Poetry Friday: Do You Have Any Advice?

The beginning of the school year seems a good time to remind you about Poetry 180, the Library of Congress program billed as "A Poem a Day for American High Schools." As former Poet Laureate Billy Collins says on the site, "Poetry 180 is designed to make it easy for students to hear or read a poem on each of the 180 days of the school year. "

No reason why we non-high school students can't piggyback on that. (I subscribe in Google Reader and have the poems sent to me each morning.)

Do any of you teach in schools that use Poetry 180? Or have kids in a school that does? I'd love to hear.

Here's the beginning of the poem for day 7, which resonates with me because I feel that I'm always "just starting out"---on a new book, a new page, a new challenge. Plus, I'm a big fan of cheap notebooks.

Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?

by Ron Koertge

Give up sitting dutifully at your desk. Leave
your house or apartment. Go out into the world.

It's all right to carry a notebook but a cheap
one is best, with pages the color of weak tea
and on the front a kitten or a space ship.

Avoid any enclosed space where more than
three people are wearing turtlenecks. Beware
any snow-covered chalet with deer tracks
across the muffled tennis courts.

Not surprisingly, libraries are a good place to write.
And the perfect place in a library is near an aisle
where a child a year or two old is playing as his
mother browses the ranks of the dead.

Read the rest here.

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Becky's Book Reviews.

It isn't about shouting

"To me, the best self-promotion isn't shouting about your book; it's just being a helpful human being online."

After author Kate Messner tweeted those wise words in a Kidlit Twitterchat last week, I thought they would be all over the internet and turned into bumper stickers. 'Cause she nailed it.

But if you still need a visual on that, and you'd like to see firsthand what "helpful human beings online" look like, consider registering for the 2009 Kidlitosphere Conference, here in D.C. on October 17th. You'll meet over forty such wonderful souls.

Here's the email from Head HHBO herself, Pam (Mother Reader):

For authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers in the area of children's and Young Adult literature, the October 17th Kidlitosphere Conference in Arlington, VA offers an incredible opportunity to learn more about online reviewers, blog book tours, blog writing, and social media. Participants will also talk to forty book reviewing bloggers one-on-one about their books in a Meet the Author session. The dinner gives everyone has a chance to socialize, talk, network, and collaborate. And all for a low $100 registration fee that includes breakfast and dinner.

Featured sessions for authors/illustrators include:

* It's Not All About Your Book: Writing Ideas for Author Blogs
* Social Networking for Fun (and Profit?).
* Building a Better Online Presence

And several more sessions in the 8:00-5:00 p.m day. Attending authors will have the opportunity to set up a table and show their books to bloggers. This is a great opportunity to connect with the blogging community and promote fall titles.

For more information and to register visit http://kidlitosphere.org/KidLitosphere_Central/KidLitosphere_Conference/KidLitosphere_Conference.html

or e-mail: MotherReader@gmail.com

Thanks,
Pam W. Coughlan
www.motherreader.com

Sherman Alexie at the Fall for the Book Festival

In the "how did I miss this????" category:

Sherman Alexie is going to be near D.C. next week! He spoke at the SCBWI Conference in L.A. this year, but I couldn't go, so this is my chance. Anyone want to join me?

From the Fall for the Book website:

Mason Award Winner Sherman Alexie

WhenTue, September 22, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

WhereConcert Hall, Center for the Arts, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA (map)

DescriptionNovelist, poet and filmmaker Sherman Alexie, author most recently of the National Book Award winning young adult novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," will receive this year’s Mason Award and read selections from his work.

If you need an enthusiastic Alexie introduction, I blogged about him three times. I'll be bringing my copies of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Reservation Blues, and Flight. And hoping that they're selling all his poetry books.