Poet, Joseph Green

“Friday, 7-9pm” the advertisement read. As I continued, it explained the poetry event was occurring at BLOOMBARS, which is located in Columbia Heights, DC. My husband is teaching Friday night and I really haven’t done anything poetry-related in a while (unlike many of the slicers who are writing a poem a day this month.) Then, I recalled how before Covid, poet, Joseph Green came to my school and did a poetry workshop for the English teachers. I remembered his powerful, deep voice. I remember his passion for words. And now he is celebrating his first published book of poetry. I clicked the event and reserved my ticket and one book.

Usually on a Friday night, I’m enjoying a slice of Friday Night pizza and relaxing on the couch, watching Jeapardy. Last Friday, I shock it up and programed my phone to an unknown address 25 minutes away from my home. The google maps’ voice started speaking, sharing left turns and right turns to follow to arrive at Bloombars. First, across the Potomac River, then up the Rock Creek Parkway, just pass the National zoo and into a a neighborhood of old row houses. I traveled down Irving Street, crossed 16th, then crossed 13th (the street my mom grew up on.) As I stopped at the traffic light, I saw the Tivoli Theater, now a Target. People of all ages were crossing the street, out walking their dog or walking home from the Metro. I turned right onto 11th and the voice from my phone announced, “You have arrived.” After circling the block, I found a spot to parallel park the car. The clock read 6:45pm.

I entered a row house turned into an event space. In front of me were stairs upstair, the risers each painted a different pastel color with a saying painted to each: “K is for kindness. J is for Joy…” Art covered the walls of the once living room and lively music played. The far side of the space was a stage with a microphone and a DJ, working his tunes. “Welcome,” a deep familiar voice proclaimed. It was Joseph and I explained how I was a teacher and he had taught me many years ago. With a twinkle in his eye, he smiled, remembering our time together. He handed me his book and I took a seat on what used to be a church pew hugging the wall to the left of the stage. And for the next 15 minutes, I read!

Joseph Green’s book, Talk Ugly and Other Poems, is a unique poetry collection. It is three poems shared graphically. Each poem is shown across about 20 pages. The graphic images and colors hold my interest as the poetic words sink in. Then in the end, the three poems appear on the page, with just text and line breaks. Then at 7:10pm, Joseph takes the stage. His thunderous voice performs the first poem. Hearing the words spoken is so powerful!

After he signed my book, I heading back to my car. As I held his book, I think about how powerful poetry is. With just the right word choices and the arrangement of the text, a reader is moved. But then add colorful images across comic-size squares. Then add my memory of having the privilege to hear the poet speak the words. A trifecta!

So glad I treated myself to poetry last Friday night. So glad Joseph Green is a published poet.

NOTE: to access the free discussion guide, please visit http://www.LMScurriculum.com

Clint Smith

As I try to write daily this month, I treated myself last night (yep, on a school night) to an author event at the DC MLK Library. Brilliant poet and NF writer, Clint Smith was celebrating the book birthday of Above Ground and was doing so while in conversation with another amazing poet, Elizabeth Acevedo. I had the pleasure of happening upon while in Baltimore for NCTE2019, the November before Covid. So I knew I was in for a treat with this duo. They did not disappoint!

He started by reading the first poem in the collection entitled “All at Once”. He explained that it is what this collection is about – the small moments he is living, now seeing through the lens of fatherhood, next to the moments happening all around, often tragic. The last two lines – “There is a funeral procession in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon. The river that gives us water to drink is the smae one that might wash us away.” Sitting in the front row, hearing his voice read this poem aloud. Powerful. Inspiring.

Then he explained, with the news of yesterday in Nashville, he would read three poems in a row. “We See Another School Shooting on the News”, “The Gun”. “When People Say ‘We Made It Through Worse Before'”. The chosen words he gathered for these poems moved me to tears and I sat, with wet cheeks, realizing her didn’t just wirite these words last night. He wrote them on another night, after a similiar tragic event. His words, attempting to process the dangerous world I live in as I live in America.

Then he read two more poems, both from the perspective of being a new father – “Dance Party” and “Ode to the Electric Baby Swing”. As I wiped my eyes, I was immediately laughing aloud with the crowd. His descriptions of the silliness and joy of being a father to his two kids captures such playfulness and hope.

Next, Liz questioned Clint and I discovered:
* they are writing partners, sharing early drafts and offering feedback to each other
* they were Poetry Slam partners
* they both would come write for hours at the MLK library and then take a snack break together.
* Elizabeth has a new book coming out in August that can be pre-ordered now!

A few more of Clint’s comments:
* I had to write many, many poems to create the space for these poems to be written and now published
* Poetry is how I do my best thinking
* Poetry is the act of paying attention – many of the poems in this volume are me paying attention to parenthood
* Coolest part of having a published book is to hear how a reader reads it and connects to it.
* Inspired by the poetry of Ross Gay who showed me it was OK for poetry to have levity (adding this poet to my Must Read list)
* My life is only possible because of the people who struggled before me.
* Writing this book taught me that I don’t need quiet and long stretches of time to write. I wrote this during Sesame Street and grocery shopping and naptime. Small amounts of time while being a new dad.

I highly recommend buying one copy of Above Ground for you and then copies for all your friends who are new parents.
Yes, I will be giving Aden’s parents a copy!!

Let’s Celebrate!

“Happy St. Patrick’s Day” my husband said as he handed me a snifter of whiskey as an after dinner treat. We sat, sipped and watched some NCAA basketball together before heading to bed.

Before that, I enjoyed a plate of homemade corned beef and goulushka, which is wide egg noodles mixed with finely chopped fried cabbage that my mother-in-law taught me how to make.

Before that, I boiled the egg noodles for 7 minutes and drained them in the colinder.

Before that, I fried the finely chopped cabbage in crisco in my frying pan for about 20 minutes, stirring it constantly.

Before that, I used my mini-chopper to finely cut up pieces cut from a whole head of cabbage and I made a mental note that I should really purchase a bigger chopper as this is taking longer than it needs to.

Before that, I enjoyed co-hosting a zoom call with Slicers – Fran from DC spearheaded this effort and had the zoom link. Megan from VA, Fran from Iowa, Alice from Texas, and Denise from CA joined us. From coast to coast, we shared what brought us to this slicing challenge, where we get our ideas, and structures we like to use (I shared this Before that… structure!). Sharing writing is one thing but having the opportunity to hear the voice of the writer and see them and realize that as I slice in my home in VA, others are slicing across the nation and globe just feels powerful.

Before that, I left school as soon as the dismissal bell rang at 2:35pm and drove home. I first placed the corned beef on the stove to boil and set the timer for 3 hours. Then I added a load of laundry in the washer and spied the additional four loads of laundry to follow due to just returning from my trip to meet Aden.

Before that, my phone vibrated and I saw my daughter had added new photos of Aden to our private Family Album app. She is doning the St. Patrick’s Day outfit my mom bought for her that I delivered to her last week on my trip.

Before that, I sent an email to all in my ELA department to let them know that our colleague, Beth Sanderson, was the SPOTLIGHT today on TwoWritingTeachers and I used her poem as a warmup during my CLT meeting.

Before that, Ed, walked into McDonald’s and welcomed me back and asked to see my photos from my trip.

Before that, I ordered my Friday regular breakfast from the McDonald’s cashier, “an oatmeal and unsweetened ice tea, please” and I sat in the booth by the window, typed my slice on my laptop, posted it, made 3 comments and enjoyed my breakfast, while donning my shamrock socks and green shirt.

So much to celebrate on a Friday!

I’m as old as….

Today is my birthday (Monday, October 11th). Students don’t have class today as they celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day so on Friday, I celebrated with my students.

First I played this video of one of my favorite poets, Billy Collins, reading his poem Cheerios. Do take 2-minutes to view it HERE.

Next I shared this poster I made showing books of a few children’s books published the year I was born. It also shows inventions made, an historical event, and buildings built. But best of all, the foods first found on the grocery store shelves the year I was born are listed. Yep, I’m as old as Chip-Ahoy cookies!

Students used their iPads to find out what was going on the year they were born. They began a list on the white board. We laughed as we compared.

We stepped outside to safely to enjoy a Chip-ahoy cookie and returned to view this video of a classic picture book. Then we returned to our regular Reading lesson for the day. I’m glad I took 15-minutes to celebrate my birthday with my students! Poetry, a little research, a laugh, a cookie and an read-aloud. The perfect birthday celebration for me as I turn 58 years young!

Can you find out what you are as old as?
Do and then share as a comment!