“There is something about this manuscript that cries out for publication. It may take you a while to 'get there' but you must.” Noted poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins saw something in me and in my firehouse poems that was worth nurturing and encouragement. He...
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Trucks, Boots, and Bells: Firehouse Poems
Writers often talk about the long road to publication. This is one of those stories, and it isn’t over yet! I started writing poems about firefighting after my father died in 2006. It was a grief project, a way to feel closer to him. And it helped. I was so proud of...
We Know How to Do This
In late 2016 I answered a call for submissions for a poetry anthology entitled IF YOU CAN HEAR THIS: POEMS IN PROTEST OF AN AMERICAN INAUGURATION. My poem "We Know How to Do This" was published in that collection, and I was honored that it was the closing poem in the...
Joy and Inspiration at the NCTE Convention
Because I am a Literacy Coach, the writer part of my brain and the educator part of my brain are often working in concert… but going to the NCTE Convention in Boston last week brought that to a whole new level! For four days, I learned from, collaborated with, and...
Questioning our Family Stories
Hmmm. What’s the best way to set up my poem about immigration and the Statue of Liberty-- a poem that was just published? Should I ... …share it in light of today’s anniversary -- the Statue of Liberty was dedicated on this date in 1886! …share it in honor of my...
Sweet Summer– Playing with Poetry
Summer is winding down! One of the sweetest treats this month was my visit to Barnstable West Barnstable Elementary School here on Cape Cod. As a Visiting Poet, I presented to a class or rising second graders in the Literacy and Arts summer program. We drummed along...
Nurturing Young Readers and Writers
It was three years ago this week that I signed my contract to become a Literacy Coach in a school district here on Cape Cod. I love working in a K-3 school, where the magic of emerging readers and writers is crackling! I wrote a poem about working with a struggling...
Poetry (and raccoons!) in the Bronx
As the school year was winding to a close, I had the delight of returning to P.S. 86 in the Bronx to lead a series of poetry workshops. I attended P.S. 86 as a young child. The students were all-in-- welcoming, and ready to have fun! We talked about how every writer...
My poem in Radical Teacher– “Still,” about the magic of learning to read!
I wrote a poem about the magic of teaching a child to read, "Still.” It captures why I love what I do as a Literacy Coach in a K-3 school. It's just been published in the latest issue of Radical Teacher! Although there are days that I wish I could stay home and write...
Wintry delights: Illustrating Poetry with Young Children
Last week I had the delight of leading a Poetry Friday lesson in a second-grade classroom. I used my poem "Skating with Dad," featured on the wonderful poetry website Dirigible Balloon. After reading the chart together, we had fun using highlighter tape, finding each...