I usually keep this blog focused on three things: poetry, children’s books, and arts education. But every now and then, I come across an adult book that begs to be shared. This week, that book is Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet with No Apologies, by actor Reagan J. Pasternak. As most of you know, our […]
Laura's Blog
Thursday, 24 June 2021
Thursday, 17 June 2021
Hi, Poetry Friday friends. Today, I am sharing a very special call for poetry submissions. My friend, the poet Hiram Larew, is the positive force behind the website www.Poetry X Hunger.com. Hiram is using poetry to draw attention to the issue of hunger in our country and the world. But before the submission details… here […]
Thursday, 3 June 2021
Happy Poetry Friday, everyone! I am super excited to welcome my friend, verse novelist Chris Baron to speak with us today. Chris is the author of the verse novel ALL OF ME. His follow up middle grade book, THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT, come out on June 15. Chris is very generously giving away *not only* a […]
Thursday, 20 May 2021
Today, the Poetry Friday community is celebrating Mary Lee Hahn’s retirement from teaching! Many years ago, I was lucky enough to visit and spend a little time with Mary Lee’s class. I loved watching her interact with her students. From that visit–and Mary Lee’s beautiful, vulnerable posts about striving to learn and grow as an […]
Thursday, 6 May 2021
It’s Poetry Friday! I have been featuring Asian American authors on my blog as part of the annual #AuthorsTakeAction initiative. In each post, I’ll share a recommended middle grade or YA novel by an Asian American author and a read-alongside poem. Before we get to today’s featured book, though–a quick announcement. This month, on May 18-19, author and poet […]
Thursday, 22 April 2021
It’s Poetry Friday! For the next few weeks, I will be featuring Asian American authors on my blog as part of the annual #AuthorsTakeAction initiative. In each post, I’ll share a recommended middle grade or YA novel by an Asian American author and a read-alongside poem. Before we get to today’s featured book, though–a quick announcement. This Sunday, […]
Thursday, 15 April 2021
Happy National Poetry Month, everyone. According to Poets.Org, it’s the 25th anniversary! For the next few weeks, I will be featuring Asian American authors on my blog as part of the annual #AuthorsTakeAction initiative. In each post, I’ll share a recommended middle grade or YA novel by an Asian American author and a read-alongside poem. […]
Thursday, 25 February 2021
Hello, Poetry Friday friends. It’s the last week of the February Poetry Project. I always have a mix of feelings as we head into the final days of this writing practice. If I’ve managed to draft a poem every day, there’s a sense of accomplishment. There’s the exhiliration of seeing the finish line ahead! But […]
Thursday, 18 February 2021
This past week, we have been working through the saggy middle of my annual February Daily Poem Project. You may have heard novelists complain that their energy wanes midway through writing a book. That can happen with this project too. I coach participants to focus on getting a poem written without judging it. To embrace […]
Thursday, 11 February 2021
We are nearly halfway through the 9th Annual February Daily Poem Project. For several years — in order to practice writing in community — my blog hosted a poetry project. We moved to Facebook in 2017 to accommodate the number of poets and writers who wanted to participate. 2021 Theme: Bodies Read more about this […]
Laura Shovan is the author of the award-winning middle grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. Her second book, Takedown, is a Junior Library Guild and PJ Our Way selection. Look for A Place at the Table, co-written with Saadia Faruqi, in 2020. Laura is a poet-in-the-schools Maryland.
