poetry

Working with An Illustrator

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Yes, my book has a dog! But it didn’t always have one.

“Where Do Butterflies Go at Night?” – 2nd Edition’s text brought the reader into the rich imagination of the little boy who has fallen asleep dreaming. But during the illustration process, Stella asked if we might have a dog. Hmmm. After a not-terribly-long discussion about it and an inquiry as to what kind of dog, I was good with it, and now we have an adorable Beagle pup guiding the young reader throughout the book.

As an illustrator myself, I have a process when I write a picture book – I start the story, visualize it, continue writing, visualize that, and so on. By the time I’ve finished writing the story, I have completely illustrated it in my mind. So one of the challenges in working with an illustrator is that their images, no matter how gorgeous, often contradict what’s already in your mind!

It takes surrendering your own ideas, and trusting someone else to imagine your story. And what a wonderful job Stella did on that. And the Beagley-boy is such a perfect touch.

“Where Do Butterflies Go at Night?” – 2nd Edition is now available on Amazon.

Don’t Hesitate

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Don’t Hesitate

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

Mary Oliver

Being Kind

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You don’t want to hear the story
of my life, and anyway
I don’t want to tell it, I want to listen

to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.

And anyway
it’s the same old story —
a few people just trying,
one way or another,
to survive.

Mostly, I want to be kind.

– Mary Oliver

Poetry Month, Part 2 – April 2024

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It’s still April, and it’s still National Poetry Month. I’ve selected three more poems that I like, created some graphics, and hope you enjoy them, too.

Robert Frost is another of our great American poets, and for this post, I read quite a few of his, most unknown to me, and loved this one, Come In.”

How could it truly be poetry month without a love poem or two? The first, “Falling Stars”, is written by Austrian poet, Raine Maria Rilke, who published in German, and changed the way poetry was written and expressed.

Tyler Knott Gregson is a modern day American poet and author who first began to achieve fame for his poetry on social media in 2009.

All things are possible. Hope you enjoyed the poetry!

Poetry Month – April 2024

/ still a dreamer / 4 Comments

I love poetry. You? April is National Poetry Month, so I thought I’d share the occasional poem that I prepared some graphics for. There may be more, but this is what I’m posting so far.

I don’t know if we could have a proper national poetry month here without our wonderful American poet, Emily Dickinson.

A love poem of sorts by another great American writer, poet and novelist, Alice Walker.

Okay, it’s true — Tennessee Williams is a playwright, but this seems like poetry to me, so I took a small liberty.

Wherever you live, why not find some poetry this month – fill your heart with gladness, sorrow, life, love – some poetry.