Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Carol at The Apples in My Orchard for Roundup.
Y'all. The year is disappearing!
Earlier this week at Smack Dab in the Middle I blogged about How to Define Writing Success. I hope you'll give it a read...and maybe even tell me how YOU define writing success??
This week's ArtSpeak: FOLK ART poem features a cat in the snow after art I love by Barbara Strawser. Earlier this year I wrote after two other of her pieces:
Snowy Morning with Cat & Lady
When Lady arrives
all tall and billowy,
Cat is frozen
in the snow.
He isn't sure:
should he trust her?
Time to hiss
or time to purr?
Once so tall,
now Lady's hand swings
low. On her face
a smile: Hello!
Cold melts.
Cat thaws.
Slowly slowly
he retracts his claws.
Cat waves his tail,
lifts his brow.
Meow?
- Irene Latham
And now a few words about NCTE Boston: It was everything I wanted it to be!
Smooth travels
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| view of Alabama hills on my flight home |
sweet times with friends, old & new
(as always I wish I'd taken more pictures...but I am grateful for the ones I do have!)
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| group shot from Poetry Peeps Meet-Up! David L. Harrison, Vikram Madan, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Allan Wolf, Cindy Greene, Nancy Tupper Ling, Mark Malcolm, Marcie Atkins, Cathy Steinquist, Mary E. Cronin, Cedar Pruitt, Carol Hinz, Susan Hood, Jeannine Atkins, Randi Soneshine, Alison Green Myers, Willeena Booker, Irene Latham, Laura Purdie Salas, Michelle Schaub, Lisa Rogers, Charles Waters & others (if your name or someone's name you recognize is missing, would you please let me know in comments? Thank you!) |
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| folks pictured: Cedar Pruitt, Michelle Schaub, Jeannine Atkins, Irene Latham, Cathy Steinquist, Mary Cronin, Willeena Booker, Mark Malcolm, Nadine Pinede, Allan Wolf, Nancy Bo Flood, April Halprin Wayland, Lisa Rogers, Charles Waters, Ann Marie Corgill, Nancy Tupper Ling, Georgia Heard, Kathleen Clarke, Vikram Madan |
lots of learning
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| Nadine Pinede, Susan Hood, Jeannine Atkins, Carole Boston Weatherford, Irene Latham "Hope is the Thing with Feathers: How History Makes Poetry Sing" |
some new-city exploring
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| places and folks pictured: Irene Latham, Marcie Atkins, Parker House Hotel, King's Chapel Cemetery, Make Way for Ducklings sculpture, Boston Athenaeum, Beacon Street Books. |
inspiration, validation, hope!
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| folks pictured: Irene Latham, April Halprin Wayland, Jeannine Atkins, Ellen Hopkins, Dahlia Hamza Constantine, Mary Lee Hahn, Charles Waters, Charles R. Smith, Jr., Rebecca Davis, Carol Hinz, Carter Hasegawa |
& (of course!) some just-out/coming-soon books by NCTE attendees I'm excited about
Green Promises: Girls Who Loved the Earth by Jeannine Atkins
Knocking on Windows: a Memoir by Jeannine Atkins
One Step Ahead by Marcie Flinchum Atkins
A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World edited by Matt Forrest Esenwine, illus. by Jamey Christoph
A Tree is a Community by David L. Harrison
If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illus. by Olivia Sua
Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: a Graphic Novel Poetry Collection by Vikram Madan
When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede
Fire Flight: A Wildlife Escape by Cedar Pruitt, illus. by Chiara Fedele
Line Leads the Way by Laura Purdie Salas, illus by Alice Caldarella
Oskar's Voyage by Laura Purdie Salas, illus. by Kayla Harren
The Doll Test: Choosing Equality by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by David Elmo Cooper
Congratulations to Charles R. Smith, Jr. for being honored with the 2025 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry!
And don't miss the NCTE Notable Poetry Books list. Charles and I are so pleased The Mistakes That Made Us is included. Thank you, committee...and thank you, contributors! Congratulations to all the winners!
*Special shout-out to Jeannine Atkins who is calm and balm and all the best things when the rain is blowing sideways! Mwah!
Your cat poem is delightful Irene-- a beautiful painting of a timeless scene of joy. Thank you for the smile!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be fun to share your poem and have children, adults, too, illustrate it? I love the art but your poem responds to it so nicely, Irene, that "hand swings low" and "Cat waves his tail,
ReplyDeletelifts his brow.
Meow?" Love it! Happy weekend! Love seeing the NCTE pics, too. I loved going in the past!
Irene, seeing the smiles on your face and others at NCTE makes me happy. I miss attending the conference and seeing everyone. It is always a fabulous learning experience. Your ArtSpeak poem is one that honors the snow art while offering a wonderful match of worlds. Congratulations on fun and successful weekend of poetry and literacy.
ReplyDeleteIrene, Thanks for sharing your conference photos and experience. I am envious of all who attended. I am, alas, a cat lady. Your poem speaks to me purrrrfectly!
ReplyDeleteIrene, what lovely interaction between tall Lady and nervous Cat. You have captured the image beautifully. I enjoyed seeing your photos, and I'm so happy NCTE was everything you wanted it to be. Beautiful! I'm so happy I got to meet you there.
ReplyDeleteIrene, loved homage to cats and while it would be impossible to capture all that's packed into a few days of NCTE, you did a great job. You inspired me in big and little ways and I'm so thankful. Holding that close.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous post! The pics are great--so full of joy. I just love it when learn that people I like and admire also know each other. That group photo is just full of connections that make me happy. And, thanks for the book recommendations. I have a great way to begin my new year!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had a rich, rewarding experience at NCTE. Your cat poem is such a delight! I love the natural flow of rhyme, and what a great pairing with that painting! Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteYou got so many great pictures!!! Thank you for the time in Boston and for mentioning my book. xoxo
ReplyDeleteIt was great to share your book awards luncheon table at NCTE and celebrate your recognitions!
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with your cat and cat lady. May each of us find the way to be the thaw for those around us.
Totally delightful post!! Love all the photos with those smiling faces. Glad you had a great time at NCTE. Thanks, too, for the sweet poem -- you captured a beautiful moment (and I like the whimsical art). :)
ReplyDeleteIrene, I'm really grateful for the link to the Poetry Notables list and the Excellence in Poetry Award news--first I've seen of both! Congrats to you and Charles and to and Charles R. Smith. I'm sorry I missed all the community--I made a poor choice not to attend!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on all the poetry news and thanks for including so much NCTE fun. One of these days I'll make it back. Your Cat & Lady poem is so sweet and perfect for a chilly wintry day.
ReplyDelete