It’s the last week of National Poetry Month. I’ve got four great author interviews lined up for us. They’re part of my NPM17 series on verse novelists. The community of authors who write novels-in-verse for children and teens is a small, supportive one. One of the widely published verse novelists who gives tireless support to […]
Author Feature
Monday, 24 April 2017
Thursday, 20 April 2017
Happy Poetry Friday! I’m excited about today’s interview. A few years ago, my PitchWars mentor, Joy McCullough-Carranza, was working with a new mentee on another middle grade novel-in-verse. Joy asked me to read the manuscript and share some feedback. This story has two happy endings! The manuscript Joy sent me became Ellie Terry’s debut novel, […]
Monday, 17 April 2017
April is one of my favorite times of year. Looking out my window this morning, the dogwood and redbud trees are in bloom. A carpet of purple phlox greets visitors at our door. And, of course, it’s National Poetry Month. My series of interviews with verse novelists continues today with middle grade author Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu. Welcome, […]
Thursday, 13 April 2017
Happy Poetry Friday, everyone. My series of interviews with verse novelists continues today with middle grade author Shari Green. But first, a quick PSA: This week, I did a guest posting at School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox blog. Blog team member Amanda MacGregor invited me to write up this year’s February Poetry Project as […]
Monday, 10 April 2017
Welcome back to my National Poetry Month, 2017, series of interview with verse novelists. I am spending this month learning more about the craft behind this form of writing with nine poet/novelists. Leza Lowitz is the third author to take on my 5 Questions challenge. Leza is originally from California, but lives in Tokyo. Her novel […]
Thursday, 6 April 2017
This week is the first Poetry Friday of National Poetry Month, 2017. I’m thrilled to welcome middle grade author Caroline Starr Rose to the blog today. Caroline’s got a new prose novel out, JASPER AND THE RIDDLE OF RILEY’S MINE. But today, she’s joining my month-long series of interviews with verse novelists. Caroline, tell us […]
Monday, 3 April 2017
Happy National Poetry Month, everyone! Today, I’m kicking off my NPM 2017 series on verse novelists with my friend, poet and author Jeannine Atkins. In addition to answering five questions about their work, I’ve asked each author to share a photograph of a poem from her book, so we can get a peek at how the […]
Thursday, 16 February 2017
Dear Friends and Poetry Friday bloggers, I have to begin this post with a thank you. On Tuesday, I learned that THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY is the 2016 CYBILS award-winner for poetry. Many of you have cheered on my novel-in-verse for years — commenting on drafts of the poems on my blog, […]
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Well, here we are. It’s really happening. First, I’d like to thank all of you for your comments on the press conference found poems. Several Poetry Friday regulars have been engaging with transcripts of the president-elect’s words. By paring away (or emphasizing) the fluff, these poems help us expose problems with the way language is […]
Thursday, 22 December 2016
After a long season of traveling, I’m home and happy to be back to Poetry Friday. Wednesday was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Even though the poem I’m sharing today is set in autumn, its meditative quality reminds me of how brief, chilly winter days feel here in Maryland. This poem is […]
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.
