Thanksgiving gave me time to pause, time to reflect on the changes happening in my own life and all around me. It made stop and think about what I truly hold as important. Blogging for the past five years, has given me the space in which I form and share ideas. I write about books, art, people, and concepts that intrigue me, that I want to learn more about. By writing, I come to understand things at a much deeper level.
Tag: Ethical ELA
Portrait of the Artist as an Old Woman
Recently, a good friend told me about Nell Painter’s book, Old in Art School. I knew immediately that I had to push it up to first on my summer reading list. I am indulging in Nell’s journey from Princeton history academic to an BFA at Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of Visual Arts to an MFA from the prestigious Rhode Island School of design. Much of Nell’s book is familiar because she is a Jersey girl and I also attended Rutgers as both an undergraduate and graduate. The essential questions of what is art and who is an artist repeat as a refrain in this memoir. I took a long slow read, trying my best to experience what Nell had lived.
You’re Invited to a Poetry Party!
his year, I will be published in three anthologies, so I thought, "It's time to read in front of an audience." I chose well. I chose our 2nd through 5th grade students. Deb, our school librarian, was encouraging, and we set a series of times in the library when I can be the guest poet.
Writing Full Circle
I have always thought of writing as connection: the writer’s connection to the readers, and readers connections to the writer’s ideas. Those ideas connect a myriad of other readers and writers, and the circle continues to expand exponentially
A Measure of Success
Since I was a child, I’ve measured my success by all the small moments I’ve had connecting to people through personal interactions and poetry. Connection to me equaled success. Oh sure, I had thoughts of fame and money but that all fell away as I matured. It’s not that I lost my ambition, it’s just … Continue reading A Measure of Success
April Poem #30: And I, too
When I read the prompt and some samples of other poets' work, I immediately thought of Langston Hughes' poem I, too. I used the form of Hughes' poem to construct my own poem. I have always loved the way Hughes could lay out a strong message in a few words. I thought I would practice this, using his structure as a scaffold.
April Poem #29: This Poem is Not…
I took an old poem that was sitting there in a pile minding its own business, doing nothing. I grabbed it, shook it up, and turned it into something new. My advice is never throw out anything you’ve written. You never know what it could turn into. It could be in its chrysalis stage waiting to fly free. This past month of writing a poem every day has taught me to take risks, to play with possibility, and to be unafraid with the outcome. Playing with poetry was just what I needed. It was necessary.
April Poem #28: When I’m by Myself
I enjoy the childlike qualities of poetry. Playing with rhythm and rhyme often spark the imagination. With this poem, I did have to ponder deep questions, I could just play with the language and imagery. It was fun to do, and poetry most definitely should be fun. Once I wrote the first stanza, I felt it wasn’t quite complete, so I decided to reverse it and make a second stanza. When I’m by myself, I write poetry and make myself happy.
April Poem #27: Forgiveness
It was hard to choose just one thing to re-encounter. However, this memory of my Grandpa Antonio is so vivid to me. It was about forty years ago, but it feels like yesterday. I wish I could go back and change every little thing.
April Poem #26: Woven Words
Many years ago, I came upon teaching annotation through the Annotated Charlotte's Web. Today, I took an old, worn copy of Charlotte's Web and found this poem lying within. Thank you, E.B. White, Wilbur, and Charlotte!
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 