Day 4: Stuck Bumblebee Poetry Challenge!
Welcome! In celebration of Earth Day and book birthdays, we are channeling our creativity and writing a poem a day for seven days based on prompts from our books. Join us! There will be prizes!
Hello Kid Lit Writers and Poets!
Please join us in welcoming today’s featured author, Irene Latham!
Irene writes poems and stories from the Purple Horse Poetry Studio & Music Room in rural Alabama. The author or co-author of more than twenty books, including African Town, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award, and The Museum on the Moon, a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, her current focus is on curating poetry anthologies. Read hundreds of Irene's poems for free at irenelatham.com.
Irene’s writing tip
One of my favorite quotes comes from Ann Sexton:
“One of my secret instructions to myself as a poet is: “Whatever you do, don’t be boring.”
YES! Poetry is a place for surprise and delight. Let your freak flag fly and give readers all the quirky (non-boring) things about you and how you experience the world. This could be a surprising subject or image, an invented word or inspired comparison. Wake up the world with you poetry!
For more ways to do this, I’m teaching an online course for Inked Voices April 27 called “8 Ways to Wake Up Your Poetry.” Check out Inked Voices!
Read Irene’s website
Today’s two-word prompt: frozen | future
Join us in writing a poem to celebrate Earth Day. Do you want to share a photo poem? Share it in NOTES. Otherwise, share your text only comments and/or poetry in the comments.
This book by Irene Latham released a couple of days ago!
Do I need to post my poem to win?
No, but if you’d like to share, that would be lovely. Leave a comment, and you will be entered in the drawing for a prize.
Poetry Forms and Poetic Devices
Your choice… Choose whatever poetry form works for you. Here is a link to a document with a list of poetry forms.
PRIZES!
Irene is offering a critique!
Remember to support our guest authors and their books in whatever ways you can. Recommend them to a friend or a teacher, request them at your local library, leave a review or purchase them from your local indie book store.
Look what I discovered in Instagram! Thanks, Steena!
Featured Authors
ICYMI Featured Authors
April 13 Sign up day Featured Author Joyce Uglow
Day 1 April 20 Featured Author Sara Andrea Fajardo
Day 2 April 21 Featured Author Jenny Mattern
Day 3 April 22 to visit with Featured Author Kathy Halsey
Day 4 April 23 Featured Author Irene Latham
Join us tomorrow for Day 5 April 24 Featured Author Natasha Zimmers
Day 6 April 25 Featured Author Susan Johnston Taylor
Day 7 April 26 Featured Author: Cindy Mackey
April 30 Prizes announced
How’s it going, Writers? Did you write a poem?
Yes! Click the “Leave a comment” button to share your creativity, or simply write a comment. (It’s always fun to see a Restack.)
This year’s Green Earth Book Award winners represent not only excellence in writing, but a deep commitment to environmental awareness, advocacy, and action. Their work reminds us that books are more than just stories or studies—they can be catalysts for change. The Nature Generation has classroom resources and gives seed grants. Which books got chosen yesterday?
Thanks so much, Irene!
See you all on Day 5 for a visit from Natasha Zimmers.
A quick note. Thank you for the restacks. Restacking in SubStack helps to promote the featured authors, their platform, and their books. I invite you to request the featured authors’ books at your library and leave a positive review wherever you elevate books. This year, my one little word is discover. ❤️ I am thrilled that this little challenge has delivered a plethora of poet discoveries for me! Thanks for being here for the planet with poetry.
Thank you, Irene for inspiring present and future fun.