Love what you wrote about poetry and kids, letting them experience freedom, flexibility, and just be themselves.
I like the idea of looking for common themes in our writing to build a collection, but also knowing that different styles, subjects, thoughts can go together.
Thank you so much for answering my question! I appreciate your expertise and gut instinct. I'd much rather give my students opportunities to see, experience, and think like poets.
I have been keeping a journal for 35 years. I just signed a contract to publish some writing that I pulled from it about time I spent with my mother toward the end of her life. I was further able to add to that body of writing more writing from my journal concerning the dying and death of my mother's mother. I seem to have a niche! But my point is that in addition to themes or ideas it might be possible to cull experiences or occasions into a collection of essays or even just a collection of excerpts that you polish. In addition to this writing about my time with my mom, I am considering excerpting what I wrote about family vacations, holidays, and other occasions.
Thank you addressing the question about children and poetry, Maggie. As the de facto “poetry expert” (i.e., the only poet) on the Laguna Beach Library’s Friends of the Library Board, I have been responsible for helping oversee our 27-year-old library poetry contest. While there are always wonderful entries in every age group, I’m always especially delighted by the youngest poets’ submissions. This year, our preschool-second grade category first-place winner was 5-year-old Rio Walker. Although he cannot yet write, and needed a step stool to reach the mic to read during our winners’ celebration, his poem, “Tiger,” was a showstopper:
Preschool - Second Grade: 1 place
Rio Walker
Tiger
I like the stripes of the tiger.
I like the orange from the tiger, please.
I like the tail.
I like the teeth because I'm going to keep you safe from them.
His mom took him to the library repeatedly during submissions month (April/Poetry Month) to read children’s poetry books together. He dictated his poem. What poetic voice! Children’s poetry—direct, playful, unassuming—has so much to teach us as adults! Volunteer to work with them or their poems if you can!
In addition to Maggie’s excellent book list, I recommend Kenneth Koch’s
“Rose, Where Did You Get That Red?: Teaching Great Poetry to Children” You can purchase it used from Powell’s for $3.95.
Thank you, Maggie, for writing and sharing such a generous and wonderful newsletter! I deeply appreciate you and your voice. I’m so bummed out that just days after I’d finished the audio version (also the print version) of You Could Make This Life Beautiful (that’s such a great title!) I learned on the last day of your S.F. stop of your tour that you were here (I live in Berkeley) and I couldn’t make it. Your innovation in your approach to writing YCMTLB is astounding. It continually surprised me to keep discovering and rediscovering the superbly fresh idea you used in the structuring of your book. I’ve never seen anything like it before, and it really is such a testament to your brilliance! (Listening to you was such a special experience; but also SEEING how you structured it in print was extra exciting!) Thank you so much for everything you’ve done and are doing. Thank you very much for inspiring me! I am a painter, but I also love to write. I have never truly developed the writing part of me. So, I’m looking forward to reading and listening to Dear Writer and applying what I learn. By the way, hearing your physical voice tell a story is magical and adds such depth to the already excellent experience of reading your work. I’ve forwarded this newsletter to my childhood friend of many decades who is writing his second book of poetry (he hasn’t tried publishing the first yet, but has shared it with loved ones). Thank you, again!!! I think you’re such a badass!!! :-) Love, Kimberly Rowe xo
I just wanted to thank you, as I found this post so very useful. (Kiri - poet from New Zealand) Nb. please come out and visit us sometime! We have a number of writers festivals you could speak at :)
Special to Alexandra, Justine, and others looking for more writing support: Check out The Porch; we’re a woman-founded literary nonprofit based in Nashville, and we have lots of poetry workshops online and in-person! :) porchtn.org
I love that idea of looking for a common thread or theme to link the journals together. It's crazy to think that 30 years of something can all shake down into something cohesive, but I guess that's just kind of life as well
Love what you wrote about poetry and kids, letting them experience freedom, flexibility, and just be themselves.
I like the idea of looking for common themes in our writing to build a collection, but also knowing that different styles, subjects, thoughts can go together.
Thanks, Susannah—glad that all resonated with you.
Thank you for your generosity, Maggie!
Thanks for reading!
Just - thanks - particularly the advice for young children. Liberate their creativity rather than constrain it. Perfect.
Chock full of resources! Tx
Thank you so much for answering my question! I appreciate your expertise and gut instinct. I'd much rather give my students opportunities to see, experience, and think like poets.
They’re naturals!
I have been keeping a journal for 35 years. I just signed a contract to publish some writing that I pulled from it about time I spent with my mother toward the end of her life. I was further able to add to that body of writing more writing from my journal concerning the dying and death of my mother's mother. I seem to have a niche! But my point is that in addition to themes or ideas it might be possible to cull experiences or occasions into a collection of essays or even just a collection of excerpts that you polish. In addition to this writing about my time with my mom, I am considering excerpting what I wrote about family vacations, holidays, and other occasions.
Congratulations, Polly!
Welcome, back, Maggie! Good to find this in my inbox. xo
Thanks, Susan! Good to be finding my way back…
Thank you addressing the question about children and poetry, Maggie. As the de facto “poetry expert” (i.e., the only poet) on the Laguna Beach Library’s Friends of the Library Board, I have been responsible for helping oversee our 27-year-old library poetry contest. While there are always wonderful entries in every age group, I’m always especially delighted by the youngest poets’ submissions. This year, our preschool-second grade category first-place winner was 5-year-old Rio Walker. Although he cannot yet write, and needed a step stool to reach the mic to read during our winners’ celebration, his poem, “Tiger,” was a showstopper:
Preschool - Second Grade: 1 place
Rio Walker
Tiger
I like the stripes of the tiger.
I like the orange from the tiger, please.
I like the tail.
I like the teeth because I'm going to keep you safe from them.
His mom took him to the library repeatedly during submissions month (April/Poetry Month) to read children’s poetry books together. He dictated his poem. What poetic voice! Children’s poetry—direct, playful, unassuming—has so much to teach us as adults! Volunteer to work with them or their poems if you can!
In addition to Maggie’s excellent book list, I recommend Kenneth Koch’s
“Rose, Where Did You Get That Red?: Teaching Great Poetry to Children” You can purchase it used from Powell’s for $3.95.
Thank you Maggie for sharing organizations, poets and craft books to help with writing development. I will look into them!
6/8/25
Thank you, Maggie, for writing and sharing such a generous and wonderful newsletter! I deeply appreciate you and your voice. I’m so bummed out that just days after I’d finished the audio version (also the print version) of You Could Make This Life Beautiful (that’s such a great title!) I learned on the last day of your S.F. stop of your tour that you were here (I live in Berkeley) and I couldn’t make it. Your innovation in your approach to writing YCMTLB is astounding. It continually surprised me to keep discovering and rediscovering the superbly fresh idea you used in the structuring of your book. I’ve never seen anything like it before, and it really is such a testament to your brilliance! (Listening to you was such a special experience; but also SEEING how you structured it in print was extra exciting!) Thank you so much for everything you’ve done and are doing. Thank you very much for inspiring me! I am a painter, but I also love to write. I have never truly developed the writing part of me. So, I’m looking forward to reading and listening to Dear Writer and applying what I learn. By the way, hearing your physical voice tell a story is magical and adds such depth to the already excellent experience of reading your work. I’ve forwarded this newsletter to my childhood friend of many decades who is writing his second book of poetry (he hasn’t tried publishing the first yet, but has shared it with loved ones). Thank you, again!!! I think you’re such a badass!!! :-) Love, Kimberly Rowe xo
I just wanted to thank you, as I found this post so very useful. (Kiri - poet from New Zealand) Nb. please come out and visit us sometime! We have a number of writers festivals you could speak at :)
Special to Alexandra, Justine, and others looking for more writing support: Check out The Porch; we’re a woman-founded literary nonprofit based in Nashville, and we have lots of poetry workshops online and in-person! :) porchtn.org
I love that idea of looking for a common thread or theme to link the journals together. It's crazy to think that 30 years of something can all shake down into something cohesive, but I guess that's just kind of life as well
Thank you! I feel very lucky.
I wonder if they “read” William Blake’s “Tyger” together, as my grandpa did with me?!