Poem Flow

Happy Poetry Month!

Have you discovered Poem Flow? Last week, while browsing the pages at poets.org, I read all about this app. and downloaded it for free. I’ve enjoyed a poem daily on my iPhone but now have reached the limit with a total of 20 poems stored in my library. Today I was alerted that I could purchase 100 more poems for 99 cents. 

The app. is for the iPhone or iPod Touch but I also noticed that if you go to PoemFlow.com you can “get involved even without an apple device.”

You can find out more about it here.

I enjoy the ‘flow.’ When I click on a poem while my iPhone is turned on its side, the words appear and disappear on my screen in a ‘flow’ of words. Held upright, the phone displays the full poem.

Here are a few screen shots:

From “Haunted” by Naomi Shihab Nye:

From “Ghost Elephants” by Jean Valentine:

Although, I'm going to have a busy month finishing up my novel, working on a nonfiction project, and trying to prepare a picture book for submission, I'm going to try to get a daily dose of poetry. There are so many poetry activities going on throughout the blogging world. You can find a great list of events at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.

I am excited to participate in the 2012 KidLit Progressive Poem hosted by Irene Latham. The poem began at Irene’s blog, Live Your Poem and is at The Drift Record today where Julie Larios has added a line. The poem will be here on April 29^th.

I also have a few poetry prompts up my sleeve so please visit throughout the month and participate if you can.

Wordless Wednesday: What my teen daughter has been reading lately

Poetry Friday: Sounds Like Maple Syrup

Sap is already flowing in the local sugar bushes because of the warmer weather. It will be interesting to see   how long 'the run' lasts this year.

My poem "Sounds Like Maple Syrup" appears in the March 2012 issue of Highlights High Five.
I was so thrilled to see Jim Bernardin's beautiful illustrations. Don't you just love that dog?
Laura is hosting Poetry Friday here .

Reflection

I’ve had a slower start to the year as I completed a nonfiction project that consumed me for the entire fall season. What also resulted for me was a forced distance from my creative work. The break from my YA novel and my poetry picture book has had some benefits. 

Over the last several days, I’ve given myself a little time to reflect. I’ve been going back and reading my novel and my picture book with fresh eyes. I’ve gained a new perspective that I think I need in order to make it to the finish line.

Now to settle in for some serious work. Wish me luck! Both books are almost complete.  

Taking the time for reflection can feel like a gift to the self. Have you given yourself any of that good stuff lately? I highly recommend it. It’s the best response to chaos that I can think of.

The tortoise and the hare come to mind. Slow and steady will be my approach this year.

My 2012 perspective – see the world with fresh eyes.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

I’ve always loved Ella Fitzgerald but, as I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been listening to her even more this year because the main character in my YA novel adores her. 

At this time of the year, those old songs, sung by Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Ella Fitzgerald, always put me in a holiday mood.  I'd like to share one of my favourites from the album, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas. I've tried everything to have this embedded within my blog but the link might only take you over to youtube.  Here is Ella singing "The Secret of Christmas."

Coming Up for Air

Over the last several weeks, I have been working hard to meet a few deadlines so I have had to set my blog on the back burner. I hope to establish a blogging schedule this month because I really enjoy connecting with other writers through these posts and the posts of other bloggers. I’m wondering how all of you do it. How do you juggle the demands of life, work, and writing, and still manage to squeeze in time for blogging? Do you find that a blogging schedule helps?

I have been so immersed in my writing projects that when I do pop up and out of the world of words it really does feel like I am coming up for air. Just recently I emerged and realized that all of the books that I’d taken out of the library for research are overdue. When you have twenty-two books on loan, it doesn’t take long for the fines to be outrageous! I renewed all of them but I am left with a hefty fine. Oh, the guilt. Is it okay to think of library fines as a kind of good donation to the library? Having cards for two different library systems just complicates everything! I set up my accounts so that I would receive email notifications when my books are due. For some reason, I didn’t receive a notification for these books. That’s not an excuse. Maybe I should write down the due dates in my day planner.  Do any of you know of a way to ensure that books are returned by or renewed before the due date?