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Thursday, July 20, 2023

Moonstruck! Poems + Giveaway!

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit magical Margaret at Refections on the Teche for Roundup.

I've been at cello camp all week, learning and playing lots of beautiful music with new friends!

Meanwhile, Publisher's Weekly included the notice for my new project with Charles Waters, an anthology coming from Lerner entitled The Mistakes That Made Us: Confessions from Twenty Poets. Congratulations to all the contributors, including Poetry Friday friends Tabatha Yeatts, Matt Forrest Esenwine, and April Halprin Wayland!



And now, I'm super excited to share with you a new favorite anthology I discovered on my quest to find "moon" poems to share in conjunction with my new book The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface...which releases in just over two weeks!


Moonstruck! Poems About Our Moon edited by Roger Stevens, illustrated by Ed Boxall, brought to us by Otter-Barry books contains nearly 60 poems for young readers that "capture all the mystery and magic of the Moon in an exuberant mix of humor, wonder, and sharp observation."

I love this book! And thanks to Roger Stevens, James Carter, Cynthia Grady, and the good folks at Otter-Barry, I've a three poems to share with you today. 

AND...we have a GIVEAWAY!

Roger Stevens in lovely generosity quite reminiscent of the Moon herself sent along (all the way from the UK) a copy of the book that you can win! Thanks, Roger!

Simply leave a comment by midnight CST July 23, and our cat Maggie will select a winner. :)

Trust me, you want this book. Here are three poems to enjoy. 

The first one comes from James Carter, and it's a shape (concrete) poem. In order to honor his request and present it exactly right, I am relying on a photograph. I know you'll be able to see its gorgeous presentation, and I hope you can read all the words! 


Oh, lonely Moon! Bless her.

The second poem I'd like to share comes to us on the facing page, and it's written by Cynthia Grady, whom I adore! The poem offers a horse metaphor (for which I am a complete sucker!) and also a kind of an unexpected take on the Moon. 

Having worked as an anthologist, I can tell you how welcome this is! Anthologies need variety, and if you are submitting work for inclusion, it helps to follow Emily Dickinson's advice to "tell all the truth but tell it slant." Give us an unusual, unexpected angle, and your poem is more likely to be selected! Here's Cynthia:


Winter Night on a Rocky Coast

Like galloping horses across the headlands,

               waters rage and roar.


Reign in your tides, Moon! Tame those wild

       mustangs

               beating up the shore.

- Cynthia Grady


Finally, I'm delighted to share the titular poem, Roger Stevens' "Moonstruck." It's so full of whimsy and imagination -- perfect for a "Moon" poem! 



Moonstruck

Moonstruck

A brilliant idea that arrive after midnight

Moonsick

When you live in the city and yo long to catch

moonbeams

Moonstick

A branch cut for walking across moonlit fields

Moonsack

A bag made of memories for storing your dreams


-Roger Stevens


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And now for this week's ArtSpeak: LIGHT poem! A poem about fog that breaks the rules and intentionally includes two adverbs. (Poetry is totally for rule breakers! I love that.) Thanks so much for reading!


Fog

Sky bundles mountain
in a bulky quilt
until sun comes along
with her needles of light
to quickly, quietly
hem the edges of night.

—Irene Latham

18 comments:

  1. Wow, I do wish I had had Stevens' Moonstruck when teaching. Each poem is so grand, Irene. I'm 'mooning' over "Lunacy", "Mustang", and a "Moonstick". And I adore your Artspeak final line: "hem the edges of night". The new anthology with Charles also sounds terrific! Congratulations!

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  2. "The Moon Speaks" and this poem sure spoke to me in such lovely rhythm, humor, and thought–what a grand collection. And such a visual those sky edges are bedding down for night, in your Artspeak poem. Many Congrats to you and Charles on your new anthology!

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  3. Oh, Maggie...pick me! pick me! What a wonderful post. I'm just delighted with The Museum on the Moon and have a plan for review just before pub day. I can see how you fell in total love with Moonstruck! it's beautiful...just beautiful. I see so many young people that could really benefit from a burst of wonder...it seems to exist in the youngest ones but disappears in that preteen stage for many. A bulky quilt of moonlight, yes please...hemmed by sunshine, of course! Bravo Irene! Delighted for you and three cheers for cello camp!

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  4. "hem the edges of night" You are a master at metaphor. I love this poem. I have one goal for this coming school year and it is simply Poetry Every Day! I have a plethora of poetry books, so who needs another one. My hand is raised. It's always raised. Thanks!

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  5. Oh how I love the moon! Thanks for introducing me to this new collection. Your poem is simply gorgeous, Irene. The metaphor of the moon hemmimg the edges of night with her needles of light - incredible.

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  6. Very happy post, Irene! So proud of you for your musicianship. Congrats on the new books (and thank you for including me)! I adore "Moonstruck" and am saving it. xo

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  7. Irene, what clever ideas about the moon, and such a variety of ways to view it. You have made me consider the moon new lights! : )

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  8. Wow, four gorgeous poems! This moon anthology looks amazing! And I adore your foggy poem. Hooray for the moon, beauty, and good news!

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  9. I love Roger's shape poem with all its references to moon rhymes and myths and "Moonstruck" with its play on the title word. It sure is a great book to partner with your new title. "Fog" with its needles of light hemming the edges of the night is just beautiful. Oh, how I wish I were available to participate in your upcoming course!

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  10. This giveaway looks exciting; I love shape poetry! I've also been really enjoying all the moon poetry, but 'Fog' is probably one of my favorites so far!

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  11. I love the poems you shared from the Moonstruck anthology. Especially the concrete poem. These are the kinds of books I love to share with my kids and I know they inspire them to write their own. It's delightful to watch. I'm super excited for your new moon poems! We'll definitely be checking that one out, too!

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  12. Irene, oh, I love a good moon poem. Thanks for sharing. "quickly, quietly / hem the edges of night" is perfect in your Fog poem. I'm enjoying your adverb usage there! Lovely. Congratulations on your new anthology and your upcoming moon museum book. Hooray!

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  13. You're a sucker for horse metaphors, but I'm a sucker for quilting/sewing metaphors! I LOVE your hemming sun!!

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  14. Wow! These poems are awesome! Will definitely check out the anthology. And congratulations to you and Charles on your upcoming project. I can't wait to read it!

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  15. I have this book and adore it, and I can't wait for yours. Mistakes looks intriguing too!

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  16. I have a soft spot for poems about the moon, and these are magical! Thank you for sharing, Irene!

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  17. Gosh, each of the poems brings me to smile - inspired, I'll sit with my own moon awhile. :)
    Congrats on the latest anthology, too.

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  18. So much goodness here! I love the concrete poem bold text crescent and humor! And the unexpected coastal moon tide wrangler and cool Moonstruck poem and, last but not least, your needle of light sewing up that hem of night. Beautiful!

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Your thoughts?