Joyce Ray's Blog, page 5

ASHLEY BRYAN - NATIONAL TREASURE

Welcome to Poetry Friday and the many poems Amy is rounding up over at The Poem Farm.

Today I want to share a wondrous day filled with generosity and poetry on Little Cranberry Island, also known as Islesford, off the coast of Bar Harbor, Maine.

The sky was clear blue and the ocean sparkled in the sunlight as the mail boat ferried us past lobstermen hauling traps on a late August day. My husband and I were on our way to the new Ashley Bryan Center to pay homage to the 91 year-old storyteller, poet, artist and illustrator I had met thirteen years ago at my MFA program. We also were meeting a relative who lives on this special little island.

Because angels and perhaps muses were leading the way, we met Ashley at the Center, and he invited us to his home. Now you have to understand that Ashley is the most gracious, kind soul on the planet. He travels far and wide to inspire others, supports literacy and well building projects in African countries, and dearly loves the children in the island school named for him. He is the best performance poet, performing files of poems from his spacious memory. And he was part of the Normandy Invasion!



At the small Center, we followed the timeline of his life, discovered his stained glass windows, and marveled at the puppets he has created from flotsam and jetsam found on the island's beaches. His new book gives each puppet its own poem, like the one for Kwesi the elephant.


Later, Jeri, our lunch host, brought us to Ashley's home. The creative energy in that space is astounding. Paintings, puppets, mobiles, African carvings, statues, shells, stones cover every inch of space on walls, surfaces and ceiling. He welcomed us upstairs in his studio where illustrations for his new book are on one work surface, stained glass on another, and large, new paintings stand on the floor. He told us how his long ago introduction to the cellist Pablo Casals changed his approach to painting. Ashley began to follow the rhythm of his hand to paint the interaction in a scene rather than try for realism.

Downstairs at his table, he recited Keats, Dickinson, Langston Hughes and Rilke in both English and German, all to illustrate points he had made about rhythm. He autographed the book I had purchased by the harbor, and acted like we had honored him by visiting on our wedding anniversary.








After saying goodbye, we walked a pebbled beach on Ashley's island. It was one of the most perfect days I can remember.

POETRY FRIDAY

 
Host Irene at Live Your Poem challenges us with a theme today - MISSING. Of course, I chose my contribution before knowing this, but certainly the work of both poet Philip Booth and artist Andrew Wyeth are missed! Does this count?
After spending a sparkling day on the Maine coast yesterday, I found "A Choice of Horizons" by Maine poet, Philip Booth in Maine Lines, edited by Richard Aldridge, Lippincott, 1970. 
My day was awash in Booth’s “naked ridgepoles, salt-bleached shakes, and “the sea, the sea, the sea,” a choice of horizons, indeed! The day ended with a visit to the Wyeth exhibits at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland. It’s a joy to read this poem after dwelling awhile with Andrew Wyeth’s paintings. I can “see” paintings like “Christina’s World” and others through Booth’s words and marvel at how he makes us look at that one boy out-pedaling the wind on his bike "to shelter  behind some town the man he must be."
Booth, a New Hampshire native, studied with Robert Frost at Dartmouth and spent his childhood on the coast of Maine. “A Choice of Horizons” was first published in 1964 just when “Christina’s World” brought the world’s attention to Andrew Wyeth.
This poem is MISSING online. Quoting a section wouldn’t capture its beauty. Here’s a jpg from my copy of Maine Lines.

"A Choice of Horizons" by Philip Booth   


Click on over to the Roundup at Live Your Poem to see if anything else is Missing or maybe FOUND!

WELCOME TO POETRY FRIDAY

Pashupatinath on the Bagmati River in Kathmandu - Bob Ray photoTERZA RIMA TRIAL
A poem has bubbled up from my visit to Nepal last year at just this time. In Kathmandu, we visited Pashupatinath, the most scared Hindu temple, where we were only allowed outside. It was the first time we had witnessed cremation, which takes place around the clock on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. It was a somber experience and Bob tried to be sensitive with his photography.
My first poetic attempt was in free verse. Yesterday I tried it in a form completely new to me. At first I got the rhyme scheme wrong and had to go back and fiddle with the lines, so I think some parts seem forced. And I think it came out in tetrameter, not pentameter, but maybe that’s okay. 
So I’m sharing my draft of my first Terza Rima which I read about in J. Patrick Lewis’s Poetry Calisthenics, posted on Poetry at Play, and further researched on Poets.org. Feel free to comment, help me out, make suggestions. I’d love your feedback.
Thanks to Mary Lee who is hosting the Roundup today at A Year of Reading.

Cremation pyre - Bob Ray photoPashupatinath Temple
On the shore above Bagmati Shrouded bodies rest on stone pyres.Monkeys chatter a litany.
Kindling smokes into flame and fire,crackling like a snappy chorus decked out in marigold attire.
I have known cremation minusincense or wood smoke in the wind.My dear ones’ ashes knew no fuss.
They have joined the soil or commendthemselves to dance with ship’s bows.  We’ll meet and mingle in the end,
because now your temple allows no beef eaters, although my God was first warmed by the breath of cows.
       ~ Joyce Ray - All Rights Reserved

MORE BUILD A POEM

Horton Center, New HampshireI’m glad to be back after a long absence which included two months volunteering in Japan, writing a new picture book manuscript, and the launch of my YA historical novel. I haven't written much poetry, and I’ve missed the richness of this community! This week's Roundup is at Reflections on the Teche. Thanks, Margaret!

Last year I shared a Build-a-Poem poetry workshop for middle-graders. I’ve just used the same basic building idea with a group of terrific young teens at a New Hampshire camp in the White Mountains. They gave me permission to post some photos.


The week’s theme was “Get Real-Finding Your True Self.” Each day they studied what that might mean as a Christian. So with a few paint chips, a handful of words from a word pool, and my own example, they wrote poems with new names for this self they were discovering.




Scaffolding consisted of “My real name is..., My name used to be…, In my dream my name was…, and Tomorrow my name will be… .” This Re-naming poem is not my original idea, and I am sorry to say I can’t remember the source! If anyone is familiar with this exercise, please help me out.


It was a fun exercise, and not too academic for a summer activity. Two Deans and other camp staff  jumped right in and wrote poems, too! In one hour we had built a poetry wall.

Feathers & Trumpets, A Story of Hildegard of Bingen

 March 16th Launch
What an exciting week it is! My publisher is hosting a launch party for my book this weekend, and I'm preparing a talk. Looking back over my 13-year journey with this story has been an amazing exercise. Most writers do not write in a vacuum. In re-living each stage of my manuscript, I've come to appreciate more deeply the mentors and colleagues who have guided me to each milestone. I've paid homage to Agnes, the character who walked onto the page and changed my writing.

Appearances and opportunities are starting to line up, and I hope young readers will soon meet the young medieval girl who developed into the 12th century's strongest female voice. Though I will never achieve Hildegard's fame, I am thinking how far I have come and am enjoying my little spotlight. Thank you, Vermont College of Fine Arts for preparing me for this journey!

I hope that Saint Hildegard is smiling.

Feathers & Trumpets, A Story of Hildegard of Bingen, YA historical novel
Apprentice Shop Books, March 16, 2014

Book Review: THE SECRET WORLD OF HILDEGARD

The Secret World of HildegardBy Jonah WinterIllustrated by Jeanette WinterArthur Levine Books (Picture Book Biography), 2007
To celebrate the upcoming publication of of my YA novel about Hildegard of Bingen, I'm highlighting another book that tells the story of the recently named saint and Doctor of the Church. Mother and son team Jeanette and Jonah Winter have created a terrific picture book that introduces Hildegard to very young readers. As a Hildegard scholar, I love this book.

Let me tell you a bit about Hildegard first. Hildegard was a prophetic woman of many talents. She was a Benedictine nun and then an abbess who lived in the 12th century kingdom of Germany when women had no voice at all. After an unbelievable childhood of seclusion at a monastery, she dared to share visions she felt were from God at the risk of being named a heretic. But the pope blessed her visions, and Hildegard went on to become a writer, composer, artist, scientist, natural healer and preacher. Without the pope’s approval, she would have had no voice in that time and would have remained unknown. Her writings helped shape Christian doctrine; she founded the first independent woman’s monastery; she composed the largest body of 12th century music; and in 2012, Pope Benedict named her a Saint and a Doctor of the Church.
The Secret World of Hildegard is a clever and historically accurate telling of Hildegard’s story. Jonah Winter used snippets of biblical construction to frame Hildegard’s story for the youngest readers. Phrases like “And lo” and “Now it came to pass” repeat throughout the text, linking this story to the grand epic of the Bible. Echoes of the creation story in Genesis show up in this repeated sentence:

And there was grayness
and silence and sorrow,
though a light shone brightly inside her.

How appropriate for the story of a woman who devoted her life to serving God!

Throughout, the author presents Hildegard’s life and the concept of her visions in a very accessible manner. The subject matter is spiritual, but young children do have big questions about God. They will relate to this amazing historical figure because her story begins as a child – one who was sent away to a monastery where she would be safe and have the greatest chance for survival. One half of the book relates Hildegard’s unique childhood. The other half presents her adult life and her many accomplishments and contributions to her world and to ours.

Jeanette Winter’s illustrations are a visual feast. Her color palette is bold, and she designed the book in the style of a medieval illuminated manuscript. Each illustration is framed with an arched border. It seems we are looking through a window at Hildegard’s life. One of my favorite illustrations shows Hildegard emerging from seclusion. She carries her candle, symbolizing the light she will come to share with the world.

Another illustration interprets one of Hildegard’s visions of the universe surrounded with creative energy and Jesus at the center.

This book earned starred reviews from both Kirkus and Booklist. It is
a New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing.

The Secret World of Hildegard is a gem and the perfect introduction to Hildegard for young readers. I hope as older readers they will one day want to read my fictional version of Hildegard’s story in Feathers and Trumpets, A Story of Hildegard of Bingen,coming this spring from Apprentice Shop Books.

Gathering Books Award-Winning Books Challenge

Climbing the Stairs by Padma VenkatramenG.P. Putnam’s sons, 2008
If you’re looking for a strong heroine, fifteen-year-old Vidya meets the requirements. In British-occupied India during WW II, when Indian women were expected to marry and raise children, Vidya’s beloved father, her appa, promises her she can go to college. Her dreams for the future change in an instant when Appa is severely injured during a demonstration for Indian independence.
Vidya is forced to move from Bombay with her mother, her father and college-age brother Kitta to their uncle’s home in Madras. Here, relegated to hours of chores by her ungracious aunt, Vidya strains against the cultural rules and expectations regarding women. What will become of her dream? Will she still be able to go to college?
Vidya discovers her grandfather’s library in an upstairs room of her uncle’s home. But she has to defy tradition first.
The staircase stood silent and empty. But it was forbidding. The barrier between the two floors of the house was unbroken except at mealtimes, when the men descended into our realm. Only men used the stairs. If anyone caught me walking up them, what would Periamma do to me?
Vidya fights for her freedom as India fights for independence, and the author weaves together themes of freedom, war and violence vs. non-violence to create a wholly satisfying read.
Visit the book’s website for a wealth of background information and discussion guides.

Awards
Julia Ward Howe Boston Authors Club 2009 Award (young readers book of the year)Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the YearALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

Award-Winning Book Challenge Status: 8 /11
 

Award Winning Non-fiction Picture Book

Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who Will the Babies Be? By Janet Halfmann
Illustrated by Betsy Thompson
Blue Apple Books

AwardsLupine Honor Book: Maine Library Association, 2013Best 100 Children’s Books for Reading and Sharing: New York Public LibraryGold Best Book Award: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
Who knew that platypus babies were called “puggles” or even that platypus moms laid eggs? Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who Will the Babies Be? examines eggs of all sizes. Ten different kinds of eggs are considered in this delightful counting picture book. Illustrator Betsy Thompson presents from one to ten eggs in a setting that holds a clue to each baby’s identity.
One egg, big and white,snuggled on Papa’s feet in a land of ice and snow.
Who will the babies be?
Flip the page out or up and discover if you’ve guessed correctly!
1 penguin chick,gray and fluffy, peeking out at me.
The book’s design and the artwork make it a charming book that young readers will ask to read again, delighted that they know the secrets now. The text is not overly rhymed but enriched with descriptive verbs and adjectives.
Young readers count the eggs of large and small birds, snakes, turtles, butterflies, fish, fireflies and frogs. When they’ve finished -
You’ve counted all the eggs from 1 – 10Count the babies once again!
Gathering Books Award-Winning Book Challenge Status: 7/11

Heart of a Samurai - Gathering Books Award Winning Books Challenge

Heart of a Samuraiby Margi PreusHarry Abrams, 2011
Newbery Honor BookAsian Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature
Heart of a Samuraiwas introduced to me by Junko san, the librarian at the Asian Rural Institute in Nishinasuno, Japan. It’s based on a true story,” she said. “I think you’ll like it.” I loved it, not in the same way that I loved the onsen, miso soup, the rich green rice paddies and Japanese culture I was soaking up this past fall. But because this satisfying adventure story also carried an underlying message of hope, acceptance and cultural understanding. It’s a great read for pre-teens and young adults.
Manjiro is a fourteen-year-old fisherman’s son living in the closed society of 19th century Japan. He has been brought up to fear what lies beyond the waters surrounding his country. After 250 years of isolationism, the Japanese believe Westerners are bad- smelling ogres who eat Japanese people. If anyone has contact with Westerners and survives, he is banished from Japan forever and will be killed if he tries to return.
When Manjiro’s fishing boat capsizes, he and his friends are shipwrecked on an island for months. His experiences here, and those to come, give him the opportunity to exhibit the bravery of a samurai, though his class status would never allow him to achieve this title. The companions are near death when an American whaling ship passes. Manjiro conquers his fear and chooses rescue. But new fears pop up – climbing the rigging to watch for whales and surging through the sea in a small boat pulled by a harpooned whale. Finally, Manjiro reaches Fairhaven, the Massachusetts port where the ship’s captain and his wife adopt Manjiro.
So much is strange to Manjiro in this new world, but he develops trust in the captain and eagerly learns about each new situation he encounters. He learns that some Americans are as prejudiced about him as his countrymen are about them. But he patiently studies and works and learns to love his adopted country while longing for the green hills of the home he can never return to. The Gold Rush offers Manjiro the opportunity to earn money for his passage if he dares to try to return, and his desire to see his family again gives him courage.
Manjiro, who is given the name John Mung, is believed to be the first Japanese to set foot in America, a teen ambassador. Preus tells the story with such detail about his life in both countries that the reader fully enters this world before Japan opened her borders. When Manjiro made his way back to Japan after a twelve-year absence, Admiral Perry was about to demand that Japan open her borders to ships needing supplies. Manjiro’s government called upon him to translate and interpret. His ambassadorship was now reversed. Manjiro’s ability to advise the Japanese government as it negotiated a new era of contact with the west earned him the samurai title he had dreamed of as a young boy.
Read a short biography of Manjiro Nakahama at Fairhaven’s MillicentLibrary’s website and at the Manjiro Society website. Holly Thompson's blog post about visiting Manjiro's birthplace in Japan has some great photos.


Award-Winning Book Challenge Status: 6/11


http://hatbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/...

DRAWING FROM MEMORY

DRAWING FROM MEMORY          by Allen Say
Oregon Book Awards, 2013, Children’s Category
The jacket cover of writer illustrator Allen Say’s DRAWING FROM MEMORY depicts twelve-year-old Say floating in his new apartment. In post World War II Tokyo, he has just passed tough middle school entrance exams and his mother has allowed him to be an independent scholar. But Say is not floating with happiness because he can study. He is ecstatic because he now has an art studio. All he has ever wanted to do is draw, to become a cartoonist like Japan’s famous Noro Shinpei, a pioneer of today’s Manga.
This memoir, presented in graphic novel style, is based on Say’s autobiographical novel, The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice. It’s an extraordinary story of how a young boy realized his dream through perseverance and the good fortune of studying with his hero. Alan Say started his apprenticeship filling in the cartoon backgrounds, inking in clothing and preparing tea for his sensei, his teacher. His middle school art teacher introduced Say to a former student who was a serious artist. Orito-san became another mentor and encouraged Say to draw classical forms.
Later, Shinpei sent Say to life drawing class, saying, “Drawing is never a practice. To draw is to see and discover. Every time you draw, you discover something new.”  Another time he said, “Painting is a kind of writing, and writing is a kind of painting they are both about seeing.”

DRAWING FROM MEMORY is filled with sketches, illustrations, family photos and even Shinpei’s cartoons. I love books set in Japan and after reading this book, The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice, Grandfather’s Journey and The Bicycle Man, I will seek out Allen Say’s other picture books. 
Listen to Reading Rockets’wonderful interview with Allen Say talking about his career. There he says his idea of imagination is “rearranging your memory.”
Award-Winning Book Challenge Status: 5/11