Didn’t make the cut

Hi everyone,

During the Cybils Award process, the first list of accepted nominations is cut down by committee action to a smaller number of finalists. In the poetry category, I think there were 40 or so on the first list and now there are seven finalists. THE DIRT BOOK didn’t make the cut but I had the fun and honor of having my chance. My thanks again to LINDA BAIE for giving me that chance. Onward and upward.

Made the Cybils list

Hi everyone,

I slept in today, a delicious and rare treat. After my second cup of coffee and the paper, I wandered into the office to check email and made a discovery that has made the last day of 2021 end on a high note! An old friend and colleague, LINDA BAIE, has been kind enough to nominate THE DIRT BOOK for the Cybils Award. It has been accepted and is now on the published list. Linda, you are so kind to do this. What a wonderful surprise. I’m glad my coffee cup wasn’t still full when I saw this news!

Here’s a link in case you’re curious. http://www.cybils.com/2021-nominations-poetry

Waving to Linda Baie

Hi everyone,

My thanks to Linda Baie for posting me on Poetry Friday. If you missed her review of A PLACE TO START A FAMILY, here’s the link. http://www.teacherdance.org/2018/02/poetry-friday-all-for-family.html

Linda, I’m grateful for your delightful review and support in sharing news about the book. Thank you!

Keep those dirt poems coming!

Hi everyone,

We have plenty of time for you to share a poem inspired by dirt. So far we have fewer poets but their work is stellar. If you have not yet clicked on Adult W.O.M. Poems to enjoy their offerings, you need to do so. So far we have Cory Corrado (Canada), Bryn Strudwick (England), Silindile Ntuli (South Africa), and Jane Yolen, Donna Welch Earnhardt, Karen Eastlund, Jeanne Poland, Chris Regier, Linda Baie, Linda Boyden, and Cheryl Harness from the U.S.

Have I overlooked anyone? I’ve enjoyed all the poems this month and never cease to be impressed by the variety of work that spins off of the same word. I hope to hear from more of you before we have to get out the soap and water and clean up for November.

Vegas and Boston

Hi everyone,

Here’s a shot of the Las Vegas Marathon while we were there. I heard that it involved 35,000 runners.

At NCTE I’m sorry to say that I didn’t get any pictures but Linda Baie was kind enough to take one of Sandy and me and someone else took a picture of Georgia Heard and Laura Purdie Salas with me at breakfast. Do I know how to pick glamorous women or what!