HELLO MY NAME IS - Day 22

Happy National Poetry Month!

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Hello, Poetry Friends! This month I am sharing poems written in the voice of Little Red Riding Hood, and I invite you to join me in writing in the voice of someone else too. You might choose a fairy tale character or a book character or a person from history or anyone else real or imagined. These are your poems, so you make the decisions. Each April day, I will share my poem and a little bit about writing poetry. Mostly, we’ll just be writing in short lines with good words and not worrying about rhyming. Meaning first. Our focus this month will be adopting the perspective of another…for 30 days. I invite you to join me in this project! To do so, simply:

1. Choose a character from fiction or history or somewhere else in the world of space and time, and commit to writing a daily poem in this person's voice for the 30 days of April 2025. You might even choose an animal.

2. Write a new poem for each day of April. Feel free to print and find inspiration from this idea sheet that I will be writing from all month long.

Teachers, if you wish to share any HELLO MY NAME IS... subjects or poems, please email them to me at the contact button above. I would love to read what your students write and learn from how they approach their own projects.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD'S POEMS SO FAR

April 1 - First Poem

April 2 - My Name

April 3 - Red

April 4 - Frank

April 5 - The Big Bad Wolf Had Been a Stray

April 6 - 8am on a Sunday

April 7 - Her Real Name is Orla Lola Bruin

April 8 - My Neighborhood

April 9 - Mushroom Hunters

April 10 - From Coat to Cloak

April 11 - Speaking of Coats

April 12 - Forgiveness is a Gift

April 13 - Here

April 14 - Running Home

April 15 - Nan's Apple Pie

April 16 - I Ask Nan How to Make Apple Pie

April 17 - untitled haiku

April 18 - The Right Thing to Do

April 19 - I Have Read it Six Times

April 20 - Bookmark

April 21 - A Note on the Doorstep

And now for today!

Students - Do you remember back on April 7, when we learned that Orla/Goldilocks paints flowers on the Bears' chairs? Well, that showed up again today in one of Lou's memories. One of the most interesting things about writing is that if a person writes a lot, they learn what they like to write about, discover themes and repeating words and images in their own words. This can be surprising, and it's always fascinating. A couple of Aprils ago, I wrote another poem about someone painting a chair rescued from the trash. I like this image very much and also like painted chairs a lot.

Is it garbage day here where I live today, and did I roll the garbage and recycling out to the road this morning? Yes. Is this connected to today's poem? Maybe. Did I toss out a chair? No.

Something to think about: Write a lot to know who you are.

Thank you for joining me on this twenty-second day of HELLO MY NAME IS...

To learn about more National Poetry Month projects and all kinds of April goodness, visit Jama's Alphabet Soup where Jama has generously gathered this coming month's Kidlitosphere poetry happenings. And if you are interested in learning about or writing from any of my previous 14 National Poetry Month projects, you can find them here. Happy National Poetry Month!

xo,

Amy

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Slip Into a Frame

Painting by Alixandra Martin

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today's poem grew from my writing assemblies with the third, fourth, and fifth graders of Coolidge, Washington, Lincoln, and Sicomac Schools in Wyckoff, New Jersey. I so enjoyed my time visiting them this week, and one thing we talked about was how art is an endless well and source of writing ideas. 

Sometimes when I'm not sure what to write about, I simply look at a piece of art and allow it to bring me to a new place. Today's poem also explores the joy of art as a way to escape. I began writing the first few lines of this poem during a school assembly this week as we all wrote about a piece of art together. Thank you to the young writer who shared how she sketched a sunflower as I am certain that her sharing brought sunflowers into this poem today. I also thank my friend Kateri Ewing, my wise artist friend who posted this week about the importance of making art during difficult times.

The painting you see above was made by my friend Alixandra Martin. I love to stare at it and imagine what it would be like to slip right into those golden colors, to chat with the angel.

When you wonder what to write, look for art. You can find it in books, calendars, on walls, websites, and in museums. And always, art can bring us somewhere new. Art is, indeed, a place to go. And poems about art have a special name - ekphrastic poetry.

Teachers - A lot has happened over the past few years, but not so long before the pandemic, I wrote a book about how studying poetry can strengthen all of our writing. This book is full of poems by comtemporary poets, student writers, and full of lessons and resources put together by me. One of the lessons is about this very topic, writing from art. 

Available through Heinemann

Molly is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Nix the Comfort Zone with a hauntingly lovely poem and photographs celebrating winter trees. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

May you live joyfully in your life...and inside of art too!

xo,

Amy

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Last Night, This Morning, Long Ago...

 

Painting

by Amy LV

Students - My reading life has been full of magic these days, books about enchantments and magic, time travel and odd connections. And I have watched the movie ENCANTO twice. So one might say that I have one half of my heart in the real world and one half of my heart in the world of the unknown. Today's poem came from that mystery-place.

Like many, my life during COVID has been a bit of a challenge, and I lost my regular writing schedule. Well, the truth is that when I write less, I am less happy. So now, I am back to writing a few pages each morning and spending real time paying attention to the bits of my life as possible writing ideas. Today's poem was a true surprise to me, a surprise I believe I was given because I am back at my desk, back in the ink and paper world.

This poem is about seeing something but not really seeing it. And now I am thinking about you, about things you might not really see but do see in your creative mind and soul and heart. Consider trying a poem that begins, "Last night..." or "This morning..." or "Long ago..." and just invent what it is that may have happened at that time. You are allowed to make it all true, or all fiction, or a blend of both. Because, you see, it will be your poem or story. So you choose, no questions needed. And if you like, you may include a pinch (or a truckload) of magic! 

Don't forget: crossing out is a healthy part of writing. Making those scribbles and big slash lines can be a joyful and physical part of a writer's life. So....I am hereby calling such pages "Messy Happy Drafts." 

Messy Happy Draft for "Surprise" - Page 1

by Amy LV

Messy Happy Draft for "Surprise" - Page 2

by Amy LV

Tabatha is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at The Opposite of Indifference with all kinds of puzzle goodness, from quote to book to story to poem! Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

May your path be sprinkled with surprises, in your days and on your pages.

xo,

Amy

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SPARK: Painting from Writing

Endless Treasures

Painting by Jan Irene Miller

Students - If you read my post last week, you read these words: 

Once again, as I have several times before, I just participated in SPARK: ART FROM WRITING, WRITING FROM ART, an online opportunity to write or make art inspired by others' work.  This community of ever-changing writers and artists is gathered up by Amy Souza, who since 2010 has matched folks to write and create within a ten day time period, each from a traded-on-Day-1 inspiration piece. Any adult is welcome to sign up for a pairing, and I can imagine a school doing this same exercise, matching writers and artists with each other for a set period of creating-time. 

And today, you see the second half of my pairing with Jan Irene Miller.  You may have noticed that my poem comes in this post before her poem.  This is because I sent her the poem at the beginning of SPARK 39, and she created the painting from her thoughts and feelings about the poem's words. So in both posts, last week's and this week's, you are seeing the works in the order created: one inspiration piece and one response piece.

I asked Jan Irene about her process in creating this magical painting.  She wrote:

I read your poem and “sat with it” for several days. I was musing on nature and forever and the countless items of beauty to wonder at. The poem made me think of children, how they find wonder and magic in all the shapes, textures and sizes before they get too bogged down in understanding science. This sense of wonder and magic apparently produced a color scheme to the liking of the child within me. 

I began with four pieces of heavy paper, and filled them with acrylic colors and water. I lined them up and down until I felt what I was working with. I played with the media. On day 7 I got out a piece of paper I had gessoed and put the color flow onto the paper and let the process unfold as a child might. And that’s that!

One of my favorite parts of being a writer is the connections I am lucky enough to make with others.  It is an honor to have my small collection of words interpreted by Jan Irene in such a beautiful and whimsical way, and I am grateful to Amy Souza and to Jan Irene herself for this round of SPARK!  Jan Irene's work brings new life to my own, and her painting helps me to understand myself somehow.  That's art for you.

Liz is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup today at Elizabeth Steinglass with her beautiful poem "The Menorah." Please know that every Poetry Friday, we gather together to share books, and poetry ideas all at one blog.  Everyone is always welcome to visit, comment, and post.  We invite you!

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Book Birthday for a Maker Book!

Happy Book Birthday to Us!

March 27, 2018

Today is the book birthday of WITH MY HANDS: POEMS ABOUT MAKING THINGS, with poems by me and illustrations by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson.  You can watch the trailer, made with the hands of the talented Travis Carlson, below.

WITH MY HANDS Book Trailer

I could not be happier to share this book as I have loved making things with my own hands ever since I was a little girl.  Truth be told, I am never happier than when I am knitting, baking, carving a rubber stamp, drawing, or otherwise creating.  If you visit The Poem Farm regularly, you know this.

Just yesterday, I collected two big bags full of pinecones from my father's front yard.  What to make with these?  I do not know yet, but something.

Pinecones!

Photo by Amy LV

I dedicated this book to our daughter Georgia, a person who makes so many good things, and illustrators Lou and Steve dedicated it to Nick.

With My Hands Dedications

This collection of poems is all about all kinds of making....everything from soap carvings to cookies!  It is a celebration of the joy that comes from creating.  School Library Journal says, "This is art about art."  Below you can see one of the interior spreads; the poem grew from my real memory of carving a soap whale in second grade...one of my favorite projects ever!

Click to Enlarge

You can read more about WITH MY HANDS at my website HERE or at the following blogs: 

Live Your Poem with Irene Latham

Jama's Alphabet Soup with Jama Rattigan

Beagles and Books with Laura Mossa

Publishers Weekly Shelf Talker with Cynthia Compton

12 Books about Making Things and a Giveaway with Pragmatic Mom (Giveaway through 4/29)

Take a peek at how Lou and Steve illustrated this book HERE, where they explain the process of creating illustration you see above.

Much gratitude to Dinah Stevenson of Clarion, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  She is the wonderful editor of this book as well as my first book, FOREST HAS A SONG. I am so grateful to her as well as to Emma Gordon who is handling publicity for this book.  And hugs and kisses to my amazing agent, Elizabeth Harding, once again.

Speaking of working with one's hands, hats off to Adriana, owner and cookie artist at Mama Seuffert Sweets. Ordering from Adriana is my small way of enjoying a book birthday at home.  We have two cookies here, and I have sent some to others with my gratitude.

Cookie by the Amazing Adriana

Photo by Amy LV

You may win a copy of this book (to a resident of the United States) by commenting here by 11:59pm on Thursday, March 29.  I am also holding a giveaway on Instagram through tonight and one on Twitter for the next week!

Happy making...and thank you for celebrating this joyful year of books with me.  During the 2017-2018 school year, all four or these books were published: READ! READ! READ!, POEMS ARE TEACHERS, DREAMING OF YOU, and WITH MY HANDS.  I could not be more grateful.

xo,

Amy

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Ask Your Cat, Ask Your Art, Ask.

Peace Dove

by Amy LV

Students - This year I made some peace cards by carving and printing my own rubber stamp.  Today I decided to write about this stamp, but I was not sure where to begin.

I remembered talking with a wise boy who said,  "I'm not a cat whisperer or anything, but once when I didn't know what to write, I asked my cat.  And then I knew."

So I decided to ask the dove of my stamp what it wanted to say. And then I knew.

I was also helped by this quote from Picasso, about his famous Dove painting. Picasso's father had taught him to paint doves, and addressing the 1950 Peace Congress, Picasso said, "I stand for life against death; I stand for peace against war."

May we listen to our doves, our hearts, our cats, and our inner voices as these will point toward kindness.  And they will give us writing ideas too!

Stamp and Cards

by Amy LV

At Sharing Our Notebooks, my other online home,  I am tickled to welcome third grade teacher Dina Bolan and her third grade writers from Alexander Hamilton Elementary School in Glen Rock, New Jersey.  Take a peek at their nonfiction notebook entries, and leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a snazzy new notebook selected by me! 

Jan is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at Bookseedstudio. Her post honors the memory and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and you will be grateful to find the resources she shares. Please visit! 

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Day 4 - A Bowl is a Handful

Welcome to Day 4 of Drawing Into Poems, my daily drawing/seeing/writing study into poetry.  You can read more about this month-long project here on my April 1 post.  Feel free to read the books with me and pull out your own sketchbook and jewelry box full of metaphor too...

Day Four - Small Bowl

Click the drawing to enlarge it.

Students - Yesterday morning, Matt Forest Esenwine left me a comment that read, in part, "One thing I'll always remember about pencil drawing from my many art classes in college: draw the light, draw the shadows...the picture will create itself."  And all day long, after reading his words, I saw lights and shadows, light and darkness.  This made me think about poems: happiness and sorrow, humor and seriousness, outside and inside.  Art and writing and life - all about balancing, all about how and where differences meet and touch and blend and contrast.

We are visiting family this week, and so it is neat to have new objects to draw.  I choose whatever strikes my fancy!  This is just what happens with writing too; an idea comes and goes, another does, and suddenly one sticks.  My mind and heart agree, "This is it!" and the decision is made.

Tomorrow I may sketch outside.  And tomorrow I will choose one of this week's sketches to grow a poem from: pineapple, spices, teapot, bowl.  I wonder which it will be.  Will you make a poem from a sketch for Poetry Friday?

There are two places where you can win a copy of my new book, FOREST HAS A SONG, right now.  One giveaway is at The Children's Book Review, and the other giveaway is at Kid Lit Frenzy.  I thank both of these blogs and Sarah and Barbara at Blue Slip Media for making these possible!

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To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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