This week my guest on Poetry from Daily Life is my friend and fellow poet, KEN SLESARIK, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Ken is also a teacher and a grief educator among other accomplishments, and he has a lot to tell us about the healing powers of poetry. Ken’s column will appear in Springfield News-Leader and five other newspapers in Missouri, Kansas, and South Dakota. The column will also appear on Sunday in the News-Leader e-edition and I’ll share the link to it Sunday morning.
Many of Ken’s poems have been published in magazines and anthologies. His mission is to empower those who grieve through the healing power of poetry. He regularly hosts poetry programs for students and speaks at conferences. You will appreciate very much what Ken has to share. Thank you, Ken.
Yesterday my copies of 40 Poems for 40 Weeks arrived and I’m delighted by how the book has turned out. I loved seeing the faces of so many friends and colleagues who contributed poems and information about themselves for the benefit of young readers and the librarians, teachers, and family members who will be reading them aloud. Every poem is accompanied by a word ladder created by TIM RASINSKI. It’s just a great book.
40 Poems for 40 Weeks got off to a fast start and after a month is still doing very well. The first review is in and it’s a good one: “I’ve had the privilege of seeing first hand how poetry in the classroom ignites student learning. Here is a tool kit in one wonderful book for elementary school teachers to get started NOW! Your students’ reading will improve; they will write more, and they will use creative thinking in whole new ways. Anyone who loves a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade teacher or student should get this book into a teacher’s hands!” Now we hope to see more reviews posted to help get the book out there to its intended audiences. Thank you in advance if you or someone you know is in a position to help. Here is the list of poets whose work appears in the book.
1 Alan Katz 2 Allan Wolf 3 Amy VanDerwater 4 Avis Harley 5 Betsy Franco 6 Charles Ghigna 7 Charles Waters 8 David Harrison 9 Eileen Spinelli 10 Ellen Hopkins 11 Eric Ode 12 Georgia Heard 13 Greg Pincus 14 Heidi Stemple 15 Irene Latham 16 Jane Yolen 17 Janet Wong 18 Joseph Bruchac 19 Joyce Sidman 20 Kalli Dakos 21 Karen Craigo 22 Kate Coombs 23 Kenn Nesbitt 24 Lesléa Newman 25 Margarita Engle 26 Marilyn Singer 27 Marjorie Maddox 28 Mary Lee Hahn 29 Maryfrances Wagner 30 Matt Forrest 31 Michael Salinger 32 Nancy Bo Flood 33 Niki Grimes 34 Nile Stanley 35 Rebecca Dotlich 36 Renee LaTuippe 37 Sandy Asher 38 Sara Holbrook 39 Ted Kooser ) 40 Wyatt Townley
Children's Author David L. Harrison's Blog 