NCTE’s Poetry Blast

I spent last Saturday afternoon just listening to the most wonderful poets read and recite their most wonderful poems. Marilyn Singer conceived of the Poetry Blast some years ago for ALA, but has now been invited to bring it far and wide including, this year, NCTE. I can only urge you, if you get a chance, to attend one. It is really extraordinary to see such a line up of poets for children present their own work.

This time Marilyn Singer and her able co-host, Michael Santangelo (standing in for the absent Michael Cart) presented each poet and then we heard them in all their glory: Helen Frost, John Grandits, Nikki Grimes, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Alan Katz, Curtis Krisler, Marilyn Nelson, Lisa Ann Sandell, Joyce Sidman, Marilyn Singer, Charles R. Smith, Jr., and Janet Wong.

Wonderful. Delicious. Thought Provoking. Outstanding.