Back when he was a new firefighter in 1962, my father helped pull a fellow firefighter to safety as a porch roof collapsed in a Bronx house fire. The moment was captured by a New York Daily News photographer, and it was splashed on the front page the next day. We...
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A Smile from the FDNY
I know there’s an image of New Yorkers being somewhat hard-boiled when visitors get googly-eyed over the charms and flash of NYC, but on a recent visit, I saw the opposite, thanks to the FDNY. We were walking past a firehouse not far from Times Square, and the bay was...
Standing up to Fearmongers and Hate
My message to those stirring fears and hatred toward LGBTQ+ teachers was published this week in The Advocate Magazine: "Stop Calling Us Groomers and Quit Making Us Your Prey." This op-ed, reflecting on my 30+ years as an out queer teacher, was cathartic to write. It...
Poetry Friday- Haiku Riddles!
In the midst of this challenging winter, I'm trying to keep warm by surrounding myself with great poetry books. LION OF THE SKY: HAIKU FOR ALL SEASONS presents a delightful gift to teachers who want to introduce their young writers to poetry writing and haiku....
Poetry Alert at the Latinx KidLit Book Festival!
Two poets I admire are having a conversion today, and we can all tune in. The ongoing LATINX KIDLIT BOOK FESTIVAL is happening on youtube, and poets Margarita Engle and NoNieqa Ramos will be talking about how poetry can convey emotion, tone, and drama. This is...
Poetry of place: where did you call home?
Can you picture the house or apartment where you grew up? The texture of the couch, the sound of water in the pipes? Did the windows rattle, and what did the doorknobs look like? Can you draw a map of each room? So many sensory images come flooding back to me as I...
POETRY FRIDAY: TELLING A LIFE IN VERSE- LEWIS HINE by ALEXANDRA S.D. HINRICHS
I recently learned of a book for young readers that combines three of my passions: poetry, history, and social justice. THE TRAVELING CAMERA: LEWIS HINE AND THE FIGHT TO END CHILD LABOR (Getty Publications, 2021) balances these three elements beautifully, along with...
Poetry Friday: What’s “Poetry PLUS?”
I've learned so much about what it takes to put together a poetry anthology by taking classes from Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. “Poetry PLUS” is one aspect of the art and craft of assembling an anthology that fascinates me as a poet and an educator. On the Pomelo...
My poem “Moss” on a fun poetry website!
Don’t you love moss? When I’m on a trail walk, surrounded by lots of moss, it just makes me happy. I’m going to focus on that today instead of the storm-related stresses that have dominated the week here on Cape Cod! There is a delightful website all about children’s...
THINGS WE DO- a playful A to Z book of poems for children!
It’s publication day for a very special poetry anthology for young children. THINGS WE DO is an alphabetic book of playful poems bursting with children in action-- from Ask to Zoom! Each spread in this book features a vivid photo of a child doing something active,...