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Poetry Friday: Going to the Frogs

Carol Varsalona is ringing in a new year of Poetry Friday blogging at Beyond Literacy Link. Click here to find poetic offerings from around the kidlitosphere.

Happy first Poetry Friday of 2022!

Today, I’m featuring my favorite middle grade book of 2021 — the brilliant (and hilarious, and sad) climate emergency satire, ONE SMALL HOP by Madelyn Rosenberg.

Here is an abbreviated description of the story from Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen’s classic Hoot, this humorous adventure story set in a not-so-distant future celebrates the important differences we can make with small, brave acts.

When Ahab and his friends find a bullfrog in their town—a real, live bullfrog, possibly the last bullfrog in North America—they have several options:

A. Report it to the Environmental Police Force. Too bad everyone knows the agency is a joke.

B. Leave it be. They’re just a bunch of kids—what if they hurt it by moving it?

C. Find another real, live bullfrog on the black market. Convince their parents to let them bike to Canada. Introduce the two frogs. Save all of frogkind.

Madelyn and I put our heads together and came up with several poems to pair with this book. You’ll find a poem by Seamus Heaney, at the bottom of this post, along with the links to two other poems.

Find it at Bookshop.org.

5 Questions for Madelyn Rosenberg

1. Where did this story begin? With worldbuilding? Ahab’s character? A situation?
“Actually, it started with the frog. When we bought our house in Virginia more than 15 years ago, there was a small pond in the backyard, with bullfrogs so loud I can’t believe the neighbors didn’t complain. We loved them, though. I told the former owners, ‘If we move here, I’m going to write about those frogs.’ I’ve been thinking about the environment a lot, and frogs have been an environmental benchmark, seriously threatened by climate change. So when I began writing this story, I knew there was going to be a frog. The next thing I needed was a kid – Ahab – who wanted to save it. I also knew from the start that I wanted the story to be set in the future, but the close future. After that I sort of pinged back and forth between character building and world building. They were very interconnected.”

2. In ONE SMALL HOP, there is a local environmental agency called EPF. These are small town officials, a little too drunk on their limited power. In a farce or satire, how far can you push those stereotypes/characters?
“When I start writing, I tend to hold back more than I should. I have to keep reminding myself to level up, that it’s okay to go bigger and punchier. That’s something I find I need to do with plot and also with the characters themselves. When I write with a partner (my last novels were with Wendy Wan-Long Shang) we tried really hard to make each other laugh. That always helped. When I was writing on my own, I had to keep reminding myself to let things build higher to add to the humor, to give it the ‘Wendy test.’ Sometimes that means I have to amplify a character’s tendencies. It’s sort of like what happens to us when we get older – all of our habits and expressions and characteristics become a little more extreme, like someone is distilling our essence over a Bunsen burner. That’s what I do to characters, I guess, but I try to make sure there’s another layer, so if I have small town officials drunk on power, or a kid who’s a bully, they also believe they’re doing the right thing. (They aren’t, but they think they are, which makes them more honest. Also, dangerous.)”

3. I loved the road trip elements of the book.
“It was always going to be a road-trip story. It was a way for the kids to get a look at the wide, wide world. It was also a way to get them away from their parents. And it was a way for Ahab to gain some perspective on his relationship with his dad –to see who his dad had been, before he became the man he became. For a time, it makes him angrier because his dad had the potential to be this other person – a person who could have worked to save the world. And honestly, kids should be angry at their parents right now for not taking more action and demanding more action. I’m not exempting myself here.”

4. The settings in this book are brilliant, but sad, like the environmental recreation center housed inside what’s basically a big box store.
“Thanks. That was one of my favorite parts! It came out of a number of things in our world that are fake already. Fake plants (which have apparently existed for centuries). Shopping malls that are supposed to look like Alpine villages (which, granted, are better than strip malls). Adventure lands where we can bring Europe to our own corner of the universe. And everything we do virtually. And I’d seen a lot of empty big-box stores. It made sense to bring nature there, creating a life-sized diorama of the way the world used to be with piped-in nature sounds. And it was important that the builders made mistakes, so the fact that it was fake was unavoidable – tigers and dolphins living together.”

5. Since the theme of this book is the climate emergency, what happens after the story?
“In the book, the climate future is looking bleak, despite the humor (my way of making it possible to explore a difficult subject). But there is also hope and a determination to fix things. My own hope, for the real world, is that that those are the two things we need. Plus science, of course. When I was working on this book, I started by doing a lot of research. I ended up dreading that research because of the aforementioned bleakness, and at one point, made the conscious decision to just start making stuff up. Hoping this doesn’t sound ridiculously self-important, but creating fiction feels like something we can do, too. Fiction can help change the real-life narrative. It can help us believe we can make a difference. It can help us believe the story isn’t over.”

Madelyn and I went hunting for frog poems, in honor of Alph — the frog Ahab and his friends discover in ONE SMALL HOP. One we both love is “Death of a Naturalist” by Seamus Heaney.

“Though the frogs are not depicted as beautiful creatures here, you can see them and feel them!” Madelyn says.

Death of a Naturalist
By Seamus Heaney

All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.
Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragonflies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring
I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst, into nimble
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrog
And how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn…

Read the rest at Poetry Out Loud.

Laura also recommends the comedic poem “The Frog” by Hillaire Beloc.Madelyn also recommends the evocative “Darwin’s Finches” by Deborah Digges.

Along with One Small Hop, Madelyn Rosenberg has written a dozen books for kids of all ages. Her work includes This Is Just a Test and Not Your All-American Girl (with Wendy Wan-Long Shang), Cyclops of Central Park (illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov) and more. She lives with her family in Arlington, VA, where she works for an affordable housing nonprofit.

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Poetry Friday: “Dear Tooth Fairy”

Poetry Friday is at Michelle Kogan’s colorful blog this week. Head over there to kick off the “Holidaze” celebration, PF-style.

Short post this week, my friends, but it comes with a book giveaway and a BIG announcement!

Announcement first:

At the start of 2022, I’ll be starting a new job, one I’m excited (and a little bit nervous) about.

I’m honored to be joining the faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, VCFA CYA for short. Everyone there has been so nice and accommodating as I prepare for my first semester as a lecturer and advisor to MFA candidates. Just WOW.

And now to the giveaway…

It’s always wonderful when you write a poem and it finds the perfect home — a journal or anthology that is a spot-on fit the tone or topic of your writing. That’s what happened with my poem “Dear Tooth Fairy.”

Order your own copy here!

I’m grateful to Bridget Magee for including it in 10×10 Poetry Anthology: Celebrating 10 in 10 Different Ways.

If you’d like a copy of the book, leave a comment and I’ll draw a name at random. BTW, winner of the Plant People giveaway was Linda Mitchell!

Here is my poem from 10×10. It’s longer than my usual, but it was such a fun exercise in voice. Once this kid got talking (or writing… this *is* supposed to be a note to the Tooth Fairy), I couldn’t get them to stop. You’ll see the word “TENacity” pop up, in keeping with the book’s theme.

Dear Tooth Fairy
By Laura Shovan

You’re probably looking
for a tooth under this pillow,
rummaging around
with delicate fairy fingers,
trying not to wake me up.
(Don’t worry. Mom says
I sleep like a rock,
but as far as I can tell
rocks don’t sleep,
so you can ignore
my mother on this point.)
Mom said you would not
leave me money unless
there was a big fat molar
nestled under my pillow,
waiting to be scooped up
and put in your fairy basket.
(How does she know
it’s a basket? Maybe
you carry a backpack
made of dogwood petals.
Pink ones. I’m guessing
you like pink.)

I happen to have a big fat molar.
Or—had one until this morning
during the spelling test
when I chewed my pencil so hard
trying to remember how to spell
“tenacity” that the tooth
which was loose for a week
finally popped out,
skidded across my desk and landed
on Melinda’s test paper.
Melinda screamed even though
there wasn’t any blood
on the tooth. Not much, anyway.
It was the funniest thing
that has happened so far
in fifth grade, and I’d really
like to remember Melinda’s
face and the way she pushed
away from her desk so fast
(to avoid my not-that-bloody
tooth) that she bumped into Henry,
who fell out of his chair.

Tooth Fairy, how will I remember
this moment of epic hilarity
unless I keep my tooth?
Did I mention it’s the first
molar I have lost in my whole
10-year-old career of growing
and losing teeth? You, Tooth Fairy,
are a fan of teeth. You get it.
I want to keep this one molar.
I have the perfect place for it,
a birch bark box, small enough
to fit in my hand. (You
probably could fit inside this box.
It would make a nice hangout.
Not that I’m trying to trap you,
or anything. Fly free, Tooth Fairy!)

Do we have a deal? I get to keep
the tooth, you get to laugh
about Melinda’s freak out
and Henry falling out of his chair
in the middle of a test. Don’t forget
to leave something (a coin or three
would be appreciated,
silver dollars are my favorite
form of currency), that way,
I’ll know you were here.

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Poetry Friday: Plant People

Thanks to Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link for hosting Poetry Friday this week! You’ll find all of this week’s poetry offerings, review, and links here.

Hi, friends. Other than helping with the Winter Poetry Swap, I’ve been away from Poetry Friday for a few months.

I’ve been busy mentoring a family who fled Afghanistan in August — a husband, wife, and their two little boys. The good news is, through the writing community, we helped them find housing! This time next week, our Afghan friends will be settling into their new place in northern Virginia. After their long ordeal, the boys can finally start school.

The dad of the family is a children’s author and poet. If you’d like to learn more — or if you’d be interested in helping the family — please read their story at the GoFundMe page I set up for them. Now that their housing is secure, the next goal is to help them buy a used car. That way, the parents can get out and find jobs.

Speaking of poetry, I have a book to give away, especially for plant lovers! Leave a comment if you’d like your name entered into the drawing for PLANT PEOPLE: An Anthology of Environmental Artists.

I’m was so happy to have a poem selected for this beautiful book. Every piece in the anthology focuses on a specific plant.

My entry is the poem “Hibiscus,” which I wrote during the 2021 February Poetry Project. The theme this year was “Bodies” and the prompt for this poem was shared by Matthew Winner.

Hibiscus
By Laura Shovan 
(page 97, PLANT PEOPLE)

Today, another bird
smacked the wide glass pane
at the back of the house.
A memory fell to the ground
gentle as a leaf.
My English grandmother
cupping a stunned finch
in her palms.
Its feathers pulsing,
afraid, alive.

I go out, check behind
a pink hibiscus, newly planted,
its blossoms flat
as teacup saucers.
There is the dead one
neck broken, unmoving.
An early snow begins to fall.

PLANT PEOPLE is planning another anthology. The deadline is coming up soon, so if you’d like to submit work, click on this link!

PLANT PEOPLE has been a theme for me this fall. I’ve expanded my doodle repertoire from robots, to include doodling the faces I see in trees.

Here’s a gallery of some of my Tree Sprites.

 

My neighbor’s Tree Sprite says, “Pick me, Teacher! Pick Me!”

 

 

 

This white birch in Colorado is a very proper gentleman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The forest queen of our garden.

 

 

 

Remember to leave a comment if you’d like to win your own copy of PLANT PEOPLE (U.S. only, please.)

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Poetry Friday: A Dog Can Be

Thanks to Carol at The Apples in My Orchard for hosting Poetry Friday today. Stop by her blog for this week’s tasty poetry links!

This is a post about dogs.

You’ve all gotten to know the Shovan family dogs over the years — anxious Sam the schnauzer and his very best friend, Rudy the (goofy, lovable) beagle.

But it’s also a post about poetry.

Available at Bookshop.org.

I am a huge fan of Laura Purdie Salas‘ A Leaf Can Be series of nature poetry books. Today, I am going to shamelessly borrow from Laura, with sincere apologies!

After Rudy passed away in December, we adopted a new beagle for Sam, six-year-old Arthur. Arthur is an even-tempered, sweet boy. He and Sam make a good pair. After grieving for Rudy, 14-year-old Sam has been enjoying a happy summer with his new sibling.

We weren’t sure that Sam would accept another dog. Then along came Arthur!

But Sam’s age is showing.

He’s starting to have more bad days than good, eating less, stretching out in the secret garden’s sunny lawn more.

Tonight, he was outside and too weak to walk back in. Although Sam is decidedly NOT a lapdog (thank you very much), he let me carry him inside.

So today, I wrote an ode to Sam — to all dogs, really — in the style of A Leaf Can Be.

 

 

A Dog Can Be
By Laura Shovan (after Laura Purdie Salas)

A dog is a dog,
be she pug, poodle, westie.
Whether schnauzer or shepherd,
he’s your fun, furry bestie.

A dog can be a…

fetch player
down-layer

mud collector
door protector

rabbit chaser
tears eraser

sock stealer
heart healer.

A dog is a dog,
be he senior or pup.
Now go find your doggie
and snuggle her up!

Wow… I am already imagining writing “School Can Be” or “Friends Can Be” or “A Bee Can Be” as a class poem with students!

Please send good wishes to our sweet Sammy, Poetry Friday friends.

Sammy enjoying the secret garden last fall.

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Poetry Friday: The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe

Becky Herzog is hosting Poetry Friday this week. Click on SLOTH READS to go to Becky’s round-up of this week’s Poetry Friday posts.

Happy Poetry Friday, everyone! Today, I have an interview with one of my favorite people in the children’s literature community, author Tricia Springstubb.

Thanks to Tricia for giving away a copy of her middle grade novel The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe. Leave a comment and I will draw a winner (U.S. only, please) before next week’s Poetry Friday.

Tricia and I met years ago, when we were seated together at a book festival. (As a debut author, I was in awe of her stack of published middle grade and chapter books!) Tricia’s kind heart and thoughtfulness are reflected in such novels as What Happened on Fox Street, Every Single Second, and her 2021 book, The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe. Read Tricia’s bio at the end of this post.

Here is how Goodreads describes The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe:

Eleven-year-old Loah Londonderry is definitely a homebody. While her mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save the endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, Loah anxiously counts the days till her return home. But then, to Loah’s surprise and dismay, Dr. Londonderry decides to set off on a perilous solo quest to find the Loah bird, long believed extinct. Does her mother care more deeply about Loah the bird than Loah her daughter?

Things get worse yet when Loah’s elderly caretakers fall ill and she finds herself all alone except for her friend Ellis. Ellis has big problems of her own, but she believes in Loah. She’s certain Loah has strengths that are hidden yet wonderful, like the golden feather tucked away on her namesake bird’s wing. When Dr. Londonderry’s expedition goes terribly wrong, Loah needs to discover for herself whether she has the courage and heart to find help for her mother, lost at the top of the world.

Since it’s Poetry Friday, Tricia picked the most perfect companion poem (by Mary Oliver) to read alongside her book. You will find that nested underneath the interview.

5 Questions for author Tricia Springstubb

1. One of my favorite things about The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe is the narrative voice. It’s third person, but also has intrusive moments, reminding the reader to pay attention! The narrator isn’t a character in the story, but they have a character of sorts. How did you develop this narrative voice?

You are so perceptive to begin with this question! It’s certainly a different voice for me and I’m not sure where it came from. I nearly always write in close third person, and I wanted to break out of that, but I’ve never felt comfortable in first person, and omniscience is so tricky.  What seemed to work was that, even as I wrote my sweet, steadfast Loah, I’d let this wry, slightly  mischievous voice have its say too. Sort of a dear reader voice, sympathetic but also with a broader world view. I have to say, it was a lot of fun!  

2. Loah is an introvert and a homebody, while her scientist mother is adventurous, a risk taker. Their contrasting personalities set the events of the story in motion (Mom wants to extend her research trip, while Loah wants her to come home). Can you talk about their relationship?

House Sparrow. Image from Audubon.org.

They are so different! If they were birds, Dr. Londonderry might be an Arctic tern, migrating from pole to pole every year, while Loah would be a house sparrow, never straying far from the tree where she hatched. When her mother sets off on a new expedition rather than come home, Loah is devastated and wonders if her mother loves birds more than she loves Loah. At the same time, she feels guilty because she knows how important Dr. Londonderry’s work is for the planet. Dr. Londonderry is also torn–not that she is ever going to change! I wanted to explore this dilemma of balancing work and life that so many families face.  I also wanted to write about how we can find love and support in places outside our nuclear families, the way Loah does with Ellis and the Rinkers.

3. I loved the Rinkers, Loah’s live-in caretakers. They remind me a little bit of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert in the Anne of Green Gables books! Why was it important to give Loah a non-traditional family for this story?

I revised this story more times than I want to remember, but the characters Loah and Theo stayed the same in every version.  Miss Rinker, on the other hand, started off much meaner than she wound up. Try as I will to write an irredeemable character, I always fail! The Rinkers have cared for Loah since she was a baby, but as the story unfolds, roles shift and Loah begins to take care of them.  She learns her own strength, and flinty old Miss Rinker learns to accept help and love. I wanted to echo, on this personal level, what Dr. Londonderry teaches Loah about the natural world: how interdependent all living creatures are, how essential and important even the tiniest of us is to the whole. We can find and forge connection in places we never expected. 

4. You and I were on a panel about the importance of setting in middle grade several years ago. How did you go about creating the unique house for this story? How does the house itself reflect what’s going on in Loah’s life?

Remember that panel? It was so, so great! One reason I loved it, besides working with you, was that a sense of place is always important to my work. Usually, I create a whole neighborhood complete with a map, but with PERFECT, Loah’s house is more or less her entire homebody world. It’s old and dilapidated, the kind of house other kids call spooky, but to Loah it’s where she belongs. We each define home in our own way!  Here’s a little quote from the book: “Every nestling loves its nest, whether it’s tidy or slapdash, perched on the edge of a perilous cliff or tucked in a potted plant on a backyard deck. Some hatch in nests stolen from other birds, yet what do they care? Every bird loves the place its mother lays it.” 

Also–I wanted a crooked turret where something mysterious could be going on!

5. When she was small, Loah liked pretending to be an egg (which fits perfectly with the bird themes in this story). After the events of the novel, do you think Loah still plays “Egg” sometimes? Why or why not?

I think Loah might be wistful for Egg, the way kids are for favorite toys or games they’ve outgrown, and maybe she’ll try to play it a few more times, when she needs comfort. But it won’t be the same. I won’t give away what the most perfect thing in the universe is, but I think it’s an apt metaphor for growing up–the things we have to leave behind in order to go forward. By the end of the story, Loah is nowhere near as helpless as she was at the beginning. She’s teetering on the edge of the nest, not quite ready to fly but definitely testing her beautiful wings! 

As a companion to Loah’s story, Tricia recommends reading Mary Oliver’s poem, “Wild Geese.”

WILD GEESE
By Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Listen to Mary Oliver read the poem at Brain Pickings.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Tricia is the author of many picture books, chapter books, and novels, including Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures, the Cody series, and the middle grade novels Moonpenny Island and Every Single Second.  The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection and has received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. Tricia has worked as a Headstart teacher and as a library associate in the children’s room of a public library, and she is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences. She lives, writes, gardens and plays with her grandbabies in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Poetry Friday from the Black Lagoon

Welcome, poets and poetry fans. Poetry Friday is here this week. You’ll find the link-up at the bottom of this post.

One of the last trips I made before the Covid-19 lockdown was to Tallahassee, Florida. My friend, poet Michael Rothenberg, took me to a magical spot, Wakulla Springs. During a boat tour of the freshwater springs its wildlife (alligators! manatees!), I learned that — because the water is so clear — the classic horror movie Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed here for its underwater scenes.

I knew I would write a poem about it, but it was an amorphous idea. Until… I read a small note on Wikipedia that the woman who designed the famous Creature of the movie, the Gill Man, had been erased from cinema history by her disgruntled boss.

Artist Millicent Patrick with the Gill Man.

My poem, “Millicent Patrick Speaks of Monsters,” recently won honorable mention in the Baltimore Science Fiction Society’s annual poetry contest. I was thrilled!

Here is the poem, followed by some resources for further reading.

Milicent Patrick Speaks of Monsters
by Laura Shovan

The studio wanted
a sad, beautiful monster
for their black lagoon.
Imagine the lone, lonely survivor
of an ancient race–
half-man, half-fish, they said.
I sensed his presence. His
rough skin, deep gator green.
His dank, amphibious scent.
Special effects made the underwater suit,
but the creature’s face
belonged to me. It had to be hideous,
yet human enough a girl
could almost fall in love.
I sculpted muttonchop gills,
voluptuous lips, sorrowful, sloping eyes…

Read the rest at the Baltimore Science Fiction Society’s poetry page.

After I wrote my poem, I had to learn  more about Millicent Patrick.

I recommend the biography The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick, by Mallory O’Meara. (I listened to the audiobook.)

And if you love learning about important women whose stories have been lost to history — until now — check out the .

Thanks for joining the Poetry Friday link-up. You know what to do!

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Poetry Friday: Losing an Animal Companion

Linda Mitchell is hosting Poetry Friday this week at A Word Edgewise!

I usually keep this blog focused on three things: poetry, children’s books, and arts education. But every now and then, I come across an adult book that begs to be shared.

This week, that book is Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet with No Apologies, by actor .

Available on Amazon.

As most of you know, our lovable Beagle Rudy died unexpectedly last December. The sudden loss hit our family hard and we worried for Rudy’s best friend, our elderly Schnauzer, Sam. Griffin’s Heart is a book I was meant to read.

Reagan’s book includes elements of memoir, covering the disenfranchised grief she felt when her companion animal, a Devon Rex cat, died at age seven. But it also has space for journaling, pockets and pages for photographs, and exercises to help readers sit with their grief.

My favorite writing prompt is: Write a thank you letter to your animal. How beautiful is that? After working through the entire book, the reader has a keepsake to remember their pet by.

Earlier this month, Reagan and I discussed the book over Zoom. It was emotional for both of us, as we talked about Rudy and the dog that Reagan’s family recently said goodbye to.

Since it’s Poetry Friday, you’ll find a companion poem (by Mary Oliver) to read alongside Griffin’s Heart at the end of the post.

Reagan has generously offered a copy of the book to one Poetry Friday reader! Please make a note in your comment that you would like to be part of the drawing for Griffin’s Heart.

5 Questions for Reagan J. Pasternak, author of Griffin’s Heart.

What did you learn from the process of creating this book?

I started the book more as an outlet for myself. I was searching for the resource that I needed, and I just couldn’t find it. I started writing my experiences down. I’m definitely a storyteller, but I didn’t know what I wanted [the book] to be. One day, my husband just said to me, “You have to finish that book it’s so part of who you are.” It clicked for me. I wanted to tell my story as if I were talking to a friend. It just started flowing together in this way. It’s a friend and it’s a place to pay tribute.

Why go with an interactive guide and keepsake elements rather than a traditional memoir?

There is this feeling of unresolve when–especially an animal, but–anybody dies, that you’re just supposed to move on. I thought that [readers] know when you close the book, you dedicated time … to have a place [for photos and memories]. They did something good for their animal in working through this book.

What made Griffin’s personality special?

I wrote down everything I could about him. Because I’d been holding it in. I’d been so afraid to remember him because it hurt so much. And the reality was not remembering him was making it stay in me. He had an adorable smell, like a bean bag. He held my hand when he went to sleep. It was so healing to write down those things.

Griffin was my first adult responsibility. I had to pay the vet bills and make sure I was home in time [to feed him]. He saved me in many ways. He was the constant in my life [as a young adult]. He was a witness to all my ups and downs in those years.

When a psychiatrist finally acknowledged your grief and showed how it was connected to Griffin, how did you feel?

That was a game changer. I wouldn’t have written the book without that encounter and her in general. It was very, very validating, of course. She listened to me. I told her a little bit about my life and things I’d gone through–almost as if I was on autopilot.

Then when I talked about Griffin is when I actually fell apart. It’s because he was the glue that was holding me together. She understood that me mourning Griffin would help the rest of the areas of my life. That was unbelievable for me and very freeing. That’s when I went home and looked at the photos and started journaling a ton, writing out the memories so I wouldn’t forget them.

Why is the “no apologies” part of the book’s title important? What’s your response now when someone says an animal who died was “just a pet”?

I felt that I constantly was making disclaimers and apologies and saying, “I know it was just an animal, I’m just really suffering.” That’s disenfranchised grief. I wanted to create a space where you can mourn as hard as you want, and you can take as long as you want. There’s little tips and tricks and coping mechanisms that I learned that I shared.

The idea that mourning is an art is just so beautiful. To not apologize and not question why it’s hurting so much. It’s hurting so much because you loved them so much. There is a bond that forms when you really love an animal.

Reagan J. Pasternak is a Canadian-born film and television actress, singer, and writer. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and five rescue animals. Learn more about Reagan at reaganpasternak.com. Instagram: @reaganjpasternak

I hope you enjoy today’s poem from Mary Oliver’s book, Dog Songs.

LITTLE DOG’S RHAPSODY IN THE NIGHT

By Mary Oliver

He puts his cheek against mine
and makes small, expressive sounds.
And when I’m awake, or awake enough

he turns upside down, his four paws
in the air
and his eyes dark and fervent.

“Tell me you love me,” he says…

Listen to Mary Oliver read the entire poem.

See you next week, everyone. I am looking forward to hosting Poetry Friday!

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Poetry Friday: Speak Back to Hunger

Buffy Silverman is hosting Poetry Friday this week. Stop by to enjoy Buffy’s gorgeous nature photos and poems, and for this week’s poetry links.

Hi, Poetry Friday friends.

Today, I am sharing a very special call for poetry submissions.

My friend, the poet Hiram Larew, is the positive force behind the website www.Poetry X Hunger.com. Hiram is using poetry to draw attention to the issue of hunger in our country and the world.

But before the submission details… here is a Poetry X Hunger poem by third grader Kayla (shared with permission).

The Hunger Inside Me
By Kayla F.

I’m starving
No I really am
I feel like I’m melting
I cannot hide
The hunger inside me makes
me want to cry
My belly is empty
as is, all of me inside.

You can see Kayla’s handwritten poem at the PoetryXHunger site here.

I hope some of you will feel encouraged to send work for this incredible project!

~ Special Call
for 2021 World Food Day
Poetry Submissions ~

Artwork by poet Diane Wilbon Parks.

GUIDELINES

Calling all Poets living in in Canada and the United States! 

In recognition of 2021 World Food Day and in keeping with the power of poetry to move hearts and minds towards needed anti-hunger actions, Poetry X Hunger and its partners announce an important Call for Poetry Submissions.  Collaborators include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Liaison Office for North America, the Capital Area Food Bank and, poet Rebecca Roach.  

Held every October 16, this year’s World Food Day is themed on “Our Actions Are our Future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.”  Our modern world is putting enormous strain and competing pressures on our agri-food systems. Our collective choices as consumers and producers today impact what tomorrow will look like. World Food Day calls for building sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems that deliver enough affordable, nutritious and safe food for all. The campaign also recognizes and thanks #FoodHeroes who, no matter the circumstance, continue to provide food to their communities and beyond.  

Eligibility: Poets ages 18 and older who currently live in Canada or the United States are invited to submit one published or unpublished poem focused on one of the following topics:  

Our Actions Are Our Future (World Food Day theme; see website below)Any facet of food (in)security, hunger, nutrition or sustainable agricultureThe critical roles of Food Heroes and providers such as farmers, food workers, food assistance and food banks employees and volunteers and others.

Incentives and Impacts:  All submitted work will be considered for 1) posting on the Poetry X Hunger website, 2) use by FAO/North America in newsletters and other releases during World Food Day week, 3) showcasing in the Capital Area Food Bank’s messaging campaigns.  In addition, for each poem submitted, 10 tree seedlings will be purchased on the poet’s behalf by Ms. Roach and planted around the world by the Eden Reforestation Projects which employs local stakeholders in areas impacted by deforestation and poverty.  

So, by submitting a poem you will be helping to address urgent food insecurity and malnutrition issues.  In fact, many of the submitted poems will be used by anti-hunger groups, decision makers, teachers, community groups and others to inspire action towards Zero Hunger.  And, given that “Everything lives where trees live,” your submission and Ms. Roach’s generosity will further leverage the power of poetry to improve lives through environmental stewardship.

Submission Guidelines: There is no submission fee. Poems in any form and tradition, with any or no geographic focus should be submitted as an attached Word file via email to WORLDFOODPOETRY@gmail.com by the firm deadline of midnight Eastern US Time on Friday, September 10, 2021.  Submitted poems should be original and in English (no translations).  And, they should be family-friendly, 35 lines or less in length, single-spaced and in Times New Roman 12-point font.  Poets are encouraged to convey an inspiring and forward-looking message and avoid criticizing political leaders and countries. 

Please include name, address with country-of-residence, phone number and email address in the body of the submission email.  Your name or other identifiers should not appear on the poem. 

Note that by submitting to this Call, you acknowledge that you are the sole author of the poem and that you agree to provide Poetry X Hunger, FAO, the Capital Area Food Bank and Ms. Roach the right to publish the poem(s) in print and/or electronic formats. If you submit a previously published poem, you must hold rights to it, and you should indicate in your submission cover note where it first appeared. 

On or about October 1, 2021, many of the submitted poems will be chosen for highlighting during World Food Day activities by the partnering organizations.  All submissions will be considered for publication on the Poetry X Hunger website.   

Questions: Send an email to WORLDFOODPOETRY@gmail.com

Relevant Websites: 

FAO’s World Food Day – http://www.fao.org/world-food-day  

FAO’s North America Liaison Office – http://www.fao.org/north-america/en/

Capital Area Food Bank – https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/

Eden Reforestation Projects — edenprojects

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Poetry Friday: The Magical Imperfect

Thanks to Margaret Simon for hosting Poetry Friday today. You’ll find this week’s poetic links at her blog, Reflections on the Teche.

Happy Poetry Friday, everyone! I am super excited to welcome my friend, verse novelist Chris Baron to speak with us today.

Chris is the author of the verse novel ALL OF ME. His follow up middle grade book, THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT, come out on June 15.

Chris is very generously giving away *not only* a hot-off-the-presses copy of THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT, but he also has a brand new paperback edition of ALL OF ME for one lucky Poetry Friday reader.

Leave a comment saying which book you would like to win (or if you’d be happy with either one). I will do a drawing before next week’s Poetry Friday.

5 Questions for MG Verse Novelist Chris Baron

Find it at Bookshop.Org

THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT is set in San Francisco, around the time of some important events in the city’s history. Can you talk about that? I’m curious to know if you constructed the plot around the 1989 World Series or if the idea for that setting came later.

I love this question! Living in San Francisco (I lived there for a few years) made such an impression on me (clearly–since this is the second book I’ve written inside this setting). It’s such a rich environment to write about. I love the cultural diversity of The Bay Area, so with this story I wanted to explore the roots of this. I’ve also thought of earthquakes as such a powerful metaphor for (well everything) but especially adolescence, and I knew that I wanted to write about earthquakes–that’s when things started adding up and then it made sense that the year 1989 would be the year!  Baseball became an obvious center of the story–the idea of something as solid as baseball-and especially the WORLD SERIES!?  suddenly coming undone created the environment for a very human story.

We never fully learn what happened to Etan’s grandfather and the other families that traveled to the US on the ship Calypso and entered through Angel Island. What kind of research did you do for that element of the story?

So much research inspired this story.  Since I recently learned that my own grandparents came through Ellis Island, I became very interested in the idea that Angel Island had its own, very unique story. I found this website: https://www.aiisf.org/history. This was a great start, and it was here that I learned that while the majority of people coming through Angel Island were Chinese (who deserve many more books and poems about this experience) there were small groups of others, Russians, Filipinos, and even small groups of Jews fleeing the Holocaust.

I spent a lot of time reading books like PAPER SON by Helen Foster James and Virginia Shin-Mui Loh. I also was in contact with the Filipino American History Society based in the Bay Area. They guided me through some of the laws and regulations that affected so many, and they provided so much information.  My foundational piece of research was also this book: Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America, by Erika Lee and Judy Yung, Oxford University Press. 

But the hardest work of all was researching baseball. Maybe all of the world’s problems can be solved if we keep historical records on everything like we do for baseball. Finally, researching Earthquakes, fault lines, and watching countless 1989 news clips and reading articles about the Loma Prieta Earthquake helped me to at least try to make this work of fiction as historical as possible. 

Golems are a magical creature out of Jewish folklore. What do you find fascinating about golems? [Never heard of golems? Check out this article.]

I love that there are so many stories that circle the core tales of the Golem. It’s fascinating to think about how these tales of ancient magic can still capture our imaginations so powerfully. The idea of the Golem as a creature who protects us when we can’t protect ourselves is fascinating to me. We often build things for the sake of control, but those things become out of control.  It’s such an incredible metaphor for childhood–especially MG-aged kids who are in a constant state of growth-trying to understand the way the world is growing all around them. I also love the idea of the golem, this ancient and powerful magic–suddenly mixing together with the modern world–and exploring what happens.

You’ve written a lot about mental health in your books and through your guest posts at sites like A Novel Mind. How is verse a good fit for stories where the character’s mental health is part of their growth through the book?

I know you and I have talked quite a bit about this sort of thing–that verse is such a powerful tool for unlocking and exploring the internal landscape of a character.  The imagery and figurative language provide a way to articulate these enormous concepts our characters face. Abstractions like, fear, pain, and love, become visceral as the verse describes the spooky forest, the aching skin, or the joy of laughter in friendship.  The verse provides structure for the action, the thoughts, and then even provides the white space–a chance for readers to breathe and imagine. I think this draws a reader more deeply into the story in an interactive way.

For issues of mental health this can be especially helpful because I think it grows empathy. A reader is more involved with that internal landscape through the verse–and this creates the pathway for understanding and empathy. 

There are moments of maybe-magic in the book, but there are also real places that feel magical. Malia’s home in the woods and Grandpa’s shop both have an otherworldly feel. Are these settings based on real places?

Thank you for noticing these very special places in the story. They are based on real places.  My grandfather fixed watches in Brooklyn, and I would visit him in his shop. It smelled like old leather and metal.  I always stood in wonder around thousands of trinkets strewn about–and him putting this back together. 

And of course, I believe that trees do talk–and spend time in the forests as much as I can. The redwoods have always been a magical place for me. One of the greatest hopes I have for the stories I tell is that they will help readers young and old to recognize the magic that is always around them. 

Chris Baron is an award winning author of the Middle Grade novels in verse, ALL OF ME, and THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT (2021) from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan . He is a Professor of English at San Diego City College and the director of the Writing Center. Learn more about him at  and on Twitter: @baronchrisbaron Instagram: @christhebearbaron

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#PoemsforMaryLee

Christie Wyman is hosting this week’s special Poetry Friday celebration at Wondering and Wandering. It’s also Christie’s birthday today, so stop by for a double helping of cake and poetry!

Today, the Poetry Friday community is celebrating Mary Lee Hahn’s retirement from teaching!

Many years ago, I was lucky enough to visit and spend a little time with Mary Lee’s class. I loved watching her interact with her students. From that visit–and Mary Lee’s beautiful, vulnerable posts about striving to learn and grow as an educator–I know her students and her school will miss working with such a committed professional.

If you’d like to check out Mary Lee’s blog, head over to A Year of Reading!To draft today’s poem, I borrowed several of Mary Lee’s original poems from her recent Poetry Friday posts. Then, I played “10 Little Words,” choosing ten words from Mary Lee’s poem to form the backbone of my draft.

My ten words (12 if you count the title!) are:

chooseCicadacrowddaysdecadesdeskemergeflowmemory/remembermomentumretiringstudents

Retiring in Cicada Season
For Mary Lee

Memories of students
flow by her desk, emerge
from days, years, decades
of the work she chose.

They crowd—a brood of minds
     who were                    under her care,
     who shared                poetry, books,
     and fifth grade’s       momentum.

They grew out of their shells
under their teacher’s wing,
and flew, as they must do, 
into their bright futures.

by Laura Shovan

Congratulations, Mary Lee! We can’t wait to hear about your bright future and all of your new adventures.

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