Friday, August 3, 2018

Reinventing August

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit the irrepressible Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for Roundup.

So... it's August! How'd that happen?

Around here I've been working to reinvent August, as for me it is often the doldrums of one kind or another... But no more! I've decided this August will be AWESOME.

coming to you live, from my front porch...
If you are interested in the creative process, specifically where ideas come from -- and some words about how I spent my summer vacation -- be sure to visit my post today over at Smack Dab in the Middle, which includes a link to the announcement for one of my forthcoming books! (I love when the announcement is posted, so I can finally talk about a book that's dear to me!)

Meanwhile, I've been reading A LOT (currently FATAL THRONE by M.T. Anderson, Jennifer Donnelly, Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, Deborah Hopkinson, Linda Sue Park and Lisa Ann Sandell. What a team, right?) and writing (a new project far to damp and fluttery to talk about just yet).

Did I say, AWESOME? Yep.

Also awesome: Charles Waters and I will be presenting in August at Mississippi Book Festival! And CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? has been selected as a 2018 Book All Young Georgians Should Read. We're so honored and delighted!



Now for a pair of poems that actually appeared in Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR SCIENCE, but they are on my mind today because it is raining as I type this... and many an August in Alabama has been seized by drought. So kind of on topic, at least in my mind! Thanks so much for reading.


Riddle for a Dry Day

Sun without rain
day in, day out.
Grass browns, ground frowns.
I am a...

DROUGHT.


Riddle for a Wet Day

I overwhelm and overflow
with raging waves and sheets of mud.
I leave behind disease and sludge.

I am an unexpected... 

FLOOD.

- Irene Latham

13 comments:

  1. Can’t wait to see you at the MS Book Festival!

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  2. Lots of great news and a perfect pair of poems!

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  3. Here's hoping for an Awesome August!

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  4. I love how you've claimed AWESOME for August. I love August. It's my birthday month so I associate this month with celebration.
    Many congratulations on Love, Agnes! I'm delighted to see a new book by you coming out. And, I agree with the wonderful problem of so many ideas and obsessions. Sticking with one to fruition is the challenge isn't it? I'm working away at one of mine and whooooo-weeeee it's slow and tough. So, thank goodness I'm obsessed. I adore M.T. Anderson's writing. I will try to find Fatal Throne. Although, my reading/writing time is evaporating before my eyes. It's been such a good summer I am dragging me feet back to my 'day job' a bit. Thank goodness for the Poetry Fridays to look forward to.

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  5. Congrats on the Young Georgian Award Irene, and on your forthcoming book "Love Agnes" you've definitely piqued my interest! "Awesome August" sounds good to me–hope it continues. I like the personified characters your two poems, but I'm hoping that the heat waves that are traversing the world will begin to dissipate, and possible floods will move along. Thanks for all!

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  6. Awesome August is heating up right now for you, Irene. Congratulations! Would you like to offer your chalk board photo above for my new gallery challenge? See http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-art-of-summering.html. I would also love to include your poem Alligator - Ice Cream but need a good copy to insert into the gallery if you say yes.

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  7. Yes, here's to Awesome August, your award, and the book festival, Irene.

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  8. Looking forward to your new book, and your Awesome August. I'm hoping our heat wave is over & we got a little rain and cool today, so love your two poems. Rain is often on my mind.

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  9. Here's to August in all it's awesome sauce. Congrats on your new.book.

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  10. An octopus obsession and a new book! How do you have enough hands to juggle all that? Congrats and thanks for this awesome view of August.

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  11. Congrats and such timely poetry for you down south. I enjoyed seeing how you pieces were shorter and needed that reminder.

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  12. August is most definitely off to an AWESOME start for you! That sign must be working! Your poems are good reminders for this month as many places are having either too little or too much rain.

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  13. What fun riddle poems, Irene. I have been dying to read Fatal Throne since my editor first told me about it. What did you think?!

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Your thoughts?