One of my writing goals of 2020 is to join in the fun of participating in Poetry Friday on a more regular basis. A few weeks ago I read Amy Ludwig Vanderwater’s poem “Wintertimes” at her blog on The Poem Farm. Amy explained that the structure of the poem is a triolet – an eight line poem with repeating lines and rhyming lines. It follows the pattern A, B, a, A, a, b, A, B. I thought it was so interesting, so I decided to try it out for myself.
Declarations
Love declared in wondrous ways.
A borrowed line, a gift, a song.
Through tranquil nights. Through hectic days.
Love declared in wondrous ways.
A look, a touch, a secret phrase.
The bond between us deep and strong.
Love declared in wondrous ways.
A borrowed line, a gift, a song.
You can find today’s poetry roundup at Carol’s Corner. You’re invited!
I picked up two friends in the pre-dawn hours on a crisp December morning. We traveled to the train station in New Jersey to meet more writers, then into New York where a few others joined our Eastern PA SCBWI group. Amid shoppers and commuters, students and tourists, we made our way to the Society of Illustrators on East 63rd Street to view the 39th annual exhibit of children’s book illustration.
In a picture book, the words alone cannot always convey the depth of emotion that writers want readers to feel and carry with them after the last page is turned. Some picture books tell the story through images alone, while with others it takes the complement of words and images juxtaposed across the page to complete the task. As chair of this year’s show, author and illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger explains, “In creating the illustrations, the artist has an opportunity to expand the narrative in ways that the text alone cannot. And just as every single word in a picture book is carefully chosen, so are the brushstrokes, pencil lines, colors, content, perspectives, designs, and compositions.”
What an honor it was to see these images come to life! I marveled at the cut paper three dimensional images of Brendan Wentzel from A Stone Sat Still, Corinna Luyken’s use of color in My Heart, and Jim Lamarche’s expressive faces in Puma Dreams (by Tony Johnston), along with many, many others. It was a special treat to have illustrator Merilees Brown in our group, whose illustration from Caspian Finds a Friend (by Jacqueline Veissid) was chosen for the show.
“The Original Art 2019” runs through January 4, so if you happen to be in New York for the holidays, I highly recommend a visit. You won’t be disappointed.
On Christmas Eve, the friends in Southern Pine Wood gathered to share holiday treats.
Bunny usually baked carrot and clover cupcakes, but this year she decided to create something fantabulous! Bunny worked all afternoon. She cut shapes from dried daffodil leaves, then she sprinkled them with a dash of silver seeds that glistened like crystal. Soon Bunny’s burrow shimmered with sparkling snowflakes.
“Perfect,” she declared. “It hardly ever snows here. I’ll treat everyone to a white Christmas!”
On her way to the party, Bunny was in such a rush she didn’t notice roots snaking along her path.
OOPS!
Down she tumbled, scattering her treasure across the forest floor. The wind whirled the snowflakes up and around, twisting and twirling them into a blue-grey cloud.
Bunny’s heart was as empty as her sack of snowflakes. She told her friends about the daffodils and the silver seeds and the roots and the wind.
The snowflakes wriggled and jiggled inside the blue-grey cloud. Outside, an icy wind blew. The cloud grew fatter and fuller until…
WHOOSH!
Santa drove his sleigh right through that blue-grey cloud and…
out danced Bunny’s snowflakes.
“Look!” she cried. “We’ll have a white Christmas after all!”
The animals delighted in Bunny’s fantabulous treat. They rollicked and romped and were quiet just long enough to hear, “Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” echo through the Southern Pine Wood.
Last
week I was in Baltimore for the NCTE Conference. Seeing old friends, meeting
new friends, words of inspiration, and finding new books to read and share were
just a few of my many take-aways. But one experience, in particular, stood out.
On
Thursday evening, my friend Lynne and I attended the Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra. I had read quite a bit about the conductor, Marin Alsop, and watched
her interviews. So when I discovered that she would be conducting a concert
while I was in Baltimore, I knew I had to go.
As
Marin walked confidently onto the stage, the crowd erupted into a cheer, clearly
pleased by her presence. Throughout the evening I watched as she used her body,
hands, and facial expressions to lead. Her graceful movements conveyed exactly
how she wished the music to be interpreted. There was no need for her to follow
a score – the music was a part of her soul.
I
sat right up front, just as I did as a child at Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
concerts where my parents were violinists. I felt the passion of the musicians
while the music allowed me to wonder and wander. Music strong, music soft,
harmonies and melodies combining to create a unique experience for each
individual.
This
musical end to a busy day was just what I needed. Thank you, Baltimore Symphony
and especially, Marin Alsop. You are the inspiration for my words.
It
arrived on my doorstep this week – my long awaited, preordered copy of Jen
Bryant’s latest biography, Feed Your
Mind: A Story of August Wilson. As I paged through it, I knew this was a
book I wanted to take my time with. So, over a cup of lemon-ginger tea that
afternoon, I learned the story of August Wilson, savoring every word and expressive
illustration.
Title:Feed Your Mind: A Story of August Wilson
Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Cannady Chapman
Publisher: Abrams Books for
Young Readers, 2019 Non-fiction
Intended Audience: Ages 6 up
Themes: Discrimination,
perseverance, writing process
Opening page:They call it “Little Harlem” – the city
within a city.
A mile east of
downtown, it is a mishmash,
a melting pot of
workers and their kin –
Syrians, Africans,
Poles, and Jews,
Irish, Haitians,
Germans, and Italians –
their row homes,
apartments, and shacks
jam-packed between
sloping streets.
Synopsis: (from Amazon): August Wilson (1945–2005) was a two-time
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who had a particular talent for capturing the
authentic, everyday voice of Black Americans. As a child, he read off soup cans
and cereal boxes, and when his mother brought him to the library, his whole
world opened up. After facing intense prejudice at school from both students
and some teachers, August dropped out. However, he continued reading and
educating himself independently. He felt that if he could read about it, then
he could teach himself anything and accomplish anything.
Why I Like This Book: Here are
just a few reasons I think this book is a must read:
Jen Bryant’s mesmerizing free-verse poetry
Expressive illustrations that capture the essence of the text
The structure of two acts, echoing that of many plays. Within each act there are a series of chapters or scenes.
The extensive back matter that includes an author’s note, time line, bibliography, and quotes
Resources: In addition to the back matter in the book, you can find additional resources, including a teaching guide, interviews, and videos on the author’s website (www.jenbryant.com)
