It's my pleasure today to congratulate June Cotner, Nancy Tupper Ling, and Helen Cann for their newly released poetry anthology 
FOR EVERY LITTLE THING: POEMS AND PRAYERS TO CELEBRATE THE DAY (Eerdman's). I'm always excited for a new poetry anthology, and this one is a beauty. I especially enjoyed seeing poems by our Poetry Friday friends Michelle H. Barnes and Charles Ghigna. Congratulations to all!
FOR EVERY LITTLE THING: POEMS AND PRAYERS TO CELEBRATE THE DAY (Eerdman's). I'm always excited for a new poetry anthology, and this one is a beauty. I especially enjoyed seeing poems by our Poetry Friday friends Michelle H. Barnes and Charles Ghigna. Congratulations to all!
And now please welcome poet-friend-editor Nancy Tupper Ling, who stopped by to respond to a few prompts. Welcome, Nancy!
The delicious
NTL: As an author who can barely draw a stick figure, I find “the delicious” to be that moment when I receive the first sketch or two from the illustrator. In the case of FOR EVERY LITTLE THING, this happened when June Cotner and I got a sneak peak at a few of Helen Cann’s sketches, including the “Nightfall” chapter and a full-page spread, which reflected all four seasons in one glorious tree. Ultimately, the tree was paired with a poem by Jill Noblit MacGregor called "Simple Graces" and it is stunning (shown below!), That experience was as delicious as picking the first Empire apple in a New England fall. Ah!
The surprising
That there is a World Gratitude Day (September 21st)! Who knew? And that FOR EVERY LITTLE THING launches on this very day is a perfect fit. When June and I first put a proposal together for our book, gratitude was at the heart of it. Our hope was to foster “appreciation for the small and big gifts of the world,” and by journeying through a child’s day, from waking up to falling asleep, our selected poems and prayers will awaken a sense of gratitude in readers of all ages.
Learn more about this lovely book at other stops on the blog tour:
The delicious
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| Nancy Tupper Ling |
NTL: As an author who can barely draw a stick figure, I find “the delicious” to be that moment when I receive the first sketch or two from the illustrator. In the case of FOR EVERY LITTLE THING, this happened when June Cotner and I got a sneak peak at a few of Helen Cann’s sketches, including the “Nightfall” chapter and a full-page spread, which reflected all four seasons in one glorious tree. Ultimately, the tree was paired with a poem by Jill Noblit MacGregor called "Simple Graces" and it is stunning (shown below!), That experience was as delicious as picking the first Empire apple in a New England fall. Ah!
IL: Have I ever had an Empire apple?! I don't think so! Must remedy. And as a long-time fan of June Cotner's thoughtful anthologies for the adult market, I'm just delighted about this partnership! And wow, when I popped on Nancy Cann's website, I fell in love with her maps. Go see!
The difficult
NTL: As an anthologist, I know you’ve experienced this too, Irene, but it’s always hard to let go of a poem that is beautiful. For some reason it doesn’t fit with the collection. This could be because there are too many similar poems on one spread, or because the poem itself is a bit too long. Often, we work with our contributors on a revision if it can make their poem stronger. Still, there are other times when we must say goodbye to a perfectly wonderful poem. That said, that very poem might be perfect for another anthology down the road.
IL: Yes! SO DIFFICULT to say goodbye to some poems. I want to keep them ALL. Alas...
The difficult
NTL: As an anthologist, I know you’ve experienced this too, Irene, but it’s always hard to let go of a poem that is beautiful. For some reason it doesn’t fit with the collection. This could be because there are too many similar poems on one spread, or because the poem itself is a bit too long. Often, we work with our contributors on a revision if it can make their poem stronger. Still, there are other times when we must say goodbye to a perfectly wonderful poem. That said, that very poem might be perfect for another anthology down the road.
IL: Yes! SO DIFFICULT to say goodbye to some poems. I want to keep them ALL. Alas...
The surprising
That there is a World Gratitude Day (September 21st)! Who knew? And that FOR EVERY LITTLE THING launches on this very day is a perfect fit. When June and I first put a proposal together for our book, gratitude was at the heart of it. Our hope was to foster “appreciation for the small and big gifts of the world,” and by journeying through a child’s day, from waking up to falling asleep, our selected poems and prayers will awaken a sense of gratitude in readers of all ages.
IL: Another "gratitude" poetry anthology to pair with this one: THANKU: POEMS OF GRATITUDE selected by Miranda Paul, illus. by Marlena Myles.
Anything else
NTL: Yes, some very good news! Back in January, I left my position as a librarian at Morrill Memorial Library (after 10 years) so that I could devote more time to my writing. I wanted to give myself a full year to pursue this dream, even though it seemed quite risky with two daughters in college. Well, guess what? As announced in Publisher's Marketplace, June and I recently sold another children’s anthology entitled BLESS THE EARTH: A CHILDREN'S BOOK OF PRAYERS AND POEMS FOR HONORING THE EARTH to Keren Baltzer at Convergent/Penguin, thanks to our agent, Anne Marie O’Farrell at Marcil-O’Farrell Literary (world). Also, FOR EVERY LITTLE THING became a Gold Standard Selection, as awarded by the Junior Library Guild. Turns out, it was a risk worth taking!
Anything else
NTL: Yes, some very good news! Back in January, I left my position as a librarian at Morrill Memorial Library (after 10 years) so that I could devote more time to my writing. I wanted to give myself a full year to pursue this dream, even though it seemed quite risky with two daughters in college. Well, guess what? As announced in Publisher's Marketplace, June and I recently sold another children’s anthology entitled BLESS THE EARTH: A CHILDREN'S BOOK OF PRAYERS AND POEMS FOR HONORING THE EARTH to Keren Baltzer at Convergent/Penguin, thanks to our agent, Anne Marie O’Farrell at Marcil-O’Farrell Literary (world). Also, FOR EVERY LITTLE THING became a Gold Standard Selection, as awarded by the Junior Library Guild. Turns out, it was a risk worth taking!
IL: YAY for all this happy news! Yay for risk-taking, and for poetry reaching more children and families!!
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| illustration by Nancy Cann |
Simple Graces
Simple graces are everywhere.
under rocks and in the air—
in crashing waves and tall, tall trees,
simple graces for all to see.
Simple graces are near and far,
the sun, the moon, and twinkling stars—
refreshing rain, the air we breathe,
God made every one of these.
Yes, simple graces are everywhere,
in everything, here and there—
summer, fall, winter, spring,
simple graces in everything.
- Jill Noblit MacGregor
And yes, I have an ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem for you! It's the first "Autumn" poem of this series. Thank you so much for reading.
Then Sings My Soul
clothe yourself
as maples do,
in burnished gold
rest and reflect—
a puddle after rain
welcome the child's boots
as a way to give yourself
to the world
and when it is done,
gather light
in your damp hands,
let yourself
fall
- Irene Latham
...and... welcome to my first-ever fun quiz! (This was SO MUCH FUN to create. Go ahead, give it a go!)
