Coming TOMORROW: 2014 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem!!

Wow, can you believe it? National Poetry Month is very nearly upon us! Such a joyous time on ye old blogosphere... I am ready to be inspired and informed. Can't wait to see what all of you've got cooking.

Want to know what I've got cooking? Well. I will be sharing in each post during April a favorite quote from a favorite poet on poetry!

Please do be sure to check in on the Progressive Poem as it makes its way across the land -- and big thanks to all the participating poets! Who knows where our poem will take us this year?! I can't wait to find out. See you tomorrow!!

2014 Kidlitosphere
Progressive Poem

1 Charles at Poetry Time
2 Joy at Joy Acey
3 Donna at Mainely Write
4 Anastasia at Poet! Poet!
5 Carrie at Story Patch
6 Sheila at Sheila Renfro
7 Pat at Writer on a Horse
8 Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
9 Diane at Random Noodling
10 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
11 Linda at Write Time
12 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
13 Janet at Live Your Poem
14 Deborah at Show--Not Tell
15 Tamera at The Writer's Whimsy
16 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
17 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
18 Irene at Live Your Poem
19 Julie at The Drift Record
20 Buffy at Buffy Silverman
21 Renee at No Water River
22 Laura at Author Amok
23 Amy at The Poem Farm
24 Linda at TeacherDance
25 Michelle at Today's Little Ditty
26 Lisa at Lisa Schroeder Books
27 Kate at Live Your Poem
28 Caroline at Caroline Starr Rose
29 Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town
30 Tara at A Teaching Life

The Sound of Poetry Friday

my father reading to my oldest brother (first child)

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday from the Land of Spring Break! Be sure to visit the ever-inspiring (early bird!) Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for  Roundup.

Ever since I was wee, I have loved listening to poetry -- I was so lucky to have a father who read poetry to me. He still reads poetry to me. So it should come as no surprise that I am really loving SoundCloud. 

In the past couple of weeks I have recorded something every day -- about half of my own poems and half poems written by others. My goal is to record the poems from all of my published collections as well, as other favorites not by me.

Poetry Friday regular Amy Ludwig VanDerwater already has an impressive library on SoundCloud, and Laura Purdie Salas is steadily building hers.... so we decided to create a Poetry Friday SoundCloud page! We invite you to join us by listening and adding your own sound contributions. There is something so special about hearing the voices of Poetry Friday friends... I really hope you will check it out.

To get us started, I recorded our Progressive Poems from 2012 and 2013. I'm very excited to get our 2014 version started on Tuesday! Meanwhile, hope you enjoy these recordings:

New Kitten!

Our oldest has been wanting a kitten of his own... and now he has one! Isn't she cute?!

Name to be decided!

Check out the paperback cover of DON'T FEED THE BOY!

I am completely fascinated by the work of illustrators and book designers. And anyone whose read this blog knows I am crazy about illustrator Stephanie Graegin's work. I'm so glad Square Fish didn't go all photographic and used her work again for the paperback version of DON'T FEED THE BOY: 

Readers, you may recognize the scene from one of the black & white illustrations inside the book, as seen here:

... and here's the full jacket spread. Notice it's all birds on the back. Flamingo, pigeon, Ferdinand the peacock... the Bird Girl would be pleased!

Look for it three months from today: June 24, just in time for those summer visits to the zoo!

Adventures in Haiku, and HI, KOO! by Jon J Muth

Hello, and Happy Poetry Friday! Please visit Amazingly Talented Traveler-Poet Julie at The Drift Record for Roundup.

I have long been interested in haiku, and have long admired those of you who write it regularly (Robyn! Jone! Diane!), but have never written any myself. So when wonderful librarian Haruyo Miyagawa announced haiku events in conjunction with the Sakura (cherry blossom) Festival at Birmingham Botanical Gardens (tomorrow!), I decided to make attending those events a priority.

One of the things I did was attend a haiku workshop with Terri L. French. Here's some of the things I learned:

Haiku is more objective than the poetry I generally write -- no feelings or analogies allowed! No titles or end punctuation. It relies heavily on a juxtaposition. Uusally less than 17 syllables. Has a season word. A dash or ellipses act as the Kireji (cutting word). No personification.

Here's my very first effort at haiku:

Pine thicket laced
with dogwood blossoms--
painter's poison

-Irene Latham

While I was at the workshop, I checked out 6 books of haiku, including HI, KOO! A Year of Seasons, Presented by Koo and Jon J Muth. The illustrations are delightful, and kids will love Koo, the little panda bear, as he (she?) romps through the seasons. To give you a sense of the book, I offer you a poem from each of the seasons:

FALL

these leaves
fall forever
my Broom awaits


WINTER

Icicles
reach down with dripping fingers
will they touch the ground?


SPRING

flashlights
sparkle in Puddles
shadows climbing trees


SUMMER

Violet petal
caressing a cheek
butterfly kisses

You may have noticed capitalization of certain words... this book doubles as an ABC book, in that the capitalized words are in alphabetical order. :) For haiku lovers-- and for those like me who are new to haiku-- it's a must-read!

Answering the Hard Questions at School Visits

Last week it was my good fortune to visit with 4th graders and the Reading Club at John S. Jones Elementary School in Gadsden, Alabama. We had a great time, and I was warmly welcomed by librarian Lisa Richards and the entire faculty and staff at the school. Carol York, librarian at Gadsden Public Library brought pizza for the group (and whose lovely father helped fund the visit - thank you, Mr. Roark and grandson Alex), and I enjoyed chatting with the kids, who were wonderful and curious and asked great questions. Thanks to everyone who made it a great time!

Now for those hard questions:

AGE
One thing the students often want to know is how old I am. This is not a new question. In my experience students are very curious about basic facts like age and where you live and how many kids you have. It helps them see you as a real person, and I suspect, helps them realize that they, too, can achieve their dreams, if given enough time.

Some folks I know have handled the age question with responses like this:
"It isn't polite to ask a woman her age."
"29 is always a good guess."

Here's what I tell all students: "I was born the same year Walt Disney World opened in Orlando. Look it up."

When someone figures it out, I give them a signed bookmark. :)

APPROPRIATENESS
Other more serious questions often come from librarians or teachers. One librarian wanted to know if DON'T FEED THE BOY was an appropriate read-aloud. She said she got worried when she got to the part where we meet Phil, who pops pain pills and keeps a gun under his chair. She said the last thing she needed was to be challenged by a parent over this book!

It's a great question, and I understand the librarian's concern. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give a terribly succinct or reassuring answer. That's because I am not the one to ask.

Please, teachers and librarians and parents, take the time to read a book first yourself, so you can make your own decision. What I deem appropriate, you may not. What's right for one reader, may not be right for another. It's really impossible for me as the author to give a useful answer. And while I could argue that realistic fiction should be realistic -- which means including things that exist in our world like pain and addiction and bad things happening to good people -- I understand that the urge is strong to protect our children from these realities as long as possible. I'm a mother, too.

MONEY
Another question I often get asked is about the financial part of being an author. I use two volunteers positioned on opposite ends of the room to illustrate the answer: One is a poet, who gets a copy of the magazine as payment. The other is Suzanne Collins, who writes a series that becomes a blockbuster movie franchise. I place myself somewhere in the middle and explain that there are authors anywhere and everywhere in between. It's a tough business, and not everyone can be Suzanne Collins! So, without ever offering a dollar amount, I am able to give kids some valuable information.

And that's all for today. Connecting with students is one of my favorite parts of being an author. Thanks to all those who help facilitate those experiences!

Movie Monday: ENOUGH SAID

This weekend we watched ENOUGH SAID, which could have been titled, LOVE IN THE TIME OF MIDDLE-AGE.

I have a friend who, after her divorce, said that going on a date was like going on a very strange job interview. This movie confirmed it. :) People who are middle-aged and dating often have ex-es and children and all sorts of peculiarities and baggage that (maybe) hadn't had so much time to accumulate the first go-around. The need for and enjoyment of companionship/love is as strong as ever, and middle-age presents its own array of challenges. It can (I think) very easily feel not worth the effort. And this movie shows that!

Funny and sweet and realistic, I really can't say enough good about it. Relationships are hard, whatever the age. And often we are our own worst enemies, especially when we allow other people's opinions to stand in the way of what makes us happy. Also, I think this was James Gandolfini's last movie, which makes me feel more tender toward his character and sweet performance here.

Experiment with Science and Poetry with Fifth Grade PFA FOR SCIENCE!

Each day this week I will be sharing about the new PFA FOR SCIENCE, brought to you by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, with a host of fine poets contributing! And what a fun week it's been... thanks to all for your comments and warm enthusiasm.

Here's the schedule:
Monday: KINDERGARTEN
Tuesday: FIRST GRADE
Wednesday: SECOND GRADE
Thursday: THIRD GRADE
Friday: FOURTH GRADE
Saturday: FIFTH GRADE

Each day I will be giving away a copy of the Student Edition for that grade level... and at the end of the week, I will choose one winner from all the commenters via blog/Facebook/Twitter for the K-5 TEACHER edition!

So, FIFTH GRADE. Again, the line drawings that accompany the poems in the Student Edition are wonderful and engaging! There's also a Glossary and Index, both of which I find particularly helpful. And I especially appreciate the inclusion of English and Spanish translations of some of the poems. Nice!

The poem I'd like to share today reminds me of why I love poetry. It magnifies something small and often taken for granted: 

THINK OF AN ATOM

by Buffy Silverman

Think of an atom

so tiny, so small--

a speck of the world

             a speck of us all,

a speck of the ocean

a speck of a fly

a speck of a mountain,

             a book or the sky.

Imagine that speck

growing wide, growing tall

              an atom as large as

your school or the mall.

The atom looks empty--

           almost nothing at all,

but there in the center

a tiny tight ball

of neutrons and protons

with mass and with weight.

How many for each?

           for oxygen: eight!)

Its charges are balanced: 

a proton adds one,

           -(each electron's a minus)

the neutrons add none.

Outside of the nucleus--

             that tight little ball--

the electrons are swirling

they're smaller than small

like pieces of dust

whizzing through space

a cloud of electrons

              in a zip-zapping race.

An atom is tiny--

astoundingly small--

Trillions like here

on this dot that I scrawl.

-------

Yay for atoms! This poem makes something we can't even see wondrous and fun. To which I say: yay for poetry! :)

In the TEACHER'S EDITION for this poem (p.237), Sylvia Vardell has created TAKE FIVE! activities that include: 

Listening for science words

inviting students to join in on the final stanza

challenging students to illustrate a part of the poem using sketch or collage

discussion about matter and properties and a look at a model of an atom

a reference to other poems about matter

Good stuff! 

GIVEAWAY: Comment here or on Twitter @irene_latham or on my Facebook page! Winners announced daily.

Have Fun with Science & Poetry with Fourth Grade PFA FOR SCIENCE!

Each day this week I will be sharing about the new PFA FOR SCIENCE, brought to you by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, with a host of fine poets contributing!

Here's the schedule:
Monday: KINDERGARTEN
Tuesday: FIRST GRADE
Wednesday: SECOND GRADE
Thursday: THIRD GRADE
Friday: FOURTH GRADE
Saturday: FIFTH GRADE

Each day I will be giving away a copy of the Student Edition for that grade level... and at the end of the week, I will choose one winner from all the commenters via blog/Facebook/Twitter for the K-5 TEACHER edition!

So, FOURTH GRADE. Again, the line drawings that accompany the poems in the Student Edition are wonderful and engaging! There's also a Glossary and Index, both of which I find particularly helpful. And I especially appreciate the inclusion of English and Spanish translations of some of the poems. Nice!

Today I've chosen one of those poems that appears in both English and Spanish, though, due to me not knowing how to use the keyboard to create special characters, I'm only sharing the English version here. Read the Spanish translation for yourself in the book!

OH WATER, MY FRIEND

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Are you scared?

Is that why you run

to rivers, to streams, to lakes?

Do you feel safer pooled in ponds?

Does it hurt to boil?

Does your anger roll and roil?

Is that why you recoil from the heat and sun?

Do you feel trapped, contained, restrained?

Is that why you weep and seep

through window panes?

Does it feel weird to leave the earth,

to rise above the rest?

Do you get dizzy hovering in the heaves?

Are you afraid to fail - to fall?

Aren't we all.

Aren't we all.

-----

Aren't we all, indeed! I love poems that use personification. To imagine how water FEELS... love it! (Interestingly I attended a workshop this past weekend on haiku, and as it turns out, personification and feelings are not allowed in haiku! Who knew?)

In the TEACHER'S EDITION for this poem (p.), Sylvia Vardell has created TAKE FIVE! activities that include: 

Including audio or video of water while reading the poem

Inviting Spanish speaking students to share the poem

An art activity addressing the questions in the poem

Discussion about the water cycle

A reference to other poems about water

Good stuff. And yes, I have a poem in this one called "Science Fair," after a real-life science fair experience of my own.

GIVEAWAY: Comment here or on Twitter @irene_latham or on my Facebook page! Winners announced daily.

Also: Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Kara at Rogue Anthropologist for Roundup. AND Big BIG thank you to all those poets who signed up for for 2014 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem.... I'm sorry I was not able to accommodate everyone. I've always thought we needed more than one month for National Poetry Month. Sigh. Love to all! xo

Discover Science & Poetry with THIRD GRADE PFA FOR SCIENCE!

Each day this week I will be sharing about the new PFA FOR SCIENCE, brought to you by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, with a host of fine poets contributing!

Here's the schedule:
Monday: KINDERGARTEN
Tuesday: FIRST GRADE
Wednesday: SECOND GRADE
Thursday: THIRD GRADE
Friday: FOURTH GRADE
Saturday: FIFTH GRADE

Each day I will be giving away a copy of the Student Edition for that grade level... and at the end of the week, I will choose one winner from all the commenters via blog/Facebook/Twitter for the K-5 TEACHER edition!

So, THIRD GRADE. Again, the line drawings that accompany the poems in the Student Edition are wonderful and engaging! There's also a Glossary and Index, both of which I find particularly helpful. And I especially appreciate the inclusion of English and Spanish translations of some of the poems. Nice!

Today I've chosen a poem on a subject that's difficult for many of us to talk about:

CANCER

by Mary Lee Hahn

Cancer's what

is cells growing wild.

Cancer's who

is man, woman, or child.

Cancer's why

is scientists aren't sure.

Cancer's hope

is someday a cure.

Cancer's enemies

are surgery and drugs.

Cancer's helpers

are flowers and hugs.

-----

I don't know anyone whose life has not been touched somehow by cancer. My father is a five-year cancer survivor and also the administrator at Bismarck Cancer Center in Bismarck, North Dakota. "Hope" is a word that comes up often, and it pleases me to find it in this poem!

In the TEACHER'S EDITION for this poem (p. 183), Sylvia Vardell has created TAKE FIVE! activities that include: 

Introducing the idea that some poems are serious

Inviting students to chime in on those italicized words

Discussion about cancer prevention

Talk about the role of scientists in finding a cure

A reference to other poems about illness/cancer

Good stuff. And yes, I have a Bonus (riddle) Poem in this one... "Disaster Riddle Under Pressure"

GIVEAWAY: Comment here or on Twitter @irene_latham or on my Facebook page! Winners announced daily.

Experience Science & Poetry with SECOND GRADE PFA FOR SCIENCE!

Each day this week I will be sharing about the new PFA FOR SCIENCE, brought to you by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, with a host of fine poets contributing!

Here's the schedule:
Monday: KINDERGARTEN
Tuesday: FIRST GRADE
Wednesday: SECOND GRADE
Thursday: THIRD GRADE
Friday: FOURTH GRADE
Saturday: FIFTH GRADE

Each day I will be giving away a copy of the Student Edition for that grade level... and at the end of the week, I will choose one winner from all the commenters via blog/Facebook/Twitter for the K-5 TEACHER edition!

So, SECOND GRADE. First of all, the line drawings that accompany the poems in the Student Edition are wonderful and engaging! There's also a Glossary and Index, both of which I find particularly helpful.

Here's one of my favorite poems:

LATE NIGHT SCIENCE QUESTIONS

by Greg Pincus

Do sneakers make me fast?

How long does winter last?

Is goop the same as goo?

What can't a robot do?

What makes a motor go?

Can we drink H3O?

Why is the ocean deep?

Why do I have to sleep?

-----

Aren't those fabulous questions? They remind me of conversations with our youngest son (a scientist-musician!), who, still, at age 14, asks questions that make me giggle... and send me to Google. :) 

In the TEACHER'S EDITION for this poem (p.111), Sylvia Vardell has created TAKE FIVE! activities that include: 

actually asking this question on cell phone software

asking kids to chime in as you read the poem

research and share the answer to one of the questions posed

talk about the role of question in the inquiry process

a companion poem and book suggestion

So much fun! And yes, I have a Bonus Poem in this one... "Disaster Riddle in a Hurry"

GIVEAWAY: Comment here or on Twitter @irene_latham or on my Facebook page! Winners announced daily.

Investigate Science & Poetry with PFA FOR FIRST GRADE!

Each day this week I will be sharing about the new PFA FOR SCIENCE, brought to you by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, with a host of fine poets contributing!

Here's the schedule:
Monday: KINDERGARTEN
Tuesday: FIRST GRADE
Wednesday: SECOND GRADE
Thursday: THIRD GRADE
Friday: FOURTH GRADE
Saturday: FIFTH GRADE

Each day I will be giving away a copy of the Student Edition for that grade level... and at the end of the week, I will choose one winner from all the commenters via blog/Facebook/Twitter for the K-5 TEACHER edition!

So, FIRST GRADE. Again, the line drawings that accompany the poems in the Student Edition are wonderful and engaging! There's also a Glossary and Index, both of which I find particularly helpful. And I especially appreciate the inclusion of English and Spanish translations of some of the poems. Nice!

Today I've got not just one, but two poems I'm excited to share:

BACKWARDS

by Janet Wong

Everyone is asking WHY.

Why is the sun hot?

I know I should wonder why but

I'm thinking:

Well, why NOT?

---------------------

LOVE NOTE TO A MAGNET

by Patricia Hubbell

Dear Magnet,

I'm drawn to you.

Irresistible you!

You're so attractive.

You make me feel quite active!

And though I know I should shrug,

I can't resist the tug of this feeling of love.

I want to hop, jump, and skip, 

Really let rip...

So I'm on a big trip--

Past pens, pencils, and papers,

Rulers, tape, and erasers--

Because...

I'm drawn to you!

Hugs,

             Paper Clip

-----

Being a bit "backwards" myself, I especially love Janet Wong's poem! Sometimes the best questions are not the obvious ones. :)

And the Love Note poem... I am and always will be a sucker for a love poem. And how fun is this one?! In the TEACHER'S EDITION for this poem (p.79), Sylvia Vardell has created TAKE FIVE! activities that include: 

Showing a paper clip

dividing the kids and having them participate in the poem

Discussion about the usefulness of magnets in everyday life

Demonstration of a magnet

a companion poem and book recommendation

So much fun! And yes, I have another (riddle) poem in this one... "Riddle for a Wet Day"

GIVEAWAY: Comment here or on Twitter @irene_latham or on my Facebook page! Winners announced daily.

Celebrate Science & Poetry with the KINDERGARTEN PFA FOR SCIENCE!

Each day this week I will be sharing about the new PFA FOR SCIENCE, brought to you by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, with a host of fine poets contributing!

Here's the schedule:
Monday: KINDERGARTEN
Tuesday: FIRST GRADE
Wednesday: SECOND GRADE
Thursday: THIRD GRADE
Friday: FOURTH GRADE
Saturday: FIFTH GRADE

Each day I will be giving away a copy of the Student Edition for that grade level... and at the end of the week, I will choose one winner from all the commenters via blog/Facebook/Twitter for the K-5 TEACHER edition!

So, KINDERGARTEN. First of all, the line drawings that accompany the poems in the Student Edition are wonderful and engaging! There's also a Glossary and Index, both of which I find particularly helpful.

Here's one of my favorite poems:

THANK YOU, ISAAC NEWTON

by Eileen Spinelli

My bookshelf falls upon the bed.

Harry Potter bonks my head.

Spaghetti slips --splat!--to the floor.

Clean-up is a messy chore.

Orange juice spills. Socks slide down.

Hail stones ping all over town.

Acorns plunk--ouch!--from a tree.

Oh, the joys of gravity!

-----

Isn't that fun! I particularly love "Socks slide down." The joys of gravity indeed... this would be an entirely different poem if aimed at the middle-aged crowd. :)

In the TEACHER'S EDITION for this poem (p.40), Sylvia Vardell has created TAKE FIVE! activities that include: 

dropping a book (with a bonk!)

allowing kids to drop other items while identifying other sounds (like plunk, splat, etc)-- and of course, cleaning up!

some research on Isaac Newton

a comparison of how different items of different shapes and weights fall

a companion poem to read together

So much fun! And yes, I have a poem in this one... "Riddle for a Dry Day"

GIVEAWAY: Comment here or on Twitter @irene_latham or on my Facebook page! Winners announced daily.

Sign Up Here for 2014 KIDLITOSPHERE PROGRESSIVE POEM!

****THANK YOU! OUR ROSTER FOR 2014 IS NOW FULL!****

Dear Friends,

Hello, and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit lovely Louisianian Margaret at Reflections on the Teche for Roundup.

National Poetry Month (April) will soon be upon us, which means it is time again to sign up for our annual Progressive Poem!

Here's how it works:

Poetry Friday Friends and other poetry lovers are invited to join in a community writing experience during National Poetry Month (April).

What is it? a poem that travels daily from blog to blog, with each host adding a line, beginning April 1. Anyone who wants to join in the fun can sign up in comments below.

Also, it would be great if you could include in your post (or sidebar) the schedule for readers to more easily follow along/look back/look forward. And feel free to snag the above graphic.

And that's it! We'll all contribute our line... and we'll see where our poem takes us by April 30! Big thanks to Charles Waters, who has agreed to contribute our opening line (on his new blog!). Can't wait. :)

****THANK YOU! OUR ROSTER FOR 2014 IS NOW FULL!****

Sign up on this Google spreadsheet. Thanks!
ETA: Due to problems with the Google spreadsheet, you are welcome to leave your info in comments! Please request date with your name, blog name, blog url and email address. Thanks so much!

1 Charles Waters
2 Joy Acey
3 Donna Smith
4 Anastasia Suen
5 Carrie Finison
6 Sheila Renfro
7 Patricia J. Weaver
8 Matt Forrest Esenwine
9 Diane Mayr
10 Tabatha Yeatts
11 Linda Kulp
12 Mary Lee Hahn
13 Janet Fagal
14 Deborah Bussewitz
15 Tamera Wissinger
16 Robyn Hood Black
17 Margaret Simon
18 Irene Latham
19 Julie Larios
20 Buffy Silverman
21 Renee LaTulippe
22 Laura Shovan
23 Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
24 Linda Baie
25 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
26 Lisa Schroeder
27 Kate Coombs
28 Caroline Starr Rose
29 Ruth Hersey
30 Tara Smith

Stars & BIRD by Crystal Chan

“A close binary system. Stars, you know. Stars are rarely ever alone.” His voice got funny. “Stars can come in clusters, but they most frequently come in pairs. A binary system.”

“Oh.” It was nice to think of Bird and me like that, twinkling pretty in the sky.

“Sometime stars in binary systems orbit each other really closely, much closer than normal. That's why they're called close binary systems. And the stars with less mass orbits its companion, which has more mass.”

“And more gravity,” I pointed out.

Eugene grinned. “Sometimes these two stars orbit so closely that they transfer matter to each other.”

“They what?”

“Parts of them fly off and get pulled in by the gravitational pull of the companion star. And vice versa. Each star is changed by the other.”

“They each have parts of the other?” I asked.

“Yup,” Eugene said. “And because of that, the stars' compositions change, as well as how they develop in the future.” he craned his neck up to the sky. “It's like with you and Bird. He's in you. And you are in him, wherever he is.”

- from BIRD by Crystal Chan

Movie Monday: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

So, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, which last night happened to have earned Best Picture at the Oscars! I've heard people say they know they should watch this movie, but they don't want to -- or they have to be in a certain frame of mind to embark upon this particular journey.

To that I say, yes, proceed with caution. But do proceed!

This movie made me shudder, squirm, cover my eyes, and cover my ears. It's a very itchy, uncomfortable movie. Beautifully made. But oh the horror and brutality! Man's inhumanity to man, indeed.

But. There is also hope and triumph and reunion and change. I've thought about the movie a lot since I saw it -- it's a great companion to THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd, which I blogged about last week. An important movie and deserving of Oscar attention.

Were you watching last night like I was? Whose speech did you like best?? Any stars stand out to you? I actually dreamed last night of Brad and Angelina, so there you go. The power of the movies. :)