Poetry Friday: February 21, 2025
Laura Purdie Salas is our host for the week. Hop on over there for the roundup.
Wait, Rest, Pause in the Wild
I got my first Google Alert on Wait, Rest, Pause in a long time! It was great news that this book is a storybook trail at Stratford Ecological Center in Delaware, Ohio.
One Step Forward Updates
I finally have everything confirmed for my book launch party at the Lucy Burns Museum on March 29. I’m excited to be in conversation with playwright and public historian, Alli Hartley-Kong.
If you know of any middle school or high school teachers, point them to my One Step Forward page. I have my Teacher’s Guide now on that page.
I also talked about the long journey to publication over at Elizabeth Dulemba’s blog and it’s also reposted to Hollins Kids Lit Substack.
If you’d like a signed copy of One Step Forward, please order through my local indie, One More Page Books. I’ll sign books and they’ll ship them to you!
If you are buying through an online retailer, you can sign up to receive a free signed bookplate. Sign up here and I will mail them out in March.
Haiku of the Week
pompoms dangle
from the thinning bush
still celebrating
Photo Taken: February 8, 2025, Green Spring Gardens
Haiku Written: February 19, 2025
25 New-to-Me Poets in 2025
In her essay “Ten Things About Poetry,” Patricia Smith challenges the reader to “discover one new poet every week.” (in The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics edited by Diane Lockward). I’m setting out to discover 25 New-to-Me poets in 2025. Join me as I read at least 5 poems by a new-to-me poet.
Elani Spencer
Before moving to Northern Virginia, I lived in the Roanoke Valley. Roanoke has done some cool things with poetry. A dear friend of mine, Meighan Sharp, was the Roanoke Writer by Bus. She rode the public bus system in Roanoke and wrote poems about her experiences and the people she met. Amazing, right? Last year, Roanoke inaugurated their first Youth Poet Laureate, Elani Spencer. She’s a student at Hollins University where I went to graduate school. Hollins is famous for authors such as Natasha Trethewey, Annie Dillard, Margaret Wise Brown, and many, many more.
Reading Elani’s poetry was like a visit back to Roanoke. You can read her poems here.
- I loved the way she used body imagery in “Star City”
- The invitation to “let us” and her use of plant imagery in “Perennials” is really beautiful.
- She also has a bunch of exquisite poems at her personal website.
One cool connection: Elani’s favorite class at Hollins was taught by Eva Lynch-Comer. Eva read an early draft of One Step Forward when she worked with my agent.
RECREATE
I tried my hand at soil blocking and started my first early seeds. Since taking this picture a few days ago, everything is already sprouting!
I went to DC to see Sarah Albee and Stacy Innerst do a President’s Day weekend event for The Painter and the President. It was held at the National Portrait Gallery’s Kogod Courtyard. Fun fact: when there isn’t a big event going on, it’s one of my favorite places to write.
The bobblehead guys are the Washington Nationals mascots–the racing Presidents. Pictured is George Washington on the left and Thomas Jefferson on the right.
I took a Japanese History and Forms class through Local Gems Poetry Press. It was an asynchronous class with several short videos about poetry. It took me two weeks to finish the one week class, but I did finish.
16 Comments
Susan T.
The thinning bush is a die-hard party girl with her pompoms. I enjoyed reading your haiku and your fun books news, Marcie!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Susan!
Linda Baie
So much to enjoy in this, Marcie! I’m looking forward to your book of course, and like you, love that poem, “Let us” – feels as if it fits us today, doesn’t it! “Let us drench our city with hope.” Those bobbleheads are hilarious! Have a great weekend!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, her poetry was such a delight! And the bobbleheads were so great! They are fun at a Nats game too, but having them for the book event was just a fun time!
Kathryn Apel
You constantly amaze me! Chasing down so many wonderful things. Congratulations on the upcoming new book. It looks like a powerful read. Such a gift to have the story right in your backyard. You for sure couldn’t walk away from that!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So true–I’m chasing down a lot of things. 🙂 I even had a dream last night where I was talking with someone about my book and I started crying. Not sure what that means…
Laura Purdie Salas
Hooray for your launch party! I hope it’s fabulous! Also, I love that the celebration continues even as the flower droops.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Laura!
jama
Fun to read all the cool things you’re up to. Thanks for the intro to Spencer’s poetry, and I love your haiku (as usual). Pompoms! Those seedlings fill me with hope . . .
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Jama!
Alan j Wright
Marcie, I enjoyed your Haiku of resistance. Those brief words possess a strong undercurrent of strength. Wishing you a most successful book launch.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh I love the idea of a “haiku of resistance.”
Linda Mitchell
oooooh! You’ve been busy. Thank you for all the wonderful, happy news about One Step Forward. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! And, the review from Kirkus? Woweeee! Congrats. I love spending time on your blog posts on a Saturday morning. It’s like an artist date all on it’s own.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Linda! I think maybe your Hollins alum might like the Roanoke poems. 🙂
Molly Hogan
Congratulations, Marcie! Your book looks wonderful, and quite timely, too. I always appreciate the way that you are open to new experiences and are always looking to expand your horizons. Thanks for sharing all that here!
Carol Varsalona
Marcia, you are whirlwind poet/author that I always love visiting. There is so much to love in this post. Thanks for introducing me to the Youth Poet Laureate. I followed your links for a morning pause that bring hope for many more young people to rise. Your pompoms still dazzle and so do you.