Métis leader Louis Riel is a controversial figure in Canadian history. Leader of the Red River and North-West Rebellions, he was executed for treason in 1885. We stumbled upon his grave site while walking from Winnipeg to St. Boniface over the Red River bridge. I wanted to learn more about him and his connection to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
First, a little about the Oblates in Manitoba. In June 1844, the Bishop of the North-West, Normand Provencher requested the help of the Oblates in evangelizing the Red River Colony (modern day St. Boniface). After 26 years of his trying, there was little to show. Most of the diocesan priests who came to the Red River mission soon returned to Quebec and the comforts of home. The Bishop wanted a religious order to establish itself locally to bring stability and progress to the mission of french Roman Catholics, Métis (French speaking mixed race of white European, Canadian and native descent) and the local Indian bands.
Initially somewhat hesitant, the Oblate Superior in Canada Fr. Guigues, was over ruled by St. Eugene de Mazenod the founder of the Order, who authorized sending Fr. Pierre Aubert and Brother Alexandre Taché to Red River in 1845. From 1845 to 1861, 20 Oblate priests, 8 brothers, and 2 secular priests who became Oblates were sent to the Red River missions. Brother Taché went on to be ordained and appointed the Bishop of St. Boniface in 1853. The Oblates in their missionary zeal went out to help found Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta thanks to their tireless missionary efforts.
Louis Riel was born in 1844 in the Red River Settlement. His father, Louis Riel Sr., who was of Franco-Ojibwa Métis descent, had gained prominence in this community by organizing a group that challenged the Hudson Bay Company’s historical trade monopoly. Louis Sr. had enrolled briefly in an Oblate novitiate but withdrew. The Riels were noted for their devout Catholicism and strong family ties.
Young Louis was educated by the Oblates in St. Boniface. In 1858, Bishop Taché, OMI arranged for Louis to study in the Sulpician Order`s seminary in Montreal. Louis was known as a good student but one who suffered from unpredictable moodiness. Withdrawing from his religious studies in 1865, he spent time in Montreal, Chicago and St. Paul, MN before returning to St. Boniface in 1868. He soon became sympathetic to the Métis cause for independence. Both Canada and the U.S. were threatening annexation and there was no guarantee of language, cultural, property and political rights.
After forming a group who used force to interrupt a Canadian land survey of their community, Louis was elected President of the Métis Provisional Government in 1869. After making good progress in negotiations with Ottawa, the execution by Riel of a local English speaking Fort Garry citizen, Thomas Scott for insubordination, drew the ire of Ottawa and the Protestant elite of Ontario.
The negotiated agreement enshrined the Métis demands and a list of rights which eventually formed the basis for the Manitoba Act of 12 May 1870 that formally admitted Manitoba into the Canadian confederation. However, the negotiators could not secure a general amnesty for the provisional government. A Canadian military expedition was dispatched to St. Boniface as an “errand of peace”. However, when Louis learned that they intended to lynch him, he fled to St. Joseph`s Mission in the Dakota territory of the U.S..
Louis returned to Canada after things cooled down and was elected as an Independent to Parliament in 1873. He was expelled and not permitted to take his seat until PM Alexandre MacKenzie secured an amnesty for him. While in exile, he spent his time with Oblate priests in Plattsburg, NY. It was then that he started suffering some megalomania, a narcissistic personailty disorder. He then spent time in an asylum in Quebec. He would pray for hours while standing, wrote many religious articles and started calling himself Louis “David” Riel, prophet of the new world.
After spending time in Montana and having a family he moved to Saskatchewan. A break with the church followed and he was barred from receiving the sacraments due to his increasing erratic behaviour. However, in 1884 he was to become the political and spiritual leader of the Métis Provisional Government of Saskatchewan. Known as the North-West Rebellion, the Métis and native forces led by Métis Gabriel Dumont were defeated at Batoche, SK in May 1885. A disheveled Riel also surrendered. He was tried and found guilty of treason in Regina. He was executed by hanging on November 16, 1885 after reconciling with the Catholic Church. He had rejected his lawyer`s advice to plead not guilty do to insanity. The jurors were all white protestants.
Riel is now regarded by some as a heroic freedom fighter who stood up for his people in the face of racist bigotry, and those who question his sanity still view him as an essentially honourable figure. His conviction was revoked by Parliament and he is regarded as a hero in Manitoba. Riel nevertheless presents an enigma. It is possible that Riel was both a murderer and a hero.
In the moment, I find Riel`s connection to the Oblates fascinating as they came to his spiritual rescue on several occasions in his life. I did not realize the extent of Riel`s religious activities and writings. He is indeed an enigma – a Canadian political figure who, greatly influenced by his Faith, stood up for the rights of the downtrodden Métis and native people against the prevailing racist and discriminatory attitudes of his times. That he mixed religion with politics and used force brought about his temporary downfall. I am glad he has been vindicated. The pattern of his life and later resurection is eerily Christ like. What about you?
David – this was really interesting and I learned a lot. I did not know of the Oblate connection. Thanks.
Yes it’s possible the Oblate witness of ministering to the poor and abandoned had some influence on the course of his life. Google found the connection. Thanks for your comment.
Making our way back into Poland, we stopped in Sokulka at St. Anthony’s Church. Here is where Blessed M. Sopocko had two more Divine Images created. One has stayed here and the other is in Bialystok. 2 days before Fr Sopocko was beatified, during holy communion, a host fell on the floor. It was placed in water to dissolve. The next day when they looked at it, there was a red splotch in the centre of the undissolved host. When analyzed, it turned out to be type AB blood, the type of blood reported in other Eucharistic miracles. This is the blood of Christ.
At the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Bialystok we venerated Blessed M. Sopocko’s remains as well as relics of St. Faustina and Pope John Paul II. Fr Sopocko died here in 1975 and was beatified in 2004. Dave read the first reading during Mass. A modern large church all white inside. Some rivalry between this much larger church and the Shrine of Divine Mercy (Chapel) in Vilnius is evident. A photo of a hologram of the Paraclete (Holy Spirit) here is attached.
One thing very evident in Polan‎d is the living strength of their Faith. Churches are full of people of all ages whenever we enter them. They have not lost their faith as have some other European countries like France. Perhaps because they have had to fight for it – they value it more.
Example. During the Communist regime, the image of the Black Madonna was actually arrested and put in jail – true story! Mary is the Queen of Poland and this was seen as a challenge to the Soviets. Poles responded by circulating the empty picture frame as an icon and proudly marched it through the streets of towns and cities in defiance of the Communists!
We have trouble sleeping as there is a boom boom party going on outside a few blocks away. We learn from Maria that alcoholism is a rampart problem among Polish youth.
I am so glad to be able to follow your piigrimage this way. I especially loved what you wrote “They have not lost their faith as have some other European countries like France. Perhaps because they have had to fight for it – they value it more.” This is so true – when we have had to fight and struggle for it, when it has not come so very easy – then it is very precious once it is alive within us. We will work and fight if necessary to keep it alive. Eleanor
Once again, fellow writer/blogger Michelle H. Barnes has had a massive response to a little challenge, and I’m happy to be included among those who participated!
Earlier this month, Michelle interviewed children’s poet and blogger (yes, we’re all bloggers!) Amy Ludwig VanDerwater about writing, inspiration, and her brand-new book, Every Day Birds (Orchard/Scholastic, 2016). Amy challenged readers to write poems about “small things.” All March long, folks have been submitting their poems…and today Michelle is sharing all of them on her blog!
Click HERE to read my poem as well as all of the poems that Michelle has received, and for all of today’s Poetry Friday links and fun, please visit Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe!
(Oh, and if you’re wondering what it’s like to be a stay-at-home parent trying to raise two kids while running a business AND being a children’s writer, I share a little insight in this past Tuesday’s post!)
Irene Latham has done it again. A couple years ago, she was hanging out at a watering hole on the African savanna (and that’s not a metaphor – by “watering hole,” I mean a real watering hole) and this year she’s at the bottom of the world, on the largest continent – and largest desert – on the planet.
Irene follows up her 2014 children’s poetry collection, Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole (Millbrook Press) with the equally entertaining and insightful When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems from the Frozen Continent (Millbrook Press).
In fifteen poems, Irene not only teaches readers a little bit about the wildlife and habitat of Antarctica, she imbues each of her subjects with a bit of magic here and a touch of tenderness there, so that each poem helps bring the reader a little closer to the truth. The book opens with the dawn of summer and concludes with the start of winter as the sun sets.
The poems are primarily free verse, so Irene makes great use of internal rhyme and enjambment to create touching scenes that are sometimes quiet, and other times full of energy.
One of the nice things about this book – and Wildebeest, as well – is that although there is plenty to learn via Irene’s poems, they never feel didactic; they are poetry for poetry’s sake, first and foremost. Sidebars on each page provide more information about each subject (from seals to krill to brinicles!), and the earthy blues and greens of Anna Wadham’s illustrations complement the icy, watery nature of Irene’s scenery – all adding up to a beautiful book to read as well as simply admire.
I had a chance to chat with Irene about the book, her life of writing, and what she has coming up in the near future!
So tell us, how did a social work major from the University of Alabama end up with 5 books of poetry, 2 middle grade novels, and another poetry collection due out next month?
I took the scenic route, that’s for sure! While I didn’t attend a single writing class in college, all those courses on developmental psychology and family dynamics have certainly enriched my writing life.
Without any training, how did you end up learning your craft? And what was your first published piece? What do you think of it today – still good, not bad, or would you totally revise it?
I started honing my craft by entering contests sponsored by Alabama State Poetry Society. At first I didn’t place at all, then I started getting Honorable Mentions, and eventually prize money! My big break came when I won a chapbook contest — no cash, but publication and 100 copies of my chapbook NOW PLAYING (poems that used classic movie titles, but were often about something else entirely).
I kind of cringe when I read those poems now — as I’ve continued to grow and develop as a poet I can now see all sorts of flaws! But it was my best work at the time, and an essential, precious part of my journey. Those poems are exactly what they needed to be — and one or two of them I do still like. 🙂
How do you move between the children’s poetry thought process and an adult’s? Do you work exclusively on one or the other, or do you bounce back and forth, depending on your mood and inspiration?
My initial efforts are most often from my adult self. I was writing a poem last week about pears, and the image that came immediately to mind was Sylvia Plath’s “little Buddhas.” I love that! But of course a kid probably wouldn’t get that. I so admire those children’s poets among us who seem to so easily and naturally find those child-like comparisons. It’s a challenge for me. I am constantly having to coax my inner 8 year old out to play. She’s shy, but one thing I’m good at is persistence.
Two years ago, you were at an African watering hole; this year, you’re in Antarctica! How do you come up with the ideas for your collections, and how long does it usually take you to complete a manuscript?
I have an abundance of obsessions, so coming up with themes/ideas for collections is not my problem. Usually they arise when I read books or go to museums or attend local community events where a speaker might mention something, and I investigate further, and next thing I know, I’m neck-deep!
As for the second part of your question, “complete” is a very slippery word, isn’t it? I could keep tinkering with poems forever and more than once have had a great idea for a way to improve a manuscript after the book is already in print. It’s one of the things that attracts me to writing in the first place – the endless learning curve.
I can churn out a bunch of first-draft poems that will be the skeleton of a poetry book manuscript within a few weeks – I strive for a poem a day. But then it can take years for the individual poems to grow and develop and for me to figure out the point of it all. I’m constantly asking of the manuscript: what is your purpose? what are you trying to say to the world? what else?
Next month, you have ANOTHER collection for children, Fresh and Delicious! Tell us about that! How did it come about?
FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers’ Market (Wordsong) is my first attempt at poems for a younger (K-2) audience. It started with a contest through my SCBWI region (Southern Breeze, which includes AL, GA, and the FL panhandle). Each June, for free, we can submit some pages for a contest that’s judged by editors. All entries receive a feedback sheet. I wanted to enter the contest, and I had just been to the farmers’ market. Voila! Poems from the farmers’ market!
I was so excited about the poems that I did NOT enter the contest – results aren’t announced until October – and sent them straight to my agent instead. She sent them to Rebecca Davis at WordSong, who had read (and rejected) at least three, perhaps four prior manuscripts (including Dear Wandering Wildebeest). She liked the poems, saw lots of promise, but didn’t feel they were quite ready. Instead, she gave me some brilliant feedback (seriously. BRILLIANT), and off I went, revising away! A couple of revisions later, she presented it at the editorial meeting and we got a green light on the project. O frabjous day!
I am always trying to explain to people that children’s poetry does not need to rhyme! (In fact, I’m hosting a workshop at an upcoming SCBWI conference about free verse) Why do you suppose you are drawn more towards free verse than rhyming poetry?
I am so happy you are teaching people that children’s poetry need not rhyme! Confession: for many years I thought all children’s poetry was Shel Silverstein! I really didn’t know there was a market for the kind of poems I write, which are by and large free verse, until I attended a poetry retreat with Rebecca Kai Dotlich in 2011 (organized by the one and only Robyn Hood Black! I’m so so grateful!). That weekend was a turning point in my writing life.
Afterwards I went on a nearly sleepless writing jag for a week as I discovered I could write the way I write for adults – but for kids. I have a gypsy heart, and being hemmed in by form or rhyme makes me irritable and unhappy. Plus I love beautiful words and lyricism, and for me, writing is a spiritual practice. It’s a way for me to love the world. I am able to achieve all of those things with free verse.
By the way, I’d be remiss if I didn’t congratulate you on TWO OTHER manuscripts you just sold, Pop! Bam! Boom! and It’s Not Black and White. What are they about?
Thank you! Pop! Bam! Boom! started with Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem.” http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175884 I got to thinking about all the things that explode – seed pods and symphonies and dreams – and I started writing. It’s Not Black & White is a special project based on real-life experiences that I co-wrote with Charles Waters. Told in two voices, it’s about friendship, race, and understanding as it happens in a 5th grade classroom when a black boy and a white girl are forced to be partners on a writing project.
Final question! I have to ask…do you ever get a chance to chat with Father Goose -Charles Ghigna – who’s just south of you in Homewood, AL? And what’s the best advice you ever received – from anyone?
Chuck and I do, in fact, chat from time to time! He’s famous around these parts (more than a hundred books to his credit now!), and he’s been a lovely supporter of my work.
As for advice: When my first book of poems came out (2007), my husband gave me a small plaque that reads, “Live Your Poem.” That’s where my blog name comes from! For years I have shared in presentations that writers have a responsibility to “live a life worth writing about.”
But it’s more that that: we need to be present, open, and delight in our lives – really LIVE. That’s poetry! I also love how those words can mean whatever they need to mean to an individual – your poem-life will be different from mine. And every single incarnation is beautiful.
I think that concept is what draws most of us to poetry, Irene…so thank you for taking the time to chat!
Thank you, Matt, for having me, and for your great questions. I’m excited for YOUR forthcoming books. Yay!
To my readers, I’m so glad YOU took the time to read today’s post, I’m going to give you an opportunity to win an autographed copy of Antarctica! Just leave a comment below, and I’ll draw a winner at the end of the month…so please let your friends know, so they can get in on it, as well. (and if you share this post via Twitter (using the Twitter button below), you’ll get an ADDITIONAL entry!)
I’m very excited to share another interview today – not just because it’s National Poetry Month, but because it’s with a woman whose writing I truly admire: Margarita Engle.
A Cuban-American living in central California, Margarita was the winner of the very first Newbery Honor awarded to a Latino. Her award-winning young adult novels in verse include The Surrender Tree, The Poet Slave of Cuba, and The Lightning Dreamer, winner of the prestigious PEN USA Award.
I first came to learn of Margarita’s work about 5 years ago, when I stumbled upon her historical novel-in-verse, Hurricane Dancers, about the first Caribbean pirate shipwreck. It was the first novel-in-verse I ever read, and I was captivated by the way she used poems from the perspective of each character to move the story.
First of all, thank you for taking the time for this interview, Margarita – you’re so busy, I can’t imagine how you find any time to write! Three books published in just the past 2 months with more on the way is rather prolific! Seriously, how do you find the time??
Thank you for the invitation to explain that when three picture books are released within a few weeks of each other, it doesn’t mean they were written at the same time. Actually, they were started years apart, but some took longer to be accepted, edited, and illustrated. Release dates for Orangutanka, Drum Dream Girl, and The Sky Painter just happened to coincide, after following widely divergent publishing pathways! As far as finding the time to write, I try to stick to a calm, quiet routine of scribbling a few pages each day.
Well, certainly, publishing is an up-and-down, stop-and-go kind of industry – a book you write today might get picked up and released next year, while one you wrote 5 years ago may still in production! But finding the time to write is only part of the battle…how do you find your topics? Where does your inspiration come from, and how do you know if a potential story idea has what it takes to be publishable?
My historical verse novel topics generally emerge from a combination of reading, travel and daydreaming. Picture books are a bit different. They usually don’t require years of research. Orangutanka, for instance, was already writing itself in my mind even while I was standing in the rain forest, watching wild orangutans at a refuge in Borneo. Drum Dream Girl just danced right into my head after I read about Millo (Castro Zaldarriaga, see below) in a book by her sister.
The Sky Painter was more like a verse novel. I’m a botanist, agronomist, and birdwatcher, so I love writing about great Latino naturalists who have been forgotten by history. However, this one required a lot of research, and was difficult to find a publisher willing to accept a book about someone who was not already “famous enough.”
The problem with the industry’s general prejudice against biographies of people who aren’t famous is that women and minorities were left out of history books. If their accomplishments are ever going to be recognized, we have to start telling their stories now.
The follow-up question then has to be, how do you decide what form the story should take – picture book, verse novel, picture book-in-verse, etc.?
Thankfully, that is rarely a struggle. It’s actually one of the truly satisfying stages in the process. I love to experiment, try it this way, try it that way, and ultimately allow the characters to decide. Their voices and the events in their lives offer a certain rhythm. When it feels natural, I proceed.
I need to ask a question that I think only fellow writers will truly understand: do you feel that winning the Newbery helped you gain more confidence in your writing…or did it have the opposite effect, by making you feel the pressure to maintain that level of writing? (If it was me, I think I’d be so nervous about writing my next book I’d never get it done!)
It’s a mixture. I alternate between days of confidence and months of timidity. The truth is I write best when I’m convinced that my work is unpublishable, and no one will ever read or judge it. That gives me complete freedom to experiment!
We write well when we don’t worry about being judged. My creative writing professor, Tomás Rivera, told me to write in the moment, for myself, rather than thinking ahead toward publication, something that comes much later, if at all.
Speaking of publication, you’ve become well-known for your verse novels – Hurricane Dancers was the first of that genre I’d ever read, and I was blow away! – but you also apply that format to some of your picture books. How do you go about finding those nuggets of gold you need to craft the individual poems, in order to tell the larger story?
Thank you! Hurricane Dancers is my most complex verse novel. For a simple picture book made of linked poems, I’m generally writing a biographical story. Each poem is a different stage in the character’s life. I don’t know any other way to carry him/her gracefully through time, without adding a lot of clunky facts and figures that I’d rather omit.
Orangutanka is a bit more lighthearted than some of your other books. What was your process for deciding its tone and structure?
I actually love lighthearted picture books, but most of them never find publishers. I have drawers filled with collections of poems on cheerful themes, but in the U.S., there seems to be an expectation that all my work has to be serious. (Tiny Rabbit’s Big Wish is doing very well in Japan – maybe I should move!)
Orangutanka came out in the form of tanka because it’s the form I often use as a travel diary. Visiting a wildlife refuge in Borneo was so profoundly moving, I needed a sensitive form, but also playful, like young orangutans.
Your other new book that just came out is Drum Dream Girl, a biographical picture book about a real-life Chinese-African-Cuban girl, Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who wanted to be a drummer at a time when that sot of thing was frowned upon. How is writing this type of book different from writing a verse novel? (Some people would say shorter means it’s easier – but anyone who writes for a living will tell you shorter is often much harder!)
Drum Dream Girl is more of an “inspired by” story than a true biography. I didn’t want to load it with facts and figures. I just wanted to evoke the spirit of Millo’s courage, as a ten-year-old girl defying Cuba’s taboo against female drummers. I wanted to avoid discussing the taboo itself in any detail, because it’s part of an extremely complex West African religious tradition that would be confusing for young children.
Many of my picture book manuscripts are extremely short, but sometimes an editor asks me to add detail, and then they have to grow. Fortunately, this one stayed in its original form, leaving plenty of room for Rafael López’ spectacular artwork!
What would you say is the most important consideration a writer needs to make when crafting a verse novel, as opposed to another genre?
The heart is the most important consideration. The heart of the story, the heart of each poem, the heart of each character. I love the verse novel format because like a haiku, it has room for universal emotions, without all the clutter of too many facts and figures. However, I do need to research my subject thoroughly. I need to know those facts and figures, and then I need to choose which ones are truly important to me. The rest can be left out completely, or distilled into a brief prose historical note at the end.
Please tell us about your upcoming new book, The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist. What drew you to this particular person?
I love writing about great Latinos who have been forgotten by history, and I love writing about people who are independent thinkers, willing to try something new. Fuertes pioneered the painting of living birds in flight, instead of killing them like Audubon. I think that’s a creative approach that will inspire children! Just because someone is taught to do something destructive, that doesn’t mean he/she can’t figure out a better way to accomplish the same goal.
Ornithologists consider Fuertes to be the best bird artist who ever lived, and he was also a great conservationist at a time when women still wore whole birds on their heads – hats were not just ornamented with feathers, entire specimens of rare and endangered species could be spotted on hats in fashion shows! He talked to women’s clubs, asking them to use ribbons or other decorations, instead of dead birds. It sounds absurd now, but that was the reality of the time. It makes me ask myself: what are we doing now that will seem horrifying in a few decades? How can we change?
Finally, I’d love to know more about your upcoming childhood memoir in verse, Enchanted Air. How different was writing an autobiography from writing the biography of someone else, and how does a writer find the objectivity needed to determine what works and what doesn’t?
Enchanted Air is subtitled Two Cultures, Two Wings. It’s the story of my childhood summers in Cuba, where I bonded with my mother’s extended family, and fell in love with tropical nature.
It’s also the story of the Cold War, and the loss of travel rights. I know the Missile Crisis affected every child of my generation, but it affected Cuban-Americans in a unique way. Writing this book was excruciatingly painful. I won’t be able to read certain parts out loud without crying. I don’t claim to be objective about something so personal and emotional.
That’s a long list! My one great unfulfilled wish is a bilingual picture book. I keep writing them, but none are ever accepted. I also wrote a magic realistic middle grade book that has not found a publisher, but I enjoyed experimenting with fantasy. I’m also enjoying experimenting with a historical verse novel set in my home state of California. I would love to try a collection of natural history poems. I haven’t yet tackled the subject of contemporary Cuba.
For more info on any of Margarita’s books, check out her website HERE or simply click any of the book covers above!
By the way, you have one week left to send me your “Poetry…Cubed!” entries for a chance to win one of two books! Last week I shared a new poetry challenge…and I’m looking forward to seeing what you can come up with! It’s my take on the Food Network show, “Chopped!” – but instead of using surprise ingredients from a basket to create a meal, you need to use three photo prompts to create ONE fantastic poem!
By the way, Irene Latham’s annual Progressive Poem is…well, progressing – very nicely! A different writer adds a line each day, and today Tara at A Teaching Life adds her touch to the adventure. On April 30, we’ll see where it ends when Yours Truly caps it off with the final line.
April is fully underway, which means National Poetry Month is, too – and today I thought I’d share an interview with someone who has taken poetry into an area it hasn’t – officially – been before!
We all know that reading and writing poetry often can be therapeutic for folks who are going through tough times; but what if a licensed mental health professional was to incorporate poetry into his sessions and use it as a way to help people come to terms with the problems they’re dealing with?
Brian P. Wohlmuth is just such as person. He has written a book called Psychoetry: Lessons in Poetic Parenting and joins us today to chat about this intriguing concept.
Thanks for taking the time to be with us today, Brian. First of all, what exactly is Psychoetry, and how did you come to develop it?
Psychoetry is the marriage of Psychology & Poetry. As a clinician, I found myself regularly empathizing with children who had unceremoniously stumbled into one or more universal “potholes of childhood.” Although the provision of empathy is a common and essential therapeutic practice, I frequently encountered parents who were operating at a deficit.
Subsequently, the concept for a book that both enhances parental attunement and the ability to administer empathetic appreciation literally unfolded right in front of my face. My childhood exposure to Mother Goose/Dr. Seuss and The Beatle’s lyrics gave birth to the idea of using rhyme as a method of delivery.
It seems to me that rhyme has a tendency to be internalized. Much like a song or lyric that can remain in your head forever, I believe a poem can generate an outcome of similar permanence. The introduction of poetry about psychology is intended to enliven those childhood experiences that reside within each and every adult. When accompanied by pictures and informative narratives, the illumination of forgotten memories can help establish a common ground that allows parent and child to strive forward together.
The reaction to Psychoetry has been extremely positive. I have been a guest on three radio programs in 2015, and look forward to honoring invitations extended for April and May. As a general rule, each respective host has recognized Psychoetry’s content to be informative, and found the combination of Psychology & Poetry to make for an enjoyable read. I have also received feedback suggesting that after revisiting the “universal potholes of childhood” contained in Psychoetry, some parents have actually been the benefactors of a corrective emotional experience(s).
It must be noted, that as of this writing, no evidenced based research quantifying the efficacy of the Psychoetry Method has been gathered.
What types of issues do parents most often discuss with you, and how has poetry helped you to help them?
In my presentations to parenting groups, as well as those who seek private consultation, I find that many parents have allowed their children to become “LARGE AND IN CHARGE.” There are many names assigned to such a phenomenon, such as Entitlement, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or Omnipotent Grandiosity. The latter describes a child who has taken up residence in the center of the universe, and has not been adequately taught/informed that there is a world beyond his or her egocentric position. Subsequently, the poems “PA” and “Just Say No,” introduce OPTIMAL FRUSTRATION (frustration in manageable doses) as the catalyst which gradually engenders a shift from “ME-NESS” to “WE-NESS.” To simplify, and as I write in the book, “A YES IS FOR FUN, but A NO IS WHAT YOU GROW FROM.”
You cover a number of parenting issues in your book – from familial ties and positive reinforcement to doctor visits and the first day of school – and you have a poem for each of these! Are there any poems that seem to have a greater impact than others?
Included in Psychoetry is a poem entitled E = MC2, which acquaints the reader to the concept of parenting as energy. Basically, it encourages parents to understand that “SOME OF THEIR BEST LIVING WILL BE DONE BY THOSE THEY LEAVE BEHIND,” and invites them to impart energy (parenting practices) that will compliment rather than complicate the development of their child.
The counseling topics that appear in Psychoetry encompass the DROOL to SCHOOL age periods of development. Those issues which accompany the SCHOOL to NOBODY’S FOOL (young adulthood) transition, are awaiting to be poetically addressed.
I began writing poetry about 20 years ago, which is when I came up with the idea to combine Psychology and Poetry. I had never written before, but with cautious optimism, I gave it a try. After making a list of the various “potholes,” I began to imagine how they would occur, the circumstances behind their occurrence, and the feeling(s) which might accompany each occurrence. Without previous experience, I had no indication of whether or not I was capable of writing anything worthy of publication.
My uncertainty was replaced by a quiet sense of confidence when Fox Television approached me to do a therapeutic news segment on the effects of being the last one chosen. The poem, “Exclusion,” was used as the backbone for the story, and Psychoetry was put into motion!
After finishing the essentials for Psychoetry, I attempted to expand upon my creative process. Although I remain dumbfounded to this day, I began to generate poems which were oriented toward Spirituality, and/or Higher Love. What follows are two of my initial post-Psychoetry creations. The first, “Vision,” had the good fortune to be published (in braille) by the John Milton Society For The Blind (Discovery, Oct. – Dec 2000, Volume 1) and appear around the world. The second, “Behold His Mighty Hand, percolated to consciousness as the first of its kind, and thusly, is my personal favorite.
I’m very happy to once again be part of Irene Latham’s annual Progressive Poem! Each day, a different person adds their line to a poem that grows and grows over the course of the month…until it culminates April 30 with the final, closing line.
You can see how the poem looks so far at Catherine Johnson’s blog today…and then follow the 2015 Progressive Poem at the following locations:
I don’t know how they do it. I have so many writer friends who somehow find the time to not only write stories and poetry, but update their blog every other day, maintain a family, run errands, and do all the other stuff that life requires…and yet for me, it’s always a struggle. I really don’t know how they keep it all together! Myself, I’m taking care of the kids, trying to keep on top of my voiceover business, keeping the house and yard from looking too shabby, trying to be a good hubby, AND find time to get all my writing in. And invariably, every day ends with me wondering where the hours all went.
That said, I’m reposting this interview with Lee Bennett Hopkins today. I’ve been out straight lately with commercial production work and writing children’s poems to submit to a few select publications, and since this interview was first shared in the fall of 2012 (Nov. 13, to be exact), I thought it remained on the shelf long enough and deserved a second posting! I hope you like it…
Lee Bennett Hopkins’ name is synonymous with children’s literature. He has written and edited numerous award-winning books; he’s worked with a veritable who’s-who of authors, from Dr. Seuss to Madeleine L’Engle; and he has even been an elementary school educator. In addition to the numerous awards he’s received over the years, he was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2011 as the world’s most prolific anthologist of poetry for children: at the time, he had edited 113 different titles. and he’s not slowing down.
I recently wrapped up an interview with Lee for Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults (PACYA), which we just finished editing and formatting yesterday….you can find the interview HERE.
PACYA is featuring all the recipients of the prestigious National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children; in addition to Lee, you can read biographies and interviews with poets like Karla Kuskin, X.J. Kennedy, Myra Cohn Livingston, Nikki Grimes, and more. (I had the honour of interviewing U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis a few weeks ago, and that interview will be posted in a couple weeks.) See the complete list of all the featured poets along with links to their pages HERE.
My thanks to PACYA for helping to promote children’s poetry, and for giving me the opportunity to help them in their efforts!
A couple of weeks ago, Heidi Mordhorst nominated this blog for a Sunshine Blogger Award. I immediately thanked her…then went to her blog to find out what that meant! According to Heidi, the folks she nominated “are people whose blogs, whose work, and whose simple existence bring sunshine to my juicy little universe.” (In case you’re wondering, My Juicy Little Universe is the name of her blog)
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they’ve been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)
Well, I’ve thanked Heidi for nominating me, so I can check the first one off the list. Now then…eleven random facts? Listing eleven facts are easy enough, but these need to be random. Let’s see how random I can get:
1) If I wasn’t a voiceover talent and writer, I’d either be teaching English or cooking professionally.
5) I fell in love with voice acting at a very young age, after my father let me listen to some old-time radio shows. (I talk more about this HERE)
6) I share the same birthday (June 24) as rockers Jeff Beck and Mick Fleetwood. Not really anything significant about that – but it IS a random fact.
7) Even though I used to work in radio and hosted several morning shows, I hate noise in the morning! Please keep it quiet for a few hours while I wake up…
8) Def Leppard’s drummer, Rick Allen, once gave me his cellphone number. (I should call and see if it still works)
9) I gave my 5-year-old daughter, Katie, a metal plate that had been removed from my left arm, following surgery. Why? She wanted it!
11) My favourite band is Crowded House, yet the only time I’ve ever seen them live was two years ago in Boston (thanks to my wife!). In fact, anything that Neil Finn or his brother, Tim, have done – from Split Enz to their various collaborations – is ok by me.
I now need to answer the 11 questions Heidi asked on her blog post, when she nominated this blog for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Keep in mind, I have not read any of the questions until this very moment- so the answers I’m giving here are my immediate responses. Something tells me this is going to be fun:
The first poem I recall reading and trying to memorize was from a book whose title I don’t recall, unfortunately! (I’ve tried tracking down the book, to no avail) The poem was about how much fun it would be if we could eat clouds, it was from a small, paperback collection of poetry, and most of the pen & ink illustrations were accented in blue and pink. If you have ANY idea what book this is, please let me know!
When I was 6 or 7 I think, I “wrote” some horribly rhyming lines about a goat swallowing a boat down his throat – and asked my uncle, a musician, if he could write the music for it. (Sorry, Uncle Ron, I still feel bad for that) Now, I considered it a song rather than a poem – but looking back on it, it wasn’t much of either, so I guess it’ll have to do.
Wow, what a great question I don’t think I can answer! I’ve used numerous poems to write parodies over the years (like this one), but as far as serious poems, I don’t think I have ever done this. I’ve borrowed styles and forms and themes and such – but I’m not sure I’ve ever used a particular poem as a model.
Charles Ghigna. While I love Douglas Florian’s wit, David L. Harrison’s insight, and Steven Withrow’s lyricism, Charles has a knack for taking little observances and making them big and beautiful while maintaining a simple language and style. A close runner-up would be David Elliott, who has a great sense of humour and an ability to distill his observations into their most important facets. (That’s not too high-brow a comment, is it?)
You know, I don’t think I ever pay attention to that sort of thing. I write about varied subjects, and my focus, as far as I can tell, is usually on that particular subject. Whatever else is going on around me is secondary – which I suppose is probably not always a good thing!
A few years ago, a female friend and I went to a birthday party for a friend of hers…at a gay bar. Now, it wasn’t the fact that I was one of only two straight guys in the building – neither of us had any problem with that. But watching a scantily-clad “shot-boy” dancing on a table and having my butt grabbed on more than one occasion was definitely an experience I’ll never forget!
8) Say you have an unexpected couple of hours to yourself at home. What do you do? Include details of food, drink, tools, rules, etc.
First, I’ll try to get a load of dishes and laundry going – those things ain’t gonna wash themselves. Then I’ll pour some Moxie, maybe grad some Doritos, and head upstairs to my studio to do some writing. Taking care of two young kids, I don’t have the time I used to – so I fit writing in whenever I can.
9) Say you suddenly find yourself in my kindergarten classroom with an opportunity to relive the 5-year-old you. What do you enjoy most?
Probably playing on the playground, kicking balls, and riding the see-saw. If it was raining, I’d be happy colouring and drawing inside. The 5-year-old me never went to kindergarten, so formal academics weren’t a part of my life!
10) Say Dr. Who shows up in his Tardis and invites you on a three-hour tour. Where do you go? Whom do you visit? Do you bring anything back?
Where I go: I’d like to zip around the world and visit some of the places I doubt I’ll ever see: Scotland, Paris, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Machu Pichu.
Whom I visit: I’d like to get Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and Vishnu together and see if we can come to an understanding.
What I bring back: Leela. I’ve had a thing for her ever since middle school, and I’m now old enough to be able to do something about it.
The following list of fellow bloggers is by no means a complete list of all the folks I am proud to call friends, peers, and mentors; it is, however, a good sampling of the types of folks with whom I like to hang around. They are, in no particular order:
I think it took me longer to come up with these questions than it did answering Heidi’s. Here are the questions I am asking of the 11 bloggers whom I’ve nominated.
1) How would you describe/define your particular writing niche? In other words, what makes you so special?
3) I had to answer this, so now I’d like to hear from you: Can you describe your writing process in 3 simple steps?
4) If you were given $1000 with the instructions that it all had to be given away, how would you do it?
5) What story, book, or poem do you recall being the first thing you ever read that really made an impression?
And with that, I shall take my leave and get back to work. I hope some of my blogger friends will take this challenge because I’d love to read some of their answers! And if you haven’t visited their blogs before, check them out and see what you think…you just might learn something new!