Poetry Friday: Holding “Bless the Earth” in my hands!

^SCBWI-IL

First, let me just say THANK YOU to the SCBWI of Illinois for inviting me to present a 90-minute workshop/webinar on publishing without an agent last night. What a great time!

Well, at least Yours Truly had a great time – you’ll have to ask the attendees themselves what they thought, ha! But I hope everyone got a little something out of it. I shared my own particular journey to publication and offered suggestions as to how to travel the agentless road. So far, it’s been working out!

So for today’s Poetry Friday post I just had to share what the mailman brought me earlier this week!

I’m extremely excited and honored to finally hold this book in my hand – and grateful to Nancy Tupper Ling & June Cotner for including two of my poems in their newest poetry anthology, Bless the Earth (Convergent/Penguin, 2024).

This particular poem was inspired by a Joyce Sidman poem titled “What Do the Trees Know,” included in her book Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014):

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The Snow Clouds Know

What’s born above will soon be gone
to comfort what it falls upon.
Beauty blooms before the dawn;
this the snow clouds know.

Limbs are weak; snow is strong.
Days are short; nights are long.
Coyote sings a lonesome song;
this the snow clouds know.

– © 2024 Matt Forrest Esenwine, all rights reserved

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Indeed, this new poetry anthology arriving at my house was a surpirse – but the REALLY BIG surprise was discovering with whom I get to share a spread: my good friend Charles “Father Goose^®” Ghigna! Not only did we co-author Once Upon Another Time from Beaming Books, but we also shared a page nine years ago, in The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (National Geographic Kids Books, 2015):

And now we find ourselves side-by-side, once again. Cool!

Bless the Earth officially arrives April 2, but you can pre-order now – OR, you can join June, Nancy, me, and several other contributors at Peter Reynolds’ Blue Bunny Bookstore on April 21 for the official book launch and signing!

^{If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join Nancy, June, me, and several other contributors as we celebrate the official launch of “Bless the Earth” at Peter Reynolds’ bookstore, The Blue Bunny in Dedham, MA on April 21!}

FIRST ANNUAL “BOOKPORT!“

My friends at Richards Free Library in Newport, NH are sponsoring the area’s very first book festival TOMORROW, Sat., March 16!

“Bookport,” as it is called, will take place from 10a-2pm, so be sure to get there before you miss out. I’ll be attending along with many of my friends like my Don’t Ask a Dinosaur co-author, Deb Bruss, author-illustrator Marty Kelley, storyteller Simon Brooks:

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There’s still more poetry around the web, though! Today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by Tanita at her blog fiction, instead of lies!

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~~ SCHOOL VISITS still available! ~~

I’m booking author visits for the 2024 spring semester and still have a few dates available. If you think your school might be interested in having me visit, check out all the presentations I offer, then email me at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com!

I love chatting with elementary and middle school classes about writing: why poetry is fun to read and write, the importance of revision, and how imagination and creativity can lead to fantastic careers! My presentations are tailored to fit the needs of the classes and students’ ages. One day I might be sharing details of how a picture book like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) was created; the next, I’ll be discussing dinosaur breath or crafting origami sea turtles!

Student presentations include:

• The Making of a Picture Book
• How a Child Saved a Book
• “Once Upon Another Time”
• The Most Imporant Thing about Writing Poetry
• “I Am Today”
• “A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human”
• “Everybody Counts: Counting to 10 in Twelve Languages”

Adult presentations include:

• The Making of a Picture Book
• The Most Important Thing about Writing Poetry
• Free Yourself with Free Verse
• Tight Language, Loose Narratives: Crafting a Non-Traditional Picture Book

Learn more at MattForrest.com!

If you or someone you know might be interested in having me visit your school, library, or other organization, please email me
at matt(at)mattforrest(dot)com!

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NOW AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE:
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Order a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy of this or or ANY of my books
from my local independent bookstore!

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I’m now on BOOKSHOP!

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I’m also very happy to be part of the BOOKROO family!

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Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!

You can purchase personally-signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Astra Young Readers, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly EVERY book or anthology I’ve been part of!

Click here to view all my books and to order!

Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send a comment to the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH requesting my signature and to whom I should make it out. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They’ll contact me, I’ll stop by and sign it, and then they’ll ship it! (Plus, you’ll be supporting your local bookseller – and won’t that make you feel good?)

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Thank you to everyone for your support!

FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:

• NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
• KIRKUS Starred review!
• Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Books!
• “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
• Finalist, 2019 New Hampshire Literary Awards
• Positive reviews from Horn Book, School Library Connection, School Library Connection, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Shelf-Awareness!

DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR:

• “Rollicking rhyme!” – Booklist
  • “A wild romp!” – Parenting NH Magazine
  • “Cute…intriguing…4 out of 5 stars”     – Tulsa Book Review
  • “Rhythmic…funny and informative”     – Unleashing Readers

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To keep abreast of all my posts, please consider subscribing via the links up there on the right!  (I usually only post once or twice a week – usually Tues. and Fri. – so you won’t be inundated with emails every day) . Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Instagram, and SoundCloud!