Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Matt at Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme for Roundup.
It's October, aka my most favorite month! There's a lot going on, including Mother Nature's regular October show, which I adore.
AND I'm excited to share about my debut historical fiction novel for adults, Some Starry Night, coming from Historium Press in 2026!
Some Starry Night imagines the story behind Vincent van Gogh's most famous painting, Starry Night, and the secret love affair with American poet Emily Dickinson that inspired it.
So...it's a marriage of two of my favorite things: poetry & art! And LOVE. Always, always love.
Y'all I had SO MUCH FUN writing this book. I'll be sharing more about this very soon!
Next week, I'll be on tour with the Alabama Library Expo, traveling across the state of Alabama from south to north, stopping in a different city each day. My presentation focuses on "backyard history," so I'll be talking about my historical fiction titles, particularly the ones with Alabama ties, like Leaving Gee's Bend, Meet Miss Fancy, and African Town (co-written with Charles Waters). I'm super-excited to share this time with Alabama educators!
For this week's ArtSpeak: PICASSO, I've selected one of his animal line drawings, which I love! Somehow I missed writing after this particular one back in 2022 during my ArtSpeak: Animals year.
I love these pieces! How satisfying might it be to be able to say I've written poems after all 24 drawings in this series? And what better time than now, during my Picasso year, to add some more poems to my tally? (I think this is number 15!) Thanks so much for reading.
the whisper of grass
as mouse disappears in hole
winter is coming
- Irene Latham
What an intriguing plot! Must have been fun to write. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Matt! Definitely fun and challenging and me being me. :)
DeleteCongrats on the new novel!! Love the premise, can't wait to read it!! Thanks for another sweet Picasso drawing poem. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jama! There might even be some French food in it. :) Emily loved her gingerbread and tea. Vincent loved bread and potatoes and while in Paris did some art for restaurant menus!
DeleteCongratulations on your novel! That is exciting news, Irene. Love the Picasso poem. Around this time of year, our house gets its first mouse "visitors"; I wish they'd choose an outdoor location like yours instead
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan! We have some of those mouse relocation boxes that work really well.
DeleteThat novel sounds fascinating! Go, Irene!! Also, I love your whispery haiku xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tab! This novel was my covid project. Lots of starts and stops...I had given up on it and then one day sent it out one more time... hope dies last!
DeleteCONGRATULATIONS! Exciting news, indeed! :0) And the "whisper of grass" is a perfect line for that whisper of mouse.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robyn! I'm having that scary moment: yikes, now people are actually going to read it! xo
DeleteCongratulations!! Your versatility as an author is so inspiring - I can't wait to read your upcoming novel!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jane! What you call "versatile" others have called "can't focus." :) I have always been and always will be a Renaissance Girl with many, many interests/obsessions. I've discovered many librarians share this trait. Can you relate??
DeleteCongratulations, Irene. It is exciting that you are expanding your genres. I have always enjoyed historical fiction. The poem you coupled with the Picasso artwork is just right. Have a wondrful weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun poem, almost makes it okay that "winter is coming…"
ReplyDeleteMany Congrats on your forthcoming adult novel!!! Hmm how intriguing it sounds, I definitely would enjoy hearing more, thanks Irene!
Hooray! A novel for grown-ups. I'm in. I will order this for my library. And, I'm going to want to know the very second that there's an audible version to listen to. Please and thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about Autumn that I love is the immediacy. Look now or the gold on that ridge will be gone or, enjoy the sunshine now, tomorrow there will be frost on the ground. Your poem has this with "Winter is coming." We have to look, listen now. Fabulous!
Well, I love everything about this post! I cannot wait to read Some Starry Night! And... backyard history? Yes, please. They will learn so much from you! How fantastic. I also love "whisper of grass."
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on Some Starry Night! I look forward to reading it! The grass is whispering here, but unfortunately, the mice are scurrying into our house!
ReplyDeleteWhat a book! What a tour! What a sweet mouse poem!
ReplyDeleteI’m a sucker for a good historical fiction novel! Yay! Good luck on your tour. Those can be exhausting, I’m sure. I love your sweet mouse poem. We are having some whispering in the fields of sugar cane. Mice hide there until the burning.
ReplyDeleteIrene! Congratulations on the new book! I will look forward to reading it. And my delight is scampering down that hole with mouse -- with that "whisper of grass"!
ReplyDelete