05 May MAY-ING

IT IS MAY — or how could April pass by so quickly!

I begin by congratulating Sylvia Vardell on her gargantuan production of THE POETRY TEACHER’S BOOK OF LISTS.  Everything about it, including a quote from me, can be found at www.poetryteachersbookoflists.blogspot.com 

This is a resource for everyone to bring poetry and children of all ages together.  There is simply nothing like this volume.  Every school and public library should have copies.

The Lee Bennett Hopkins/Penn State Poetry Award was given to Lee Wardlaw for her book, WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU (Holt).  There was one honor book, HIDDEN, by the incredible Helen Frost (Farrar, Straus & Giroux).  WON TON is the 20th book to receive the award.  It is hard to believe that twenty years ago Ashley Bryan received the first award for SING TO THE SUN (HarperCollins).  The first event was held at the Governor’s Mansion in Pennsylvania on a very rainy night.  Ashley and I have been friends for a very long time…long before he wrote …SUN.

I was happy to receive a contract for a forthcoming book which I am plunging into with great enthusiasm after completing work a new book of poems (more about that one at a later date!)

More exciting was the package of sheets that arrived for my original picture book, MARY’S SONG, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn, to be released by Eerdman’s in September.

Funny about writing.  I pore through the spectacular sheets marveling at Stephen’s artwork, then read the text forgetting I wrote it.  It even dawned on me that entire book is told by and from the Virgin Mary’s point-of-view.  In brief, poetic prose, MARY’S SONG, is about Mary’s quest to be alone with her baby.

The agenda for the Lee Bennett Hopkins/Edison State Writing Institute to be held on October 27th is now complete.  In addition to Gregory Maguire, Bill Farnsworth, illustrator extraordinare will be part of the exciting morning.  Click on EDISON on my site for complete information.

Several projects were finished during April.  Onto tomorrows…with another idea brewing which I hope will come to fruition.