things‘ second birthday. Hard to believe that it has been out in the world for two whole years.

In that time it has been read and (hopefully) loved by readers all around Australia. And I am forever grateful that Walker Books published it and that the absolutely amazing and awesome illustrator Sarah Davis illustrated it.

But wait – there’s more because (drumroll please) …..

it’s ALSO Pearl Verses the World‘s birthday.

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday tooo you!

Happy birthday dear Pearl

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooouuuu!

Now, if you read this book when it first came out then you might be amazed to realise how very quickly time has flown because Pearl Verses the World is not two years old, and not even three years old. In fact (I CAN NOT believe this) Pearl Verses the World is 13 years old today!

 

13 years since this little book was published (again by the amazing team at Walker Books, and illustrated by the equally as amazing Heather Potter) and changed my writing world.

So happy birthday little book babies. I am inordinately proud of you and of the fact you both remain in print. Long may you remain out there filling hearts and minds with your tales.

 

And to you, amazing readers – a massive thankyou!  Stories work because readers pick them up, digest them and make them their own.

Note: if you have not read one or both of these books, this thank you is still for you – because I am sure you have read other, equally loved books by other amazing authors. And that’s fine. But if you’d like a sneak peak of Worse Things, here’s me reading the opening, filmed during lockdown when the book was released:

And here’s me reading the opening of Pearl Verses the World during the same lockdown.

And, because it’s a double birthday, I have a present to give away. Comment on this post and let me know which of these two books you would like to win. I will randomly choose one lucky winner on Thursday night (my time) and announce the winner here on my blog.  Get to it! (nb If you win I will contact you for your postal address).

 

 

 

April Reads

Twenty books! I knew I had been doing a lot of reading in April but am still surprised with my month’s total. Some excellent reads, and a real range.

Books for Kids

 

The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin, by Paula Hayes, illustrated by Katy Jiang (Fremantle Press, 2022). A fun story of ghosts, family and friendship. There are some serious issues explored here – bullying, family violence and more – but also lighter moments, including a naughty ghost with a sweet tooth.Camp, by Kayla Miller (Walker Books, 2022). A lovely graphic novel about navigating the challenges of friendship in the setting of a holiday camp.Our Country: Ancient Wonders, by Mark Greenwood & Frane Lessac (Walker Books, 2022). I always love a book by this talented pair. This time the focus is on Australia’s ancient wonders, from dinosaur trails to meteorite craters, and more.The Bravest Word, by Kate Foster (Walker Books, 2022). This was lovely – the story of an 11 year old boy, Matt, who connects with,  and saves, a neglected dog while also finding a way to confront the depression which is gripping him. Beautifully wrought. Beaver Towers, by Nigel Hinton (Abelard, 1980). A cute story of a young boy whose kite whisks him away to a far away island where he must help  beavers, and other animals, take back their castle from a magic witch.Bush Magic, by Kylie Howarth (Walker Books, 2022). This delightful picture book is, as the name suggests, magic. An imaginative adventure  highlighting the bond between littles and grandparents. Love it!Books for Young Adults

 

Dear Nobody, by Berlie Doherty (Harper Collins, 1991). This one is a classic, but I hadn’t read it before and picked it up in an op shop a while back. The story of Chris and Helen who, in their final year of highschool, find their plans and dreams changed when Helen falls pregnant. Told mostly from Chris’s viewpoint, as well as through letters which Helen writes to her unborn baby. There was a lot to connect with here, as I was a young mother myself many moons ago.Frenchtown Summer, by Robert Cormier (Puffin Books, 1999). I only recently heard of this book, recommended by another verse novelist, and tracked down a copy . I did not know Robert Cormier had written in verse, but am glad now that I do know and have read this. Set in 1938 and following one summer in 12 year old Eugene’s life, with his relationship with his seemingly distant father being a core focus. The verse is beautiful and as haunting as the town (Frenchtown) and events.The Taking of Jake Livingston, by Ryan Douglass (Andersen Press, 2022). Not my usual cup of tea (sent to me as a review copy) – thriller with ghosts, ectoplasm, and lots of gore – but once I started I couldn’t put it down.  Jake can see ghosts and, chillingly, watches them replay their last living moments on a loop. He’s being targeted by the perpetrator of a recent school shooting, and it seems the ghost has plans for him. If that isn’t enough, he’s the only black kid at his school, and grappling with his sexual identify. That’s a lot, but it’s handled well, making the book very readable, if a little scary.The River and the Book, by Alison Croggon (Walker Books, 2015). I’m not sure why I hadn’t read this before, but am glad I now have. With elements of fable and magical realism, this is the story of the two treasures in Simbala’s life – the river, which flows through her village, and the Book, which guides the decisions of of the villagers.  But the river is affected by the actions of developers further upstream, and Sim, who is the Keeper of the Book, searches for answers, not knowing that the book itself is also threatened.Baby Love, by Jacqueline Wilson (Penguin, 2022). I spotted this in a bookshop and, having recently read Dear Nobody, was interested to see another take on the topic of teen pregnancy. I have to say that, having been a teen mother myself (at age 18), some of the events felt a bit close to home – but in the kind of way that made me (or my teen self)  feel seen. Set in 1960, with a 14 year old main character, Laura, this was a really moving take on the subject. I had to keep reading – started it late one night and finished it the next afternoon.How to Repaint a Life, by Steven Herrick (UQP, 2021). I adore Steven Herrick’s wirting – he is, after lal, one of the reasons I fell in love with the evrse novel form. This one is not in verse, but it bears his trademark forthrightness. His characters and their lives are real and relatable, and I love getting to know them, even in the midst of their pain. This one is the story if Isaac, escaping his old life with an abusive father, and trying to find himself in a small town, where he meets Sophie, who wouldn’t mind a bit of change in her own life. White Rose, by Kip Wilson (Versify, 2019). A historical verse novel based ona true story, this one made me gasp with its subject matter and ability to make it so very real. The story of German student Sophie Scholl who, during World War 11 had the courage to speak out against the fascist regime in her  country.Dying to Tell Me, by Sherryl Clark (2014). One of my goals these past couple of years is to catch up on books by favourite authors. This is one of those – I am unsure why I hadn’t read this before,  but looking for something else I was reminded about this one and ordered it.  Sherryl is a really versatile author, and this one is part ghost story, part crime fiction and also explores the impact of family breakups. It makes for an absorbing blend.Fiction for Adults

 

After the Flood, by Dave Warner (Fremantle Press, 2022). This was a review copy and is not due for release till August. Set chiefly in and aroudn Broome, this is crime fiction with a bite – industrial espionage, protesters, grizzly deaths, and a gritty detective determined to  unravel the truth.The Valley of Fear, by Arthur Conan Doyle. I started working my way through the  collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, read by Stephen Fry, lats year, and am still going – after this one there are two more books to go.  I’m still enjoying them, and have to confess I’m a little sad to be coming to the end.Nonfiction for Adults

 

A Repurposed Life, by Ronni Kahn, with Jessica Chapnik Kahn (Murdoch Press, 2020). When I saw (on TV)  Ronni Kahn, the founder of the amazing Oz Harvest, speaking at the Press Club last month I straight away logged into Audible and bought and downloaded her book. I wasn’t disappointed. An amazing life, and lovely to hear it read by Ronni herself.Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender, by David R. Hawkins (Audible). I listened to this as it was free in a two for one deal at Audible and I just chose something a little randomly to go alongside the book I wanted.  I’m a little bit torn about commenting on/sharing this book because it has some really good takeaways about (as the title suggest) letting go of negative emotions (not suppressing, but letting go) and the power of this for being happier and healthier. But there are some bits which I was quite trouble about, including parts where I felt there was some victim blaming – around illness , disadvantage and misfortune. For myself I was able to let these go and focus on the bits that were relevant and helpful.Able, by Dylan Alcott (Harper Collins/Bolinda Audio, 2019). This was a featured title on Audible this month, and I’m glad I chose to download it. Dylan, the current Australian of the Year is an inspirational, funny, open and big hearted person, and listening to his story read in his voice was a real treat.Letters from Robin, by Jon Appleton (Noble Books, 2022). I bought this one after reading about it in Magpies Magazine, and am glad I did. A biography of Robin Klein told from the perspective of Appleton, who wrote to Robin when he was eleven – and thus began a thirteen year correspondence with her. Appleton went on, while still at school, to establish and publish Rippa Reads, and then to work in publishing. This memoir of that friendship also traces Klein’s career, as well as giving a unique insight into the children’s book industry of the 1980s and 1990s. The only problem with reading this is that I know have a big list of books I want to read or reread.

 

So that’s what I read in April, bringing my total for the year to 44  – and 109 to go to reach my target, which seems a lot. But we shall see.

 

I’d love to hear what YOU have been reading.

Poetry Friday: Some thoughts on poetry

In my dayjob as a lecturer in literacy and education,  the two key messages I constantly try to impart to these future teachers is that if you are going to teach reading, you need to be a reader yourself and if you are going to teach writing, you need to be a writer. Sometimes I think my students get sick of me repeating these messages, but I also try to model what that looks like in every class, by reading to and with my students, and writing with them too.

The unit I am teaching this Semester is an elective called Creative Literacies, and it is all about teaching literacy, and the subject English, in creative ways and to develop creativity in students.  Each week we look at different aspects of the curriculum – reading, writing, nonfiction, visual arts and more. But this week’s topic is my favourite one: Poetry.

I love teaching this class – although one two hour block seems to go past sooooo quickly. It’s less of a lecture and more of impassioned call to action, beginning with an explanation to my students of my own love of poetry and how that love was almost quashed by high school English and the dreaded exercises in Practical Criticism (or Prac. Crit. as they were always called).

If you are not familiar with a prac. crit, don’t worry. What this involved was being given an unseen poem, and then having to write an essay about it. That was pretty much the guidance I remember receiving. And I had no idea how to do it. I was, apparently, required to read the poem, see past the words to all the hidden layers and then write eloquently about what it meant and how the poem imparted that meaning.

I remember feeling dumb.

Every

single

time.

It seemed my classmates could see those layers. But I just felt dread. Was I getting the ‘right’ meaning? And was this meaning imparted through iambic pentameter? Trochaic something-or-other?

Amazingly, I managed to pass English Literature in my final year 12 exams, but it was my worst subject. Luckily I also took regular English, and that was my best. And somehow, in spite of that experience, I still loved poetry – just not in the classroom. And ended up studying literature at university and, eventually, completed a PhdD focussing on children’s poetry – though there was not a prac. crit. in sight. [Side note: On my very first teaching practice as a student teacher, an English teacher called Ron taught his students how to write a prac. crit. It was the first time I had heard it explained in a way I understood. And I have never forgotten that lesson – and I used his method to teach my own students for many years In fact, if I do say so myself, I could write a pretty mean prac. crit these days, if I wanted to. Which I don’t.]

Anyway, back to this week’s class. As well as telling my own poetry journey as an introduction, we spent our class looking at brilliant examples of poetry, including verse novels, some simple writing exercises and lots of talk about poetry. By the end of the class I could see that my students were enthused about poetry – partly because of the class, and partly because they are bright individuals who already have deep interests in reading and writing which will make them fine teachers.

If you are reading this and are a teacher, or future teacher, this is the takeaway I want to offer:

Don’t be scared of poetry. If the layers are too obscure, it’s the wrong poem.There is no right answer for any poem – and, in writing, no right answer in form either.Use more poetry in your classroom! It doesn’t have to be siloed into a two week unit at the end of term 2. It can be a daily offering – present in your class library, adorning the walls of your room, written and read alongside any other form. And if you are stuck for ideas, hit me up!

I’m going to finish with a poem (of course), not freshly written, but which seems apt to share today.

Now I’m off to enjoy more poetry because it’s Poetry Friday! The round up is over at Jone’s blog. There is always plenty of poetry goodness on offer – and no one expects a prac. crit. to be written afterwards

 

 

 

 

 

Worse Things than an Awesome review

It’s always delightful to stumble on a review of one of my books, but when I cam across this review on Youtube this week, I was blown away!  Dionyy, a librarian at Greater Dandenong, took so much time not just to give an opinion on the book, but to really delve deep into the characters, themes, settings, structure, illustrations and more.  So thorough!

Librarians truly rock!

Poetry Friday: 500 Perfect Words

I’ve been head down working on a verse novel, having set myself  a goal of finishing the current draft by the end of the month.  I love the feeling of knowing it’s almost there after a lot of struggle to bring together three different voices to highlight a little piece of history I feel is important.

This week, though, I found time to browse in my local bookshop and felt compelled to pick up a little red book called 500 Beautiful Words You Should Know.

I guess it’s no surprise that I was attracted to a book about words, but it surprised me how much I straight away wanted to read the book, cover to cover. It’s clever. each word is accompanied by a paragraph or two with a definition, discussion of its origins and examples of usage. this could be quite dry and dull, but it’s done in a way I  find entertaining. And the words themselves are delightful, thought provoking and/or amusing ranging from quite common words to ones less known.

At home I was inspired to see if I could work some of these words into my poetry but, when my notebook came out, I found myself instead challenged to use the words as titles. Could I write poems each using one of these words as the title, and the poem itself inspired by its meaning? I’m trying not to simply define the words, but to think a little outside the box.  I’m not sure I’ll write 500 of these little poetic snippets, but I’m having fun with the prompt and the challenge, dipping in to the book until I find a word that inspires me and then writing a short response. Here’s my first  three.

 

Accost

How could you? I ask

How dare you?

But the person

in the mirror

does not reply.

How can I?

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

Imprimatur

Mwah!

Sloppy toddler kiss

gives approval

for Granny’s baking.

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

And lastly, this one, inspired by  my recent desire to write about  jellyfish. The video that follows (which I have shared here before) might help explain the poem.

Bagatelle

Drifting

above sandy floors

and rocky shallows

at first you seem

just a  blob of jelly

but then you twist

and tiny party lights

show your hidden talents.

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

I’m off to get that novel draft finished, but there’ll be some more writing inspired by 500 Beautiful Words in my near future. I’m also ready to check out the Poetry Friday Roundup. You’ll find it here.

Poetry Friday: A Definition

It’s Poetry Friday and it’s also April 1, which means it’s the start of National Poetry Month (NPM) in the United States. Here in Australia, our Poetry Month is in August – but I choose to think that EVERY month should be poetry month, so I am going to celebrate in April AND August, as many other months as I can – even Octember!

I thought I might start the month by considering what poetry is. Having completed a Doctorate in children’s poetry, it is probably surprising that I find it hard to give a simple answer tot his question. But, if youlvoe poetry, you’ll understand: poetry is different things to different people.

So, for me, I find it easiest to define by using a poem. I have given this definition in workshops and classrooms for quite some time – and was delighted to then be able to include it in my book Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose last year. And now, here I am sharing it with you to celebrate  NPM.

 

A Poem

(by Sally Murphy)

A poem

is a whole lot of words

a plethora of words

a smattering, a scattering

a shattering of words

thrown on a page

in carefully created

chaos

to make you wonder.

 

It’s not a definite answer – but the best poems aren’t – they leave you with something to ponder – maybe a depth of feeling, maybe a sense of joy, or maybe even just a giggle.

I’m off to wonder at the other offerings for Poetry Friday. The roundup is being hosted by Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe.