WHO IS YOUR MUSE?

Howdy, Campers ~ Happy Poetry Friday AND Last Day of Poetry Month! My poem and the link to today's PF host are below.

In honor of TeachingAuthors' 12th year on earth (is the internet technically earth?), we are each choosing one post from the past 12 years (just one?!?!) to share.  Esther shares a poem I wrote (!) and a photo of us surprising Carmela at TeachingAuthors' birthday celebration, Mary Ann shares JoAnn's 2011 inspiring review of Paul Janeczko's Seeing the Blue Between, Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets, and Carmela shares Esther's 2011 post about a specific kind of haiku which Esther called Thankus, while adding her own thanku and a #HaikuFromTwo.

The truth is, I love the writing of every TA, but I knew from the start that I would be rifling through Mary Ann's posts. I love her storytelling, I love her show-us-her-scars honesty. Her authenticity, forces me (maybe inspires me is better) to be more honest, too.

So today, enjoy Mary Ann's 2010 post about Charles Schulz' s PEANUTS gang...aka her muses.

from Apollo Magazine; no copyright infringement is intended 

I wrote about my own muse in 2013:

WHEN I MET MY MUSE
inspired by a poem with the same title by William Stafford
by April Halprin Wayland

 

I was lounging against the back of a napping kangaroo

when this little boy with a large crayon drew near.

Said his name was Harold.

 

I sat up to study the scruffy kid—

a baby, really, in p.j.s that must have been

as suffocating as meat in a sausage skin.

 

His wide eyes disarmed me,

as if he were that butterfly in the antidepressant commercial,

flying around a garden party and leaving everyone feeling better.

 

Harold stepped around the kangaroo to draw a big house

with a wide porch

and shutters on every window.

 

There were a boatload of windows.

He added two rocking chairs and three hanging baskets of geraniums.

When he framed the front doorway, we went in.

 

The floors were oak; the house felt comfortable, like a favorite old sofa.

He drew stairs; we walked up to four bedrooms

and a greenhouse room with walls of glass.

 

"I'll be living up here," he said, pulling down steps from the ceiling.

He climbed into the attic and peeked out.

"I'll hand you down stuff I find here," he said.

 

I supposed I'd be responsible for feeding him. 

I wondered if he ate real grilled cheese sandwiches

or if I had to draw them with his crayon.

 

The kangaroo

was still sleeping in the front yard,

which was probably for the best.

From Wikipedia; no copyright infringement is intended

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Before I say g'bye, I have Poetry Month news! 

My next 3-hour, one day Writing Poetry for Children class through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program will be on July 17, 2021. Registration is now open, but hurry, enrollment is limited to 25 students.

I'm thrilled that three of my poems are on the Poetry Foundation site. 

I'm happy to be among nine poets who are on a fascinating education website in England called TWINKL (no E at the end). The poets are: Jaclyn Desforges, Miriam Sagan, Liz Garton Scanlon, Irina Moga, Lauren Camp, D. S. Martin, Allan Wolf, Charles Ghigna and me.

And I'm honored to have been included in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' video of 13 poets, each reading a poem. (Note: the video lasts 17:30 minutes; my poem is at the 11 minute mark).

The poets are: Nikki Grimes, Lesléa Newman, Joseph Bruchac, Jane Yolen, Tami Charles, Lin Oliver, Hope Anita Smith, Sonya Sones, Carole Boston Weatherford, April Halprin Wayland, Margarita Engle, Ellen Hopkins, and Linda Sue Park.

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Who is your  muse? Please tell us in the comments--we want to know...we really do!

Thank you, Matt, for hosting Poetry Friday

this last day of Poetry Month, 2021 

on Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme !

posted by April Halprin Wayland, with the help of Eli, Kitty, and Monkey, who were sure THEY were my muses before I broke the news...

Agents: Why & Why Not (in 3-part harmony)

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Howdy, Campers! Happy Poetry Friday!  My poem and the link to PF are below.

Pardon me while I st---re--tch for a moment...

pixabay.com

...I'm climbing out of my first TeachingAuthors hibernation...I mean, I'm just off the plane from my first TeachingAuthors sabbatical! It was soooo nice to take a break--and I also missed my blogmates--(hi, gang!)

A sabbatical, you say?  Yes!  You see, because we make so much money blogging (thank you, loyal readers), each TeachingAuthor gets two free tickets to anywhere in world for six months. NO WE DON'T!--kidding!

But, I did just get back from nearly a week at Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple's Picture Book Boot Camp on Jane's farm in Massachusetts. It was informative, warm and inspiring.  Each of ten (wonderful) published picture book writers submitted two manuscripts which were privately critiqued by both Heidi and Jane. Then we plunged into four days of lectures, poetry, philosophy, field trips (to the Eric Carle Museum!) and fabulous food (made by Heidi Stemple, an amazing chef).  Wow. 

Jane Yolen's Phoenix Farm

California girl holding her first bouquet of fall leaves

I'm thrilled to be back with you! On to my take on our topic--AGENTS: Why or why not--in three part harmony.

Carla started our new series with a dynamite post on this topic. Carla's a master at pulling out relevant points in her posts. On this topic, they are: 

1) An agent is not a magic door to fame and fortune

2) It is a business decision. Writers need to remember that.

Like Carla, I, too, have sold books on my own and have had several agents. I love my current agent and I'm sticking with her--but I also enjoyed selling my own work.

So...here's today's poem:

AGENTS ~ in three part harmony
.by April Halprin Wayland

Horace, Sid and Doris—

our Greek chorus—do proclaim:

An agent's not a magic door to fortune or to fame.  

The spotlight's on our hero,

who is doubled up in pain.

"Shall I saddle up and gallop o'er the hills across the plain?

If I ride along alone again

There's no one else to blame.

An agent's not a magic door to fortune or to fame.  

Is it best to take an agent

and adopt an author name?

Or better I should wait a while? (I'm not sure I am game...)

Or maybe...

I will fill my quill...

stay steady...then...take aim?

Horace, Sid and Doris—our Greek chorus—still contend:

An agent's not a magic door to fortune or to fame.  

It's up to her. They take their bows. G'bye—this is

The end.

poem (c) 2016 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.

Greek Chorus? Morguefile.com

As JoAnn noted, hundreds of new children's books published in 2016, both traditionally and independently published, are celebrated in the SCBWI Book Blast. You can search for specific titles and authors and even buy books. Among other treasures, you'll find Carmela's new edition of Rosa, Sola (in paperback and ebook) with discussion questions for classroom use.

And be sure to enter the giveaway for Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market 2017!  It ends on October 31 and is open to U.S. 

For more details see the following post by JoAnn Early Maken.

Poetry Friday is hosted by Tricia at The MissRumphius Effect Thank you, Tricia!

posted with love (and in a jet-laggy mist) by April Halprin Wayland and her trusty dog, Eli who is glad his mom is home 

The Joy of Writing

In honor of Valentine's Day, the TeachingAuthors team has been blogging about love--not romantic love, but the love that fuels our writing. Since today is Poetry Friday, I considered composing a personal "Ode to Writing." But I'm short on time, so I'll be sharing an excerpt from Wisława Szymborska's "The Joy of Writing" instead. You'll find a link to this week's Poetry Friday round-up at the end of this post, along with some information about updates to our website. If you have a child or student who likes to write poetry, you'll be especially interested in a new link I've added.

I often hear my students complain, "Writing is hard!" No doubt, parts of it can be. And, being human, we tend to focus on the negative. However, research shows that being happy in our work can help us to be more productive.

If you've been following this blog, you know I'm in the midst of a "30-Day Boost Your Writing Productivity Challenge," so this topic fits right into my efforts to increase my personal productivity. (For my 10-day progress report, see this blog post.)

So what part of writing do I love most? It's immersing myself in a fictional world. As Jane Yolen says in "Take Joy: A Writer's Guide to Loving the Craft" (Writer's Digest Books) :

"Writing takes us into another, brighter, deeper, more engaging world than the world we actually live in."

Reading often does the same thing, but when I write, the world is my creation. For me, that act of creation is often a spiritual process. As Yolen says a little later in Take Joy:

"The writer in the midst of writing, like the penitent in the midst of prayer--finds the self falling away. Or getting out of the way. Only when we slip out of our writer bodies do we truly don the skin of story."

I love slipping into the "skin of story." I can easily spend hours there. In fact, I get so immersed in the process that I have to set a timer to remind myself to stop for lunch, appointments, etc. The fictional world becomes that real to me. And while I'm living in it, my heart is filled with joy.

While working on this blog post, I suddenly remembered the wonderful poem "The Joy of Writing" by Nobel Laureate and Polish poet Wisława Szymborska. I was tempted to reproduce the entire poem here--it's not that long. However, I worry that might be copyright infringement. So I've copied only the opening stanza below. You can find the rest of the poem, and an interesting commentary on it, at Storyacious magazine.

          excerpt from The Joy of Writing

Why does this written doe bound through these written woods?
For a drink of written water from a spring
whose surface will xerox her soft muzzle?
Why does she lift her head; does she hear something?
Perched on four slim legs borrowed from the truth,
she pricks up her ears beneath my fingertips.
Silence – this word also rustles across the page
and parts the boughs
that have sprouted from the word “woods.” . . .

by Wislawa Szymborska, Translated by S Barańczak  & C. Cavanagh
© Wislawa Szymborska, S. Barańczak & C. Cavanagh

As promised, here's the link to today's Poetry Friday round-up at Kimberley Moran's blog, Written Reflections.

If you're reading this post on our website, you may have noticed that I've revised the sidebar to include the cover of a brand new TeachingAuthors picture book to be released soon, as well as a link for readers to "like" our page on Facebook.

I've also added links to some new opportunities on our Young Writers page. If you know any writers under the age of sixteen who write poetry, you may want to consider submitting their work for inclusion in the Rattle Young Poets Anthology. Poems must be submitted by a parent/legal guardian or teacher. Submission deadline: June 15, 2016.

Remember to "Take Joy" in your writing!
Carmela

Enter TWO give aways!...and an Author Insecurity Poem for Poetry Friday.

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Howdy, Campers!  Happy Poetry Friday!  I’ve been OUT AND ABOUT.  But before I tell you about IRA in Chicago and ask for your advice about my poem, don’t forget to enter both of our contests:

Followers know that we are celebrating our THIRD blogiversary.   Enter our Blogiversary giveaway contest to win one of THREE $30 gift cards from Biblio.com, where you can purchase new and used books from independent booksellers around the world, often with free shipping!!! There are three ways to enter, so get crackin'!

In addition, you can enter our SEPARATE autographed book giveaway: win Guest Teaching Author's Karen Schreck's brand new book, WHILE HE WAS AWAY.

Spring, spring, spring--as I said, I've been out 'n about! The trees were green-leafing, the flowers a-blooming along the slick avenues in rainy Chicago, (our own Esther’s beloved hometown) this past week.  She and I were honored to have taught in a full-day Institute at the International Reading Association there.

Our Institute was birthed, developed, structured and nurtured by Albuquerque author and educator Carolee Dean.  The other authors Carolee pulled on board were: Kersten Hamilton, TeachingAuthor EstherHershenhorn, Kimberley Griffiths Little, Carolyn Meyer,
Uma Krishnaswami, Caroline Starr Rose, Lisa Schroeder, et moi.  (For details and our handouts, click here.) I’d only met most of them online; it was a delicious pleasure to meet each in person. 

Here are a few snippets from IRA:

Someone in our group said, “Reading is the inhale, writing is the exhale,” which I’d never heard before, though when I Googled it, it’s all over the web, without an author. I love this quote.

At another session, Jane Yolen said that a child asked her,

“Did you write a Christmas book?” 

“Yes,” said Jane.

“But I thought you were Jewish,” he said.

“I write murder mysteries, too,” Jane replied.

On my final day in Chicago, the skies cleared. One last breakfast with Esther, one last walk past fast pedestrians along Michigan Avenue. 

Bright orange and magenta tulips, in cement boxes lining the bustling streets, which were just blooming when I arrived, were no longer bright, tight blooms—instead they were faded and splayed open, like unmade beds.

I was thinking about how short their stay is...Bingo!  I found my topic for this day’s poem!

Here are three drafts of the eight or nine I’ve written so far…I need your thoughts!  I’m thinkin’ I went overboard in the last one draft..it needs to be more condensed, right?  Just get in, get out—bam!  What do you think?

1) AN AUTHOR TO A TULIP

by April Halprin Wayland

Nice bloom.

Fading fast.

When’s your next?

Books…er, blooms don’t last.

2) AN AUTHOR TO A TULIP

by April Halprin Wayland

I saw you flower in spring.

Good red.

When’s the next one due?

Next June?

Don’t you know

you’re only as good

as your latest book...er, bloom?

3) AN AUTHOR TO A TULIP

by April Halprin Wayland

I saw you flower this spring.                                                 

Great read…er, red (nice bling.)                                            

So…when’s your next one due?                                            

Uh-oh, you say next June?                                                     

If you’re not on some list,                                                      

you simply don’t exist.                                                          

You must create one soon                                                      

so rush to publish…er, bloom.  

poems © 2012 by April Halprin Wayland—all rights reserved

WRITING WORKOUT

I love Chicago!  I love fellow authors!  I learned so much this week!  I’ll leave you with a writing prompt Uma Krishnaswami taught us, inspired by her wonderful picture book, OUT OF THE WAY! OUT OF THE WAY! 

In her free downloadable activity kit for this book, Uma writes: “The tree in this story became a meeting place for the people of the village, a spot where children could play and grownups could talk…Do you know of a special tree that holds a story for you? A tree that you climbed? A tree that provided shade for picnics? Write your tree story.”

I found this to be an extremely evocative prompt.  Do you?  Try.

 Poetry Friday's at Wild Rose Reader this week--thanks for hosting, Elaine!

 

P.S: If you've read this far, you deserve a bonus.  Check out Amy Goldman Koss' blog post this week, "Why Write?" (Warning: you will become addicted to her blog posts, so watch out.)

A Week of Acronyms: SCBWI, FOCUS, and WSRA

SCBWI's (and Esther's) 13th annual Winter Conference was my first of the international variety. I began my New York trip the day before the event so I could meet my sister Judy to walk down drizzly streets seeing the sights--and getting lost. We are not map people! One highlight: the New York Public Library's "Celebrating 100 Years" exhibition, including the original Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, and little Roo.

Friday was even wetter than Thursday, so we wandered through the American Museum of Natural History, where we lingered in the butterfly exhibit, and briefly strolled along the edge of Central Park.

Esther's Wednesday post covered many of the conference highlights, so I'll add just a few of my own:

• Jane Yolen's generous Mid-List Author Grant, to be awarded annually to an author who writes steadily and well but whose books have not received a lot of media attention. Eligible authors have at least two PAL level books but have not sold a manuscript in at least one year. Nominations for next year's awards will be accepted from June 1 to November 1, and winners will be announced at next year's conference. Watch the SCBWI web site for official details. Thank you, Jane!

• Kathryn Erskine's closing keynote, which used the acronym FOCUS as a guide for keeping our minds on our work. I especially appreciated her advice about blocking out distractions by creating a little waiting room in my mind. She recommended posting a guard at the door. (I wonder where I might find a fire-breathing dragon!)

• Meeting Steve Mooser, Lin Oliver, and the many enthusiastic, hardworking, dedicated, and brilliant author and illustrator volunteers who keep the SCBWI organization and events running smoothly, efficiently, and cheerfully.

Yesterday, I presented a poetry workshop for teachers and also participated in a panel of Wisconsin authors at the Wisconsin State Reading Association's 2012 Convention. In the morning, I was thrilled to see enthusiastic teachers chewing on pencils, staring into space, and drafting their own poems in preparation for sharing the method with their students. In the afternoon, Lisa Albert, Kathryn Heling, Jacqueline Houtman, Lisa Moser, and I spoke about our books, our writing processes, and our school visit presentations. I enjoyed getting to know my fellow presenters a bit better through their work.

And now I'll shift gears again, to a freelance project, teaching plans, and school visit preparations. Yes, I'm busy--and glad to be! Back to work!
JoAnn Early Macken

Book Giveaway! Guest Teaching Author & Poet extraordinaire, Nikki Grimes!

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Howdy, Campers--Happy Poetry Friday!

Teaching Authors is pleased to welcome New York Times bestselling author and Guest Teaching Author, Nikki Grimes.  

Nikki is the recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include ALA Notable book, What is Goodbye?, the novels Jazmin’s Notebook, Dark Sons, and The Road to Paris (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books). Creator of the popular Meet Danitra Brown books, Nikki lives in Corona, California. [California rules!]

Nikki's accumulated more honors, and has written more books and more articles than we have space to list, but it's too interesting not to mention that she's also a performing artist, a fine artist, a fiber artist, a jeweler and more...as she says, she's a Jane-of-all-Trades.

I've known Nikki for a long time and have always been moved by her unfailing generosity.   Today, she's offering our readers the chance to win an autographed copy of her wonderful novel-in-poems, Planet Middle School, from Bloomsbury USA, hot off the press Sept. 13th! To enter the drawing, see the instructions at the very-very-very end of this post.

This slender book tells the story of a young tomboy, confused and blooming, in her own true voice.

From the flap copy: For twelve years, Joylin Johnson's life has been just fine, thank you very much. A game of basketball with the boys—especially her friend Jake—was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices. Then suddenly the world seemed to turn upside down, and everything changed at once. Her best girl friend is now flirting with her best guy friend. Her clothes seem all wrong. Jake is acting weird, and basketball isn't the same. And worst of all, there is this guy, Santiago, who appears from . . . where? What lengths will Joy go to—and whom will she become—to attract his attention?

In short poems that perfectly capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes, award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, heart-tugging story.

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Congratulations on the publication of your gazillionth book, Nikki!  Tell us how you became a TeachingAuthor.

Nikki Grimes: I don't think of myself as a Teaching/Author, so I'm not quite sure how to answer that.  My first teaching experience was in college, as a T.A., and I hadn't yet published a book, though I had published in literary journals, magazines, and a few anthologies, at that point.

You may not think of yourself as a Teaching Author, but every time you do a school event or speak to teachers you certainly are.  I urge you to acknowledge the teacher within! Besides, your first teaching experience was as a T.A, which stands for Teaching Author, duh!

As further proof that you are, indeed, a TeachingAuthor, what's a common problem/question students have and how do you address it?

Nikki Grimes: I'm frequently asked how one can know when a story is finished.  My answer: I know my story is done when I find myself making changes that are no longer improvements.

Would you share a favorite writing exercise for our readers?

Nikki Grimes: Poetry benefits from the full engagement of the senses. To that end, I offer an exercise in word play:

• Choose one of the following words:  Bell  Shower  Bullet  Blanket  Pen
• Now, close your eyes and consider the object that word represents. 
• Does that word have a shape? A sound?  Does it have a color?  What does it do, or what can you do with it? Does it have a taste?  How does it feel?
• Answer each question that applies to the word you have chosen.  Write a simple, single sentence responding to each question.
• Once you've assembled all your answers, arrange the information into a poem.  For example: I once chose the word Ball. 

It is round, rubber.

It bounces.

It makes a smacking sound.

I can throw, hold, or catch it.

It feels smooth.

From this basic description, I formed a small story-poem.

Ball is a round, rubber word.

It fits inside my palm.

I play with it outside,

bounce it on the sidewalk.

When it hits the ground,

it makes a smacking sound.

My cupped hand waits for it

to come back home.

It always help to model this exercise for students.  Additionally, as a tool for relaxation, consider playing soft music in the background as students work.

What one piece of advice do you have for teachers?

Nikki Grimes: Rhyme seems to be everyone's default, when it comes to poetry.  I never allow the use of it during my workshops.  Focus instead on metaphor and simile.    Emphasize the idea of painting a picture with words.  That is a truer understanding of the heart of poetry, I think. If students grasp the use of metaphor and simile, all of their writing will be greatly enhanced.

Share a meaninful book signing story with us.

Nikki Grimes: My most memorable signing was at my first major literary conference.  I was scheduled to sign for one hour, following my presentation.  However, by the time the signing was to commence, none of the booksellers in the exhibit hall had any of my titles left for my audience to purchase.  A few actually bought anthologies that included my work, just so they could bring something to me to sign.  As a result, I sat there at that table, drumming my fingers, anxiously waiting for someone, anyone, to step forward with a book for me to sign.  It was very embarrassing.  Oh, and did I mention?   I was seated next to JANE YOLEN, who had a line out the door!

Nowadays, whenever I sit next to a new author, and I see them looking longingly at the line in front of my signing table, I tell them that story so they can relax a little.  "It will get better," I tell them. And, once they've heard my story, they believe it.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Nikki--and good luck to all our readers who enter to win Planet Middle School (see below to enter)!

Watch this two minute video of Nikki on Teen Read Week:

If you can't get enough Nikki, read the Teacher's Guide to Planet Middle School, catch the trailer for her new novel A GIRL NAMED MISTER, check out her blog, NIKKI SOUNDS OFF, and follow her on Facebook!
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This week, Poetry Friday is hosted
by Anastasia Suen, at Picture Book of the Day ~
Thanks for hosting, Anastasia!

Happy PF!

Before entering our contest, please read our Book Giveaway Guidelines. Then, for a chance to win an autographed paperback copy of Planet Middle School, answer the following question:  Why do you want to win this book?
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And--SURPRISE!--we're offering a bonus for this giveaway: if you answer one additional question, you'll get an extra entry in this contest--woo-woo!  The bonus question is: What would you like to read more of at TeachingAuthors.com (or is there something we've never offered that you'd like to see here)? 

You can either post your comments to today's blog post or email comments to teachingauthors at gmail dot com with "Contest" in the subject line. To qualify, your entry must be posted or received by 11 p.m. Friday, September 30, 2011 (Central Standard Time). The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced by 11 p.m., Saturday, October 1, 2011

A New Poetic Form for Poetry Friday...And How To Sucker Punch Your Fear of Writing

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Howdy, Campers!

Happy Poetry Friday--and thanks, Irene Latham, for hosting today's poetry round-up!

Before you read today's post, be sure to check out JoAnn's interview with Donna Gephart last Friday. You'll want to enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Donna's acclaimed (and funny!) novel, How to Survive Middle School.  The entry deadline is tonight, August 26th at 11 p.m. Central Standard Time.
The topic rumbling around TeachingAuthors lately is, What Are Your Writing Fears and What Do You Do About Them?

Fears? Who me?

Okay.  I do have a fear.  But only one.  And it's a teeny-tiny, gentle, kindly, whispering voice in my brain:  ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? YOU CAN'T DO THIS!  YOU COULD NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DO THIS!  YOU ARE A COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT IMBECILE WHO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SPELL THE WORD IMBECILE WITHOUT ASKING GOOGLE "HOW DO YOU SPELL IMBOCILE?"--NEVER MIND WRITE A POEM OR A STORY OR A BLOG POST!                                 

The voices in my head...courtesy MorgueFile.com

After petting the head of this still, small voice and sliding it a warm saucer of milk, what do I do (I mean, after barreling into my closet and shutting the door)?  I get someone to whip me into submission.

Er...what I meant to say is that I respond well to deadlines.  (We've written about deadlines before...)

Because for me, it's simple: the key is to report in to someone.  It works with what and how much I eat and it works with what and when I write. This does NOT mean that I don't feel the fear every single solitary time I have to sit down and write.  I do.  It just means that I SIT DOWN (eventually).  It means that I put, as author Jane Yolen so poetically words it, my BIC--my butt in the chair.

So who do I report to?  My critique group, which meets every other week and keeps me writing fiction, and my fellow author and best friend, who expects my new poem in his email in-box every day before the stroke of midnight.  Gulp.
Yep--every blue ribbon, thunder-storming, curtain-raising, rat-infested, drool-worthy, wrong-side-of-the-tracks, downtown day since April 1, 2010. (Many of these words come from the book, Better Than Great by Arthur Plotnik, which I ran out and bought after it was recommended by fellow blogger Esther Hershenhorn in her recent post.)

And some days it all pays off!  Look what I came up with when I walked through the fear and wrote my poem (and sent it off before midnight) on August 18!

WRITING WORKOUT: WRITING A LINGO
I'm so excited!  I came up with a new form of poetry: a Lingo.
Here's the definition of a Lingo (sorry it's so long and detailed): A Lingo is poem based on the lexicon of a particular field of interest. Period.

It's interesting that fellow blogger Carmela Martino included this graphic in Wednesday's post--I think she must be a psychic...

...just look at the topic of today's Lingo!

I was in a hurry to write a poem last week and said to my husband, "Let me just run upstairs and knock out a poem."  The words "knock out a poem" buzzed in my head as I began to write, and so, after studying several dictionaries of boxing terms, I wrote the following Lingo poem:
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LET ME JUST RUN UPSTAIRS AND KNOCK OUT A POEM, I SAID
by April Halprin Wayland

There's a big purse tonight—a lot at stake,
I bob and weave in the ring,
baiting, provoking it, daring it,
showboating with a bolo punch.

I move in close, looking for the right words,
the right combination,
wanting to knock it out quick
suddenly I'm lost, I'm no-wheres-ville,
I'm on the ropes, trapped,
in a dangerous situation.

I move away, try to take a break
but this thing is after me,
below the belt dirty fighting,
punching, elbowing,
headbutting, hitting my face with uppercuts,
ribs with hooks, forearm in my throat

and I'm just pawing at it, too timid—
it bashes my nose, slices near my eye,
blood streams down,
ref calls for a break,
my corner man cleans me off,
patches me up,
sends me out again.

Oof! A low blow, a rabbit punch, 
I do the peek-a-boo,
gloves high in front of my face,
then feint left
and it opens up so I counter punch,
landing a straight right,
a Sunday punch

and it's down,

down for the count,

it's kissing the canvas

a KO.

Poem's done.
.2011 April Halprin Wayland, all rights reserved

Now it's your turn!  

1) Email a friend and tell her to expect a poem from you before midnight tonight.  

2) Then turn off the fear and get into the play mode.  

3) Think of some galaxy of interest--maybe a world you know nothing about--horse racers, quilters, auto mechanics, saxophone players, or antique bottle collectors.  Then, Google something like, "antique bottle collector glossary" and VIOLA!  (In fact, here's a directory of all sorts of collectibles glossaries.)

4) Look through the glossary and pull out the most interesting words.

5) Lay out all those fabulous words as if someone had just given you a thousand Legos ®.

photo courtesy Emily Neal--who's sorting a windfall of Legos® with happy kids

6) Play with these words!  Discover a poem!  Rewrite it.  

7) Send this rough draft to your email buddy because you promised you would.

7) Let it marinate overnight or over a few days. Read it to your cat.   Polish it.

8) Send your Lingo to http://www.teachingauthors.com/ in our comments section--I'd love to see what world you've wandered into and how your Lingo turned out!

"Yet somehow, we write; and most of the time, we like what we write. The dark place seems less dark when we get there. It was only the journey that was fearful." Susan Shaughnessy

To Post Poetry or Not to Post Poetry--THAT is the Question! ( & Happy Poetry Friday!)

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Happy Poetry Friday,
hosted today by Diane at Random Noodling.  Thanks, Diane!
My own poem and a Writing Workout poetry prompt is below.elow

Hello, Campers!  Today's question--Do I dare post an original poem?--is red hot, as I am 15 days into my second year of posting an original poem a day for Poetry Month.  What's a poet to do?

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There are poets on both sides of this question: some wonder whether a publisher will want to buy a poem or a series of poems if they have already been published on the net. They might post a poetry exercise but not their own poems.  Others, including author Jane Yolen, comfortably post original poems on their websites or blogs.  Yolen always attaches a copyright at the end: © 2011 Your Name Here, All Rights Reserved.  I now do the same.

My own instinct is to come to the world with open hands. 

 

Actually, that's not true. At first I was nervous about exposing my words to the world.  But then Greg Pincus told me that he's only had good things come back to him as he's shared his words with the world.  And man, does Greg share--in great, big, generous doses--on listservs, on his Gottabook blog, at schools, at conferences, and person-to-person.   Here's what Greg says:
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"I post lots of original poetry for free on my blog based on the idea that I wanted to (and still want to) create an audience for me and my work. I know there's risk that people can copy the poems, though that's also true of poems in books. And while it's true that folks could put their name on my poem, posting the work online creates a pretty clear "paper trail," so I don't lose much sleep about that, either. I've also always felt that if someone finds a way to make a lot of money by using my poetry, I'd write more and follow their method! 
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I also don't think that posting work for free devalues it or poetry in general. The idea that there's free poetry online, so people are saying "why buy books?" doesn't follow for me. Instead, I think it creates fans who will support poetry and poets. It can create new readers. I've also sold poems off my blog after initially publishing them there, so I can say that free has been valuable to me that way, too. At a different point in my career, I might not see that same value. I can't say. I think, though, that having the ability to connect with my readers directly has more than made up for any potential downsides I can see now.
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By the way, this is not to say that there isn't piracy online. I've seen poems reprinted without permission (both with and without attribution). However, for me, being unknown is a bigger concern than having a poem out there in the ether."
 
Greg's latest venture is called Poetry: Spread The Word.  You've got to watch the short video to get his clever idea for making author school visits affordable.

Author and poet Janet Wong, a remarkable human being and writer, says: "At two of my websites, www.janetwong.com and www.poetrysuitcase.com, you can find the full text of some of my poems (published and unpublished). I take the "Costco sample" approach to poem-sharing: if you like the little taste that I give you for free, maybe you'll buy a whole book--and, if you don't like it, thank you for at least giving it a try!"

Don't you love that Costco metaphor?  Among Janet's lastest adventures are two ebooks: Once Upon A Tiger: New Beginnings for Endangered Animals and PoetryTagTime , (an anthology of 30 children's poems for just 99 cents!)x

Author and poet Liz Scanlon Garton says, “My creative worldview is that there’s an abundance of poetry out there — more than enough ideas and pretty words for all of us to write a poem every day until we die. So, I don’t worry that someone will steal my work or that I will wear out my muse if I put original poems up on my blogs or elsewhere. In fact, the opposite. I’m pretty sure creative energy begets more creative energy.”
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Liz's latest is a picture book illustrated by Arthur Howard about friendship in "couplets with an unfaltering rhythm and gentle good humor" (~ Publishers Weekly) called Noodle and Lou.

Here's my tribute (from among the poems on my Poetry Month Challenge) to all poets (including fellow blogmate and poet, JoAnn Early Macken!) who share their words with an open hand:

ALL I NEED

by April Halprin Wayland

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I step onto this rickety bamboo bridge

high over wild water

as winds sways rope

as I totter

as my heart stops

as I lose hope.

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You reach across

stretching out

to me

All is not lost.

Your hand is all

I need.
(c) 2011  April Halprin Wayland, all rights reservedx
For the story behind the poem, click here and scroll down to the poem for April 10th.

Writing Workout:
SHOW ME A PICTURE

Think of a big concept like generosity or peace or hatred or anger…you get the picture.  Now close your eyes and think about how this concept feels.  What image presents itself?  

It’s the old “Show, Don’t Tell.” Write a poem showing us this concept in concrete terms, as I tried to do with generosity. On your mark, get set, go!

P.S. from Carmela: Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of Gretchen Woelfle's brand new middle-grade novel,  All the World's a Stage (Holiday House)