Poetry Bootcamp- and PD By Stealth

January 16, 2018 by Sally

Yesterday, I ran my first two writing workshops for 2018, presenting poetry writing boot camps as part of the City of Bunbury libraries school holidays program.

Characters come alive on the streets of Bunbury

I had a lot of fun using photos of some of Bunbury’s amazing street art as picture prompts to create poems.

Apart from the wonderful chance to meet and share with enthusiastic young writers, another thing that delighted me was that two teachers – one at each session – told me that they would be trying similar activities with their own classes when school goes back.

Hooray! Teacher PD by stealth! And on their holidays.

Which of course made me think of how much I love visiting schools (which I posted about last week), and how, having an author visit your classroom might not just motivate students to read and write, but can also act as a form of professional development for the teacher, demonstrating new ways of teaching writing, which is an area lots of teachers say they find challenging – something, as a teacher myself, I completely understand.

So, if you are wanting and extra reason to justify having an author visit your school or classroom, think of it as meeting PD requirements. And, if you’d like, you can add an after-school PD session to the program!

If you’d like me to visit in 2018, you can contact me here.

Why We Need Darkness in Kids’ Books

January 12, 2018 by Sally

I’ve written and spoken before about why I write books on difficult topics – and why kids need these books – and I know I will write and speak about this topic again, and again. But I came across this article by Matt de la Peña, an American author, that just beautifully explains why we need what he terms ‘darkness in kid’s books.

Read the article. It’s short and it is beautifully written. But, if you want the precis, Matt talks about asking himself (and imagining asking Kate Dicamillo) : “How honest should we be with our readers? Is the job of the writer for the very young to tell the truth or preserve innocence?”

He asked this in the wake of gun violence, natural disaster and political tensions in the ‘real’ world. Matt’s question really resonated with me because it’s the kind of thing I often ask myself: Can I go there? Should I go there? Why?

But Matt goes on to talk about pressure he and his illustrator had received to change a scene in their forthcoming picture book, Love. The illustration showed a child hiding under a piano while his parents argue. The feedback was that “the moment was a little too heavy for children. And it might make parents uncomfortable.”

I shared this article on my personal Facebook wall, and it got lots of responses, but one response, from someone who is not an author or illustrator, but a very fine parent, summed up WHY we need scenes like these in books. She said: “imagine being the kid hiding under the piano…reading nothing but happy stories and wondering why their own life story isn’t the same…they need to know that they aren’t alone with their story…that it isn’t just them…” Yup. Brilliant answer.

We need darkness in kids’ books because kids have darkness in their own lives. They need to know they are not alone.

We need darkness in kids’ books because the world has many dark moments, which children are exposed to daily through media and through experience

We need darkness in kids’ books so that those children who are fortunate enough not to have experiences such as we write about can experience them vicariously and develop empathy

We need darkness in kids’ books so that we can also offer hope – ways out of the darkness, ways to find dots of light in the midst of darkness and ways to fight the darkness

We need darkness in kids’ books to encourage our new generations to want to make the world a better place.

Not all my books have this darkness. But with books about death, childhood illness, disability war, family trauma and more, I do often get asked why I do it, and get looks of horror when I tell a parent/teacher/librarian what the book they’ve picked up book is about. Sometimes, when I cry over a scene I’m writing, I wonder myself why I’m doing it. Sometimes I want to take my character and hug them or just make their life one filled with sparkly rainbow unicorns.

And then I hear from a reader about the difference one of my books has made to them, and I know.

We need darkness in kids’ books so we can have light.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Poetry Friday: Three Poems from the Beach

January 12, 2018 by Sally

It’s summer in my part of the world but most of my Poetry Friday friends are in the northern hemisphere,and so in the midst of winter. Last Friday there was a plethora of posts filled with snow and ice so, when I sat down to prepare my post for today, I thought it might be nice to warm my northern friends with some summer pictures and some poems from the beach.

This first one was written in January last year, and posted on the Poetry Tag blog I share with my friend Rebecca. In Poetry Tag we take turns challenging each other to write a poem incorporating whichever words we choose.Rebecca gave me: lazy, myself, print, thousand and smell. At the time I was in the midst of a lazy summer, so that first word took me straight to the beach.

Summertime

On the beach

I’m feeling lazy

Smell of sunscreen

Fills the air.

A thousand bushflies

Drive me crazy

As I make my way

Down there.

I plunge myself

In cooling ocean

Feel inertia

Wash away.

Flies have vanished

No devotion

To watery fun

They’d rather stay

Beachside where they’ll

Leave their print

On backs of sunsoaked

Sandbound teens

Who’ve left the water

For a stint

Of games, or food,

Or magazines.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

This next poem is new. I liked playing with short lines for the Flourish poem I shared last Friday, so wanted to experiment with it again for this week’s topic. It seemed to fit with the playfulness of a day at the beach.

At the Beach

There’s sand

and shells

and salty

smells

There’s water

too

so much

to do

Like splish

and splosh

swim

and wash

Build castles

moats

frolic

float

Throw balls

and play

stay

all day

Then say

goodbye

with happy

sigh.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

This third poem is one I’ve shared before. I like it because it captures one of my favourite things to do at the beach- simply walk, with my toes in the water. I’m hoping to make some more poem videos this year,since it’s been a while since I made one.

I hope, Northern hemisphere friends, that all this beachyness makes you warm rather than envious. I’m sending you as much virtual warmth as I can muster.

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Jan at Bookseed Studio.

Making Plans for the New School Year

January 10, 2018 by Sally

Now that the Christmas/New Year break is over, and people start to return to work, I’m starting to get emails and phone calls enquiring about my author visits and writing workshops. Hooray! The only thing I love to do as much as write is talk.

I love the variety of sessions I get asked to run, the amazing schools I visit, the even more amazing students and teachers I get to meet and – importantly – I love the feeling when my visit makes a difference to a child (or a while school full of children) –making reading, writing or both just a bit more special. I also love helping teachers to find new ways to teach writing and to instil a love of reading.

The sessions I did in 2017 included:

Dozens of meet-the-author sessions in schools and at libraries
Poetry writing workshops in primary schools
Narrative writing workshops in primary and secondary schools
A whole day workshop using Do Not Forget Australia as an inspiration to write poetry- every year 5 student present had at least two poems drafted by the end of the day.
Writing workshops for school children and the public in Sharjah in the UAE
A visit to a school where year 6 students had spent a term reading my verse novels as an author study
Leading a Bookweek rap at Bookweek assemblies
Professional development workshops in teaching narrative and poetry writing
And more!

In 2018 I look forward to visiting even more schools and libraries, spreading the love of reading and writing. If you’re a teacher, librarian or festival organiser and you’d like me to visit you, drop me a line.

Poetry Friday: Things to Do in 2018

January 5, 2018 by Sally

Things to Do in 2018

Flourish

Nourish

Thrive

Strive

Know

Grow

See

Be.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, my focus word (or is it a guidance word?) for 2018, is Flourish. I want to flourish this year, and I want to help others flourish, and I want to do things with a flourish. So, what better way to start my Poetry Friday posts, than with a poem and a post about flourishing.

Interestingly, my first every Poetry Friday Post, three years ago was a New Year post. Since I wrote that , I have been a regular part of Poetry Friday but not always consistent. Like many members, I have come and gone. Life has got in the way sometimes – so some of those periods of absence, I was busy flourishing, busy with career stuff. Other times, life was hard, and finding time for blogging took a back seat. But every time I got back to Friday posts, there were people there welcoming me back – commenting on my posts, or sharing wonderful things on their own blogs. And each time I’ve realised that I’m part of something big, a flourishing community of poets from around the world.

One special thing that the Poetry Friday community does is to organise poetry swaps. In these, participants are given a name (or two) and asked to send a poem to that person, via snail mail. My comings and goings have meant that I’ve never participated – I always seem to have missed the call outs.

Until the most recent two. At last, at the end of last year, I took part in the Winter Poem Swap. Of course, it isn’t winter in my part of the world, but that didn’t worry me. I duly sent a Christmas themed package off to my recipient, Keri, with a poem about the very fact that she was in cold and snow and I wasn’t, and some other goodies. And then – hooray! – I received a package of my own, from the wonderful Irene Latham.

Here’s a picture of what was in the package:

The thought Irene had put into the package made me teary. She used my new profile picture as an inspiration for the poem:

Kaleidoscope Poem

(for Sally)

with a simple twist

of syllables

a new world

twirls into focus,

sets hearts a-whirl

in a blur

of ever-changing

light.

(Copyright Irene Latham)

Isn’t that awesome? The significance of the pouch is also special. Irene had read my posts about ‘old’ poems and poem-hoarding (which so many in the poetry Friday community related to), so she sent me a pocket in which to hoard my poems. I plan to fill it with tiny poems, starting with the poem-stone. I also plan to fill the notebook with poems, of course!

Thanks so much Irene. This is why I am part of the Poetry Friday community – not for the gifts, but for the friendships which flourish! I have the gift on my desk and every time I see it, I am reminded of the magic way that poetry brings us together.

The second exchange which I’m participating in is the New Year Postcard exchange. This time, it’s a poetry postcard. I wrote my ten cards on New Year’s Day, and they’ve been sent off across the seas (or the skies, really, since that’s how they’ll travel), connecting me with ten other Poetry Friday members again through poetry. And, as cards start to arrive in my mail box (I’m watching it eagerly!), I’ll be reminded again that friendships flourish through poetry.

So, I look forward to being a more regular contributor to Poetry Friday this year (I’ll even be hosting the round up for the first time in February). It’s become an important part of my identity as a children’s poet – and, though I’ve only ever met two of the other members in person (yes, there are two other Aussies!) – it’s the friendships that make it so special.

I hope you’ll flourish with me in 2018. Happy New Year! For more Poetry goodness, check out the other Poetry Friday posts. This week’s round-up is at Reading to the Core, where, coincidentally, Irene’s new book is also featured.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2018 by Sally

A new year

Is an unopened gift

A letter in the mail

A crisp new notebook

A story yet to be written.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

Happy new Year! Although I have mixed feelings about New Year’s resolutions (see my post about that here) I DO feel that there is something magical about a whole new year starting, with promise of new opportunities, new beginnings and crisp, clean pages.

Because I’m wanting to start as I mean to continue, I have registered for Anastasia Suen’s 30 for 30 Challenge, which challenges participants to write for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. Although the challenge starts tomorrow, I decided that the first of January was great time to get started (I guess that means I’m aiming for 30 for 31). So, the first thing I did this mronign was to sit down at my desk with my brand new journal and write for 30 minutes. Then I put a cross through the date on my desk planner. I look forward to doing that 30 more times, and to really get some work done on the exciting stories which I want to write in 2018.

After my writing session, I headed off to the beach for my first walk of the year. Aaaaaah. I am so lucky to live where I do.

So, my year has started with a flourish, which is great, because that is the word I have chosen to use to guide my year. Flourish works both as a verb (to grow and thrive in healthy, vigorous ways) and as a noun (a bold or successful act). And of course, if you are arty at all, you’ll also know that you can spice things up with a little flourish. So, I plan to flourish this year, and, hopefully, to help those around me (including YOU) to flourish, too.

Happy 2018!

PS. Do you like the picture? This is a photo of a sign at Yokine Reserve, a playground in Perth. The blue sky behind it hasn’t been edited.