Wednesday, October 31, 2018

DMC: "Office Horror Story" by Suzy Levinson




OFFICE HORROR STORY

"Come closer," it said,
"for I must be fed.
All documents welcome, 'cause I want to SHRED."

"No, thank you," I said,
creasing with dread.
"A contract like me would prefer to stay read."

"Closer," it pled.
"N-O," I said.
"Why don't you eat that old phone book instead?"

"Tasty," it said.
"SHREDDY-SHRED-SHRED!"
That's when I slipped off the table and fled.


© 2018 Suzy Levinson. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation this Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Tuesday, October 30, 2018

DMC: "The Binder and the Piece of Paper: A Dialogue" by Elizabeth Steinglass




The Binder and the Piece of Paper: A Dialogue

I am a binder—
loyal and true.
I keep loose leaf papers
looking like new.

               I won’t go in there.
               Rings aren’t for me.
               I want to be seen.
               I want to be free.

Free papers fly,
then they get tossed.
The depths of a bag
is where you’ll get lost.

               I want to be useful.
               My words should be read,
               but the snap of your teeth
               fills me with dread.

I swear it won’t hurt.
Quick! The day’s over soon!
With me you’ll be safe
(at least until June).


© 2018 Elizabeth Steinglass. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation this Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Monday, October 29, 2018

DMC: "Standoff: The Hand and the Pen" by Matt Forrest Esenwine




Standoff:  The Hand and the Pen

(Hand)                                                                  (Pen)
Ok, I’m going to write a book!                 Ummm…better take another look.

I want a novel! Let’s get started.             I’d rather tell of trails uncharted.

Oh, bother. (sigh) Novella, then.            I make the rules. I am the Pen.

You can’t do this! It’s not fair!                 Let’s speak of love. Desire. Despair.

A STORY. One page. Satisfied??             Not yet. Just let me be your guide.

Fine. A poem. Just help me do it!!         Ha, ha – looks like I beat you to it.



     © 2018 Matt Forrest Esenwine. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation this Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Thursday, October 25, 2018

DMC: "Passing Time with Tick and Tock" by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes


"Tick Tock" by Peter Nijenhuis


Passing Time with Tick and Tock

Each time I tick, my heart grows sick
to see time pass so quick-quick-quick!
Is it a joke? Some kind of trick?
This life is not the one I'd pick.

          With every tock, I find the clock
          has barely budged. Like solid rock,
          it sits there taunting, taking stock.
          I wish the future would unlock!

One fateful day, the story goes,
the two were caught up in the throes
of what could never be undone—
a time warp merged them into one!

          Tock would always follow Tick. 
          Tick would not abandon Tock.
          You'd think the two would really click,
          but now they bicker round the clock.

© 2018 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.


Through the wonders of modern technology, enter the YouTube portal to experience the time warp for yourself!




Under normal circumstances, today (the last Friday of the month) would be our wrap-up celebration for Calef Brown's DMC challenge to write a poem about two anthropomorphized objects. (Click HERE for more details.) Because we got a late start, however, I am postponing the celebration until next Friday, November 2nd, and look forward to sharing a few more daily ditties next week!

Featured poems this week were by Molly Hogan, Tabatha Yeatts, Renée LaTulippe, and Buffy Silverman. If you haven't already done so, you have until Wednesday, October 31st, to post your poem on the October 2018 padlet and be included in next week's wrap-up presentation.


Don't let time run away from you!

Stuart Rankin


Join Kay Jernigan McGriff at A Journey Through the Pages for this week's Poetry Friday roundup and her poem inspired by Calef Brown's challenge—"Sunrise Conversation." Thanks, Kay!






DMC: "Conversation on a Darkening Day" by Buffy Silverman




CONVERSATION ON A DARKENING DAY

I dress up blue skies
with castles and dragons,
rabbits and spaceships,
pirates and swans,

until I grow heavy,
turn weepy and gray.
My tears rattle rooftops
and wash over lawns.

               Don’t hold back your tears,
               your gray weepy ways.
               Let your castles collapse
               and fall to my crown.

               Your dragons tame fires
               and quench thirsty roots.
               Keep wailing and weeping,
               keep soaking my ground.


© 2018 Buffy Silverman. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Wednesday, October 24, 2018

DMC: "Pencil and Pen: A Composed Love Story" by Renée M. LaTulippe






Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Tuesday, October 23, 2018

DMC: "Advice from a Mature Nail Polish" by Tabatha Yeatts




ADVICE FROM A MATURE NAIL POLISH

You're fresh out of the bag, still got the price tag on ya,
so I thought you could use a few tips from a lady
who's been around the block since before
you were a funny name in search of a color.

First of all, you are gonna LOVE your chance to shine.
(I like the part where they blow on you while you're drying.)
You get to stretch out a little bit, show 'em how tough you can be,
go see the world. You never know what's gonna happen next.

You could end up at a wedding, clapping after a first kiss—
call me a romantic, but I love that stuff—or you could wind up
throwing his clothes on the lawn. (I kind of love that stuff, too.
When you've been in a bottle a while, high drama hits the spot.)

Sometimes she pulls you out, and you gotta bring your best gloss,
leave it all on the nail, you know? Because times are rough. Not
the fun drama, but the walking-through-doctor's-offices kind. The
on-hold-on-the-phone kind. If she looks down, you gotta give her a little sparkle.

Time can be hard on a polish. When you've been sitting in the cabinet
too long, you can forget why you're staying smooth.
It's easy to wrap around that brush and gob up.
Why not just let yourself go stiff? I'll tell you why not.

When that hand arrives for you,
you don't want to miss it. 


© 2018 Tabatha Yeatts. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Monday, October 22, 2018

DMC: "Kitchen Games" by Molly Hogan





KITCHEN GAMES

“Hey! Try to catch us if you can!”
they squeal, then run away
Broom dashes after valiantly
with sweeping, swashing sway

Broom’s mission is to seek Crumbs out
Their mission is to hide
beneath the fridge, behind the chair
and then to multiply

“Come on out, you scurvy creatures!
Get off our pristine floors!
We’ll sweep you to oblivion!”
her swishing bristles chorus

As they scurry ‘neath the counter
Crumbs tumble, bumble, jump
Broom pokes them out of corners, then
she piles them in a clump

She entreats her ally, Dustbin
to help her end the chase
together they corral the Crumbs
and put them in their place

A quick trip to waiting Trashcan
winds up the evening fun
Now at rest in closet corner
Broom smiles, her job is done

But later, Trashcan sneaks a glance
at dozing Bin and Broom
then slyly hiccups giggling Crumbs
and strews them cross the room


© 2018 Molly Hogan. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Thursday, October 18, 2018

B.J. Lee: The Ballad


Tim


Grab a pint and lend an ear . . . 

I'm delighted to welcome TLD contributor B.J. Lee back to the poetry tent. (As you can see, the party's already begun!) 

I'm especially excited because the poetry form B.J. will be talking about today is the ballad. The ballad is an ideal storytelling form, and since Calef Brown's challenge this month is to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphic objects, the timing is perfect to give this form a try!

The content of today's post was first published on B.J.'s blog Blue Window, which hasn't been very active as of late, but is still a wonderful resource.

I also recommend clicking HERE to read B.J.'s first TLD contributor post about the roundel (which, incidentally, might also be an interesting choice for this month's challenge).

Take it away, B.J.!


*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *


I enjoy writing in forms and learning about forms and have written several ballads. The ballad is defined as:
"a form that comes in four-line verses, usually alternating between four and three beats to [the] line. The word comes from ballare, the Italian for “to dance’ (same root as ballet, ballerina and ball)." 
                     ~ Stephen Fry, "The Ode Less Travelled"

Another important aspect of the ballad is that it tells a story.

This one is about my naughty toy poodle, Lulu, may she rest in peace.
Here's a photo of the little stinker:

http://bluewindow.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/4/8/22482026/3930681.jpg?262

She looks all innocent, but she is definitely thinking
her Machiavellian thoughts and plotting her next dastardly scheme!


The Ballad of the Naughty Poodle

I’ll tell you a story of a dog in her glory—
the naughty toy poodle named Lulu.
But first let me say, do not get in her way
or she may put one over on you too.

Although she’s petite and may strike you as sweet,
believe me, her mind’s always cooking
up schemes to sneak by and eat my potpie
the minute she sees I’m not looking.

I tell her to stay but she does not obey
and makes her way down floor by floor.
She shreds paper towels with claws like an owl’s.
When spotted, she speeds out the door.

She’ll stretch and she’ll yawn but then once I am gone,
Lulu tips over the trash.
On the floor I find mustard mixed in with the custard.
It’s clear she’s been having a bash!

She lands with a leap in the composting heap
no matter how loudly I yell.
I shout, “You're in trouble, come here on the double.”
I hold my nose—wow—does she smell!

I give her a scrub in the claw-footed tub.
She splashes the suds in my face.
When I grab for a towel, she lets out a howl
and runs away like it’s a race.

Yes, this small, dirty dog redefines the word ‘hog.’
She’s always escaping my clutches.
And as hard as I try, the house is a sty—
just some of the little swine’s touches.

© 2010 B.J. Lee. All Rights Reserved.
First published in “Umbrella Journal’s Bumbershoot Annual” August, 2010


The ballad comes to us from song and folk traditions and many, many popular songs are ballads. Here is the first stanza from “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot, ©1976:

Image by R. LeLievre (S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online)

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called “Gitche Gumme.”
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy.


Read the rest of the poem HERE or listen to the musical version HERE.

Typically a ballad will rhyme either abab or abcb if it is in quatrains.  Gordon has chosen the latter and so have I.

Some books and websites define ballads as being typically written in iambic meter

daDUMdaDUMdaDUMdaDUM
daDUMdaDUMdaDUM


but Gordon broke that rule, giving us anapestic meter:

dadaDUMdadaDUMdadaDUMdaDUMda  (with an extra syllable at the end—a feminine ending).

My poem, above, is also written in anapestic meter (with some feminine endings as well as internal rhyme).
From Through the Looking Glass (1902)


I have also seen ballads arranged in sestets (6 lines to a stanza). A good example is "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carroll (this one is iambic).

The Walrus and the Carpenter
were walking close at hand.
They wept like anything to see
such quantities of sand:
“If this were only cleared away,”
they said, “it would be grand.”

Read the rest of the poem HERE.



And, I have seen ballads written with seven beats to the line, although arguably, each line could be broken down into two lines of four and then three beats.  Here is a stanza from Robert Service’s “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” (anapestic):

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon;
The kid that handles the music-box was hitting a jag-time tune;
Back of the bar, in a solo game, sat Dangerous Dan McGrew,
And watching his luck was his light-o'-love, the lady that's known as Lou.

Read the rest of the poem HERE or listen to the poem being read by Ed Begley below.




No matter what decision you make regarding format and meter, ballads are a fun choice if you wish to tell a story in your poem.

Thanks so much, B.J.! 

I hope we'll see at least a couple of ballads for this month's challenge, but feel free to share your non-DMC ballads in the comments if you'd like.

(B.J. also asked me to let you know that she'll be away at a conference this weekend but looks forward to reading and responding to your comments on Monday.)



B.J. Lee’s debut picture book, There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth, is forthcoming from Pelican Publishing (Spring, 2019). She has written poems for many anthologies, including Construction People (ed. Lee Bennett Hopkins), The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry, National Geographic’s Poetry of US (ed. J. Patrick Lewis), One Minute Till Bedtime (ed. Kenn Nesbitt), as well as popular children’s magazines. Visit B.J. at her website.




Calef Brown's DMC challenge is to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. Despite a late start, the October 2018 padlet is already quite active! Make sure to add your poem by October 31st. Our featured daily ditties this week were by Tabatha Yeatts, Dianne Moritz, Angelique Pacheco, and David McMullin. The wrap-up celebration will be on Friday, November 2nd, so that I can accommodate as many daily ditties this month as possible.
Brenda Davis Harsham is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Friendly Fairy Tales. It's the bee's knees—you won't want to miss it!




DMC: "Cough & Sneeze" by David McMullin




COUGH & SNEEZE

Cough and Sneeze are a terrible two,
Wanted on charges of cold, strep, and flu.

Cough is the brawn, so victims take note,
He'll vandal your lungs and plunder your throat.

Sneeze is impulsive, the sneak of the pair,
With rash wild sprays he graffitis the air.

Their victims can often take weeks to recoup,
So lock up your doors and make lots of hot soup.


© 2018 David McMullin. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Wednesday, October 17, 2018

DMC: "Passing By" by Angelique Pacheco





PASSING BY

She twists and twirls
She billows and curls
She flicks up her legs
Her dance flows with grace
He breathes her in
He breathes her out
The curtains move
The breeze passes through
A love affair
Fleeting
Flitting
But never standing still.

© 2018 Angelique Pacheco. All rights reserved.



Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Tuesday, October 16, 2018

DMC: "Two Pumpkins" by Dianne Moritz





TWO PUMPKINS

I’m a pumpkin round and fat,
sitting on the front doormat.

I’m a pumpkin tall and thin,
handsome with my longer chin.

Fat’s far better, don’t you think?
With huge eyes that wink and blink??!!

Some might say that thin is in,
but…
We’re both PERFECT when we grin!


© 2018 Dianne Moritz. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Monday, October 15, 2018

DMC Encore! "A Rainy Evening with Turn Signal, by Windshield Wiper" by Tabatha Yeatts




When I first read Calef Brown's DMC challenge to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects, this 2015 poem by Tabatha Yeatts immediately came to mind. Even though Tabatha's poem was written for a prior challenge, I wanted to share it again as a wonderful example of what can be done with this month's prompt.

A Rainy Evening with Turn Signal
by Windshield Wiper

love
     me
love
     me
love
     me

I say
     swishing
back
     and forth

most of the time,
I'm silent

I can hear her
ticking
     left left left
or
     right right right
but cannot answer

ah, blessed rain
      that gives me voice

love
      me

I say
love
      me


she is quiet

oh can't we turn?

love
      me?

I say
love
      me?
right right right
she says.
  
                    © 2015 Tabatha Yeatts. All rights reserved.


Calef Brown has challenged us to write a poem that tells the story of two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our October 2018 padlet by October 31st. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, November 2nd, and one lucky participant will win a signed copy of Calef Brown's latest collection of ghoulish poetry from Carolrhoda Books:






Thursday, October 11, 2018

Spotlight on Calef Brown + DMC Challenge


CALEF BROWN

Described as "consistently interesting," "a bulwark against mediocrity," the "modern master of nonsense verse," and the "reigning children's poet of weird," I have been waiting a long time for the opportunity to feature the decidedly quirky and uber-talented author-illustrator Calef Brown. That time has finally arrived.

Calef has been writing children's books since 1998 and illustrating a few years before that. His illustrations have appeared in numerous publications, including Newsweek, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Time, and The New York Times. He has also illustrated the work of other authors, including Daniel Pinkwater, Edward Lear, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Jonah Winter. He's created murals, book covers, visual development, packaging and advertising for clients including Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Levi Strauss, and currently teaches illustration at the highly respected Rhode Island School of Design. Many of you might recognize his protest poster published by School Library Journal and distributed to 15,000 school librarians in 2017. 

View Calef Brown's work on his website, his booksite, Tumblr, and Etsy.

Some of the first stories Calef Brown wrote concerned subjects such as a giant pile of stinky dead fish, people driving tables and bathtubs, tiny Vikings who live in cereal boxes, and the time he got his tongue stuck to a freezer box. As a poet he is largely self-taught, but that hasn't held him back from publishing numerous collections of poetry for children, including Flamingos on the Roof—winner of the Myra Cohn Livingston poetry award and a New York Times bestseller—and Hypnotize a Tiger: Poems About Just About Everything—a collection for middle-grade readers that won a Lee Bennett Hopkins honor award and The Lion and the Unicorn Award for Children’s Poetry.


Expect the unexpected is sound advice when diving into one of Calef Brown's delightfully offbeat collections. There are two things Calef Brown likes a whole lot: musical language and serious nonsense, and it's obvious that he excels in both. His poems are meant to be read aloud, and it is only in so doing that you will truly experience the musicality and improvisation that go into his whimsical wanderings. The childlike perspective of both his words and illustrations make for a playful experience of pure enjoyment.


Purchase at LernerBooks.comBarnes & NobleAmazon, or via IndieBound.org.

The Ghostly Carousel: Delightfully Frightful Poems is Calef's latest collection, published this summer by Carolrhoda Books. True to his distinctive style, readers of all ages will find it inventive, zany, and freewheeling. Featuring 17 poems on mostly double-page spreads, a macabre assortment of not-your-garden-variety witches, warlocks, ghosts, zombies, a "Jekyll Lantern," Medusa, and even "Creeping Crud" come to life with eerie narratives, wicked humor, compelling illustrations, and a healthy dose of ewww! (Insect pie, anyone? Cannibal fondue?) The Ghostly Carousel is perfect for Halloween, of course, but for many young readers, creepy humor laced with silliness is satisfying at any time of year. (Just ask Carol Hinz's inquisitive 5-year-old!)

When asked in an interview on Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, what turns him on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally, Calef responded "sublime absurdity." Call it what you will, Calef Brown knows how to capture and serve up fun.

Are you ready for more fun facts about Calef Brown? 

Then please help me welcome him to the TLD spotlight! We'll begin our conversation, as always, with five favorites.


FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK:  
So many, but here are a few: Nellie Come Home by Roland Emmett, Abol Tabol by Sukumar Ray, A Hole is to Dig by Ruth Krauss, A Tale of Two Bad Mice and Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter. A Long Long Song by Etienne Delessert, My Friends by Taro Gomi, Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor by Mervyn Peake, Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel, May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, and Fishhead by Jean Fritz.

FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL:  Art!

A few of Calef Brown's paints.

FAVORITE GRADE IN SCHOOL:  
For second grade I went to an elementary school program taught by grad students at Columbia. It was a completely free, do-what-you-want-all-day-every-day situation so I spent most of my time blissfully drawing and reading.

FAVORITE TEACHER IN SCHOOL:  
My high school art teachers were both very encouraging and supportive. In a school which didn’t give much in terms of resources or support to the art program, both of them treated those that took art seriously like future peers.

FAVORITE PLACE YOU'D LIKE TO VISIT:   
I would love to spend some time in Morocco.


What were you like as a child? Judging by your work, I imagine that you were curious, clever, and imaginative. Maybe you drew comics, or kept journals or sketchbooks? Maybe your smarts combined with your keen sense of humor got you in trouble from time to time? What can you divulge?
 
A few of Calef Brown's sketchbooks.
I was pretty introverted when I was young. My family moved many times when I was growing up, so I was always the new kid at school. You’re right about the sketchbooks and comics for sure. I was pretty comfortable being by myself and spending time focused on drawing and making stuff up. I did have two friends in elementary school that also liked to draw and create comics and we worked on some together. We also did a paint and marker mural in one of their rooms that we worked on after school for a few months. As far as any trouble I got into, I’d say it wasn’t because of my sense of humor, but more regular everyday run of the mill poor decision-making.


Sometimes when an illustrator becomes an author-illustrator, the perceptive reader can tell. The words don’t always hold their own. This, however, is not true of you. Your poems have always been as vibrant and playful as your art. When brainstorming or beginning a new project, which comes first for you—words or sketches?

My first two books—Polkabats and Dutch Sneakers


both were called collections of “stories” not “poems” in their subtitles. Because, I suppose, they were created out of a kind of wide-open attempt to find something that seemed to fit well with the voice of my paintings and illustrations, and not out of a set effort to write poems. And I definitely didn’t think of myself as a poet. I had never written any poetry before that first book.
 
Polkabats came out of a challenge I gave myself. This was to create a book dummy from scratch in a certain amount of time—to see what I could come up with on a six week working vacation. But beyond that self-imposed deadline, things were wide open in terms of what kind of writing it could employ. As I said, I had never studied or written poetry before, but that’s somehow what I gravitated to, or verse, at least. At first I tried to write more traditional narrative tales, and some nonsensical stuff in prose, but it didn’t come naturally to me at all, and felt forced. I did, however, draw from one of my influences growing up—a love for antique nonsense verse—Edward Lear, Carroll, and Peter Newell, all of whom I discovered in my grandparent’s bookshelves while staying at their house in the summer.



But I mostly took inspiration from music, lots of different genres, and the structure of songs. I wanted the poems to be musical—they’re meant to be read aloud. Also, even if  brief, I tried to give the poems a beginning, middle and end, and introduce the reader to someone interesting, or weird, or memorable. If not a character, then maybe bring the reader somewhere new in the space of a few (mostly) rhyming lines.

Getting back to the question, these days the ideas for the poems still come from both drawing and writing, but perhaps in the past four or five books, writing as a beginning point has been more common.


Your poetry is often unpredictable—the reader never quite knows where it’s going to take them. Is that representative of your creative process as well? Do you have a clear vision of the end product before getting underway, or do does your muse surprise even you?

Most often I don’t have a full vision of where a particular poem will go in terms of its story or possible meaning. I usually get started with a phrase or sentence that appeals to me, and try to build out from there. The next step is to focus on the character and particular pattern or rhythm of that snippet and try different ways to expand on it. It feels like trying to make something come into focus, or solidify. I love that aspect of not knowing precisely where something is going, It’s akin to putting together a puzzle that changes with each new addition or subtraction. And, yes, I am surprised sometimes at where the poems end up or how they resolve.

For example, from The Ghostly Carousel, for the poem Joel, what I started with was one line that came about during some free writing: “He burrows and furrows his brow.” So after playing around with it a while I had: “A zombie named Joel/deep in a hole/burrows/and furrows/his brow.” It seemed to be the beginning of a story, so I wanted to see if I could tell the rest of the tale using that specific rhyme pattern three more times. At that point I didn’t know what the story of this fretting, tunneling undead person would be, but just let the process of following the first rhyme template find the story, which turned out to be that of an anxious digging zombie kid trying to get away from annoying relatives at a family reunion.

© 2018 by Calef Brown, published by Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group. (Click on image to enlarge.)
























This is not your first book of ghoulish poetry.  Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness from Calef Brown was published in 2010. What is it about the combination of whimsy and creepiness that appeals to you?

Overall my work is very playful, and I hope, joyful, but I also want it to have a little edge as a counterweight. Halloween was my favorite holiday by far growing up, and I also have lots of great memories staying up late with my brother watching old monster movies. I loved all things Charles Addams, and TV shows like The Munsters—combinations of humor and creepiness. 

I first saw an Edward Gorey book when I was about ten and fell in love with it. But I just assumed that the work was from another time, that it was actually Victorian or Edwardian, not a contemporary reimagining, and definitely not created by someone who was alive. Another influence that came from my grandparents, whom I referred to earlier, was a copy of Slovenly Peter, which I was fascinated by. Also scary but (unintentionaly) silly.


Please share a favorite spread from The Ghostly Carousel and tell us why it's a favorite.

The art for Canary Canoe is definitely my favorite spread in the book, and maybe my favorite poem as well.

© 2018 by Calef Brown, published by Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group. (Click on image to enlarge.)























I guess it just came out as I pictured it in my head, with bright spots of yellow in a dark seascape. The canaries seem to have appropriately vengeful expressions.

I also like the spread for Joel, the poem I talked about above. I handled the zombie kid digging the tunnel with a cutaway that doesn’t make sense the way it’s painted in the space, but I kind of like that. It adds something to be able to see his expression as well as the reason for it in one picture. I think the aunts came out pretty well as characters. I don’t really care for zombie-themed movies or series so I didn’t do any research, just painted a few of what I assumed looked like zombies having a family reunion. 
Hipster zombie buffet, å la Calef Brown.

There’s a brain being served with whipped cream and a cherry on top at the buffet table—the zombie reverse-equivalent of bacon topped donuts one can get at hipster donut shops.


No doubt Halloween has its appeal, but if you had the opportunity to invent an entirely new holiday, what would it be?

Definitely National Cat Day, which is probably a hashtag, but this would be a full-on stores closed, government shuttered, employer-paid Monday in April when the whole society puts aside all else in order to focus attention and affection on the country’s feline citizens. Everyone would be required to either adopt a cat if able to pass a rigorous vetting process, or make a donation to a shelter. Not following one of these two requirements would result in huge tax penalties, especially for corporations.

© Calef Brown

Ed. note: Until we get that full-on holiday, #NationalCatDay 
is Monday, October 29, 2018. Mark your calendars!

 
What's coming up next for you?

I have a book coming out in March 2019 called Up Verses Down: Poems, Paintings, and Serious Nonsense from Christy Ottoviano Books and Henry Holt.


If you had all the world's children in one room, what would you tell them?

I love visiting schools and drawing with kids, so maybe it could be a humongous art and poetry making workshop. With endless snacks from all over the world.

Read more about Calef Brown's school visits HERE.


Finally, what you have chosen as this month's ditty challenge?

Write a poem or a story about two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem or story can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything. 


A toaster and a stapler bond over the fact that they both “er” things—toast and staples respectively. Two letters meet in a mailbox, become friends, and conspire to keep the mailman from separating them. While stored together on a pantry shelf, a box of birthday candles and a lightbulb get in a terrible argument, but talk their way through it and end up as good pals.


Oh boy! This is going to be FUN!

Thanks so much for being here today, Calef—for sharing your tricks and treats, and conjuring up the spirits of Curiosity and Imagination.

Thanks also for sending a signed copy of The Ghostly Carousel: Delightfully Frightful Poems (Carolrhoda Books, 2018) which I will pass on to one lucky DMC participant, chosen randomly at the end of the month!


HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Post your poem about two anthropomorphized objects on our October 2018 padlet. Stop by any time during the month to add your work or to check out what others are contributing.

By posting on the padlet, you are granting me permission to share your poem on Today's Little Ditty.  Some poems will be featured as daily ditties, though authors may not be given advanced notice. Subscribe to the blog if you'd like to keep tabs. You can do that in the sidebar to the right where it says "Follow TLD by Email." As always, all of the poems will be included in a wrap-up celebration at the conclusion of the challenge. Because of our late start this month, the wrap-up celebration will be on Friday, November 2nd, so that I can accommodate as many daily ditties as possible.

TEACHERS, it's great when students get involved! Ditty of the Month Club challenges are wonderful opportunities to learn about working poets and authors while having fun with poetry prompts. Thank you for spreading the word! For children under 13, please read my COPPA compliance statement in the sidebar to the right.

FIRST-TIMERS (those who have never contributed to a ditty challenge before), in addition to posting your work on the padlet, please send your name and email address to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com. That way I'll be able to contact you for possible inclusion in future Best of Today's Little Ditty anthologies.

BLOGGERS, thank you for publishing your poems on your own blogs– I love that!  Please let me know about it, so I can share your post! Also remember to include your poem (or a direct link to your post) on the padlet in order to be included in the wrap-up celebration and end-of-month giveaway.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Hugs to everyone who expressed concern about my family crisis last week. The situation is improving, but my attention is still needed at home. I'm fairly certain I can keep up with posting daily ditties this month, but may be slower than usual when it comes to checking the padlet for new contributions and commenting on others' Poetry Friday posts. Your patience is appreciated!



This week's Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by children's author Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids. Thanks, Laura!