Poetry Challenge #294-Truth in the Night
Tra-lah! It’s May! The Lusty month of May! Let’s celebrate with another May, known for writing poetry and novels as true as the green of spring, fresh and pungent as pavement after a rain: poet/novelist May Sarton!
Born Eleanore Marie Sarton on May 3, 1912, in Belgium, her family moved to Cambridge, Mass in 1916 to escape the German army during WW1.
To say Sarton was born a poet, is no stretch. Her first series of sonnets was published when she was seventeen, in Poetry magazine, and seven years later in her first published collection, Encounter in April.
May Sarton wrote poetry, novels, documentary scripts for the war office… Unabashedly—shockingly to some—Sarton shared her truth. Truths many didn’t want to read, at the time, but that didn’t dull her quill.
“Examined as a whole," Lenora P. Blouin wrote in May Sarton: A Bibliography, "the body of May Sarton's writing is almost overwhelming. It reveals an artist who has not remained stagnant or afraid of change. 'Truth,' especially the truth within herself, has been her life-long quest."
Poetry Challenge #294
Truth in the Night
In her poem Bliss (above), Sarton takes us into her bedroom to see, hear, feel with her as she lay away in the middle of the night. It’s a simple moment and Sarton’s language is simple, but rich.
For this prompt, think of one time, one moment, one special place.
Write a poem describing the look, feel, sound of that moment.
Conclude your poem as Sarton did in “Bliss,” with a line summarizing the feeling that moment evokes in you.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Play like Millay!
May Sarton’s poetry and especially her novels are fabulous reading. Here’s Early Bird Books List of May Sarton’s Best Books.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Ask Norman: Why Were You So Shy?
Norman T. Goldfish answers letters from readers. Click on the link to read his reply.
Hey Kids! In Norman’s new adventure: NORMAN ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH, his human enters him in Pet-O-Rama, but when it’s time for him to perform, our finny friend, Norman gets very quiet. Why do you think he acts shy? Can you remember a time when you were shy?
Look….at…all…those…humans…….gluuuu-me-otta-here!
Ready to read Norman’s answer to Keisha? Scroll down . . .
Glug
Glug
Glug . . .
Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish—about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!
Poetry Challenge #293-Brush Up Your Shakespeare
Everyone has heard of William Shakespeare, whose birthday could be today since the exact date isn’t known. Records show he was baptized in April 1564. (If you know how or why April 26th is the date we celebrate let us know.)
We know the Bard wrote at least 39 dramatic plays, many of which are still regularly performed.
And, according to Oxford, added 1700 words to the English language. (There’s some debate about the veracity of that number but he’s credited with 420 for sure.) Here’s a list—No. Stop! Don’t look at the list now. Save the clicking for later. NOW…It’s Shakespeare’s day, join the celebration!
Hit it Cole! Brush Up Your Shakespeare, start quoting him now… from Kiss Me Kate:
Poetry Challenge #293
Brush Up Your Shakespeare
Maybe you have a favorite line from one of his plays or sonnets:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (Sonnet XVIII)
“To be, or not to be: that is the question” (Hamlet)
“But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?” (Romeo & Juliet)
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” (Macbeth)“All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players:”
Let’s celebrate Shakespeare by putting one of his lines in a poem of your own. You can use the whole line as the first, last, or middle line of your new poem.
Or, if that doesn’t work for you, try writing one word on each line the way you would for an acrostic poem and begin your poem’s lines with the word from the quote.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Shakespeare It!
Once you’ve finished your poem, reward yourself with a movie. There are zillions of Shakespeare inspired movies out there. Or popped some corn and go for pure fun: Shakespeare in Love!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #292-Ethridge Knight, Simile Put
Etheridge Knight was born on Apri1 19, 1931. He dropped out of high school and joined the army and was wounded in Korea, the injury led to drug addiction and in 1960, convicted of robbery, 8 years imprisonment.
While in prison, Knight, already known for giving “toasts” began to write poetry. His toasts were were precursors to rap, really, in that, as Poetry Foundation put it, Knight’s toasts were “long, memorized, narrative poems, often in rhymed couplets.”
Knight’s first poetry collection, Poems from Prison, was published in 1968. Following is a quote from the back cover:
“I died in Korea from a shrapnel wound, and narcotics resurrected me. I died in 1960 from a prison sentence and poetry brought me back to life.”
Ethridge Knight’s 1973 collection, Belly Song and Other Poems, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.
Here’s a poem from that collection entitled, Cell Song:
Poetry Challenge #292
Simile Put
Ethridge Knight’s poetry didn’t skirt the issues, or would anyone call it “flowery.” The images and situations he writes about are vivid and visual largely because of the similes and metaphors he created, as in these examples:
For today’s prompt try describing a feeling or situation using simile or metaphor so real, raw and vivid the image comes to life on the page.
If you’d like, let that image stand alone. Or craft a poem around it.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Image it!
For more, check out zoroboro.com for a birthday commemoration of Knight’s poem snippets and quotes.
And zip over to Poetry Foundation to access Ethridge Knight’s poems:
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
100 Years Ago, Ruth's House Opened for Business!
Hi Fishbowl Friends! Today is the day-the day that started this whole journey-from idea to poem to picture book: April 18th, 1923! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Here’s the link to the article. Thank you all for being on this journey—and celebrating with me!
Poetry Challenge #291-A Little Bit Corny
Happy Birthday to poet Eric McHenry (April 12, 1972), who was the Poet Laureate of Kansas from 2015-2017.
His poems are a lot of fun. Read this sample:
Poetry Challenge #291
Little Bit Corny
Now try to mimic Eric McHenry’s poem. Tell a story in couplets (two lines that rhyme).
Notice McHenry uses 8 or 9 syllables per line.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Write it!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Author Chat with Robin Hall-April 6th Noon EDT! Join us!
Hi Friends! April 6th-Thursday-Noon EDT! Yes! Tomorrow—or maybe today! Maybe RIGHT NOW!
I’m chatting author-to-author about picture book creation with fellow VCFA alumnx Robin Hall, who also has a new picture book coming soon from Familus, called The Littlest Weaver. We’ll have plenty to chat about—research, writing, revising…secrets—and it will be heaps of fun! And there’s a #giveaway!
Step-by-Step Instructions for joining the chat are below! Everything you need to know.
Join Us! Bring your questions! Tell your Friends!
How to Join Insta-chat:
1. You’ll need an instagram account to access the live.
2. Follow @robinhallwrites (which you want to do for the giveaway, anyhow!)
3. At noon Eastern on Thursday, sign in to your account.
4. On the top of your account where the stories are, @robinhallwrites will start the Instagram Live. You will see her face in one of the stories and a red circle around it. As her follower, you will get a notification that she is live, as well.
5. Click on the story circle and you’re in
6. Enjoy the fun and feel free to ask questions and interact in the chat.
Looking forward to seeing y’all this Thursday, April 6th!
WINNER OF The House That Ruth Built Pre-Order Giveaway is!
Happy April Fool’s Day! But not trick, only treats!
Before I announce the winner of The House That Ruth Built pre-order give-away, Thank you! Thank you! Everyone who shared about the book, reposted, liked, loved—and pre-ordered a copy of my new picture book.
Now…. scroll down for the big winner . . .
The winner is: Lindsey Vagt.
I repeat: Lindsey Vagt.
Lindsey wins the way-cool ALL-STAR Baseball Backpack Charm from Veronica's Arts — personalized, too!
IF YOU DIDN’T WIN the contest, you are all winners. And if you ordered from Red Jacket Books you’ll be recieving a surprise along with your book.
If you ordered somewhere else, you deserve a sweet surprise, too. So pop me a note in the comments and I’ll make sure you get a treat!
And be on the lookout because there is more prizes and more fun ahead! After all, the 100th Anniversary of the original Yankee Stadium and that opening day game is April 18th! So get ready to Play Ball!
