CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Cover Reveal & A Visit with Charles Waters

The irrepressible Charles Waters!

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Matt at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme for Roundup. Yay for Matt's soon-to-be-released FLASHLIGHT NIGHT... I can't wait to read!

So a year and a half ago, Charles Waters and I embarked upon a poetic journey -- a book about race and racism with the working title It's Not Black and White. 

That title got scrapped by the marketing department in favor of CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship. (Share the excitement -  pre-order your copy today!)

Those marketing folks are smart, aren't they? We feel so fortunate to have worked with Carolrhoda/Lerner Books on this project... our editor Carol Hinz is a superhero! And wow, Sean Qualls and Selina Alko did such a lovely job with the illustrations... but you know what is most exciting?

This is Charles' VERY FIRST BOOK. Yes, his poems have appeared in a gazillion anthologies, but this is his first book. Congratulations, Charles!!! I'm so honored to share this with you!

And because the book contains a whole lot of yes-it-actually-happened content, we thought it might be fun to share a "2 Truths and a Lie" challenge with you today. You can find mine over at Charles' Poetry Time blog, and I will share about Charles here at Live Your Poem. (Fun fact: Charles and I have yet to meet in person! But that meeting is coming... we will be presenting together at both AASL and NCTE conferences in November.)

But first: Behold, the cover (which went through so so many versions before it finally landed here)!

available January 1, 2018!

Sneak Peek!! Here is Charles' introductory poem in the collection... you can read mine at Charles' blog!

WRITING PARTNER

Mrs. Vandenberg wants us to write poems?

Finally, an easy project. Words fly off my pen

onto the paper, like writing is my superpower.

The rest of the time, my words are a curse. I open my mouth, 

and people run away. Now I’m stuck with Irene? 

She hardly says anything. Plus she’s white. 

Her stringy, dishwater blond hair waves

back and forth as she stutter-steps toward me. 

My stomach bottoms out. “Hello,” I say. “Hi,” she says. 

I surprise myself by smiling at her—she smells like 

a mix of perfume and detergent. We stare at our sneakers

before I ask, “So, what do you want to 

write about?” She shrugs. I say, “How about our shoes, hair? 

Then we can write about school and church?”

She takes a deep breath. “Okay.”

I match it. “Let’s start there.”

- Charles Waters

And now, 2 truths and a lie with Charles! Answers below.

1. Charles had "friends" disrespect him in front of other people for no other reason than to show off at his expense. 

2. Charles is obsessed with rap music. 

3. Charles had a Grandma who understood him, supported him and didn't judge his choices.

wee Charles...

Answers:

1. True

2. Lie - "While I listened to rap growing up, L.L. Cool J., Rob Base, PM Dawn, Salt and Pepa, D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and Public Enemy to name a few, I listened more to top 40 pop songs on the radio."

3.True - "My grandmother Victoria (Vickie) had my back. She passed away in 1997. I miss her. She was a most excellent human being."  

------------------

Thanks so much for reading!

Welcome to the World, CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?

Hello and Happy New Year!

Before anything else, a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to the finalists in the 2018 CYBILS Award for Poetry! Yay for great, kid-friendly poetry!

Today is also special because it marks the official release of CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship, written by me and Charles Waters, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, and delivered to the world by Carolrhoda/Lerner Publishing. What a team! I'm so grateful to be part of it.

 In some ways it feels like this book has been out for a while, as Charles and I did some pre-pub promotional events at AASL and NCTE, where the publisher gifted books to excited teachers and librarians. We're so grateful for this early enthusiasm! We have been moved to tears more than once, listening to others' stories about race, mistakes and friendship. It reminds me of John Truby's advice to "write a book that will change your life." This book is a life-changer for me. It forced me to practice being a brave writer... and it brought me a new "Forever Friend" in Charles!

And now the fun continues... we've got school visits and podcasts and webinars... readings and interviews and questionnaires... and readers! In-the-wild readers! That's the best part, every time: connecting with readers.

Charles and me on the panel at AASL

To celebrate the release, Charles and I are doing a second installment of "Two Truths & a Lie." I'm featuring Charles here, along with one of his poems from the book. Head over to Poetry Time to read about me! And here are links to the first installment from cover release day at Charles' Poetry Time blog and Live Your Poem.

Charles Waters!

Of the 3 statements below, two are truths and one is a lie. You guess! Answers below.

1. An author came to Charles' school like Nikki Grimes does in the book. 

2. Charles grew up with a mother and father. 

3. Charles wasn't a very good basketball player in school.

Okay... got it? Know what your answers are? Read on to find out if you're right!

........................

1. Lie. 

"Which is a shame because I daresay I would have gotten into writing a lot sooner if an author had come to my school growing up."

2. True!

3. True! 

"I wasn't horrible at it but I was no Lebron. Sadly, one time in 7th grade my shot did go over the backboard, the trajectory looked good for a hot second until the ball sailed away with the speed of a cheetah."

And now for a poem from the book, on the topic of shoes:

Shopping with Dad

Dad doesn't think shoes have anything to do with

fashion. "Shoes are like your complexion," he says.

"They're supposed to fit you perfectly."

I'd rather get a pair of neon high-tops

with tie-dye laces like I've seen on commercials.

Maybe they make my feet hurt sometimes,

and maybe they don't last as long,

but at least I fit in with my classmates.

Dad hands me a pair of low tops,

no cool design or dynamite laces.

I tie them up, walk around. "Wow," I say.

"This pair feels like I'm wearing slippers."

Dad tells me, "The decision is yours."

- Charles Waters

You can read my poem about shoes over at Poetry Time -- and poems about family dinner, punishment, police brutality, the N word, etc. -- in the book! Thanks so much for reading. Happy 2018! xo

Cat / Lady / Snow poem + NCTE Report

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Carol at The Apples in My Orchard for Roundup.

Y'all. The year is disappearing! 

Earlier this week at Smack Dab in the Middle I blogged about How to Define Writing Success. I hope you'll give it a read...and maybe even tell me how YOU define writing success??

This week's ArtSpeak: FOLK ART poem features a cat in the snow after art I love by Barbara Strawser. Earlier this year I wrote after two other of her pieces:

I Have a Garden Angel

Napa Valley Magic

Snowy Morning with Cat & Lady

When Lady arrives
all tall and billowy,
Cat is frozen
in the snow.
He isn't sure:
should he trust her?
      Time to hiss
      or time to purr?

Once so tall,
now Lady's hand swings
low. On her face
a smile: Hello!
      Cold melts.
      Cat thaws.
Slowly slowly
he retracts his claws.
Cat waves his tail,
lifts his brow.

Meow?

- Irene Latham

And now a few words about NCTE Boston: It was everything I wanted it to be! 

Smooth travels

view of Alabama hills on my flight home

 sweet times with friends, old & new

(as always I wish I'd taken more pictures...but I am grateful for the ones I do have!)

group shot from Poetry Peeps Meet-Up! David L. Harrison,
Vikram Madan, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Allan Wolf, Cindy Greene,
Nancy Tupper Ling, Mark Malcolm, Marcie Atkins, Cathy Steinquist,
Mary E. Cronin, Cedar Pruitt, Carol Hinz, Susan Hood, Jeannine Atkins,
Randi Soneshine, Alison Green Myers, Willeena Booker, Irene Latham,
Laura Purdie Salas, Michelle Schaub, Lisa Rogers, Charles Waters
& others (if your name or someone's name you recognize is missing,
would you please let me know in comments? Thank you!) 

folks pictured: Cedar Pruitt, Michelle Schaub, 
Jeannine Atkins, Irene Latham, Cathy Steinquist, Mary Cronin,
Willeena Booker, Mark Malcolm, Nadine Pinede, Allan Wolf,
Nancy Bo Flood, April Halprin Wayland, Lisa Rogers,
Charles Waters, Ann Marie Corgill, Nancy Tupper Ling,
Georgia Heard, Kathleen Clarke, Vikram Madan

 lots of learning

Nadine Pinede, Susan Hood, Jeannine Atkins,
Carole Boston Weatherford, Irene Latham
"Hope is the Thing with Feathers: How History
Makes Poetry Sing"

 some new-city exploring

places and folks pictured: Irene Latham, Marcie Atkins,
Parker House Hotel, King's Chapel Cemetery, 
Make Way for Ducklings sculpture,
Boston Athenaeum, Beacon Street Books.

inspiration, validation, hope!

folks pictured: Irene Latham, April Halprin Wayland,
Jeannine Atkins, Ellen Hopkins, Dahlia Hamza
Constantine, Mary Lee Hahn, Charles Waters,
Charles R. Smith, Jr., Rebecca Davis, Carol Hinz,
Carter Hasegawa

& (of course!) some just-out/coming-soon books by NCTE attendees I'm excited about 

Green Promises: Girls Who Loved the Earth by Jeannine Atkins

Knocking on Windows: a Memoir by Jeannine Atkins

One Step Ahead by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World edited by Matt Forrest Esenwine, illus. by Jamey Christoph

A Tree is a Community by David L. Harrison

If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illus. by Olivia Sua

Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: a Graphic Novel Poetry Collection by Vikram Madan

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede

Fire Flight: A Wildlife Escape by Cedar Pruitt, illus. by Chiara Fedele

Line Leads the Way by Laura Purdie Salas, illus by Alice Caldarella

Oskar's Voyage by Laura Purdie Salas, illus. by Kayla Harren

The Doll Test: Choosing Equality by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by David Elmo Cooper

Congratulations to Charles R. Smith, Jr. for being honored with the 2025 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry!

And don't miss the NCTE Notable Poetry Books list. Charles and I are so pleased The Mistakes That Made Us is included. Thank you, committee...and thank you, contributors! Congratulations to all the winners!

*Special shout-out to Jeannine Atkins who is calm and balm and all the best things when the rain is blowing sideways! Mwah!

OPEN CALL: The Periodic Table of Poetry!

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Carol at The Apples in my Orchard for Roundup.

Exciting news: The Periodic Table of Poetry, a middle-grade poetry collection with poems selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, will be published by Lerner in 2028...and we want your poems! See the graphic for details...and I've also typewritten everything below. (You may also receive an email with the same information!) We are so looking forward to reading your work!!

OPEN CALL - PREPARE YOUR POETRY ENTRIES NOW FOR THE SUBMISSION WINDOW COMING UP FROM DECEMBER 6th - DECEMBER 9th. 

Hello, Poets! Send us your 3 BEST/FAVORITE original, unpublished poems for possible inclusion in a new anthology curated by Irene Latham & Charles Waters!

Irene Latham and Charles Waters, also known as I & C Construction Company, are an established writing & anthology team with multiple aims and commitments – including projects showcasing exceptional poetry for children created by diverse contemporary poets. We have been creating books together since 2015. 

In addition to jointly written titles such as Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship and Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z, our published anthologies include: The Mistakes That Made Us: Confessions from 20 Poets (Lerner, 2024), If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility (Candlewick, 2025) and For The Win: Poems Celebrating Phenomenal Athletes (Lerner, 2026). So far, our combined books have made twenty-six state lists. 

We’ve got an exciting new project, and we’d love for you to participate. 

THE PERIODIC TABLE OF POETRY

Published by Lerner, Spring 2028 

Illustrated MG poetry anthology for ages 10 and up

Blurb: Discover the art and craft of writing poetry in a brand new way: through an exploration of 25 elements selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters. From basics like line & stanza to more complex elements for wordplay, impact, and sound; this fun, unique guide features poems that exemplify each element to illuminate the joys of reading and writing poetry. 

 

About the Book: The premise of this book—the elements of poetry presented as a periodic table—was originally conceived by one of our poetic heroes, Paul B. Janeczko (1945 - 2019), but he was unable to complete the project before his death. We miss him tremendously and are committed to carrying forth his work as children’s poetry anthologists. We couldn’t be more deeply honored that Nadine, his widow, and Emma, his daughter, have allowed us to step into Paul’s idea, expand on it, and make it our own. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive look at what makes poetry poetry—and perhaps inspire people of all ages to experience the joys of reading and writing poems. Here’s to you, PBJ!

What we’re looking for:

Your BEST/FAVORITE poems!

Original & Unpublished (no AI).

Any topic or type.

1-3 poems, no more than 60 lines TOTAL.

Payment $50 per poem accepted for publication in the anthology.

(We expect the collection to have 55 - 60 poems.)

First time rights only.

We’ll be searching for poems to serve as examples for the 25 poetic elements we’re featuring….basic elements like BREVITY (send us your shortest poems) and WHITE SPACE (send us something that uses white space in a compelling way)...impact elements like IMAGERY, EMOTION, SURPRISE. (Send us your poems that pack a punch!)...wordplay elements like ALLITERATION, METAPHOR, HYPERBOLE, and more. (Send us your playful poems that feature excellent use of these elements!)...and sound elements like RHYTHM, RHYME, and METER. (Send us your form poems, your funny poems, your re-readable poems!)

No need to “match” your poems to particular elements in your submission. Just send us your best/favorite 1-3 poems, and we will decide where it might fit into our collection. However, if you feel one of your selected poems is a great example of a poetic element, feel free to mention that in your submission!

Note: The submission window will only be open for 72 hours, from Saturday December 6, 2025 at Midnight (Eastern Time) to Tuesday December 9, 2025 at Midnight (Eastern Time). 

**PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR POEMS BEFORE THE DATES AND TIMES OR AFTER THE DATES AND TIMES LISTED AND ONLY TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS PROVIDED BELOW, OR WE WILL DISREGARD YOUR ENTRIES**

At that time, please send us 1-3 poems, no more than 60 lines TOTAL.

A 50-60 word short bio.

Your contact information.

Submission link: lathamandwaterssubmissions@gmail.com

Subject Line: From YOUR NAME - Submission

Note: Poem(s), bio, and contact information in the body of the email. No attachments. 

We will respond to all submissions by January 31, 2026.

-------------------------

Also: this time next week I'll hopefully be at NCTE! Here's my schedule:

This week's ArtSpeak: PICASSO features a mother and child. I was struck by the art, I think because I recently read The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. 

This book has really impacted me. Children who don't experience faithful love and care from the parental figures they are born to or land with suffer throughout their lives in a multitude of ways. The book suggests that if we want to "fix" our society, we need to teach parents how to give children this kind of open, abiding love...and this would eventually result in less foster care, addiction, mental illness, incarceration, etc. The book is a powerful read, and I highly recommend it!

As for the poem itself, I thought about "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes—and almost titled it "Son to Mother." But I didn't want to bring gender into the poem... and that title might have been interpreted as a response poem, and it's not...though now I want to—and will!—write a response poem. Ha!

Instead, I decided to lean into the way our bodies often speak without words...especially children, yes? Youngsters who, before they learn the words, try their darnedest to communicate with us using their bodies and behavior. 

The end finds me again playing with the repetition of a single word. Here, my hope is that with the second "yawning," the meaning of the word shifts from "gap" to "sleepy." Thanks so much for reading!

Words Hidden in a Child's Hug

Tell me you love me

Tell me you'll always be

         here

         Fold me, hold me

         kiss my brow

For my body may be small

but my heart

is a deep cavern

          yawning

          yawning

- Irene Latham

Spring in New York City

I'm still playing catch-up here at Live Your Poem, and today I'm excited to share about the school visits Charles Waters and I had last month in Manhattan.

the superfun SPONGEBOB stage

I was so happy Paul was able to join me on this trip -- he and I have a long history of enjoying New York City together! This time we stayed at Mansfield Hotel (near the library), thanks to a special deal from Travelzoo. We loved it! It was quiet and in such a convenient location. Unfortunately Paul got sick on our trip... and it was a bit colder than we would have liked... but we still had fun. Part of that fun included our younger sons who came in mid-week (one of whom also got sick, unfortunately)... of course we had to see SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS on Broadway. :) We also saw THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, which had us laughing pretty much start to finish.

Other fun stops included the Empire State Building first thing in the morning -- which was so, so lovely and inspiring! -- and a carriage ride around Central Park. We joined Charles at Champs Diner, one of his favorite all-vegan restaurants and met him for a walk along the High Line and also a peek inside the Langston Hughes house, now home of i, too arts collective.  One morning when it was raining I got several new book ideas at National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey. Good times!

Our first school visit was another picturesque location... PS 276 Battery Park School. Those kids enjoy a view of Lady Liberty outside the library window every single day! Basia Tov and the kids made us feel so very welcome... and many of them showed up later in the week for our big shin-dig at Poets House. (more on this next post!)

Irene Latham, Basia Tov, Charles Waters

 Next we visited PS 15 in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, thanks to Michele Wiseman of Meet the Writers, where we met another group of of great kids and educators! We loved working with Michele and appreciate so much the work she does to bring authors into schools. Both Charles and I believe we'd have gotten to writing a lot sooner if we'd been able to meet an author when we were going to school. Here we are in the library:

S. Matz, Charles Waters,
 Irene Latham, Michele Wiseman

Our final school visit was arranged through Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn: the Co-op School: Joyful Learning in Brooklyn. We loved seeing all the art on the walls at this school, and the kids asked some fabulous questions. What fun! Thanks to all involved at all these schools.

I'll leave you with a final picture:

Two Grateful Poets

This Choir #NCTE17

Charles Waters, (editor) Carol Hinz,
Irene Latham

It's been a few days now since I returned from NCTE, and I am still as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey -- with gratitude. And poetry!

I'm grateful for all the words I heard, the old friends I hugged, the new friends I made... along with so many lovely educators/humans, I met for the first time 3 poetry heroes: Marilyn Nelson, Ralph Fletcher, and Allan Wolf!

Charles Waters and I signed books and presented together and plotted future adventures. I met with some of my editors, presented alongside people I admire, and came away exhausted and recharged.

Jeannine Atkins, Irene Latham, Mary Ann Sacco,
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Kim Doele, Emily Callahan

Here are a few favorite moments that somehow made it into pictures:

Spotting a new friend sporting rainbow shoelaces in support of diversity and individuality and CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?

Witnessing Jeannine Atkins meetup with one of Edmonia Lewis's sculptures at St. Louis Art Museum. (Edmonia is the heroine of Jeannine's beautiful verse novel STONE MIRRORS.)

Seeing my poem "Music Teacher" in SCHOOL PEOPLE, a book of poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations by Ellen Shi and published by WordSong/Boyds Mills Press -- my first time to have a poem included in one of Lee's anthologies!

Photo-op with the one and only Nikki Grimes! Nikki appears in our book, so Charles and I were delighted to present to her a copy AND also collect her signature on the pages in our reading copies where she appears. Joy!

Charles Waters, Nikki Grimes,
Irene Latham

The Awards Luncheon. How much do I love attending this luncheon?! This year Lerner sponsored Charles and me at tables, where our seat-mates got free copies of CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?... and oh wow, what a great group! "Can I touch your hair? HAIR, No!" (You had to be there. :) And then all the amazing words from Marilyn Nelson and Jason Reynolds and Melissa Sweet... I walked away so full of the book-love! (And the cake wasn't bad either.)

And now, here's a poem by Rabia of Basra, and female Islamic saint (who preceded Rumi by 500 years) from a book called LOVE POEMS FORM GOD, edited by Daniel Ladinsky.

This Choir

So amazing this choir of

socks, shoes, shirt, skirt, undergarments,

earth, sky, suns, and

moons.

No wonder I too, now,

sing all day.

- Rabia

To my U.S. friends, Happy Thanksgiving! xo

The Michigan Report

Last week Charles and I had such a great time in snowy Michigan! Here's the welcome sign that made us feel... welcome!

Thanks to Charles for braving the weather to take the pictures. And thanks to East Grand Rapids Middle School for sharing the days with us. I loved meeting these eager educators and students! Big thanks to Principal Anthony Morey and teacher-poet Kim Doele for doing all the behind-the-scenes-work... SO much goes into an author visit. I'm always touched to be in the presence of those who are willing to do this work for the kids. That's what it's about. That's why we do this.

Here are a few of the many stand-out moments:

1. Driving down neighborhood streets on snowy pre-dawn days with blue-lit sky and trees arching over Lake Dr... for an Alabama gal, it was magical! I was enchanted by the snow pretty much the entire trip -- until I thought it might interfere with me getting home! Charles was kind enough to brush our car down each (cold!) morning, and now I've got snow-driving experience. :)

One of the many gingerbread houses we passed!

2. Presenting with Charles! After all our hard work creating the presentation, finally, we were able to share it with students. 6 times. In one day.

3. Meeting Gary D. Schmidt. I am a HUGE fan of Gary's work -- and I knew he lived near Grand Rapids. So, imagine my delight when Kim was able to set up a supper for us! We had a great time talking books and words and LIFE at a neat restaurant on (frozen) Lake Reeds called Rose's. Plus Gary signed my copy of OKAY FOR NOW, which happens to be my favorite of his novels.

Irene Latham, Gary D. Schmidt,
Kim Doele, Charles Waters

4. The analogies workshop with students, in which I introduced the Private Eye method using a jeweler's loupe. We wrote poems about the moon and our palms and lions... fun to hear these students' amazing ideas and images.

5. Sharing LEAVING GEE'S BEND with a special group of readers... they asked some really thoughtful questions!

6. The diversity group. Nothing I type here will do justice to our discussion with these students! So many good hearts, so many amazing poems! I was filled with hope after all the sharing in that room. We will be posting responses to our CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Gallery very soon!

In the sharing circle...

student with "Talking Stick" reading
her poem while we all listened.

7. Presenting with Charles in front of the 811 (poetry!) section at the Wealthy Elementary Library. So many good titles!! And what great kids... I will introduce you to a special student tomorrow. :)

8. Being interviewed by the Wealthy Elementary video team... and doing The Yarn with Charles and Travis Jonker! Air date to be determined, but should be in the next month or two.

Young journalists!

9. Sharing boots (!) and rainbow shoelaces with one very loving and enthusiastic educator at Wealthy Elementary. #Startaconversation

10. Coming home full of poetry and light and happiness and gratitude! Even though Friday ended up being a snow day, my flights still went out as scheduled... and Charles and I were able to write across the table from one another, instead of across the country! :) To everyone who had a hand in this one... THANK YOU. I am here fairy-clapping. xo

Irene Latham, Kim Doele, Charles Waters