Shaken & Stirred: Poetry Friday Round-Up

The wonderful Kelly at Big A little a needed a volunteer for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up and so here we are; this is my first time hosting, so if I miss your poem please e-mail me (link up and to the right) or comment on this post. I'll be adding new ones as I see them today. Here's my own contribution, a lovely poem by Nathalie Anderson that will be included in the fantasy half of the forthcoming edition of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror.

Michele at Scholar's Blog brings us two war-themed selections in honor of yesterday's anniversary of the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (not the band).

Cloudscome at A Wrung Sponge offers a cool beach poem by Andromeda Jazmon, perfect for dreaming of relief from the oppressive heat of summer.

Meanwhile, Elaine of the Blue Rose Girls is feeling the love for Mary Oliver (and who isn't?) with "The Summer Day."

And Elaine, wondrous poetry fool, also has reviews over at Wild Rose Reader of two poetry-filled picture books about the sea, "Into the A, B, Sea" and "What the Sea Saw."

Betsy at FuseNumber8 continues posting fabulous Susan Ramey poems; this week it's "August." (Again, furthering a theme of heat and sweat and growth and life -- and war, hmmm, Michele, heat makes me combative too -- and summertime.)

Eisha at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast posts about one of my own favorite collections from the past couple of years, Eireann Lorsung's Music for Landing Planes By, including links to several poems and a snippet of "Dressmaker."

Nancy at Journey Woman is focusing on the ultimate summer holiday, Fourth of July, with selections about America from poems by e.e. cummings, Walt Whitman, Emma Lazarus, and Robert Frost.

Akelda at Saints and Spinners has a wonderful barking-dog-inspired Billy Collins poem called "Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House."

Kelly Fineman at Writing and Ruminations provides an excerpt from Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, A Romaunt, along with some background info.

Mother of Invention at Spilling Out offers a cat-themed poem of her own, "Mooky, Come In!"

Christine at the simple and the ordinary (so many fabulous new-to-me blogs, my feed reader is groaning!) has a fibonacci poem by her son that returns to our summer days theme by focusing on every kid's favorite thing about summer: "Summer Vacation."

John Mutford at The Book Mine Set shares his thoughts on An Ear to the Ground: An Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry edited by Marie Harris and Kathleen Aguero.

Literacy Teacher at Mentor Texts and More has "Children Will Listen" by Stephen Sondheim from Teaching With Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach. And she posted another one too: "Children Learn What They Live" by Dorothy Law Nolte.

Laura from the Wordy Girls blog has collected several "15 words or less" poems written by community members this week (more summertime stuff too), and also has a post on generating ideas for your own poetry.

Karen Edmisten runs one of the best camping-inspired poems I've ever seen, from nearly-five-year-old Ramona.

Becky of Becky's Book Reviews shares "Crib Critters" from Dawn to Dreams: Poems for Busy Babies by Peggy Archer, illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama.

And the ever-fabulous Mitali Perkins presents the winners of the Fire Escape's 2007 teen poetry and short fiction contests. Check them out.

Eva at Digital Changeling posts a charming poem from 1906 by Philia Butler Bowman (what a very 1906 name) called "A Salad."

Gregory at GottaBook has a fibonacci based on random fib-related search terms that brought people to his site. (What a great idea!)

Becky at Farm School has two excellent poems in celebration of the Fourth of July, Elias Lieberman's "I Am an American," and of Canada Day, Bliss Carman's "Rivers of Canada." (Bliss Carman is a wonderful name, no?)

The indefatigable Little Willow of Bildungsroman offers a fun one in memory of her own kitty -- "How a Cat Was Annoyed and a Poet Was Booted" by Guy Wetmore Carryl.

Liz Scanlon at Liz in Ink offers a completely different kind of fireworks poem by Austin poet and teacher W. Joe Hoppe; it's called "It'd be a Happy Ending."

TadMack over at Finding Wonderland is focusing on Mark Jarman this week, and his fabulous poem "Ground Swell," adding to the chorus of summertimes a summertime past.

Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living posts one of the best poems ever (in my humble opinion), Christina Rosetti's "Goblin Market." Who can resist fairy fruit in warm weather? Those stronger than I. (Note: Suzanne is so fancy that she has offered code to link back here this week with that pretty graphic up at the top -- it's at the bottom of her post.)

Jennie at Bibliophile has two lovely Chinese poems in translation.

Charlotte at Charlotte's Library spotlights three books featuring poems about space: Douglas Florian's "Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars"; "Blast Off! Poems about Space"; and Frederick Winson's "The Space Child's Mother Goose."

Katie at Pixie Palace puts up a funny Danish nursery rhyme; I'm so going to start calling people sippernip.

Lectitans has posted Matthew Arnold's "Had Tiberius Been a Cat," thus furthering the pets vs. summer competition (who will win?!).

Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect brings the Rilke with "Before Summer Rain."

Marcie at World of Words shares a poem about the first house she lived in growing up in Ashland, Kentucky. (Kentucky, respresent!)

Melissa at Here in the Bonny Glenn has posted a Scottish ballad written by Englishmen, "Bonny Mary o' Argyle."

Schelle at Brand New Ending has Australian bush poems for wintertime.

Sam Riddleburger has a specially-commissioned, wonderful haiku by Mary Hall.

Susan at Chicken Spaghetti comes in under the wire with a post about Song of the Water Boatman by Joyce Sidman.

Kim from Hiraeth jumps over the wire with "The Glory of the Garden" by Rudyard Kipling.

And I think that's everybody. Thanks, y'all, for playing along.

Read Read

Cynthia Leitich Smith: Eternal
Set in the same world as Tantalize, Cynthia Leitich Smith has written the best kind of sequel--the kind that's even better than the first book. The novel follows teen Miranda into an undead afterlife, alternating her story with that of her guardian angel. If you never thought guardian angels could be awesome, we have something in common: We were wrong. Dark, witty, fabulous. Read this now.
Janni Lee Simner: Bones of Faerie
In her debut young adult novel, Janni Simner inventively and memorably adds to the post-apocalypse tradition, gracing it with a dark fairy tale of being lost in the woods--the terrifying, murderous woods. The meticulous creation of the human and faerie worlds, and the attention to the new operating tendencies of nature, makes this a good bet for anyone who likes to read about life after the end of things familiar. Full take here.
Kelley Armstrong: The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1)
Chloe Saunders has one freak out too many after seeing dead people, and gets sent to a small, private home for special kids. WAY special kids, we learn, as Armstrong teases out the reasons they're all there. One of the things I liked best is that the novel doesn't wear its context on its sleeve--I didn't discover it was set in the same world as the author's very popular urban fantasies for adults until after I read it. A wise decision, because in no way did this book ever feel overburdened by an immense back story. It's quite simply a page-turning pleasure, reinventing well worn tropes without a hint of laziness.
Jo Graham: Black Ships
A riveting blend of history and invention, of fantasy and realism--Graham proves herself more than up to the task of interpreting The Aeneid for today's readers. By focusing on a young Sybil named Gull, the book ably explores the ancient world without sacrificing the view from either the generational royalty at the top, or the displaced slaves and commoners at the bottom. And if you geek out over the mysteries and familial connections of gods like I do, you'll love this even more.
Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
Just read this one already. Oh, and block out the day, because, yes, it really is that absorbing.
Justine Larbalestier: How to Ditch Your Fairy
This novel isn't easy to find simple comparisons for, and that's one of the main reasons you should read it. Justine has crafted a unique confection -- equal parts light and density. Set in a world where most people have invisible fairies (or do they?), teenage Charlie is cursed with a Parking Fairy, and resolves to get rid of it. Complications, of course, ensue. Rarely have I seen such exquisite worldbuilding in service of such a witty, fun story. Her best novel yet, this one is a treat not to be missed.