sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Metamorphosis Poems

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It’s Poetry Friday which means it’s the day when bloggers from all over share poems and poetry fun. I started 2021 very keen to do this every week – and have not done very well at that goal. But today is the day to try to get back on  track.

One of the reasons I have been so busy this year is that, in the space just a few months, I was asked to create a resource for teachers to teach poetry, then wrote and compiled that resource and – voila – it was published.  A big rush to get there, but I am really happy that schools all over Australia have now got this book, and hopefully are finding new ways to share poetry in their classrooms.  If you haven’t yet admired the beautiful cover, here it is again:

(You can find out more about this book, here at the PETAA website)

One of my goals for this book was to share a range of poetry forms which can be used in the classroom. Some of the forms are new but others are better known – with my own little twist.

One of those forms is the diamante – a commonly known form using seven lines (explained by Kenn Nesbitt here).  I started with the diamante, changed the rules and created Metamorphosis Poetry. Here’s an example:

Frog

Tadpole

fishy tail

swim wiggle squirm

growing legs and lungs

climbing onto land

hopping free

Frog

(copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

Can you see why I called  it a metamorphosis poem? That’s right- because it follows the transformation (metamorphosis)  of a tadpole into a frog. It doesn’t follow the strict form of the diamante – which  specifies word classes for each line (nouns, then adjectives, then verbs and so on). Instead the pattern here is only around numbers of words – except for the first and final line, which move from juvenile to adult:

Line one: one word – the juvenile form

Line two: two words

Line three: three words

Line four: four words

Line five: three words

Line six: two word

Line seven – one word – the adult form

This could be replicated with other animals which metamorphose (caterpillar/butterfly; grub/beetle,; larva/salamander. BUT, you could equally move outside of the animal world  to write about  other transformations. Like this:

Poem

Thought

tickling mind

forming phrases, patterns

demanding my writerly attention

lines, verses, stanzas

pencil flying

poem

(copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

Other pairs that come to mind are story/book, bricks/house or tune/song – but I’m sure you can come up with others. I challenge you to have a go!

And, if you want to try another form,  Catherine, who is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday roundup  is sharing an amazing example of the Abecedarian. Go check it out!   Happy Poetry Friday!

 

What I Read in September

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Another month over and another round up of what I’ve been reading. Eleven books this month – which isn’t bad in yet another hectic month.  Also another month of quite eclectic reading – ranging from a childhood favourite to really serious nonfiction, which made me cry as I got face to face with some of Australia’s terrible history. But these are books that need to be read, and I will be reading more such offerings.  In the meantime, here’s the list:

Books for Children (and Grown ups too!)

  1. Pax: Journey Home, by Sara Pennypacker (Harper Collins, 2021). I was so pleased to see this book on the shelves. I read it’s predecessor, Pax, when I was in Vietnam a few years ago – buying it because of its amazing cover (by illustrator Jon Klassen). It’s a book that stayed with me, so to find a sequel at long last  was exciting – and I wasn’t disappointed. During the war Peter had to release his pet fox, Pax, back into the wild and each struggled to adapt. Now, with the war over, Peter struggles with his new life and his guilt over letting Pax down. When they are reunited, it turns out they both can help each other.
  2. Nice Girls Don’t Play Footy, by Kathy Helidoniotis  (Scholastic, 2019). This one had been in my to read pile for quite some time, and the week of the AFL  grand final seemed a good  time to pick it up. A story of a girl learning to love footy – and trying to find a way to play it against the wishes of her family and friends.
  3. No Flying in the House, by Betty Brock (Scholastic, 1970). I adored this book when I was a child,. Funnily, I didn’t remember the story very well – only that there was a tiny talking dog, and a girl who discovers she can fly. But in spite of not remembering the specifics, the memory of wanting to hug the book, and loving it, and talking about with my sister, who loved it too, have made me hold onto the copy I picked up second hand when my own children were young. And, finally, I picked it up and reread it. And I loved it again, which was a relief.

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Boy From the Mish, by Gary Lonesborough (Allen & Unwin, 2021). A coming out and coming of age story.  Jackson lives on the ‘mish’ a community outside a rural coastal town. When his Aunty brings another boy to visit for the summer holidays, Jackson confronts the knowledge that he is gay, and realises that fighting and hiding who he really is, is not a way forward. A tender, genuine read.
  2. A Weekend With Oscar, by Robyn Bavati (Walker Books, 2021).  life’s already tough for Jamie, with the death of his dad earlier in the year, but when his mother doesn’t return from a week away and he is left trying to care for his younger brother Oscar, who has Down syndrome, it gets increasingly difficult – especially as asking for help will risk them being separated.
  3. When Rain Turns to Snow, by Jane Godwin (Lothian, 2020). I read this when it came out last year, and then picked it up this month  to recommend it to my uni students, and ended up rereading it over two nights. Lots of issues being explored here – family, adoption, online trolling and more – packaged in a story that makes it all palatable, so it isn’t issue-heavy.

Books for Adults

  1.  The Salt Madonna, by Catherine Noske (Picador, 2020). I purchased this at the Western Australia’s Premier’s Book Awards ceremony late last month.  It was one of the shortlisted books which I hadn’t read, and the cover called to me. The story of a teacher  returning to her island home to look after her dying mother, and confront her own past, as well as the struggling island community’s willingness to see miracles  where perhaps there are none. I do like Australian gothic, and this was done well.
  2. The Last Goodbye, Fiona Lucas (Harper Collins, 2021). I’m always interested in how other authors deal with topics of grief and loss, which is why I picked this one up. Anna is grieving her husband, killed in an accident, and rings his mobile number hoping to listen to his voice message. But someone answers – and soon she has a long distance friendship with Brody, who has a grief of his own.  Part romance, part story of acceptance with a satisfying resolution.

Poetry

  1. Animals With Human Voices, by Damen O’Brien (Recent Work Press, 2021). I bought this on the strength of its divine cover, which  is stunning, isn’t it? The poetry inside didn’t disappoint either. Poems about animals, but more about people, and the climate change, and truth, and all kinds of things really.

 

Non-Fiction

  1. Jandamarra and the Bunubu Resistance, by Banjo Woorunmurra & Howard Pedersen (Magabala Books, 1996).  I visited the West Kimberley this month, flying in and out of Broome, and, at the airport, looked for a book from Magabala Books, the local publisher. This one jumped out as me as I knew a little of Jandamarra’s story, but not enough. Not an easy book to read, and to be reminded of the terrible things colonialists did  in our northwest – and elsewhere – in the name of progress. It made me angry and sad and a little bit helpless – but the book was well written and well researched and I had no trouble believing that these things happened. It’s confronting to know I live on lands stolen and with a such a terrible history of slavery and genocide, which many Australians still have trouble accepting. So I didn’t find this easy but I did find it necessary, because it is important to know and to question so that hopefully we can somehow make our country better.
  2. The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben (Bollinda, 2016). Having read this, I  will never look at trees in quite the same way. In spite of being (understandably, given that the author is German) focussed on European trees, I found this look at how trees communicate, make decisions and more fascinating. Listening on audio had an extra benefit – the reading (by Mike Grady) was lovely – almost like being read a soothing bedside story.

This brings my total for 2021 to 119. I wonder if I can crack the 150 by the end of the year?  Best get reading. What have you been reading?

Poetry Friday: Hay(na)ku

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I may not have been sharing much poetry here on my blog, but my past month has involved lots of poetry related tasks.  I have been finishing off last edits on Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose, a resource for Australian teachers, which will be out in August through  PETAA, the Primary English Teacher’s Association.  With a blend of poems (my own and others) and practical ideas for teaching poetry in the primary school classroom, I am hoping it will be a handy resource for Australian teachers and help get more poetry into the hands and hearts of children.

Then, last weekend, I presented at the 56th International Conference of UKLA (The UK Literacy Association). How strange to be presenting from my loungeroom on a cold winter’s evening, to people from around the world. My session focussed on verse novels including my own, and how they can be used in the classroom.

The time differences made it difficult to attend all of the  other sessions – most of them happened in the middle of the night, my time – but how lovely to be able to listen, where I could,   to passionate educators all wanting to ensure every child has the best possible access to literature and literacy.

One session I did get to was a workshop run by Rebecca Simpson-Hargreaves, a UK based lecturer and fellow poetry advocate. In a 30 minute session, Rebecca gave attendees a taste of four different poetic forms – and even got us writing. Not a bad feat in such a short space of time.

One form that was new to me was the Hay(na)ku. You’ll find a great explanation, including the history of the form, here. Simply, though, a hay(na)ku is a three line poem with just six words – one on the first line, two on the second and three on the third.   Simple, huh? Well, yes and no – because of course with so few words you have to choose carefully.

Here was my first attempt, during the workshop:

Mushrooms

taste like

mud to me.

(This was a little tongue in cheek – in a previous exercise we had to argue for or against mushrooms, and so when it came to this exercise, my mind was still working on that).

Afterwards, I wanted to try again, and, because my whole day had been about poetry, the topic seemed obvious. So, here’s my second attempt:

Poetry

flows from

page to heart.

And, much later still my third attempt, after reflecting on the differences of this online conference versus the in person version, initially scheduled to be in Oxford but, of course, cancelled. because of the pandemic.

Conferences

can happen

without leaving home.

You know what else can happen without leaving home? Poetry Friday! Today’s roundup of poetry goodness is hosted by Margaret. Head over there and read her touching poem written during the Covid 19 lockdowns. And then,  why don’t you try your hand at a hay(na)ku of your own?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I Read in June

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Another month down and we are halfway through 2021. Time flies! That means it’s time to take stock of what I read in June. I can report that after struggling to read in May, in June I got back on track and read 14 books, though some were picture books (I only include picture books in my total if it’s the first time I’ve read them, and if I take the time to really examine them). Some good ones here, but I think my favourite was Poems That Do not Sleep, because I am still thinking about it, long after I put it down. Isn’t that what poetry is supposed to do?

Books for Kids

  1. Our Home, Our Heartbeat, by Briggs, with illustrations by Kate Moon & Rachel Sarra. (Hardie Grant, 2020). How wonderful to come across this picture book adaption of Briggs’ song The Children Came Back. A celebration of Aboriginal legends from history, sport, music and more. A must have for every classroom and home.
  2.  Dragonfly Song, by Wendy Orr (Allen & Unwin, 2016).  I love Wendy Orr’s writing, so am not sure why it has taken me so long to get to this one, but I am really glad I finally picked it up. A mythic story set in the Bronze Age, with action,  twists and turns and featuring a resilient main character, Aissa.
  3. Common Wealth, by Gregg Dreise (Scholastic, 2021).
  4. Hello and Welcome, by Gregg Dreise (Penguin, 2021)
  5. My Culture and Me, by Gregg Dreise (Penguin, 2019) You might notice a theme emerging in my picture book reads this month. I went looking for the voices of  more First Nations poets because I felt there was a gap in my reading, and perhaps in publishing, too. I was heartened to find three books by Dreise, as well as the Briggs book above. Each very different, and all books that I will be sharing  with my  education students and recommending widely. 
  6.  Paws, by Kate Foster (Walker Books, 2021). A  charming story of friendship, dogs and coping with change. Max, the main character, lives with autism, and is trying to navigate the challenges of his final year of primary school, and his desire to make friends.
  7. Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows , by Denis Knight & Cristy Burne (Lothian, 2021).  This is the first in a series, and i am already looking forward to the second. Wednesday Weeks isn’t super keen on being a sorcerer’s apprentice but when her grandpa (the sorcerer) is kidnapped. Wednesday has to find a way to rescue him, along with the help of her best friend Alfie. Lots of magic and a satisfying mix of science too.
  8. A Boat of Stars, edited by Margaret Connolly & Natalie Jane Prior (ABC Books, 2018). Not my first read of this beautiful anthology, and I have dipped in and out of it many times,  but a great pleasure to take the time to reread from cover to cover. The world needs more beautiful poetry books – and Australia needs more such books produced by Australian creators.

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Gathering, by Isobelle Carmody (Puffin Books, 1993). I had read this last year, after picking it up in an op shop, but somehow it went back into my to be read pile, and so I read it again. This is a gripping young adult story, about how Nat, and a group of other seemingly misfit teens find the way to tackle the dark force which is taking over their school and their town.
  2. We Were Wolves, by Jason Cockcroft. I have to confess to not enjoying this one, which says nothing about the quality of the writing and more about the events of the book. It was grim at the start, grim in the middle and grim at the end. Although there were glimmers of hope, I wasn’t sure the boy (he didn’t even have a  name) was left any better off.

Books for Adults

  1. The Little Boat on Trusting Lane, by Mel Hall (Fremantle Press, 2021). The author of this one guest blogged on Aussiereviews earlier this month, inspiring me to pick up a read the book. I really enjoyed this book, though it’s hard to explain – it’s a gentle satire about religion, and new aged healing, and coping with pain. And, if you know Fremantle, the settings will resonate with you, as they did for me.
  2. The Emporium of Imagination, by Tabitha Bird. I raced off to buy this when I read an article about it in the paper in May, then had to wait a while to read it, because I was in the midst of grief and wondered if a book about grief was the best thing for me.  I needn’t have worried – yes, this book has its sadness, but it also uplifting and even in places humorous. I loved it.
  3. The Night Village, by Zoe Deleuil (Fremantle Press, 2021). From my review pile (and actually not released until August), I enjoyed this, reading it over two evenings. Dealing with the realties of early motherhood – the birth experience, the impact of sleeplessness, the isolation and so on, against the backdrop of an air of threat/mystery.

Non Fiction Books

  1. The Way of Integrity, by Martha Beck (Audible). I found this one through a recommendation on Audible, and really enjoyed the messages of this book, as well as the easy to listen to narration, by the author. Clear messages about being true to yourself – ie living in integrity – if you want to be truly happy.

Poetry

  1. Poems That Do not Sleep, by Hassan Al Nawwab (Fremantle Press, 2021). I picked this one late one evening from my to read pile, and then couldn’t go to bed until I had read  every poem. Easy to read, in their accessibility, but sometimes hard to digest because they deal with such real, difficult experiences. The poet is a former Iraqi soldier and refugee. the title should have been enough hint to me of their challenge, but I am very glad I read them, and will do so again.

 

That brings my total to the year to 81. Not bad when I consider just how busy I really am. What have you been reading lately? I’d love to hear.

Poetry Friday: Leisure

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Not so many beach walks, and no snorkels, this week. I have been busy, but it’s actually the weather that has kept me inside – bitterly cold and a lot of rain.  I don’t mind one or the other, but when both hit, I am firmly an inside person. which, in a busy week, is not a terrible thing. I got a lot done this week.

One evening as I was  reading in my recliner with my weighted blanket and the heater blasting warm air I came across this poem – new to me, and nodded my agreement, then laughed at myself because I was kind of doing the opposite right there and then.

Leisure

by W. H. Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

 

And then, I realised that sometimes we just can’t be out and amongst this treasures of nature – especially in this Covid world, where so many are in lockdowns or isolation. And I reread the poem, and realised it isn’t saying we have to be doing those things all the time – just that when those things are there, we should allow ourselves leisure (rhymes with pleasure!) to enjoy. You don’t have to be on the beach or in the woods, or snorkelling to notice a moment of beauty.  I call them ‘this’ moments. When I spot a tiny spider clinging to a web, or the way the sun shines through my back window making  silvery fairy dust and I give myself a second, or a minute or whatever to think ‘this’ – this is lovely, or this is awe inspiring, or even this is kind of cool. Sometimes my ‘this’ comes when I am curled up inside with a wonderful book of poetry.

This morning, though, the rain has stopped for a while, and I was lucky enough to get back onto the beach. And it was a great big ‘this’ I was thinking as I strolled along the sand. I captured a minute of it in the hopes it might give someone else a this moment.

I hope there are lots of thises in your day.  You might start by saying ‘this’ as you nod along to the poetry goodness being shared by other Poetry Friday bloggers. The round up is being hosted by Carol.

 

April Reads

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Another month has ended, so it’s time for my monthly reading roundup. I managed only 12 books in April, but there were some beauties in that 12.

 

Books for Children

  1. Backyard Bugs, by Helen Milroy (Fremantle Press, 2021). This little picture book offering is lovely, and my two year old granddaughter seemed to agree. After I read her the simple rhyming text, she sat for a long time flipping through the pages and ‘reading’, emulating the lyrical feel and the names of the different minibeasts.  The illustrations are sumptuous.

2. Redback Mansion, by Lorraine Marwood (Five Islands Press, 2002). It’s been fifteen years since I reviewed this collection of poetry on Aussiereviews,  but love to dip in and out of it, as well as others of Marwood’s collections. This is the first time in a long while that I have read it cover to cover, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a shame it is no longer in print for a new generation of readers, but luckily Marwood continues to produce new work, so there is still plenty out there to read.

3. Nobody’s Boy, by Dianne Bates (Celapene Press, 2012).  Another one I had read  before. I love to revisit verse novels, because not only are they my favourite form, but reading them is about really experiencing the characters’ perspectives. This is the story of Ron, who has been in foster care most of his life and craves a chance to live with his dad.

4. Fish Kid and the Turtle Torpedo, by Kylie Howarth (Walker Books, 2021). This is the third book in  excellent series for young readers, especially those who love marine life, swimming and adventure. Fish Kid (Bodhi) has a love of the ocean and has special powers which let him swim like a fish and even communicate with sea life. In this instalment he and his friend Emely rescue a sick turtle and even swim with dolphins.  Along the way readers learn lots of animal fact and conservation messages, but the story is foremost.

Books for Young Adults

  1. All Our Hidden Gifts, by Caroline O’Donoghue (Walker Books, 2021). This was sent to be by Walker Books, and took me a little while to get into, probably more because it was the first book I read for the month, and was busy, than because of the book itself. Maeve finds a set of tarot cards, discovers she has a knack for reading them, and then, to her horror, that she seems to have the power to make her former best friend disappear. What it might cost to get her back is too much. With magic and the occult, as well as explorations of gender diversity, religion and more, there is a lot going on here, which makes for an intriguing read.
  2.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou (Audible Edition, 2014). I am so glad I chose to listen to this book, because it is read by Angelou herself, which adds so much to the reading experience. This is  the autobiography of her childhood, characterised by hardship, displacement, violence and racism – but is also a story filled with strength and the beauty of Angelou’s  writing.  I cried but I also smiled.  I’ve put it here in the young adult section because it is  suitable for young adults, but will equally appeal to adult readers.
  3. Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal, by Anna Whatley (Allen & Unwin, 2020).  I loved this own voices novel about a gutsy girl who tries hard to act ‘normal’ by following the rules drummed into her by therapists, parents and teachers over her lifetime, but with the laugh of her aunt and new friends learns not just to like herself but also to see her strengths and expect others to, too.  So glad this is is on the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year shortlist. 

Books for Adult Readers

  1. Everyday Madness, by Susan Midalia (Fremantle Press, 2021).  Susan recently guest blogged over at my review site, Aussiereviews, about her writing life and the story behind this book. I enjoyed the weaving of the different stories – that of  Bernard, newly unemployed, his wife Gloria, whose breakdown and caused a huge shift in their marriage, their daughter on law Meg, struggling to raise her daughter, study full time and navigate supporting the in laws her ex-husband seems to not take responsibility for, and her daughter Ella.
  2. The Cuckoo’s Cry, by Caroline Overington (Audible, 2020).  Set in Bondi during the first Covid 19 lockdown, this novella was an interesting free read, part family drama, part mystery.
  3. Life After Truth, by Cerdiwen Dovey (Audible, 2019). You can tell how much time I have spent int he car in any month by the number of Audible reads, especially the free reads. This was again part mystery (the US president’s son is murdered) and part soul-searching drama. The characters did have me interested, but I must admit I spent most of the book just gobsmacked at the utter privilege of  the Harvard world (the book is set during a 15 year reunion, on campus). It really just seems like another world.
  4.  The Last Bookshop, by Emma Young (Fremantle Press, 2021). Any book set in a bookshop is likely to engage me. Put that bookshop in Hay Street, Perth, and I am hooked. What I didn’t expect was to blubber helplessly while reading this. Loved it! Emma Young also guest blogged over on my Aussiereviews site here.

Nonfiction Books

  1. An Island Solution: Rottnest reveals our colonial secrets, by Eversley Ruth Mortlock (Gwelup Creative Life Writing Press, 20219). I picked this up in the Rottnest store when I was visiting Rottnest/Wadjemup earlier this year.  An insight into a chapter of Western Australian history which must be redressed: the incarceration, and inhumane treatment,  of Aboriginal men  from around the state on Rottnest Island.  Not an easy read, because of its subject matter, but important  for that reason.

These 12 books bring my total to 61 books read for the year to date., roughly one book every two days, if my maths is correct. What have you been reading lately?