Illustrations within this book, of various, as well as Oprah Winfrey by the author, and an Oprah show, and Oprah Tribute Poem from the authors series of Living Legends. Part I and II is an assortment from the author collection of Shape Poems, and Concrete Poems, in simple, various shapes, to encourage the reader to write their own; Alphabetized for an easy read. Many Cathartic Poems within.
"What a strange and intense book this is! David Blair has a wild, restless imagination and he uses language like saw, a hammer, a velvet whip. He can write incredibly tender (and original) love poems and enfilading satirical poems, as well as many of the many other "kinds" of poems between those poles, and they all seem entirely at home, indeed, need to be in this book together. His music, his diction, his refusal to use (ever!) cliches, his syntax all drive his poems and their hearts forward. That is where his poems go: forward. He will be in the company of the best poets of his generation." --Thomas Lux "Nothing can remain horizontal or vertical for long" might as well be David Blair's mini ars poetica. A commitment to the pleasures and terrors of change, you might say. I have been reading Blair's poems for about ten years now--struck always by his unique pitch and tone, the tensile muscularity of his syntax and vibrational accents. His diction is totally unboxed. He reminds me a bit of August Kleinzahler or John Yau in this--a karaoke of urban hullabaloo sung slightly off the beat, all for the sake of swing....David Blair's acceptance of the world is signaled by his stylishness, provoked by the people and things he encounters. His brain knows that it's living in an animal body. And it moves among all these other minds and bodies in motion. Changed by the smallest of changes. Unbalanced but at ease. This poet's energy reminds me of Edwin Denby's comments about De Kooning's paintings from the 1930s: "He wanted everything in the picture out of equilibrium except spontaneously all of it...a miraculous force and weight of presence moving from all over the canvas at once." These poems wantthat, too. --David Rivard, /Boston Review/ "David Blair's work is both public and discreet, somewhere between black box theatre and a blind date with an utterly beguiling stranger. His poems are dinner parties, intimate and sumptuous, arranged with great care and yet full of unforeseen turns: the pope gives way to 'the first red coils of the peonies' and a the hair of a lost aviator becomes 'brown, fibrous light.' How refreshingly unlike contemporary poetry this book is; a pleasure. --D. A. Powell
Focusing on the foundations of poetry, this reference teaches aspiring poets the mechanics of writing verse. It offers advice on the abstract poetic notions - what makes good poetry, the meaning and inspirations of poetry - and the concrete - how to start a poem, how to craft its shape, and how to use the various poetic forms.
In this unusual collection, poems and photographs focus on shapes in nature. Some shapes are found in familiar places: A circle is the sun and a crescent is the moon. But there are imaginative surprises too: an alligator's tooth is a triangle and a frond's shadow forms a square. Related shape words—round, halo, sphere, etc.—are scattered throughout the spreads. This collaboration captures the beauty of shapes in nature in a playful way.
Winner of the 2018 ALA Schneider Family Middle School Books Award. Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Already a "For Sale" sign mars the front lawn of her beloved house. Soon her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy's final sixth grade assignment? A genealogy project. Well, she'll put it off - just like those wedding centerpieces she's supposed to be making. Just when Macy's mother ought to be understanding, she sends Macy next door to help eighty six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is also getting ready to move - in her case into an assisted living facility. Iris can't pack a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn't know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn't going to let Macy's deafness stop her. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a friendship grows. And this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life. Shari Green, author of Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, writes this summer story with the lightest touch, spinning Macy out of her old story and into a new one full of warmth and promise for the future.
This book, with illustrations...is part I of the early Shape Poems, A to L from the collection of Jean Elizabeth Ward, poetry that has been worked into various shapes, or Concrete Poetry. Alphabetized with illustrations. Illustrations of Oprah Winfrey, and more. Bushisms worked into Shape Poems. A delight for those desiring something different.
A beautiful gift anthology containing forty incredible poems written out in the shape of world shapers! In Shaping the World learn about about Amelia Earhart in a poem shaped like a plane, Maya Angelou in a poem shaped like a bird or Francis Drake in a poem shaped like a ship. Each poem is paired with a biography, quote and fascinating fact. This collection for young poetry fans includes poems about: Greta Thunberg, Maya Angelou, Florence Nightlingale, Anne Frank, William Wordsworth, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Sir Francis Drake, Emmeline Pankhurst, Mahatma Ghandi, Malala Yousafzai and many more.
A collection of illustrations, concrete poetry, and photographs that shows how young children's constructions, created as they play, are reflected in notable works of architecture from around the world.
