sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: My Readalong Begins

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It’s Poetry Friday, which is always exciting, but today I am especially excited because today also marks the beginning of my Readalong. Welcome! I am so glad you dropped by.

What’s a Readalong, I hear you ask? A readalong is where you are invited to read a book (or, in this case books) along with others doing the same.  My readalong is running for four weeks, and each week I will be inviting you to read one of my verse novels. But don’t worry if you don’t have a copy of your own – you  can dip your reading toes in to the extracts I’ll be sharing, and get a taste.  If you DO have a copy, I would love you to grab it off your shelf, read, or reread, and participate by asking questions, posting comments, or sharing your reactions on social media using the hashtag #readwithsally, or the individual hashtags for each of the four books. This post here gives more details and, as you’ll see, the purpose of all this is to spread some verse novel love AND celebrate the release of my brand new verse novel, Worse Things, on May 1.

So,  to start at the beginning, this first week, I’d love it if you would read along with my first verse novel, Pearl Verses the World, which was released waaaay back in 2009.  Here is the cover, which still takes my breath away:

Pearl Verses the World

Heather Potter, the illustrator, rendered Pearl, and her world, so beautifully, and the team from Walker Books crafted the most amazing cover design.

If you haven’t yet read the book, here is the booktrailer that I made way back then (incidentally, this was my first ever attempt at a trailer).

And,  if you’d like to hear an extract, here I am reading the opening pages:

Lastly, because it’s Poetry Friday, here’s one of the poems:

If you already have a copy of Pearl Verses the World, I would love if you would pick it up this week and revisit it. If you don’t own a copy, it is available in three editions:

The Australian version, published by Walker Books.

The US version, published by Candlewick Books

And the UK version (with a shorter title, just Pearl), published by Walker UK.

(Note that while these links do go to online bookstores, our brick and mortar stores are really struggling at the moment, so if you are going to buy a book, and have access to a local bookstore (lots are delivering!), I urge you to shop there.)

In the next few days I am going to post more about Pearl Verses the World – why and how I wrote it, some of the lovely moments that have come from interacting with readers, and more.  You can join in: if you have a copy of the book,  or a memory to share, I’d love to see a post on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook (#pearlvworld), or a comment here or on my Facebook page.

Thanks for reading this far and for joining in in whatever small way you can. And don’t forget there is, as very Friday, lots of other poetry goodness happening all over the web. You can see the Poetry Friday roundup at The Poetry Farm, hosted by Amy.

Poetry Friday: Beach Walks and Happy Toes

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It’s Poetry Friday and today I am counting my blessings.  In these topsy-turvy troubling times, I am feeling lucky that I have a job that allows me to work from home. I am feeling lucky that I have a family who I love and  that all of us have roofs over our heads, even when we might be separated.  I feel lucky to have a house full of books, good internet connection, food in the fridge and pantry,  and so much more. And I feel very very lucky to live where I do, and that this means my daily exercise is on (to me) the most beautiful beach in the world.

Like so many other people I am staying home unless essential, but  because I live so close to the beach and because it is never crowded, I am still able to walk on the beach every morning, keeping well more than the required distance from other people (do be assured that this is done within the law, and in fact I am more cautious about any contact with people or surfaces than has been mandated).

Aware that there are so many people who can’t do this, I have been sharing a one minute video of the beach every day, on my Instagram account, using the hashtag #oneminute  . I’ve also started adding a selection to Youtube , for anyone who doesn’t have Instagram.  The idea is that anyone who needs a minute of waves, water, sunshine, sand, can watch, and breathe with me.

So, for example, you can watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean, and imagine you are there with me – or, if you’d prefer, alone:

I’ve been looking for different angles and, one day, I thought I would try filming my toes. In my head it was a little more artistic than it turned out, but I was able to giggle at myself:

It was only later, after I’d uploaded and shared that I remembered I had done something similar in a less stressful time a few years ago – in fact, back in 2016, when I photographed my toes and wrote an accompanying poem. I had happy toes then, and, when I’m on that beach, I have happy toes now. Here’s that video and poem – I hope your toes can soak up some of that happy today.

 

Happy Toes

This morning I have happy toes

They’re wriggling in the sand

They’ve carried me here ocean-side

To where the sea meets land

 

This morning I have happy toes

They’re dancing on the beach

They’re gathering secrets from below

And whispering each to each

 

This morning I have happy toes

They’re tingling in the waves

They’re laughing at the silly way

The morning sea behaves

 

This morning I have happy toes

They’ll head home feeling great

But tomorrow they’ll be back here

For another beach play date!

 

Copyright Sally Murphy 2016

 

The Poetry Friday Roundup today is at My Juicy Universe, where Heidi is inviting us to all #ShelterInPoems . Catching up on loads of poetry goodness seems a wonderful way to spend a Friday, so check it out.  Stay safe, breathe deep.

PS

It seems an age since I decided to have a Read Along (see this post) to celebrate the upcoming release of Worse Things.  When I scheduled it, I  did not imagine the lockdowns that would be happening around the world. The Read Along is still happening, though – I think we need books more than ever – and I hope you’ll join me, starting next Friday, to read with me.

Read Along With Me – Coming Soon!

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Have you ever been super excited about something? Counting down the days or the sleeps until a birthday, or Christmas, or a special holiday?    If you have then you’ll understand what I’m feeling at the moment, as I count down the days (and the sleeps) until my new book Worse Things comes out on  May 1.

Let’s pause for a moment and gaze admiringly at the amazing cover, created by illustrator Sarah Davis and the amazing team at Walker Books Australia.

Worse Things is my fourth verse novel, and so as I thought about fun ways to prepare for, and celebrate, its release, I wondered if I could also somehow celebrate the first three. See, it’s been 11 years since the Pearl Verses the Worldfirst one,  Pearl Verses the World was released, 10 years since Toppling and six years since Roses are Blue. So you might not have even been alive when the first one was published and, if you were and you have read it, it might have been quite some time ago.

So, here’s my plan. In the weeks leading up to Worse Things’ release, I’m going to have a read-along of the other three – one each week. What’s a read-along I hear you ask? It’s when lots of people (well, I’m crossing my fingers there’ll be lots) read the same book at the same time and talk about it.

How will we talk about it? I’ll be posting each day here on my blog, and answering questions here; I’ll also be running a Facebook live each week on my author page and again  you can drop in and ask questions – live. But that’s driven by me. I’m also asking you to talk about the book – through chatting on my social media or, in any other way, including your own Instagram, other social media, or blog. I’ll share more ideas in the lead up.

So, how can you get involved?

  1. Grab a copy of one or more of the books. You might already own a copy, and, if you’re in Australia, there’s a good chance your school library of local library will have a copy. If you’d like to buy copies, pop into your local bookshop, or they are available online. American readers, if you’d prefer there are US editions of  Pearl Verses the World and Toppling, and UK readers, although the titles are different, Pearl and John and Dom are the same books inside.
  2. Follow my page on Facebook. This is not my personal page where I post what I had for breakfast, but my author page where I share stuff about my books, my writing, and other reading related stuff. You can also follow me on Instagram or on Twitter.
  3. If you are a teacher with a class who reads one of my books during this time, I have a few slots available for Skype sessions and, in Perth, a few slots for class visits, to chat directly about one of the books. Contact me to discuss.
  4. If you have a blog or podcast and would like to chat about one of the books, or run some other cool related thing, again, let me know.
  5. Get ready to hashtag. The hashtag for the whole event will be #readwithsally. To talk about one specific book, you can also use these: Pearl Verses the World #pearlvworld,  Toppling #toppling , Roses are Blue #blueroses and  Worse Things #worsethings.
  6. If all of this is too much, I’d love if you’d just cheer me (and my books) on from the sidelines, even if quietly. Launching a new book is exciting but it’s also a tiny bit terrifying, so every little bit of goodwill helps!

Thanks for reading this far and thanks in advance for celebrating with me and whatever way you can. Drop back soon to see what else I have planned. In the meantime, I’d love you to comment and tell me about a time when you were counting down the days till something exciting.

Poetry Friday: Everywhere Stairs

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It’s Poetry Friday, and I’ve been thinking about stairs. Why? Because I seem to keep stopping at the bottom of them of late. My recent treks have seen me pondering (and climbing) these stairs

on Rottnest Island, a place less known for its stairs than for its gorgeous beaches and, of course, quokkas. But the stairs form part of its military history and thus I climbed them as part of a tour.

Closer to home, I often climb these stairs

when I leave my beach – and often pause to snap them, even though I know it isn’t the first time, and won’t be the last. They are my favourite stairs because of their location, but I must confess to preferring going down than going up.

I also, recently, came across these stairs on my morning walk closer near the Swan River in Perth. From the bottom I called them rainbow stairs, but wondered whether someone had just spilled paint down them.

From the top, however,  I could see some deliberateness, including the yellow heart at the bottom.


Lastly, at my dayjob I work on the fourth floor, and must confess that I take the lift far too often, but this week have challenged myself to climb the stairs at least once per day. It’s hard work, but I’m hoping it will get easier. Maybe when I love the stairs more there will be a photo, but for now, you’ll just have to take my word.

So, with all these stairs featuring in my thoughts, it seemed logical to attempt a poem about them. Here it is.

Everywhere Stairs

Stairs
They’re everywhere
Beckoning me up
Calling me down
Obstacle
Challenge
Or invitation
Depending on mood
Or location.
I do like stairs
But sometimes
When I’m halfway up
I wish I’d stayed down
Or just taken the lift.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2020)

 

Rebecca at Sloth Reads is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday roundup. So step over there, or step right up, and check out what other poetry goodness there is to see this week.

Poetry Friday: A Poetic Week

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It’s Poetry Friday but I feel, for me, it’s been poetry week: which is a wonderful thing indeed.

On Monday night I  spent a lovely couple of hours in Fremantle at Voicebox, a monthly open mic poetry night.  I’ve been hearing about Voicebox for years and planning to get along, especially since I started working back in the city, but this was my first time actually getting there. Very glad I did. There were two guest poets who read from their works:  Rajan Sharma, in Australia from the UK to perform at the Fringe festival, and Caitlin Maling,   a West Aussie poet who I already very much admired, but who is always a pleasure to hear from.    There were also 10 awesome volunteers for the open mic spots, so over the course of the night, we were treated to an incredible range of poets and poetic forms, and topics., as well as opportunities  to just chat poetry, and life, with fellow attendees.

Listening to poets who are writing for adults, and chatting poetry was an excellent precursor to the event I spoke at on Wednesday night. My awesome poet friend Rebecca Newman had asked  me to be  part of an event at the amazing  Paperbird Books, talking all things children’s poetry and reading from our work.  The event on Monday night had taken my thoughts back to an a question I keep coming back to: what makes a poem ‘for children’ or ‘for adults’? I spent far too much time during my doctoral studies trying to nail down an answer, so I went back again this week to revisit what I ended up writing.

The conclusion I made then, as now, is that while the question can’t be easily answered, a poem is for children either because an adult (poet, publisher, teacher) decides it is, based on their concept of childhood OR it is for children if children engage with it. I like the latter idea better, because it gives the child agency. For myself, when I write poetry I try not to talk TO children , nor even OF children, but AS a child, because that is who I really am. After all, adults and children are one and the same – we are on a continuum.  My favourite quote in trying to figure all this out is from Ted Hughes, who labelled writing children’s poetry “a curious occupation…the most curious thing being that we think children need a special kind of poetry”.

SO, Rebecca and I headed to Paperbird on Wednesday night, with a very enthusiastic, friendly audience, who listened to us talk about this curious occupation, and the experiences we have had both crafting poetry, and sharing it with children. We talked about the importance of letting children enjoy poetry – both the reading and the writing, and I suspect I used the word ‘pleasure’ at least a hundred times: pleasure is key when it comes to experiencing poetry.  What else did we talk about? The importance   of poetry in tough times, the joy of humorous poetry, rhyme, not rhyme… so much! Rebecca recorded our conversation, so we are hoping there might be some snippets to share at some point.

In the meantime,  as we discussed our work, we touched on Poetry Tag, the blog we used to run (I guess we still own it – we just kind of faded out of posting). The idea was that we took turns setting the other a handful of words which then had to be incorporated into a poem.  I went looking today for one of those poems, which I mentioned during Wednesday night’s chat. I remembered it as a really angry poem. When I  found it today I realised it probably wasn’t angry enough, because there are still refugee children being mistreated, just as they were in 2014 when I wrote this poem. Anyway, here is, along with the words Rebecca gave me back then:

SONG

I sing    

of a courageous tree

which struggles on

beside the sea

in spite of wind

and waves

and sand

perched

betwixt ocean and land.

 

I sing

of snail

that battles on

though winter’s rains

are so long gone

and shelters

waiting

in fragile shell.

How long

till rain

he cannot tell.

 

I sing

of you

embattled child

whose land

and life

have been defiled.

Who seeks new home

new hope

new place

Yet languish now

in no-man-s place.

 

I sing

to tell the world you’re there.

I sing

to let you know I care.

And like that tree

and like that snail

I sing in hopes

you will prevail.

 

I sing for you

young refugee

in hopes one day

you will be free.

(Copyright Sally Murphy 2014; 2020)

My conclusions from my week of poetry? We need angry poems. We need to write them and share them and act on them. We also need beautiful poems, hope-filled poems, sad poems, joyful poems, funny poems.   Thanks Voicebox, Paper Bird and Rebecca for making this a poetry week for me and others. And thanks to the Poetry Friday community for letting me be part of spreading poetry and its many messages.

Speaking of Poetry Friday – head over to the roundup hosted this  week by my fellow Aussie poet, Kat Apel,  who is    also, coincidentally, sharing a poem she wrote in 2014.

Hope your week is filled with poetry too!

Poetry Friday: Graffiti?

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It’s Friday, which means it’s Poetry Friday and, once this post is written, I will have managed to post every week this year! Of course I do realise it’s only week 3, but still a good sign that I’m going to do better this year).

First up, thanks to everyone who visited last week, when I hosted the weekly round up, and for all the lovely comments and messages of support for Australia. Like many Australians, I am blown away by the generosity coming from around the world –  not just in the form of donations, but also messages of solidarity and hope as well as so many statements urging leaders to wake up and take more drastic action to prevent climate change and start saving our planet.

Onto the poetry. This week I set the goal to write something – anything – every day, preferably before heading out the door to my dayjob. And I managed to write something everyday.  More pleasing, most of it was poetry, including progress on a verse novel I started before Christmas. Early days, but it’s just lovely to be creating.

On Monday, on my early morning walk, I spotted some words carved into the footpath – obviously done while the concrete was still wet. I snapped a photo and walked home pondering what would lead to someone carving those words there. More often you see initials, or paw prints or – and I love spotting these – the prints of leaves that have fallen onto the setting concrete.  I was so taken by these words that I didn’t even notice some spelling quirks (which is most unlike this teacher!).

So, when I sat down after breakfast to write,  it didn’t surprise me that my thoughts went back to that footpath. I wanted to explore not the meaning of the words, but the intention of the scribe.  Here’s what I came up with:

The poem reads:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scribe

Wet concrete

Opportunity knocks

Chance to make my mark.

A footprint?

Too sticky.

A tag?

Don’t have one.

My name?

Asking for trouble.

Something to make people wonder?

I pause.

I breathe.

Grab a stick

And write.

(Copyright Sally Murphy, 2020)

It was only later that I remembered I had written on a similar topic before and went searching for those poems, first drafted on a visit to Rottnest Island (off the WA coast and home to the world-famous quokkas). I was there on a retreat with SCBWI pals, and on a sketch and scribble we stopped under this tree, which, from memory, may have been a young Moreton Bay Fig. I was drawn to the many names carved into the trunk and initially a bit cross that people would do this to a tree. That’s where this poem came from:

The poem reads:

The Name Tree

You are a thing of beauty

stretching grey-brown limbs skywards.

A testament to your will

to stand

against stiff sea-breezes

and salty spray.

But I don’t get why your trunk

must be scarred

by careless humans

wanting to leave a sign

that they were once here:

Ron + Therese

Sue

Hadly, Tony and

KC

all were here.

But now they’re not

and all that’s left of them

is their marks

scratched into your bark.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy)

After I’d written that I had a little longer to sit and think. At the time I was working on a collection of poetry with paired poems, each pair looking at the same topic from differing perspectives. So I started to wonder what the other perspective was here. And I started to think about why we have this urge to  leave our mark. Tony’s name was the most prominent, and I started to think of him as a small boy wanting to make a big mark, in the hope those who read it would imagine him as perhaps bigger, more accomplished than he saw himself. This was the result:

 

The poem reads:

The Tony Tree

I’m nobody

from nowhere special

no chance

that anyone will remember me

for anything in particular.

But perhaps

if I carve my name

in this trunk

then in years to come

someone will read it

and know I was here.

They will wonder

who Tony was

and where he was from

and what he was good at

and maybe

they’ll remember

the me I could have been.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy)

 

On another walk on Rottnest, this time alone, I came across some rocks on the shore where, again, people had been carving their names. I sat on one of these rocks and just breathed in the amazing view, but I couldn’t help but again wonder about the need to leave a mark. I had no urge, but my younger self probably would have, and I wondered what could justify needing to carve like that. What would someone crave that would really speak to future visitors? This is what I wrote:

The poem reads:

Grafitti

Why carve your name

on a rock

on an isolated beach,

leaving nature scarred for all days?

Will anyone,

stopping to view the scene,

care that

Tammy woz here

or that Max

found a stick

just right to gouge his name?

Will they want

to know who Lizzy was

and, if they do,

will they ever

learn the truth?

But, still,

I have the urge to carve

and so I do,

leaving my words for all to see:

Contemplate, while you can.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy)

I imagined some philosopher, wanting people to use those rocks to seize a few moments for quiet contemplation, but can also see now that that ‘while you can’ could also be a bit of a warning – ie contemplate this natural beauty while it’s still here.  And it’s only while I write this post that I wonder if my imagined philosopher was also the person who, years later, left those words in the path for me to see?

So I am poeming  once more – with new poems and reconnecting with older ones. – and this is good. Just in time, too, because this week I am having an ‘In Conversation’ with my amazing poet friend Rebecca Newman at Paperbird Bookshop in Fremantle. If you are nearby, drop by to hear us chat all things children’s poetry (or as much as we can fit into one session!). It’s a free event, to celebrate the end of Rebecca’s residency at Paperbird. You can book here.  And, if you are across the country or across the world, I’ll share some highlights next Poetry Friday.

Phew. What a long post. I’m sure you are itching to see what other poetry goodness has popped up around the blogosphere today. the roundup is over at Reading  to the Core, thanks to Catherine who is hosting this week.