Party for a Poetry Man

I was away in Philadelphia for a few days last week for the 2009 NCTE Annual Convention. The reason I attended the convention--for the first time ever--is because I wanted to be there to celebrate with lots of other poets at the Poetry Party for Lee Bennett Hopkins, the 2009 recipient of the NCTE EXcellence in Poetry for Children

L to R: Janet Wong, Pat Lewis, Kris George, Moi, Rebecca Dotlich

Award.

Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong compiled a special book of poems as a tribute to Lee. I was thrilled to be one of the poets as to contribute to Dear One. Click here to read Eating Poetry, the poem I wrote in honor of Lee.

Pre-Party Pictures

L to R: Pat Lewis, Rebecca Dotlich, Michele Krueger

L to R: Moi, Pat, Rebecca

Let the Tribute Begin!

Sylvia Vardell Gets the Poetry Party Rolling

Lee Bennett Hopkins Comes to the Podium

Lee & The Poets Who Shared Their Poems & Remembrances of Him

L to R: Walter Dean Myers, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Sylvia Vardell,

Lee Bennett Hopkins, Janet Wong, Jane Yolen, Pat Lewis

More Poetry Party Pics

Bobbi Katz
Sara Holbrook

L to R: Pat Lewis, Jane Yolen, John Grandits

And here's one of my all-time favorite poems about poetry. This one's for you, Lee!

Introduction to Poetry
by Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light

like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

You can read the rest of the poem here.

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At Political Verses, I have Who's the Turkey?: A Poem about Sarah Palin.

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Becky’s Book Reviews.