Marilyn Singer

DIY MFA: Episode 306: Recipes for Poetry and Creativity – Interview with Marilyn Singer

by

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marilyn Singer.

Winner of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry, 2015, Marilyn Singer has written more than 100 books in many genres. She created a poetry form, the “reverso,” featured in three of her award-winning collections:  Mirror Mirror, Follow Follow, and Echo Echo.

She co-hosts the Poetry Blast, which features children’s poets reading their work, at the American Library Association conference and other conventions. Marilyn lives in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT with a dog, a cat, and two doves, as well as her favorite dance partner, who also happens to be her husband. 

On a more personal note, Marilyn is someone I consider a dear friend. We first met while standing in line for a book signing at BookExpo when I was just a newbie and I remember thinking “OMG this amazing author is talking to little ol’ me!” I’ve had the pleasure of featuring her on this show before (she was one of my very first interviews) and her books are among my children’s absolute favorites.So it is truly a pleasure and an honor to welcome the fabulous poet and children’s book author, Marilyn Singer back to DIY MFA Radio!

Listen to the podcast here.

 

 

LIVE YOUR POEM

by

FOLLOW THE RECIPE: Poems about Imagination, Celebration, and Cake by Marilyn Singer

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! …I’m delighted today to welcome Marilyn Singer to Live Your Poem to talk about her (delicious!) new book.  As is my tradition for author interviews, I’ve provided Marilyn with four simple prompts. Take it away, Marilyn!

Read the entire interview here.

FOLLOW THE RECIPE

by
Follow the Recipe cover

(excerpt)

recipe for a good recipe

What’s in a good recipe?

Something right for me and you.

Steps to follow, A to Z.

What’s in a good recipe

for falling in love, for making a stew,

for balance or for harmony?

What’s in a good recipe?

Something right for me and you.

Who Named Their Pony Macaroni?

by

(excerpt)

Those Presidential Pets

Along with children, First Ladies, and presidents,

the executive mansion had notable residents.

Scaly, smooth, feathered, furred,

they barked, they whinnied, they hissed, they purred.

Carefully bred, welcomed, selected,

or arriving as gifts, strange, unexpected:

creatures domestic, creatures exotic

from friends or from fans, from leaders despotic.

For transport, delight, comfort, protection,

for photo ops, food, and sometimes deflection

from reporters’ probing interviews,

from stress, bad press, unpleasant news.

Welcomed with affection or sometimes with regrets,

witnesses to history–those presidential pets.

 

 

Wild in the Streets

by

(excerpt)

Concrete, glass, tarmac, steel—

who’d imagine they’d appeal

to creatures that once lived

            in forests, caves, on prairies, rocks?

How did they land on city blocks,

under bridges, on rooftops

in playgrounds and drains

            (even in our houses, perhaps when it rains)?

What do they eat? Where do they sleep?

Who are these beings, beloved or reviled?

What wildlife can possibly flourish

            where life’s no longer wild?

Classroom Connections with Marilyn Singer

by

Why is bringing poetry into the classroom important?

I believe that when we’re kids, we all like poetry—rhymes and songs and language that is sparkling and evocative. Good poetry surprises and enlightens. It sticks with us and moves us in ways that prose can’t (which is not a put-down of prose; it has to do with the compactness, imagery, words, and syntax that poetry uses). It helps with language development, with seeing things through different perspectives, with teaching us to listen, and, frankly, with opening our hearts. We lose the love of poetry through lack of practice and exposure and through over-analysis or disdain by the adults we know.

Read entire interview here.

Sunday Morning Magazine with Rodney Lear

by

Have You Heard About Lady Bird?: Poems About Our First Ladies by Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Nancy Carpenter The role of First Lady has been defined differently by each woman who’s held it, but all of them left an impact on our nation as partner of the commander in chief. Incisive poetry by Marilyn Singer and energetic art by Nancy Carpenter provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of women from Martha Washington to Eleanor Roosevelt to Lady Bird Johnson. This book lauds their unique and varied contributions to American history.

Listen to the podcast here.

Survivors: Marilyn Singer on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author

by

In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer-artist’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?

From the time I was little, I wanted to write—or else, be a dog-kennel owner, but that didn’t seem entirely practical. A writing career didn’t seem entirely practical either.

Read the entire interview here.