Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Jone Rush Maculloch for Roundup.
Before we get to that "Jingle Dog" in the title, I'd like to share a little of my own jingling!
In my music life I've recently hit a few milestones:
I finished book 10 of the cello Suzuki books! There are exactly 10 books. I have been taking lessons 10 years in January. 10 books in 10 years. I've learned SO MUCH! (Still taking lessons. Maybe forever taking lessons. I love my teacher Laura Usiskin!)
I had a cello string emergency which forced me to re-string my own cello. I can't believe it took me 10 years to do this confidently on my own. (I put my own strings on during covid lockdowns and did not do it properly! Afterwards I was like, let the experts do it!... But now? I can do this! Eventually I will BE one of the experts. :)
I provided music for a Christmas party with my violinist-friend Mike Bentley. We call ourselves "Late Bloomers" because we both came to our instruments as adults. It was a lot of fun.
In poetry book news: don't miss Betsy Bird's 31 Lists in 31 Days 2024 "Poetry Books" edition! Some of my favorites from 2024 are mentioned...including The Mistakes That Made Us. Woohoo!
Also: If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility, edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrations by Olivia Sua, coming from Candlewick March 4, 2025 has garnered two lovely reviews:
Kirkus review of If I Could Choose a Best Day
Publisher's Weekly review of If I Could Choose a Best Day
It's such a lovely book, y'all. Can't wait for you to see it. :)
And now: This week's ArtSpeak: FOLK ART poem is inspired by Mary Flach's "Jingle Dog." Get your own piece of Mary's art here!
This poem makes a nice addition to my "dog" mini-series:
Thanks so much for reading!
Jingle Dog can't sleep—
Santa is coming!
Jingle Dog untangles tree's
twinkly strings of light.
Jingle Dog cocks her head—
Yes! It's Santa's song!
Jingle Dog squeezes up chimney
to greet the reindeer and sleigh.
Jingle Dog covers Santa
in Merry-Christmas kisses!
Your enthusiasm for the cello is contagious. My sister has decided to try the cello. It's such a beautiful instrument. I wish I could hear you play. Thanks for Jingle Dog today. Makes me happy!
ReplyDeleteHehe--hooray for Jingle Dog! And--oh! How did I not share the exquisite If I Could Choose a Best Day cover in my own post. I'm so scattered. Congrats on all your cello practice--I love the Late Bloomers!
ReplyDeleteI like the new book already, just from the title! Congratulations, Irene. How cool that you are taking cello lessons and playing in public, too.
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