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Friday, November 11, 2011

Poetry Friday, Thankus, and Ten Days of Thanks-Giving ~

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Howdy Campers—welcome!  Come in, come in...it's 
So pull up a chair, grab a steaming cuppa tea,
and read the words of happy (or appropriately despondent)
poets contributing to today's celebration, below!

Today I'm delighted to offer you a sneak peek preview of TeachingAuthors' First Annual...
This year, Ten Days of Thanks-Giving will run November 20-30. It all began with our own Esther Hershenhorn's post about Thankus, which are thank you notes in the form of a haiku.

It's lovely to sit for a moment (or drive my car without the radio, as I did) and think of the one person to whom you'd like to write a thank you note or poem.

Here's the Thanku I wrote today:
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THANKU TO BARB
by April Halprin Wayland
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When rain pours, when my
nose drips—you wrap around me
like my softest quilt.

WRITING WORKOUT:
Write a Thank You Note or a Thanku poem!

For November 20-30, we'd like to encourage you to take some "thank you time"...to try your hand at writing a thanku, or any kind of thank you note, 25 words or less.

So: to whom are you grateful?  A relative, that wonderful next-door neighbor, your hair dresser, a stranger, a teacher?

If you're a teacher, why not ask your students the same question?  And if you and/or your students are overflowing with gratitude and cannot wait one more minute, by all means leave your thankus or 25-word thank you notes in the comments below or email us at teachingauthors at  gmail dot com!

...and remember to write with joy!

P.S: Did you know that November is Picture Book Month?
Our old dog Rosie, reading her favorite poetry picture book
Thanku poem and photo of Rosie (c) 2011 April Halprin Wayland, all rights reserved
at

31 comments:

  1. April Halprin WaylandNovember 11, 2011 at 1:24 AM

    Welcome, poetry bloggers! Tell us what you've posted!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Author AmokNovember 11, 2011 at 2:10 AM

    Good morning, April. Thank you for hosting.

    I am finding comfort in Rumi's poem, "Love Dogs." I am lucky to have a lovely dog in my life. So many children find comfort in their animal companions. This is a beautiful poem to share with anyone who is grieving.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RuthNovember 11, 2011 at 4:08 AM

    Thank you for posting! I've got an Emily Dickinson poem today that was new to me. That's something to be thankful for!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mary LeeNovember 11, 2011 at 4:16 AM

    Thanks for hosting, and for the challenge to write ten THANKUs this month. I'm thinking I need a new bulletin board at school, and a quick mini-unit on poetry writing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Julie November 11, 2011 at 4:29 AM

    Thanks for the thanku!
    In honor of it being 11-11-11, I have a little Elevenses poem (the King's Breakfast)by A.A. Milne over at The Drift Record.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Robyn Hood BlackNovember 11, 2011 at 5:51 AM

    THANKU for hosting, April! I'm in the haiku spirit today with poetry from Gisele LeBlanc and info about her new haiku critique service:

    http://www.robynhoodblack.com/blog.htm?post=822611

    ReplyDelete
  7. maria horvathNovember 11, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    Thank you for hosting Poetry Friday.

    Today we have a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson that reminds us why we commemorate Veterans Day.

    http://www.ghpoetryplace.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. jamaNovember 11, 2011 at 6:35 AM

    I'm serving up some French dessert at alphabet soup!

    Love your thanku :).

    Happy Weekend and thanks for hosting -- *written in virtual raisins* !

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amy L VNovember 11, 2011 at 6:39 AM

    Thanku for hosting and for extending this season of Thanksgiving! Today I have an original poem about Daylight Savings Time, and I look forward to thanking a few people with thankus this week! a.

    ReplyDelete
  10. MarjorieNovember 11, 2011 at 6:53 AM

    Thanks for hosting - I love the photo of your dog :-). I've just posted the link to Sally's post on PaperTigers about Remembrance Day and some words from Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s CD "Facing Future".

    ReplyDelete
  11. BarbaraNovember 11, 2011 at 6:57 AM

    Thanku for the Haiku, and for hosting.

    I've been reading speculative poetry lately and have an Alice in Wonderland poem by Alexandra Seidel - If Alice . . .

    ReplyDelete
  12. laurasalasNovember 11, 2011 at 7:03 AM

    Love the thanku--what a fantastic idea! I'm in with a poem from one of Ralph Fletcher's collections and also 15 Words or Less poems.

    Thnaks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Irene LathamNovember 11, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    Thanks for hosting! I'm thinking lots of poetry is about gratitude, even if not in the Thanku form... all about our experience with joy and wonder in the world. Makes me want to write an ode! And the poem I'm sharing from Ted Kooser's column sort of IS an ode, to "winter sun." It's been a real gift to me during this stressful week. Hope it touches you too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. GatheringBooksNovember 11, 2011 at 7:49 AM

    Hi April! Thanks for hosting today. Our Poetry Friday link is up. We are sharing Joel Toledo's "Heart" this week.

    http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/poetry-friday-joel-toledos-heart/

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  15. TriciaNovember 11, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    Thanks for hosting this shindig! I've been using poems to develop prompts this month and am sharing one that has me thinking a lot about the shape of things. The poem is Cardinal Ideograms by May Swenson.

    http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2011/11/poetry-friday-cardinal-ideograms.html

    Have a great weekend!
    Tricia

    ReplyDelete
  16. Carol SallerNovember 11, 2011 at 8:09 AM

    Teachers, what a wonderful weekly gathering for poetry. (Eddie's War is historical fiction, and I never expected reviewers to call it poetry, but what are you gonna do?) I'm happy to be here!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Linda BNovember 11, 2011 at 8:14 AM

    Thanku for the hosting, and thanku for the call for more. I like the idea for students too. Today I am giving thanks for veterans. http://teacherdance.blogspot.com/2011/11/remembrance.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. Charles GhignaNovember 11, 2011 at 8:50 AM

    Come visit our "Voting Booth" and enjoy a bit of wit at SNICKERS

    ReplyDelete
  19. TaraNovember 11, 2011 at 8:52 AM

    Thanks for hosting today, April! I'm going to try a THANKU ... I know my kids will get a real kick out of this idea, too. My contribution today is a poem from Paul Janeczko's collection of poems "Requiem" - these were inspired by his study of the Terezin ghetto, and reading them has opened up a whole new realm of study for me.

    http://tmsteach.blogspot.com/2011/11/poetry-friday-paul-b-janeczkos-requiem.html

    ReplyDelete
  20. Author AmokNovember 11, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    I meant to thank you also for the form. What a great classroom idea for this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Liz in InkNovember 11, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    Hi! Thanks for hosting and I LOVE the thanku idea!!!

    I posted a number poem today:http://liz-scanlon.livejournal.com/180583.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousNovember 11, 2011 at 9:33 AM

    Thanks for hosting this week! Today I am sharing poems by Harryette Mullen and Paul B Janeczko on Write on the World: http://writeontheworld.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/poetry-friday/

    ReplyDelete
  23. LisaNovember 11, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Thank you for hostin! At my L. L. Owens - Children's Writing Blog, I've posted a Q & A with author Carol Saller about her novel in verse Eddie's War (and I see she must have already submitted a link).

    http://llowens.blogspot.com/2011/11/poetry-friday-q-with-author-carol.html

    ReplyDelete
  24. Elaine MagliaroNovember 11, 2011 at 10:46 AM

    April,

    Thanks for doing the roundup this week!

    At Wild Rose Reader, I have a post titled "In November: Connecting Children’s Literature, Nature, and Creative Writing." I provide suggestions for writing a collaborative class prose poem using Cynthia Rylant's book "In November" as a springboard. I also include an idea for an extension activity--students making illustrated books of the poem to take home and share with their families for Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Janet S.November 11, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    Thanks for hosting.
    My selection consists of two editions of "Over the River and Through the Wood: a Thanksgiving Poem" written by Lydia Maria Child.

    ReplyDelete
  26. MotherReaderNovember 11, 2011 at 12:27 PM

    Today I have the picture book Brother Sun, Sister Moon at

    http://www.motherreader.com/2011/11/poetry-friday-brother-sun-sister-moon.html


    Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  27. LisaNovember 11, 2011 at 2:38 PM

    Really enjoying the posts. I can't seem to get comments to post on the majority of blogs I've visited today (hoping a big bunch of multiples don't show up later), but I'm reading and trying to say hi!

    Meanwhile, please let me add "Oh, good grief" about the "hostin" in my earlier comment.

    ReplyDelete
  28. CarolNovember 11, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    Thanks for hosting! I love the idea of thanku's! I'm sooo going to try it! As are my fourth graders, but they don't know it yet!

    I'm a first round CYBILS judge for poetry. Today I have a review of SPINSTER GOOSE: TWISTED RHYMES FOR NAUGHTY CHILDREN. I know kids are absolutely going to love these poems about swearers, bullies, nose pickers, cheaters, and other social deviants!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Greg PincusNovember 11, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    Thank you for hosting
    The world is a better place
    With more poetry!

    I'm up with an original called I Tried to Write a Poem. Any wonder why it's up late? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Esther HershenhornNovember 15, 2011 at 7:41 AM

    Thanks to Kidlitosphere's Talented Poets for getting out the word about our Ten Days of Thanks-giving.
    Greg's Thanku says it all when it comes to poetry.
    Keep those Thankus comin' in!

    ReplyDelete
  31. CJ HeckDecember 9, 2011 at 4:22 AM

    Wow, you learn something new every day! Thank you for teaching me about Thanku!
    Your poetic friend,
    CJ Heck

    ReplyDelete

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