Friday, November 8, 2019

Playing with Form and Story



Waves
Stamp by Amy LV




Students - Today's poem came from the strangeness of the connections of life. Yes, I like shipwrecks. Yes, I am fascinated by cemeteries. And yes, I consulted this book edited by Ron Padgett book today, searching for a form to try.

Paperback Handbook of Poetic Forms Book

I opened up to the ballad page, and suddenly I was writing. Is this exactly a ballad? I am not sure. But I followed the trail. For there is, young writer, always a trail. Keep seeking. Keep seeking. Listen to everything. Jot things down. Our minds are full of hills and valleys, and if we hike them regularly, there are always new surprises.

From THE HANDBOOK OF POETIC FORMS
Edited by Ron Padgett

I was thrilled this afternoon to receive the folded and gathered pages of our forthcoming book, WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!, a friend to READ! READ! READ! Once again, Ryan O'Rourke's illustrations glow from the page. I am so grateful to him, to my brilliant editor Rebecca Davis, and to the whole amazing team at Boyds Mills and Kane. It will be tricky to wait until March 17, but it will be fun to have a book released next St. Patrick's Day!

Book Friends
Photo by Amy LV

Irene is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at at Live Your Poem with some exquisitely wise words for all of us. We welcome everybody to join in each Friday as we share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship. Check out my left sidebar to learn where to find this poetry goodness every week.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

7 comments:

  1. And what a lovely pair of friends these two will be for readers everywhere! And you know, the dead do speak, all the time. We need more poems like this to remind us to listen. Thank you, dear Amy! xo

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  2. Love reading your ballad, immediately started the humming to it. Can you imagine someone playing the fiddle & singing it? Congratulations for connecting up the pair of books, Amy! I'm looking forward to it very much!

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  3. Congratulations, Amy, on your new book. The poem you wrote needed your voice to make it extra special. Thanks for this treat before bedtime. See you at NCTE.

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  4. A lovely ballad. I may need to get this craft book. I've always shied from ballad writing. It seems too hard. But, you make a ballad look as natural as can be. Love your news! Congrts on Write!

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  5. Congratulations on Write! Write! Write! I can't wait to read, read, read it! Like all your poems, this one is brimming with love and compassion, Amy. I love the idea of this sensitive girl wanting to comfort the weeping "drowned soul." Hope to see you at NCTE!

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  6. Congratulations on your upcoming book! Woohoo!

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  7. I enjoyed your spooky ballad a lot! I agree that the dead speak to us all the time, just not always in ways we might expect.
    Congratulations on the books!

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