Announcing my 2018 ARTSPEAK! Theme (and Some Other Stuff, Too!)

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday on this the eve of National Poetry Month! Be sure to visit Heidi at my juicy little universe for Roundup, where you can learn some interesting things about our Progressive Poem tradition! I'm excited to read Liz's first line Sunday! (Yes, it will be a surprise to me as well!)

I know so many of you have celebratory things planned for the month... I'm so grateful for Jama's roundup post of National Poetry Month happenings!

Here I'll be continuing my ARTSPEAK! tradition of writing poems inspired by art. The fancy word for this is "ekphrasis" or "ekphrastic" poems, but I do NOT like the way that word tastes AT ALL! So 'round here, I'll just call them "art poems." :)

I mentioned in this post how I've been inspired by ONE LITTLE WORD by Nikki Grimes. No, I haven't written a single Golden Shovel poem. But reading that book totally made me want to learn about art from the Harlem Renaissance! I realized I knew something about the musicians and poets/writers from that time, but nothing about a single visual artist. And so, in order to remedy that, I give you.... ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance.



The cover image is "Lift Up Thy Voice and Sing" by William H. Johnson. Don't you love it? I've selected works by Aaron Douglas, Meta Warrick Fuller, Palmer Hayden, William H. Johnson, Archibald Motley and James Van Der Zee. I'll be learning more about these artists as I go, and about art's place in the Harlem Renaissance as well. My goal is to create poems that embody the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance: creativity, reawakening, change, vitality, unity, dreams... I'm excited to find out what these pieces of art will say to me.
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> <br />--> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L_iXg1Hdhs..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L_iXg1Hdhs..." /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On the topic of art poems, I am also excited to share with you <a href="https://www.amazon.com/World-Make-Way... MAKE WAY: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art </a>edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins, brought to us by Abrams. I am in love with this book! And not just because I have a poem in it. :) The words and art are breathtaking... I sent a note right away to Lee to tell him this is a book I will read and read again... truly the mark of a good book. It really deserves its own post, but I won't be able to during April, so I will leave you with a look at my contribution. Please do find this book! It's gorgeous!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jjnwrbi3c4..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="600" height="259" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jjnwrbi3c4..." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted Plaster Pavement Fragment,<br />ca. 1390-1353 BC, Anonymous</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />This Is the Hour</b></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">This is the hour</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">the sun dreams,</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">and the river </div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">sings </div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">its silky song.</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">This is the hour</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">Duck wades </div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">into the warm,</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">whispery grass</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">to settle</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">onto its nest.</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">This is the hour</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">Duck asks: </div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     What is yours?</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     What is </i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>      mine?</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">River answers:</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">     <i>Look how </i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     your </i><i style="font-size: 19.2px;">wings </i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i style="font-size: 19.2px;">     glisten.</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i style="font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     How my eyes </i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     wink.</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>Yes, </i>Duck says.</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     Now I see –</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     this is the hour</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     almighty sun </i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     gives itself</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>     to everything.</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>- Irene Latham</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><i>----------------------------</i></div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">And now, to make this the longest post EVER, allow me to share with you some of my April events! I've got a few school and Skype visits that are private, and here are the open-to-the-public happenings:</div><div class="m_-1137894859252614209gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px; text-align: center;"><b>April 9 (Twitter)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sOAlJ46s9p..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sOAlJ46s9p..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>April 11-12 (Hattiesburg, MS)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-fe... B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(presenting on diversity with Leah Henderson)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jDgzrn2XTk..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jDgzrn2XTk..." width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>April 14 (Tallahassee, FL)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.wordofsouthfestival.com/&... of South Festival</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTxqzXKGbS..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1280" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTxqzXKGbS..." width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>April 21 (New York City)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://worldvoices.pen.org/session/s... World Voices Festival</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(with Charles Waters, Selina Alko and Sean Qualls)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-feDipxHBqz..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-feDipxHBqz..." /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>April 21 (New York City)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.poetshouse.org/programs-a... House (with Charles Waters)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rMp3v0Itq8..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="140" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rMp3v0Itq8..." width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please let me know if you are able to join me for any of these things -- would love to see you! Wishing all the most glorious April ever! Can't wait to read everyone's offerings. xo</div>