From: Carolyn Gabb <cgabb>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 13:25:33 -0400

I've been "lurking" on this list...but was ecstatic when I began to read discussion of Rylant's work. Yes, oh yes, let us talk about Rylant's "poetry"...I put this in quotes simply because I think that her work in general has such poetic quality. I am a professional storyteller, story-reader, and puppeteer (when I'm not teaching college courses in language arts and reading) and the music of Rylant's words has always drawn me in quickly. For the holiday season one year, I read the stories from A COUPLE OF KOOKS into a tape...then made copies which I gave to my faculty members and friends as presents. I of course urged them to seek out Rylant's work and read more.

But the poetry...ahhh, the poetry. WAITING TO WALTZ took my breath away...but after reading the autobiography, the poems came alive. Now I urge my students to read both together; I believe they are truly companion pieces. I still can close my eyes and see the scene with the mom when the dog was killed...

SODA JERK becomes an incredible enticement for middle schoolers to read poetry...especially when you live in rural Virginia as I do now. I was surprised with the picturebook format but as always transfixed with Catalanatto's work. This book presents a prime example of how picturebooks are not just for primary! The first-person format of these poems creates a full persona of this young man from Cheston...and would provide an ideal opportunity for some kind of reader's theatre or dramatic interpretation.

SOMETHING PERMANENT is a "treasure" book...the collaboration with Evans is magical. I remember when I bought my copy and began my own project of collecting photographs of women from the 30's and 40's...currently working on a project of my own to bring to life the pictures found in the back rooms of antique stores and the bottom of piles of memorabilia at goodwill stores. I wonder if Walter Dean Myers saw Cynthia's book when he worked on his BLACK ANGELS...or she saw his?? But then, genius does arise spontaneously around the globe, I do believe...

        A suggestions for SOMETHING PERMANENT. As a person involved in staff developement
        in poetry in particular, I recommend that you make a transparency of one or two of
        the photographs, show the image on the full screen. Allow real "wait" time for students
        (and adults) to imagine what the poem _might_ be about...then read Rylant's
        mini-symphonies.

Does anyone know direct ways to contact Rylant? I have a project or two I would like to consider but want to get full permission from her and don't know where to begin to write to her. And I think at this point, I would just like the chance to say how much her music changes the sounds of my life.

Carolyn


At 08:24 AM 7/20/98 00, you wrote:
"...there are stories inside stories and stories between stories and finding your way through them is as easy and as hard as finding your way home. And part of the finding is the getting lost. If you're lost, you really start to look around and to listen." [Metzger/PARABOLA 4:4 (1979)]
=========================Dr. Carolyn S. Gabb Longwood College Education Department cgabb at longwood.lwc.edu
Received on Mon 20 Jul 1998 12:25:33 PM CDT