Zetta Elliott's Blog, page 113
June 19, 2010
links galore
Ok, I've been saving these links for a spectacular, coherent post…but maybe that's not gonna happen. I woke before 6am but just couldn't get up, and so lolled in bed thinking over the writing curriculum I need to pull together this weekend. So without further delay, here are some terrific links I came across this past week—check them out!
Neesha led me to this amazing post by teen blogger Brent:
My city's public libraries werent much better. The only LGBT book they had was The Meaning of...
June 18, 2010
magic & mermaids
I don't write poetry. I used to write one poem per year on average, along with a couple dozen haiku. But when you're teaching kids how to write poetry, you have to offer some demo poems—and I realize that writing poetry at that level works for me since my poetic powers are rather elementary. Wouldn't mind writing a collection of poems for kids one day…
I Make Magic
some look for
the shimmer of fairy
dust on rose petals
some wish on
a shooting star
some mix up a potion
or utter a spell
some follow ...
June 17, 2010
are you a NOC?
NOC stands for Nerd of Color–and if you answered yes to that question (or even if you didn't), I hope you'll read this interesting article by Bao Phi (thanks to Claire for posting it on CBS). Yesterday as I lay on the couch coming out of my post-migraine fog, I found myself hoping that Lord of the Rings was somehow available online. I needed a Frodo fix, and some days it's just like that…
What I've written less about is the books I gravitated towards: books about mythological monsters...
June 16, 2010
recent reads
I finished Wench a few days ago, and have been thinking about the best way to discuss it; Andrea Levy's The Long Song is waiting for me at the library, and if I include The Book of Night Women, I'll have read three neo-slave narratives in one month. I'm still thinking about how to write about The Mariposa Club—write a review? set up an author interview? both? It's harder for me to review LGBT novels because I've only read a few, and that means I can't really situate the book in relation to ...
June 15, 2010
Franklin Park
Last night I gave a reading at Franklin Park, a new lounge in Crown Heights that hosts a monthly reading series. The wonderful organizer, Penina Roth, met me at the door and checked in throughout the night to make sure I was ok…you see, I don't drink and I can count on one hand the number of times I've been in a bar. So doing a reading at a bar (which the Brooklyn Paper dubbed "booze and books") made me a little anxious. Fortunately, my good friend Stefanie was there to prop me up, and...
June 13, 2010
we shall rise…
The phoenix is a symbol of endurance and continuity—things may look bleak for our public libraries, but I'm confident we can turn things around. Just look at the folks who turned out for the 24-hour read in—all these kids learning to spin wool and knit! there were quilters and musicians and writers, of course. I wanted to show up around 3am, but couldn't find a companion and didn't want to walk up Flatbush on my own in the middle of the night. If all goes well with the job interviews...
good to know
Many thanks to Sarah over at Archimedes Forgets for sharing this link with me—if you've ever wondered just how publishing works, try Moonrat's Guide to Getting into Publishing. Unfortunately, it all begins with an unpaid internship or low-paying retail job, and as someone mentioned in the Shelf Talker comments, THAT has got to change because too many qualified applicants simply can't afford to work for free and/or next to nothing…still, this is a great introduction to the field—check it...
June 12, 2010
summer reading
One of the main reasons Conversations Book Club is widely respected across the world is because it looks for books that satisfy all reading appetites and makes them available to the literary community, whether they are traditionally published books or those independently released. This year's summer reading list is a perfect mixture of both non-fiction and fiction titles that are sure to keep you entertained and enlightened this summer...
June 11, 2010
one perfect hour
I just lost my entire post—grrrrr. This mac is acting nutty, so I'll keep this short: had to share this beautiful drawing sent to me by my niece, Maya. How did she know that I read "Millie Eckstine the Singing Swine" during my poetry workshop this morning? I love that Maya gave her earrings…
There's a lot going on this weekend. The poetry workshops I lead are sponsored by the Brooklyn Public Library. Those of us who value libraries and librarians will be out in force on Saturday for a
June 10, 2010
The Elephant in the Room
No matter how hard you try to ignore it, it just won't go away! It's time to do something about the appalling inequity in US (and Canadian) publishing. Elizabeth Bluemle has posted a fantastic essay over at her Publishers Weekly blog, Shelf Talker. It's filled with important insights, links, and illustrations by artists of color who know all too well just how exclusive and tight-lipped the publishing industry can be. I particularly like this one by Jerry Craft—I've BEEN to a book fair...
