Poetry Friday --- and more @: Laura Salas' http://laurasalas.com/

Thanks to beautiful Linda B. for hosting this week's Poetry Friday. She's got loads more poetry to enjoy over at her blog: http://www.teacherdance.org/  

Last Friday, I was at my World's Fair, my Disney, my mom-cation.....I was at the Virginia Association of School Librarians Conference in Hampton, Virginia.

It's where I connect with my people....professionals who strive to bring information to all our students. I was again lifted by the synergy of hundreds of connected and dedicated Teacher Librarians.

The last session I attended was 8 am on Saturday morning. I could have slept in, or skipped it and gotten on the road to home early. I'm so glad I didn't!

Eukua Holmes spoke about her work and how she came to illustrate her Caldecott-winning work, Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford.

Photo of mixed-media collage by Eukua Holmes shared by the artist VAASL 2016

Weatherford's, text in Voice of Freedom:Fannie Lou Hamer is written in verse and beautiful despite depicting difficulties of life in the Mississipi Delta for Hamer, born to sharecroppers who rose to leadership in our nation's Civil Rights Journey.

Grabarek, Daryl. "“The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement” | Carole Boston Weatherford on Fannie Lou Hamer." School Library Journal. Genesis Framework: Wordpress, 11 Aug. 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2016. 

It's been a long time since illustrations solely pulled me into a story the way that Eukua Holmes inviting art does. As Ms. Holmes spoke and shared photos of her collages to illustrate Fannie Lou Hamer's story I appreciated Holmes' journey as an artist.

Photo of mixed-media collage by Eukua Holmes shared by the artist VAASL 2016

Ms. Holmes introduced herself as a person who loved art and made art but didn't always consider herself an artist.

I kinda got that! After years of writing as a kid and teen, I didn't think of myself as a writer -- after all, I'm not published. Right? But, the truth is I write to understand what I think and believe and I feel stronger, healthier when I write. I found a critique group and other poet friends. I found out that I wasn't as odd a duck as I thought. I found Poetry Friday!

Ms. Holmes tells her story of illustrating Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer far better than I. Please seek out her story in her own words.

@wburartery. "Bostonian Wins Caldecott Honor For Biography Of Civil Rights Hero Fannie Lou Hamer." WBUR. WBUR, 16 Jan. 2016. Web. 26 Oct. 2016. 

Enjoy some of the luminous art Holmes shared with librarians at our conference. And, if you ever have a chance to meet her in person...don't miss it. She is a gem of an artist and human being.

Poetry Friday

Who can resist Autumn Haiku? Not anyone I know!

Thank you to the amazing Tricia at the Miss Rumphius Effect for hosting and providing bushels of Poetry Friday treats to all this week.

Berg, Heinrich Van Den. "Spider's Web, ISimangaliso Wetland Park." Getty Images. Getty Images, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

Swiatkowski, Moira. "Illustration Friday Weekly Art Challenge!" Illustration Friday. Illustration Friday, 25 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. .

Poetry Friday Inspired by Autumn 

For more inspiration and Poetry Friday fun head on over to
Irene Latham's Live Your Poem. She's got scarecrows galore!

Nasa+constellation+images - Google Search." Nasa+constellation+images - Google Search. NASA, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Bauman, Leila T. "Geese in Flight." Art Object Page. National Gallery of Art, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Poetry Friday

I had a conversation with my son about a pastel he created in school.

Me:  How did you make this?
Son: I drew the outline first with a fresh pencil eraser dipped in paint
Me: Huh. Then?
Son: I colored it in with pastels. I like those colors...but not how it's uneven.

This tiny back-and-forth sent me in search of pencil-eraser-poetry. None of what I found had precisely the right tone  but, Kalli Dakos' poem below is kid friendly and fun.

I wonder if you have suggestions for poems to illustrate the artwork below?

Thanks to Violet Nesdoly for hosting this week's Poetry Round-up.

The Pencil and Eraser Were in a Horrid Fight

The pencil and eraser Were in a horrid fight, It went on through the day And well into the night.

The pencil wrote a poem About erasers that can’t write, The eraser erased the poem, And he did it with delight.

The pencil wrote a sign, Keep erasers out of sight,The eraser erased the sign, And he did it out of spite.

The pencil wrote a note, "You're just a parasite!" The eraser erased the note, Not a word was left in sight.

The pencil and eraser Fought all through the night, And when the morning came, They had disappeared from sight. (c) Kalli Dakos

"Dot" pastel by David....made with pencil eraser dots