National Poetry Month is underway and I’ve got a lot going on: poetry, interviews, student writing, a national book launch for my second picture book! Today, in addition to my contribution to the 2018 Progressive Poem, I have an interview with Amy Losak about H is for Haiku (Penny Candy Books), a brand-new children’s poetry collection written by her late mom, Sydell Rosenberg.
Matt, thanks very much for your kindness and interest! H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z (Penny Candy Books, illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi) is an alphabet collection of short poems – haiku and senryu –written by my mother, Sydell Rosenberg. Syd was a charter member of the Haiku Society of America in 1968 and served as HSA secretary in 1975. Mom was a New Yorker, so she called her short poems “city haiku” (in a classic book released in 1974, The Haiku Anthology, edited by Cor van den Heuvel and published by Doubleday Anchor). Some of her poems in this new picture book have an urban “flavor” or “feel,” yet they also are universal – and timeless.
In addition, mom’s senryu will be featured in a new anthology from National Geographic, The Poetry of US, edited by former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis. It will be released in late September.
That’s terrific! I know a number of folks who will have poems included in that book, myself included, so it’s an honor to be in it with her. I remember when we first met online, you were in the process of finding a publisher for this book. How long did it take you to go from searching to finally nailing down a deal?
In truth, this has been a long and often arduous journey. Mom had completed at least a couple of kids’ poetry manuscripts, including a haiku A-B-C reader. She submitted them to publishers in the 1980s, perhaps even in the 1970s. (I have some of her saved rejection letters somewhere).
At mom’s funeral in 1996, I remember that my brother Nathan, sister-in-law Debbie, and I promised to fulfill her dream of publishing a picture book. But I didn’t start to get “get serious” until around 2011. Then it became an act of almost Herculean mobilization, because her work is disorganized. And emotionally, I wasn’t ready to tackle a project of this magnitude sooner.
But I finally began to wade through a welter of her papers, notebooks, etc., that had been thrown into boxes and bags after she died. I managed to assemble a lovely cache of her work, including poems from those old manuscripts. I contacted arts education and literacy organizations with proposals about partnering on programs to use her haiku as teaching tools. I connected with a terrific nonprofit arts education organization in New York, Arts For All (arts-for-all.org).
For several years, we have had a successful collaboration. Mom’s haiku and senryu are used to teach the basics of painting, drawing and collage; music; and theater in a Bronx school and a Queens school. I’ve also conducted readings of her adult and kids’ poetry at the Queens Botanical Garden and The Poets House in NY, respectively. And a few years ago at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York, teaching artists even created a gorgeous, golden structure: a haiku PoeTree!
But my ultimate goal has always been this book. I first began submitting mom’s manuscript directly to publishers in early April of 2015 – I believe on April 1 (no fooling!). I signed the contract with the wonderful Penny Candy Books (the principals are Chad Reynolds and Alexis Orgera, who also are poets) on October 31 in 2016 (yes, Halloween). When you add it all up, it has taken decades to reach this destination.
I have to give thanks to the extraordinary encouragement of many people: family, friends, colleagues, poets and children’s authors. I am deeply grateful for this wellspring of support – it’s been invaluable.
There are a lot of folks writing haiku these days. What do you think your mom’s poetry offers readers they may not have experienced before?
Haiku is global in scope and popularity today. Poets around the world are producing glorious work and supporting each other’s creative spirits. My mom’s style changed somewhat over her thirty-odd years as a “haijin” (haiku poet) – at times, her work got sparer. The poems in HIFH are more like, I think, miniature stories. I refer to them as “word-pictures” that capture nature and human nature “in nuggets.” They are gentle, and gently humorous — observant “slices” of life to make readers smile.

Back in the ’80’s, you helped create promotional materials for the PBS TV series, “Voices & Visions”…how did your business and broadcast experience help – if it all – during the process of getting this poetry collection off the ground?
This assignment was early in my career as a publicist, thanks to the mentorship and guidance of my two female bosses at the time, Charlotte Klein and Betty Travis. They were senior public relations executives, I helped promote this TV series about American poets – which “distance learners” could take for college credit — on behalf of The Annenberg/CPB Project. I loved the creative challenges and opportunities Charlotte and Betty gave me.
But I had no inkling then that, decades later, I would undertake this “mission” of publishing my mother’s work, not to mention writing (and sometimes publishing) my own short poetry too. And yet, in hindsight, perhaps my career helped lay the groundwork.
I also worked on the press kit and media relations outreach for the 1980’s PBS series, “Anne of Green Gables,” thanks to my mentors. I grew up with L.M. Montgomery’s books (my parents took us on a jaunt to Prince Edward Island when I was a teen), and Anne’s poetic sensibility resonated with me. I thought of her as a “kindred spirit.” I still do! (See my blog here: https://www.pennycandybooks.com/blog-1/losak)
Which poem is your favorite from this collection, and why?
I confess I have several. One that I have come to love is:
.
So pale — it hardly sat
on the outstretched branch
of the winter night.
.
This award-winning haiku was published twice in the journal, Haiku West (1968 and 1975) and was also published on mom’s tribute page in the December, 1996 issue of Frogpond, the journal of the Haiku Society of America. I am captivated by the mystery of this poem, because “it” isn’t specified. “It” can be anything the reader imagines – the friendly moon, certainly (Sawsan’s lovely interpretation in the book), but other things too. This haiku is serene, simple… yet striking.
Indeed, it is, Amy…and I agree, the ambiguity is key. There are wonderful, unique visuals in several other poems, as well, like children with umbrellas compared to rows of mushrooms and flamingos’ legs “melting” in the lake water. My favorite poem happens to be on the very first page:

One last question: if you could tell someone unfamiliar with haiku why they should purchase this book, what would you say?
Syd’s haiku (and haiku in general) will open children’s eyes – awaken their senses –to the expansive possibilities in the “small moments” of their everyday lives. Haiku is about happiness, discovery, fun, play…and awareness.
Well, thank you again, Amy, and best wishes for success with this book!
Thank you, Matt! I hope readers – kids and adults alike – find joy in H Is For Haiku, and use the collection as a springboard for reading more great haiku and writing their own, too!
Again, H Is For Haiku is now in stores everywhere – so Happy Book Birthday, Amy! One week from today, I’ll be interviewing illustrator Louie Chin, for our book birthday of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books), so please keep an eye out for that!
=========================================================
The 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem is HERE!
A little seed is on an adventure! The 2018 Progressive Poem is underway, and our little heroine has just invented a game. What type of game? We’re not sure at this point, because she’s feasting on stardrops with Owl and has invited Moon to join her – but he has other ideas.
I’ve had to think quite a bit about what I should add for my line; the seed has invented a game, but she’s not playing it – which is a conundrum as far as a narrative goes. Interestingly, this is probably the tightest narrative we’ve had in all the years of the Progressive Poem – we usually go on these vast, epic, poetic journeys of discovery!
When the poem began on April 1, I saw the imagery of the seed…of the morning… of stretching…as symbolic of new beginnings and adventure. I was hoping this year’s poem would take us into uncharted territory – and that’s what it appears to be doing! My main concern, to be honest, was that I didn’t want the plot to become too similar to Frank Asch’s Moongame. So without being too specific, I tried to move the poem forward and leave the next writer something creative to work with.
Here is the poem so far, with my line at the end…
.
Nestled in her cozy bed, a seed stretched.
Oh, what wonderful dreams she had had!
Blooming in midnight moonlight, dancing with
the pulse of a thousand stars, sweet Jasmine
invented a game.
“Moon?” she called across warm, honeyed air.
“I’m sad you’re alone; come join Owl and me.
We’re feasting on stardrops, we’ll share them with you.”
“Come find me,” Moon called, hiding behind a cloud.
Secure in gentle talons’ embrace, Jasmine rose
Being the only guy taking part in this year’s Progressive Poem, I was inclined to include something about motorcycles, power tools, or bikinis…but I restrained myself.
Take it away, Brenda! Here’s a list of all the folks participating, so you can follow along!
April
1 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass
2 Jane at Raincity Librarian
3 Laura at Writing the World for Kids
4 Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty
5 Jan at bookseedstudio
6 Irene at Live Your Poem
7 Linda at TeacherDance
8 Janet F. at Live Your Poem
9 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
10 Matt at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme
11 Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales
12 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink
13 Linda at A Word Edgewise
14 Heidi at my juicy little universe
15 Donna at Mainely Write
16 Sarah at Sarah Grace Tuttle
17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a Godforsaken town
18 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
19 Michelle at Michelle Kogan
20 Linda at Write Time
21 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
22 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
23 Amy at The Poem Farm
24 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
25 Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge
26 Renee at No Water River
27 Buffy at Buffy’s Blog
28 Kat at Kat’s Whiskers
29 April at Teaching Authors
30 Doraine at Dori Reads
=========================================================
“THE DINOSAUR TOUR” blog tour continues TOMORROW, April 11, at Deb Kalb’s place! My thanks to all the bloggers who are joining in the celebration of the launch of my new book, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur, co-authored with Deborah Bruss.
The complete list of blogs taking part in the DINOSAUR TOUR:
April 6: Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8: Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11: Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13: Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16: KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17: Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly! (I’ll be sharing a couple of spreads of the book here – and gearing up for our National Book Launch that night in Cambridge, MA!)
April 18: Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19: Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25: Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2: Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
TBD: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
May 30: Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)
I hope you’ll stop by these various blogs, as you’ll learn something new at each one, plus you’ll have multiple opportunities to win copies of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!
=========================================================
The DINOSAURS are COMING…
“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR” arrives in stores April 17!
New dates continue to be added to the Dinosaur Tour! Here’s the most up-to-date schedule:
- Sat., April 14, 11am: Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
- Sat., April 14, 2pm: Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
- Tue., April 17, 7pm: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur Dual National Launch Party!! (with Holly Thompson, One Wave at a Time reading/signing/discussion)
- Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
- Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
- Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
- Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Wed., May 16, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
- Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
=========================================================
Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”
NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
- KIRKUS Starred review!
- Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
- “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
=========================================================
Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!
I’ve teamed up with the good folks MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH to present an option for people who would love to have a signed copy of one of my books but don’t live anywhere near me. MainStreet BookEnds has ALL but one of my books available for ordering…and the best part is, you can get them personalized!
Just log onto my website and click the cover of whichever book you want, and they will get it to me to sign and send it off to you. Try doing that with those big online booksellers! (Plus, you’ll be helping to support local book-selling – and wouldn’t that make you feel good?)
=========================================================
Matt, I like how you’ve lifted our Jasmine to new heights! 🙂 We’ll see what happens next… I am loving the H IS FOR HAIKU as well. i have a bunch of short stories my father wrote before his death, and it truly is a labor of love to pursue publication of a deceased loved one’s work. How wonderful that Amy kept at it… inspiring!
LikeLike
Thanks, Irene. I told Amy I know how long & arduous the process can be, for getting a book published, and was more than happy to share her good news!
LikeLike
Appreciations for brining the story of Amy Losak’s talented Mom, & her daughter’s diligent success, after so long, in bringing her picture book dream to reality, not only as a personal joy, but to benefit so many young readers of all ages, with the spare poem stories of her Haiku. This book is now on my list.
Also, Matt! what a brave new line you’ve lifted us up with – *gentle talons’* takes us away. I love the opposites in those two words. Exciting!
And, thanks for collecting your DINO tour blog contributors – am pleased to be in on that fun.
Bookseedstudio/Jan
LikeLike
bringing… not brining…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Jan, for your kind words and all your support of children’s kit! I’m glad you enjoyed the interview and my little contribution to The Prog. Poem.
LikeLike
I loved hearing more from Amy about her mother’s work and her own long push to have this book out for all children, and us, to love. My book is on its way! And, you not only moved the poem forward but “up”, Matt. This Jasmine is going to have the ride of her life, it seems. Thanks for both the lovely interview and the fun line for the Progressive Poem!
LikeLike
Thanks so much, LInda!
LikeLike
Congratulations on your book birthday, Amy! A journey with a happy ending—or is it a new beginning? Matt, thanks for the interview and the next line of the progressive poem. Will be fun to see where it goes next!
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by, Jane, I appreciate it!
LikeLike
Thanks for featuring Amy’s mom’s book–it’s on my reading list!
Here, I’ll channel Matt and write an alternative line for our pal Jasmine:
With owl perched on her ape hangers, Jasmine straddled her chopper and revved it up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, nice! I knew I should’ve gone with my first inclination.
LikeLike
Wonderful interview with Amy and introduction to H is for Haiku. I love the A haiku you shared – “…the fur ring of his tail…” Such a lovely curling up of cat.
I’m enchanted with your line and the way you took Owl and Jasmine into the night sky to play with Moon. Waiting to see what comes next. It’s certainly easier to enjoy the poem once your line is contributed.
LikeLike
Thanks so much, Ramona! It’s always fun being a part of the Progressive Poem. And Amy’s book is so much fun to read, as well.
LikeLike
Matt, this post is filled with #poetrylove. Let me start with the Progressive Poem because I am up in two days. Eeks! Did you feel the pressure because I surely am? I was hoping that owl would swoop up Jasmine and you did that so gently. This is a wonderful line. I am eager to see what Brenda follows with because I have some ideas for Day 12 but who knows what will come next.
Your interview with Amy provided so much background knowledge for me. I have been playing with haikus and love the smartness of the short form. What you and Amy shared in the way of haikus is inspiring. Amy’s book sounds like it is for me. Best of luck with your rigorous tour journey.
LikeLike
Thank you, Carol – as I’ve told Amy, I’m so happy for her that she has finally seen the fruits of her labors. As for the Poem, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the seed to rise – I’m still intrigued by the game she invented! – but it just felt like that was what was supposed to happen.
LikeLike
First, I enjoyed reading more about Amy and the H is for Haiku story, after highlighting it on my own blog on Friday. Happy Book Birthday, Amy!
Second – Ahhh, you’ve added a LIFT! Thanks for your line, Matt. And Buffy’s offering in her comment cracks me up. There are still 20 or so lines left; you never know if motorcycles, power tools, or bikinis might show up….
LikeLike
Ha, thanks, Robyn – a guy can hope, right?? 😉
LikeLike
What a WONDERFUL interview, Matt! I think my favorite line in the whole exchange is from Amy, “one I have come to love.” After reading about how Amy brought Syd’s work alive so lovingly and finding her mother’s voice in other places I’m struck by how Amy can discover more of Syd’s work and words even now. What a comfort. What a blessing.
And, a new direction for our Jasmin! Yay! This is so fun, watching each day.
LikeLike
Thanks, Linda, I’m glad you enjoyed the interview…I’m always happy to share good news like that!
LikeLike
*Snort!* I think your poetic line is almost overshadowed by your manly restraint… #theguything
Loved this interview with Amy, too. This is a book with a rich background story! The conversation regarding the ambiguity of Amy’s favourite poem is closely linked to one of my biggest frustrations regarding the teaching/assessing of poetry these days – in Australia, at least. So often curriculum requirements leave students (and teachers) overwhelmed because they think they don’t ‘get’ a poem, because they can’t climb into the assessor’s head to imagine what the correct answer is. (But does the writer of the assessment task even know themselves?) I’m sure this ‘dumb’ feeling is the biggest contributor to disconnect from (and distaste for) poetry. The magic isn’t in the ‘right’ answer, but rather in what individuals can draw from the poem. There often is no ‘right’ answer; my interpretation might be different to yours, and that’s okay!
Oops. Soap box… *climbs down*
LikeLike
Thanks, Kathryn! When I visit a class, I always tell students – and teachers – that there are NO wrong answers. And I ask the kids, “How cool is that, huh?? You do math, it’s right or wrong, you do science, it’s right or wrong. But when writing poetry, it’s all about YOU!” Granted, there are sometimes better ways to write something and poetic devices are important; skill is certainly necessary to be ale to write well. But when writing poetry, it’s most important to understand the subject – which is why I often teach free verse to start. And even understanding poetry, as you said, is often up the the reader. Even I have written poems that were ambiguous to ME!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A seed in an owl’s talons! Can’t wait to see where we go (ha ha) with that!!
LikeLike
Thanks, Mary Lee!
LikeLike
Oh, wow! I know the owl is a friend, but I love that drama inherent in talons! And that they are indeed going up (I’m assuming) to look for the moon. I don’t know Moongame, so I don’t have any feelings over that–glad I was early in the process, though:>) Thanks for sharing Amy’s interview. I’m looking forward to reading this collection.
LikeLike
‘Moongame’ is a classic, Laura. It’s a very simple story, but very quiet & comforting – you should try to find it! Thanks for your thoughts…I’m looking forward to seeing where Brenda goes!
LikeLike
Amy Losak’s H is for Haiku is as great a remembrance as I can think of. I like the sample pages you’ve put up. Great job on the 10th line. Little Jasmine is having a fun adventure.
LikeLike
Thanks, Brenda – she is, indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: National Poetry Month/Poetry Friday: More “Poetry Cubed #5” entries, and Interview w/ “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur” illustrator Louie Chin – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
I adore these haiku and the accompanying art. Such energy and whimsy and plain joy. What a gift Amy has given her mother’s legacy…and us too.
And your line – where will Jasmine go? This story is very cool so far. I am enjoying catching up on many lines at once!
LikeLike
Hi Amy, thanks for stopping by! I just came across this comment ow, so I apologize for taking so long to respond!
LikeLike
Pingback: [review] H is for Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z by Sydell Rosenberg and Sawsan Chalabi | Jama's Alphabet Soup
Pingback: Poetry Friday: 2018 Progressive Poem audio and “Dinosaur” winners! – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Pingback: National Poetry Month: “H is for Haiku” Interview with Amy Losak AND The 2018 Progressive Poem Day 10! — Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme – Commentary, Outrages, Prose
Pingback: Poetry Friday: CYBILS Shortlists announced! – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme