Joyce Sidman: Poetry Interview

    

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Joyce Sidman

When did you start writing poetry? What inspires you to write it?

Who knows?  It’s a mysterious process.  I probably made it up in my head when I was very little, but my first recorded poem is from fourth grade, a rhyming ditty about the snow.  The important thing wasn’t the poem, but what I NOTICED that made me write the poem: which is that, when sun shines on crusted snow, it sparkles like stars.  That kind of noticing is still the basis of my poetry—that, and an overactive imagination!  I love seeing and imagining things in new ways, which is why so many of my poems are “mask” poems—or, writing in a different voice (what it’s like to be a penguin egg, or a water boatman, or a dog).  Also, delving into the vast soup of words in the English language is irresistible to me, like choosing a perfect pear.  Matching a compelling idea with the right words is just heaven.

Poetry has been my genre of choice since high school, because I think metaphorically and always attach emotion to meaning and memory.  I like writing that is short and intense—in fact, I have trouble reading long novels!!  I’ve experimented with other forms of writing (and hope to again), but always come back to poetry.  It’s what I do best.

How do you develop an idea into a collection?

Well, often it starts with a question, like, “Where do inventors get their ideas?”  I asked myself this after I saw a maple seed “helicopter” spinning down from the sky and wondered if it had given rise to the idea of the helicopter.  My book EUREKA! POEMS ABOUT INVENTORS grew out of this.  To answer the question, I did lots of research about inventors and their ideas, lives, inspirations.  Whoever seemed the most fascinating, I wrote a poem about—then arranged them chronologically, with a logical beginning point (prehistoric man) and end point (the world wide web).

SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN worked more or less the same way, except I needed a different framework, and decided on a seasonal one: spring to fall, since that’s when the pond is most active.  The question that began this book was: “What happens to pond creatures when it gets dry or cold?”  When I started doing research, I was enchanted with the names of the pond insects: water boatman, backswimmer, water bear.  And the stories of their lives and how they survive was so fascinating.

I think the more books of poetry you put together, the easier it is to conceive of a “collection” vs. a group of individual poems.

In Song of the Water Boatman (and your other fabulous collections as well) you have such a strong rhythm to your work. How do you revise a piece to have this feeling of forward movement?

This is all gut instinct, I think.  I hear the words in my head and they either sound right (they have a Wow! quotient) or need work (they have a Bo-ring quotient).  I read and have always read a lot of poetry and listened to a lot of music--those breath-taking rhythms get inside your head and you want to recreate them, create them anew.  Also, it’s imperative for me to put work aside for a few days or a week or month to make sure that what I thought was Wow! at first doesn’t turning out to be Bo-ring.  If the work still makes me tingle—if it gives me that moment that Emily Dickinson described as feeling physically as if the top of my head were taken off, then I know it’s worth pursuing.  I don’t mind revision, if I feel the piece is worth it.  Nothing is more satisfying than to change a few things and then realize, Yes!  That’s it!

What project are you working on now?

My next published book will be a story in concrete poems called MEOW RUFF, coming out in spring 2006, illustrated by Michelle Berg.  It’s impossible to describe, but it’s basically about a dog and a cat.  I have a couple more poetry books coming out in 2007.  The manuscript I’m actually writing right now won’t come out until 2008, and it is poetry about various creatures in the world that are survivors—in other words, the opposite of endangered species.  It will probably be called UBIQUITOUS.  It has been a challenge, since it involves lots of research about evolution and he development of species.  But I love to find out new things about the natural world—it’s what keeps me going.  Well, that and my dog!

THANKS so much!

Jack Prelutsky

     

 

Jack Prelutsky talks to POETRY HOUSE!

Q. Why do you think poetry is particularly good at reaching reluctant readers?

A. Though I’m hardly an authority on reluctant readers (or on other poets), I can imagine why they may be drawn to poetry.

            I suspect that reluctant readers are daunted by longer works, such as stories and novels, and even essays, and avoid them as being simply too much work. Also, with longer works you have to read a lot of stuff to get to the payoff. That’s not the case with most poetry, especially the sort that I write. Let’s face it, you can read one of my poems pretty quickly.

            My poems are short and often have a punch line . . .  and it doesn’t take long to get to that punch line. Readers generally know that the punch line is coming, and can hardly wait to get there. The trick is to delight and surprise the reader. Most of my poems are funny, and just about everyone responds to humor. Also, there’s something about the way a poet weaves words together, as well as the rhythm and rhyme, that children find fascinating.

Q.  Explain a bit about your process for writing a poem or poetry collection.

A. I don’t have one single process for writing a poem. Some poems come from memories, some from dreams, some from direct observation, and others from a fragment of language that simply pops into my head. An idea for a poem may start with the beginning, perhaps the middle, or even the end . . . and many start with a combination of those.

            Almost all of my poems begin with a few lines scribbled into the notebook that I’m never without. After I’ve filled several notebooks with my illegible scrawl, I go back and look through them—and that’s when it happens. There’ll be germ of an idea that I’d probably forgotten about that suddenly stands out and says, “Write me!”

            I transcribe that idea into my computer and get to work. I type and type and type until I can’t stand it anymore and do a printout. Then I sit back in a comfortable chair and write on the printout, working on the poem until it’s just about impossible to read. I go back to the computer and transcribe my notes so that they’re legible, and I type and I type and I type some more. This process continues until I’m satisfied that the poem is as good as I can make it. Every poem gets rewritten at least once, most get rewritten half a dozen times or more, and a few have been rewritten over a hundred times.

            As for compiling a poetry anthology, I simply read many books of poetry to find poems that I truly enjoy and would like to share with my audience. It does take a lot of time and effort, but it’s always worth it.

Q. What poetry has most influenced your own work? What advice do you have for young poets?

A. I’ve been influenced by many poets—from Shakespeare to Poe, from Lewis Carroll to Ogden Nash—and I continue to be influenced. There are other influences too, such as stand-up comedians, movies and TV, opera, and my own childhood.

            My advice for young poets is simple. Write about what you know:  yourself, your family, your pets, your friends. Don’t start out by writing about weird purple creatures on imaginary planets . . . that can come later. Also, always carry a notebook and a couple of pens or pencils. When you get an idea for a poem, write it down immediately. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’ll remember that idea later—you probably won’t. Also, don’t worry too much about making things rhyme . . . it’s much more important to express what you really want to say. And most of all, PRACTICE! The more that you practice, the better you’ll get. I still practice, and I continue to learn.

                                                                                                Jack Prelutsky

                                                                                                Seattle 2007

Jack Prelutsky Book List

Good Sports
Written by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Chris Raschka
HC: 78-0-375-83700-5 (0-375-83700-0) 

GLB 978-0-375-93700-2 (0-375-93700-5)

NEW!

Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Meilo So
HC: 978-0-375-82286-5 (0-375-82286-0)

GLB: 978-0-375-92286-2 (0-375-92286-5) 

The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Meilo So
HC: 978-0-679-89314-1 (0-679-89314-8)

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!
Written by Jack Prelutsky
HC: 978-0-679-89008-9 (0-679-89008-4)

GLB: 978-0-679-99008-6 (0-679-99008-9)

The Beauty of the Beast
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Meilo So
HC: 978-0-679-87058-6 (0-679-87058-X)

GLB: 978-0-679-97058-3 (0-679-97058-4)

For Laughing Out Loud: Poems to Tickle Your Funnybone
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
HC: 978-0-394-82144-3 (0-394-82144-0)

Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Marc Brown
HC: 978-0-394-87218-6 (0-394-87218-5)

GLB: 978-0-394-97218-3 (0-394-97218-X)

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Arnold Lobel
HC: 978-0-394-85010-8 (0-394-85010-6)

GLB: 978-0-394-95010-5 (0-394-95010-0)

J. Patrick Lewis: Poetry Interview

J. Patrick Lewis

 
          

J. Patrick Lewis swears he came to discover poetry late but I, for one, would never believe it! His lively poetry enchants everyone who reads it.  Not only does Pat write wonderful poetry but he inspires young people (and even adults) to believe they have something to say in this timeless form!What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?  What advice do you have for young poetry writers?

 

Shortly before he died, a very fine children's poet, John Ciardi, told me

that to be a writer, "you should buy a large wastebasket and keep it filled."

What he meant, of course, is that rewriting is every bit as important as

writing.  Every good writer is also a rewriter.  Keep revising!  And don't

be afraid to fail.  As I always tell children at my school visits, I fail every

day--a dozen times--and that's just before lunch!  So embrace failure, failure

can be your best friend.  It is the only road to success.

 

What do you wish every child knew about poetry?

 

I wish they knew, from early age, that poetry does not have to rhyme. 

Rhyming well is extremely difficult.  So when you are first starting out,

don't put yourself inside the box of rhymes.  It's a terrible cliché but true: 

Write outside the box.  Be as wild with words as you can be. 

 

How can teachers and parents help them fall in love (or fall in love themselves) with the genre?

 

Poetry does not come to kids automatically.  Poetry must be brought to kids.

And not for just two or three days a year--that awful "poetry unit."  You can't

make a friend if the friend won't talk to you.  And you can't fall in love with

poetry unless it speaks to you.  In other words, read poems or have poems

read to you every single day.  When you read poetry, please read it out loud,

even if you are in a room all by yourself.  Poetry is the closest thing we have

to music.  To listen to music, you wouldn't turn off the radio, would you? 

Turn on the music of poetry by hearing it as well as saying it.

 

Can you describe your process for writing a single poem? How do you put together a collection?

 

In my opinion, the idea for a poem does not come from an idea.  It comes

from a word or phrase.  Playing with words all day is what poets do.  Once

I have the subject in mind, I have to decide whether I want this to be a funny

poem or a serious one, a nature poem, a poem about geography, books,

history, my life, oh, any number of things.  Then I need to decide what form

to use:  haiku, limerick, couplet, sonnet, free verse.  There are scores of different

forms to choose from.  If I like the poem I have written (and rewritten!), I

might decide that I could do twenty or thirty poems on the same subject,

and that's how a collection--a whole book of poems--is born.

 

But one last piece of advice that I repeat everywhere I go.  An illustrator

friend of mine told me that if a child wants to become an illustrator, he or

she should do three things:  draw, draw, draw.  And I would say that if you

want to become a writer you should do three things:  read, read, read.  Never

trust anyone who writes more than he or she reads.

Email Tracie?  TVZIMMER (at) MAC (dot) com

Kristine O'Connell George: Poet Interview

 Kristine O’Connell George

is one of today's finest poets for young people. She has garnered many awards for her books including: The Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Young Poet Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award and most recently the Claudia Lewis Poetry Award from the Bank Street College! Best books, starred reviews, Parents Choice Awards, we all agree that Kristine's fabulous books deserve to get into the hands of young readers!

Click here for a printer friendly version crib sheet you can take to the library or bookstore!!

Swimming Upstream: 

Middle School Poems

Illustrated by Debbie Tilley
 

 Little Dog and Duncan

Illustrated by June Otani

BOOK

Illustrated by Maggie Smith

Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems

Illustrated by Kate Kiesler

Little Dog Poems

Illustrated by June Otani

Old Elm Speaks

Illustrated by Kate Kiesler

The Great Frog Race

Illustrated by Kate Kiesler

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kristine about poetry, and I'm excited to share with you her thoughtful words.

Which poetry books most influenced you as a writer?

Although I read voraciously, I really can’t point to any single poet or book as a major influence; I learn something surprising from almost everything I read. However, I do love THE PEDALING MAN by Russell Hoban and repeatedly checked it out of the library. It’s out of print, so I was thrilled when I finally found a copy at a second-hand bookstore.

What comes first most often for you: the image or the words?

I’m usually struck first by an image. The words seem to come later. 

Why do you think poetry speaks to people in a more private, intimate way than say, a novel?

 I think that both poetry and prose can touch our inner hearts. Perhaps, the immediacy and the distillation that is a hallmark of poetry reach us more directly and give us a handful of words to carry with us—words that address a truth we may not have perceived before.

Can you give your fans some idea of how you put a collection together? Do you, for example, brainstorm a list of possible themes?

I don’t consciously sit down and brainstorm themes. Instead, my poetry evolves over time (usually many years) and seems to acquire a theme somewhere along the way, often with guidance from my editor. I try not to be influenced by the market (which favors strongly themed collections) and write about whatever happens to captivate me.

Your mask poems are so vibrant and lovely! (My favorite: “Old Elm Speaks” from the book of that title) Do you have any hints for young writers on this technique?

Thank you! Mask poems have always fascinated me. I encourage young writers to imagine that they are the subject and to try and see the world from the subject’s point of view. Along the same lines, I also suggest that young writers try speaking directly to their subjects and write what are called “apostrophe poems.” POEM-MAKING: WAYS TO BEGIN WRITING POETRY, by Myra Cohn Livingston, is a wonderful resource with examples of both mask and apostrophe poems.

Your website has such terrific guides and resources for writers and teachers. Do you manage it by yourself?

Yes, I manage it myself. I only wish there were more hours in the day to implement some of the intriguing ideas I have bubbling around in my head.

Click here  to hop on over to Kristine's Poetry Corner (go get a soda and put your feet up, you won't be leaving anytime soon!)

Will you always write poetry or can your fans expect to see you write in another genre?

I like challenges and will confess to working on a novel.

 Thanks so much for sharing!

 You’re welcome!

Good luck on your new book—I can’t wait to read SKETCHES FROM A SPY TREE!

Betsy Franco: Poet Interview

             

   

 Betsy Franco

Betsy Franco's poetry speaks to kids whether it's humorous puzzles to tickle your brain or her important YA anthologies which offer teens refuge in words of their own. Poetry House spoke to Betsy to celebrate poetry month. Betsy will also speak on a panel that focuses on Poetry and the Reluctant Reader for The International Reading Association
conference in Toronto.

Why do you think poetry is particularly good at reaching reluctant readers?

In my answers, I'll be talking about students reading and writing poetry, since they go hand and hand for me.

 Poetry particularly hits the spot for reluctant readers of all ages, up through high school.  In my book, Conversations with a Poet, I refer to the economy of words and the white space of poetry as psychological pluses for struggling, balking readers.  When it comes to writing their own poetry, I encourage students to "tell their stories" through poetry—to say what they need to say.  Most students can muster the attention span needed to read or write a short poem.  Especially when I explain that there won't be any judgment placed on their words.  I allow them to tweak poetry forms or turn an assignment on its head, to suit their "insides."

In addition, I find my mathematically and scientifically-themed poetry appeals to the logical thinkers who aren't necessarily attracted to reading and writing (See Mathematickles!).

My teen poetry collections have e proven extremely successful with reluctant readers (See You Hear Me? poems and writing by teenage boys, Things I Have to Tell You, poems and writing by teenage girls) because teens respond to and relate to their peers.  Even boys in juvenile hall couldn't keep from reading the anthologies.

Explain a bit about your process for writing a poem or poetry collection.

 My process is a bit magical.  An idea may flit through my head on a walk, while swimming, while visiting the elementary school I visit every morning, while speaking at a high school, or during a high school play.  For example, a crow cawing overhead became Birdsongs, a backwards counting book—5 years later.  One poem I wrote, "One Hundred Wishes Make a Dreamer," set off the idea for a book of one hundred poems about the number 100 (Counting Our Way to the 100th Day!).  I make a folder and add poems and ideas to it until the material is rich enough and ready to be worked on fulltime.  Sometimes my first drafts are fairly ugly, but I know I can work with the language and the ideas to give each poem the energy and life it needs.  In my teen anthologies, BTW, I look for and solicit uncensored, emotionally honest, and diverse poetry from writers all over the world.

 What poetry has most influenced your own work? What advice do you have for young poets?

 My own work is influenced by avant-garde poets such as Bob Grumman who writes "long-division poetry" in Florida (http://www.geocities.com/Comprepoetica/Blog/Gallery.html).

I love to stretch my mind, my imagination, the genres, the poetry forms.

Advice to emerging poets?  Read a lot, but find your own "story" to tell.  You definitely have a story—everyone does.  If you want to be a writer, or an artist of any kind, it's possible.  Every generation has its writers, artists, musicians, dancers, actors,...  You'll just need to be as creative about building a career as you are about your art.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster:

MATHEMATICKLES!  0-689-84357-7 hardcover,  9-781416918615 paperback (2003)

COUNTING OUR WAY TO THE 100TH DAY! 0-689-84793 (2004)

BIRDSONGS, illustrated by Steve Jenkins, Caldecott Honor Winner, 0-780689877773 (2007)

SUMMER BEAT 9-781416-912378  (2007)

BEES, SNAILS, AND PEACOCK TAILS, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (2008)

POND CIRCLE (2009)

Candlewick Press:

YOU HEAR ME? POEMS AND WRITING BY TEENAGE BOYS  0763611590 (paperback) (2000)

THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU, POEMS AND WRITING BY TEENAGE GIRLS  0-7636-11590 (paperback) (2001)

NIGHT IS GONE, DAY IS STILL COMING, STORIES AND POEMS BY AMERICAN INDIAN TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS 0-76361518-8 (2003)

FALLING HARD, LOVE POEMS BY TEENAGERS (2008)

MESSING AROUND ON THE MONKEY BARS, SCHOOL POEMS FOR TWO VOICES (2009)

Goodyear Books :

MATH POETRY ISBN-10 159647-072-0 (2006)

Richard C. Owen Publishers:

CONVERSATIONS WITH A POET: INVITING POETRY INTO K-12 CLASSROOMS 1-572747404 (2005)

Scholastic

COUNTING CATERPILLARS AND OTHER MATH POEMS 0-590-64210 (1998)

 

Ralph Fletcher: Poet Interview

   

Ralph Fletcher

If you've tried putting a writing workshop into your classroom then you've probably turned to Ralph Fletcher's inspiring words already. If you love poetry, then I hope you've long since discovered and shared  Ralph Fletcher's fantastic collections.

Click Here for a printer friendly version of Ralph Fletcher titles to take to the bookstore with you!

I love your newest poetry collection: A Writing Kind of Day. What inspired it?

 

 

        Thanks for your kind words. One time Shelley Harwayne read my book ORDINARY THINGS and told me: "These are 'steppingstone poems,' Kids will read them and say: 'Hey, I could do this!'"  I liked this idea a lot. I wanted to write a collection of stepppingstone poems that kids could imitate and springboard off. I wanted to write the kind of poems that would inspire students to write poems of their own.

 

Your imagery has always captivated me, and been the favorite of my students too. One delicious slice from this new book:

 “When everyone else sits,

   poetry stands.”

 Did you have the image for this first, or the words? What usually comes first?

     Sometimes the image comes first; often the words come. In this case it was the idea. This poem was inspired by WHAT IS FOUND THERE, a marvelous book by the poet Adrianne Rich. She

makes the point that at the most important events (births, deaths, marriages, retirements, tragedies) poetry always rises to speak.

 Many teachers are intimidated by poetry. What advice can you give them and their  young poets?

Hm. Well, I'd say that you don't have to be an expert poetry teacher. You could tell students: "We're going to learn about poetry together." I think kids respect that the teacher is a learner, too.

I'd also suggest you beef up your classroom poetry collection--get 10-15 high quality books or anthologies. You want to go beyond Silverstein and Prelutsky who are marvelous, but give kids a narrow

idea of poetry if that's all they read. Make sure you have some that don't rhyme. Also, check out Georgia Heard's book FOR THE GOOD OF THE EARTH AND THE SUN (Heinemann) and my book POETRY MATTERS: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out (HarperCollins).  Have fun with it. Tell your students: "You're going to write some bad poems, and that's okay! They won't all be great."  

You take so much inspiration from ordinary moments- how do you notice what’s special that others miss?

 I think it was Rilke who said we should look for the poems that grow in the grass under our feet. Yes, I believe that poems are everywhere--it's up to us to find them. I think we can train ourselves to be more alive to the world. When I was 5 years old my mother  took me outside to play a game called "Signs of Spring." In mid-March I'd go out with her and I kept my eyes fixed on the ground looking for a worm or spider, a blade of green grass, a fat bud, a snowdrop, anything that might signal the arrival of the spring. My mother died in 2004 but the gift she gave me (watching nature, appreciating little things)  still lives on.

Interview: Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Click here for a  Printer friends list of Rebecca's poetry books!

Librarians and teacher note: budgets are limited, but this is a gem! Makes a great spring birthday present too!

1. I LOVE your new book: OVER IN THE PINK HOUSE. Can you tell us about its creation?
As a young girl, I was dizzy with jump rope fever. Jumping rope after dinner, under the stars, with all my neighborhood friends was Heaven. I loved learning, reciting, and making up new rhymes. And one day, not too long ago, I heard a new jump rope rhythm in my mind. It sort of just danced its way right in. And the words came, too. Absolutely joyful. I started quickly jotting down ideas; words and images that had fanciful or folk like flavor --  similar to those included in traditional nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and original jump rope rhymes. From there, one came right after the other. It was the quickest, easiest, most playful book I've written.



2. What is your favorite thing about poetry?
Simply the way it makes me feel. How a tiny package of words can erase sorrow, confusion and frustration! It's absolutely wondrous. Poetry, for me, is one of those things like hot chocolate, fresh blueberries or crisp apples. Who can describe it, really?

3. What advice would you give young poets?
To realize that writing poetry is a craft. It takes time. Don't expect too much now. Do not be hard on yourself. Realize that your place in the universe right now is to read, read, read; to drink in everything you can. Read every poetry book, every good poem you can get your hands on. Keep a journal. Copy your favorite poems into it and study them. Read them again and again. Practice. Try and write a poem similar in content or rhythm to a poem you love, either for the way it makes you feel, or because it is just too beautiful, the way those words have been placed together "just for you." (And that IS what a good poem does.) And then, down the road, if you still want to be a poet, reach for the stars.

4. What are some revision techniques that you use?
I start out with a draft that is often times quite awful. But I start. Somewhere. Then I cross out words; lines. Insert new ones, try them on. Ten more, a hundred more. Use the thesaurus. A Rhyming Dictionary. Change the form, play with line breaks. Doodle in the margins. Let the poem  sit (simmer) over night or even a week. Come back to it. Play some more. Read it out loud. Listen for the music. Make sure it says what I want it to say. All of that is revision.  (I also have a few poet friends who take a look, then offer good suggestions now and again.)

5. What are some of your favorite poetry books and poets? How have they inspired you?
I have always been inspired by poetry and poets. And it is so hard to name just a few. I always loved Sandburg and Millay, Yeats and Auden. Frost. A. A. Milne. Ogden Nash. Lewis Carroll. Today, so many of our well-known, contemporary children's poets are bridging the invisible gap and proving "good poetry for children" to be, simply, "good poetry." Many of those inspire me, and for many reasons. For their dedication to story, to language, to wordplay or imagination. For attention to their craft and for their honest, individual voices. There's magic there.
My favorite poetry books are collections; anthologies of poetry -- because I love to wander through, page by page, finding buried treasure; different poets and varied voices on every page Lee Bennett Hopkins, X. J. Kennedy, Jack Prelutsky and Paul Janeczko (among  others) have collected poems and poured them into marvelous books that both include and highlight contemporary poets writing today.