Poetry Friday July 26 Roundup is Here!
I’m the host this week for Poetry Friday. If you are new here, welcome! We love expanding the poetry circle. You are welcome to lurk and read, comment, and/or share your own post. Dip your toes in or do a cannonball!
At the bottom of this post is the Link roundup.
Wait, Rest, Pause is coming out in paperback!
My debut trade picture book came out in Fall 2019. I had high hopes for visiting conferences and doing book events. I did quite a few events in the fall and in January and February 2020. And then the world changed. I was teaching from home and using up all of the screen time my eyes could take on my day job. I’m excited to say that Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature is taking on a second life as a paperback book!
I’m absolutely thrilled. One of the things I heard from teachers is that they would love to have a paperback available at a reasonable price point. The hardback was made available only in library binding. That’s awesome for librarians like me who really want that durability, but it’s hard when you’re a teacher funding your own classroom books. Many thanks to Lerner for putting this out as a paperback. It will be available on August 6 at $9.99.
If you know a teacher, I’d love for you to pass the word about the paperback!
The Sealey Challenge
The Sealey Challenge is every August where readers commit to reading a poetry book a day in the month of August. It’s a great way to get through a stack of poetry books you’ve been hoping to get to. Here’s more information.
This year, I’m collecting all of the poetry journals I have stacked up, and I’m going to read them. It won’t be nearly as exciting visually as in the past. But I’m hoping to get through some of my backlog and discover some new-to-me poets.
I also have a stack of novels-in-verse that I haven’t read yet. So I’m pretty sure I have enough for 31 days here.
Is anyone else doing the Sealey Challenge? I’d love to know what you’re reading!
Haiku of the Week
poetry garden—
guests sort words, caterpillar
is the poem
Photo Taken: June 24, 2024 at Highlights Foundation
Haiku Written: July 15, 2024
Poem as Picture Book
by Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.
Illustrated by London Ladd
Denene Miller/Simon & Schuster, Poem © 2017, Illustrations © 2023
You So Black is a 221-word spoken word poem that celebrates the beauty and power of Blackness.
Poetry Connections
- Spoken Word Poetry
- Rhyme
- Rhythm
- Alliteration
- Metaphor
- Imagery
Links
- Performance of “You So Black” (This is a longer version than in the picture book)
- Performance at Bounce TV Trumpet Awards
- Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D reads her book
- Illustrations from London Ladd’s website
Grow
My word of the year is GROW, and somehow I feel like I’ve been having to “let go” which is part of growth, I guess. I’m a pretty routine sort of writer. I like to write at the same time every day. Summer time lacks routine and I have to figure out new times to write.
33 Comments
jan/bookseedstudio
Wonderful Marcie, I luv reading these past sweet significant shout-outs for the memoriable REST…. & it’s catching ladybird cover. It will be an earned busy book author fall for you with this reprint & all the other other verse novel & MORE, book goodness rolling out for you. Yes, caterpillar is THE poem. Thanks for the close-up fuzz-spikes photo from Highlights & the Haiku.
I’m collecting thoughts for a presentation on Georgia Heard & enjoy remembering time together with many #PF peeps in online meet-up with her. There’s a link about it at my site.
Appreciations for hosting!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yay! I love Georgia Heard! Thanks for a delightful post with lots of links to dive into.
Rose Cappelli
Congrats on the paperback version of Wait. Rest Pause. I will do my best to spread the word. And good luck on the Sealy Challenge! I did it last year, but concentrated on poetry collections for kids so it was easier. I think I’ll try at least some version of it. I have a lot of poetry collections started but not finished, and ones I’d like to reread, so I’ll pull those out first.
Thanks for hosting today!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
That’s a great idea–finishing collections. I love it!
Jan
On my visit, here, #2 – (this post is so rich- ) I spy RUPTURED by Joanne R. Fritz in the To Read pile. You may want to read it now. I loved hearing the girl’s voice,visiting the summer Maine setting & following the family dynamic.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I’ve had it for awhile. August starts next week, so I’ll be reading it ASAP. 🙂
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Margaret Simon
Congratulations on the paperback release! Thanks for hosting. I had grand plans for the Sealy Challenge last year. I’m starting school next week, so I don’t think I’ll try it this year. Good luck with your stacks!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It is really hard to do with the start of the school year.
Tabatha
Congratulations on the paperback debut! A wonderful option for teachers (and others!). I am looking forward to hearing about your Sealey challenge experiences. Thanks for hosting!
Denise Krebs
Marcie, nice post. So many good tidbits. Congratulations on the new paperback release. I’m going off to pre-order now. Last August, I did the best of every time I’ve tried on the Sealey. This August, I will undoubtedly read at least 31 children’s poetry books to my 2-year old grandson. I’m heading to his house soon, while his mama has a little sister for him. Thank you for hosting today.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
31 children’s poetry books is AWESOME!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much!
Michelle Kogan
That caterpillar haiku is fantastic and those ladybugs have captured my attention in your newly released book, WAIT, REST, PAUSE, many congrats!!! Good luck with the Sealy Challenge, I feel a bit better seeing someone elses poetry pubs growing and waiting for them… Thanks for hosting and for your rich post Marcie!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, I’m embarrassed by how far behind I get on my magazine collections.
Carol Varsalona
Marcie, congratulations on your 2019 book making a comeback in a paperback version. I am sure that teachers will appreciate your book which should become a classroom favorite. It is exciting to plan ahead because you waited, rested, and paused. Your image poem is well-composed technically with interesting content. I love the photo. Good luck with the challenge and healing thoughts are being sent for your husband. Thanks for hosting today. I will offer my post in the morning.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Carol!
Mary Lee Hahn
Thanks for hosting us, Marcie! Glad you get a re-do on your debut! I’m heading into the Sealey Challenge with absolutely NO planning! Yikes! I may pick an anthology from my shelf and do 20 minutes a day instead of a book a day.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
20 minutes a day is an excellent plan!
Irene Latham
Marcie, the caterpillar is a poem, indeed! Congratulations on the paperback edition!! Exciting, and gives us all a Marcie-fix while we wait for your verse novel. Thanks so much for hosting. xo
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Irene! I’m thrilled it will be available for teachers and families at a cheaper price-point.
Robyn Hood Black
So much goodness here this week, Marcie, and thank you for hosting Poetry Friday. I wasn’t home long enough this week to get a post together, but I left a signpost. “I feel like I’ve been having to ‘let go’ which is part of growth” – very wise, and harkens to the wonderful theme of your first book, now in paperback!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you–I love that connection. 🙂
tanita
Ooh, what a gorgeous caterpillar! A whole poem in itself. I look forward to seeing what you think of the novels in verse – I’ve got my eye on a couple of those I haven’t read yet. And congrats on your own verse novel upcoming – that’s EXCITING!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much! I’m excited to read them.
Laura Purdie Salas
Marcie, what great news that WAIT is coming in paperback! I have two books (one of them from Millbrook) coming out in paperback in January, as well. They’ll be my first paperback editions of trade picture books–super exciting to have a lower-cost edition for readers!
I’m so intrigued by your haiku and its unexpected leap to the caterpillar being the poem. Makes me think…
I won’t be doing the Sealey this year. Family and friends visiting almost all month, plus a storytime tour on the road for a week. I look forward to hearing about your reads :>)
Thanks for hosting, Marcie. And the routineless summers are always a challenge!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Enjoy that family time! Sounds fabulous!
Susan Thomsen
Marcie, what nice news that a paperback edition of your book is being published! Congratulations. I am thinking about the Sealey Challenge. I flubbed it big time last year, but am heartened to see that you’re participating again. We shall see, we shall see.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It’s a huge challenge, so flubbing it is not a big deal. Even reading a poem a day would be enriching.
Liz Garton Scanlon
Yay for your lovely paperback, AND for your caterpillar poem, AND for hosting Poetry Friday. You’re a wonder!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
You are so kind, Liz.
Molly Hogan
Congratulations! I’m so excited to hear that Wait, Rest, Pause will be released in paperback. I’m one of those teachers who was a bit daunted by the library binding price. I’m off to pre-order the paperback version, and can’t wait to share it with my incoming class. As always, I’m wowed by your energy and photographs, and inspired by your rich reading life. Thanks for hosting this week!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, this one’s for you! I heard from a lot of teachers that they hoped a paperback would be available. 🙂 Thank you for ordering! Let me know if you want a signed bookplate.