Echoing the Call For Submissions and a Book Spine Poem

Happy National Poetry Month! For this Poetry Friday I have two items to share.

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It isn’t often that I hear about a call for submissions specific to children’s poets, so today I’d like to share information about a children’s poetry anthology that is being promoted by Carol-Ann Hoyte. Maybe some poets have already seen this, but I wanted to post it here just in case anyone missed it. Details are listed below via Carol-Ann herself, with permission. Good luck, children’s poets!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Children's Poetry Anthology on Food and Agriculture

Submission Deadline: June 14th, 2014

An independently published anthology of children’s poetry dedicated to the theme of food and agriculture is in the works. Adults who write children’s poetry, including those who are emerging poets, are invited to submit their work. I am looking for original, unpublished poems, written in English, aimed at 8- to 12-year-olds that deal with various aspects of food andagriculture such as (but not limited to):

*food deserts
*edible landscapes
*food banks
*vertical gardens (also known as living walls, biowalls, ecowalls, green walls)
*children's food assistance programs
*gardening (ie. family gardening, school gardens, rooftop gardens, community gardens, balcony/container gardening, window boxes)
*types of farming (ie. rural, urban, organic, sustainable)
*farmer's markets / public markets
*fair trade food
*100-mile diet
*vegetarianism/ veganism

and any other sub-topics you can think of!

I am interested in receiving poems written in a variety of forms including but not limited to the following forms: couplet, triplet, limerick, haiku, tanka, cinquain, diamante, mask poem, apostrophe poem, list poem, etheree, palindrome, etc.

Poets whose work is selected for the collection will be contacted shortly after the deadline. They will also receive a small one-time honorarium.

Please email poems to Carol-Ann Hoyte at kidlitfan1972@yahoo.ca.

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On April 1, Travis Jonker posted a gallery of book spine poems from "students, teachers, librarians, publishers and authors" at 100 Scope Notes.

I’m proud that my poem was among them, and I wanted to share it here today.

 

It looks as though Travis is still taking submissions and adding to the gallery, so if you're feeling inspired, start pulling books from the shelves and give it a try! It's fun, and more challenging than it looks.

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Today Poetry Friday is being hosted by Michelle Barnes at Today's Little Ditty where she is also celebrating her blog's first birthday. Congratulations, Michelle! Link to Today's Little Ditty!

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Thanks for stopping by!

Tamera

 04.11.2014

Preview of What The Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

I’ve been feeling glum. At first I thought it was because I’m not getting unpacked and settled into my office and house as quickly as I had hoped; after weeks and weeks I’m still staring at a punch list that’s long and messy and not complete and nearly every day some worker or another is at my house to paint, hammer, or saw something. I realize that these things are temporary and that if these are my “problems,” I don’t really have problems. My gloominess is something more: Patriot’s Day, better known as 9/11, was this week. 

It's a day that makes me pause and consider. It's a day that makes me sad. I wasn’t necessarily looking to shake this emotion; somehow feeling low this week seemed okay. Despite that, I received a small lift, in just the right way. Earlier this week Joyce Sidman posted that her book trailer for What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings is now available. I clicked on it. I watched, read, listened. I felt a little better. 

Maybe others have been feeling this same way, so today I’m sharing a bit of info on Joyce and Pamela’s book along with a link to this beautiful tiny movie that unexpectedly lifted my spirits.

From the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt website:

What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings is a collection of poems to provide comfort, courage, and humor at difficult or daunting moments in life. It conjures forth laments, spells, invocations, chants, blessings, promises, songs, and charms. Here are pleas on how to repair a friendship, wishes to transform one’s life or to slow down time, charms to face the shame of a disapproving crowd, invocations to ask for forgiveness, to understand the mysteries of happiness, and to bravely face a dark and different world. These words help us remember or grieve; they bolster courage and guard against evil; they help us celebrate and give thanks. This elegant gift book also includes a red ribbon for readers to mark their favorite poems.

Poet extraordinaire Joyce Sidman won the Newbery Honor Medal for Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night and continues to write poetry for children that has been called "fresh," "inspiring," and "accessible" to her young audience. She is intrigued by the idea of "words of power"—chants and charms that were once believed to have real influence in everyday life. Caldecott Honor-winning Pamela Zagarenski's beautiful art captures a world of emotion and the essence of Sidman's words.

Here is a link to the book trailer on Joyce Sidman's Website.

These are the words that the young voice is reading. I think the poem might be called Blessings on the downtrodden:

Should you think we are strangers,

I will prove we are not

Should you think you know me,

I will surprise you

Should misfortune bind your wings,

I will fly before you to find us shelter

Should your armor crack,

I will hold the pieces steady

Should the crowd turn against you,

I will turn against the crowd

Should hate mask your true face,

I will look into your eyes and read your story there.

Oh, what a nice message for an aching heart. And from what I can see, the delicate illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski compliment the text so well. And that young voice and the guitar strum…it all lifted the cloud of gloom and made me a little bit happier. The book arrives on October 8 and promises to provide comfort...this week, with this tiny book trailer, it already has. 

Thanks, Joyce, Pamela, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!

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Poetry Friday this week is at: Teach Mentor Texts 

For Verse Day, Gabrielle has a discount on pre-orders of her forthcoming verse novel: Audacious at Versenovels.com

9.13.2013

My ALA Poetry Blast! Recap

At the American Library Association conference in Chicago recently, I had the truly joyful experience of reading with a number of other poets for Marilyn Singer’s and Barbara Genco’s Poetry Blast on the Pop Top Stage.

 

Here’s a photo of the Pop Top Stage before The Poets took over:

 

Here is the Poetry Blast program:

 

So many talented poets, excellent poetry, wonderful books! Many of those listed are poets who I’ve looked up to and learned from through reading their poetry. Several years ago I met Nikki Grimes briefly when she came to lecture at Hamline University while I was studying there and I was thrilled to meet her again. (She's had a tremendous influence on my poetry writing!) I've worked with Laura Purdie Salas through one of her online workshops and it was wonderful to meet her in person. Most, though, I met through this event for the very first time. 

Sylvia Vardell (another poetry luminary who I met for the first time) posted an excellent Poetry Blast recap last week that included snippets from each of our readings. You can catch Sylvia's posting by clicking: Poetry For Children Poetry Blast!

After we read and took the group photo, we signed our books. Here’s a photo that Sylvia took of me playing it cool between Marilyn Singer (who is signing a book for a fan) and Nikki Grimes:

Nikki Grimes and Marilyn Singer - two of my poetry heroes and happy me.

July 1, 2013 will go down in history as one of my favorite author days ever. I said it then and I’ll say it again: "I feel as though I'm getting away with something here!"

Thank you, once again, Marilyn, Barbara, Nikki, Rebecca, Bob, Alma Flor, Isabelle, Laura, and Sid, for letting me participate with you in the 2013 ALA Poetry Blast! It was a true honor. Thank you ALA organizers for letting the poets have the Pop Top stage on Monday morning! And a special thanks to the good people at Houghton Mifflin Books for Children for sponsoring me! I had a BLAST!

P.S.

Joy Acey suggested that I include the poem that I'm reading in Sylvia's video; thanks for the idea, Joy - here it is:

Sam

JUST DAD AND ME

Free Verse Poem

For fishing tomorrow  

it's just us two.

Not Mom, not Grandpa,

not Lucy.

It'll be like playing catch or

painting the garage.

Just Dad and me.

Fishing.

Poetry Friday on 7.12.2013 will be at Michelle H. Barnes's Today's Little Ditty

7.11.2013

TALKING POEMS: POEMS OF ADDRESS & APOSTROPHE

This is part three of my four-part National Poetry Month/Poetry Friday essay on poetic forms

A poem of address is a poetic form that allows the poet to “speak” to a subject. Most of the time the subject doesn't talk back because it’s a person who isn’t with the poet, or because the person is no longer living, or because the subject can’t talk back because it is an animal, a place, or a thing so this type of poem is usually in the form of a monologue. When the poet addresses a subject that can’t respond it’s called apostrophe.

On April Fools’ Day I posted an epigram by Samuel Taylor Coleridge along with a response that is a poem of address and uses apostrophe since Samuel is no longer living. Click here if you’d like to see those poems. April Fools' Poetry 

This week I have once again been inspired by Samuel to write a poem that defines the poetic form. Here is my letter to the Poem of Address:

Dear Poem of Address,

I wish we could be good friends.

I wish you could tell me if

You like to sky dive, bake muffins, dig ditches, tell jokes.

But you’re as loud as a stone

Hiding deep underground

Leaving me

On my own

To

Monologue,

Solo.

Thank you for nothing.

Sincerely,

The Poet Who Has to Go It Alone

© 2013 Tamera Will Wissinger

TRY WRITING A POEM OF ADDRESS 

This is a fun poetry form to try because the main rule is that the poet speaks to someone or something. It doesn’t have to rhyme, so it can take many different shapes. It can be funny and in a way, it legitimizes talking to yourself!

Here are a few tips for writing a poem of address that uses apostrophe:

• Choose a subject that is interesting to you. It could be as simple as your favorite pair of shoes or the stop light that always turns red just as you drive up, or as complex as your relationship with a friend or a conversation with someone in history that you wish you could meet. If you select an inanimate object or a plant or animal, you’ll automatically be using apostrophe in your poem of address, since those things can’t talk back.

• Jot down several appealing (or revolting) ideas that have to do with your subject.

• Form your plan. One way to start is by asking a question of this subject and imagining answers. As in: “Old dishwasher…why quit on me today? Did you run out of steam?” or “Hello little yellow plant. Did I forget to water you again?”

• Work in first and second person – use “I” and “you” just as you would when you are having a conversation, only keep the conversation one-sided. It can also be like writing a letter to someone.

• This poem does not need to rhyme or have stanzas. Choose the most descriptive and interesting words to show your feelings! 

For other examples of poems of address, check out A Fishy Spell and Lucy’s Song from my book GONE FISHING: A Novel In Verse.

Have a fun time writing poems of address and using apostrophe!

I hope to see you next Friday – the final week in my series – when I talk about limericks! 

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Here are a few announcements:

Irene Latham is hosting Poetry Friday at LIVE YOUR POEM

Naomi Kinsman is featuring me this month at INK SPLAT

For Verse Day #16 at versenovels.com, I tried to answer the question: Why Write A Story In Verse

A POSTER FOR NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

In preparation for April's National Poetry Month, The Academy of American Poets recently unveiled their 2013 National Poetry Month poster. Graphic artist Jessica Helfand designed the poster to echo this year’s celebration of “the important and enriching role that letter writing has played in the lives of poets.” I wanted to share it here because I think it's beautiful and thought-provoking:

I think the poster is quite striking. I love how, from a distance, the poster looks vintage, intriguing, and maybe a bit random, but upon closer look, the intricacies of each piece quilted together create something structured and significant, essential even – echoing how each word in poetry works, I think. Look at that amazing postcard penmanship, the rich colors of the print ink, the shape and feel of the primer letters and numbers in the corner. Can you just feel and smell the dusty paper, taste the cool metal weight of one of those pens on your lips as you think of that just-right phrase? There are tickets, envelopes, an invitation. It seems to say: “Look where we’ve gone, what we’ve been, how we’ve operated. Where might we go, what will be, how it will happen?” So much poetic goodness.

If you click on the poster, the link will take you to the Academy of American Poets site where there are many wonderful Poetry Month activities already planned, and if you're organizing any Poetry Month events, you may request a free poster! 

More about poetry: 

For Verseday today, Gabrielle Prendergast is welcoming verse novelist Carolee Dean at versenovels.com  

Tomorrow, Poetry Friday is being hosted by April Halprin Wayland at Teaching Authors