From: Barbara Tobin <barbarat>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 23:50:54 -0400

April wrote:

<My most recent book is a novel in poems illustrated in black and white collage by Elaine Clayton. This was not my vision, but my editor's, who saw it as a "picture book for teens and 'tweens." They make the book accessible. I think of these illustrations as one of those cartoon fingers made of smoke that lures the mouse to the cheese...>

I think these collages in Girl Coming in for a Landing work really well. They have a funky feel to them, the sort of scrapbook collages, doodlings and quirky expressions of emotion one might imagine a teenage journaller would enjoy creating. I think they certainly would cause young readers to linger longer on each page, and by so doing, maybe spend more time pondering over the meaning of the illustrated poems, rather than hurrying through the printed words merely to see if she gets Carlo in the end, or gets her poem published.

Elaine's illustrations are sometimes just a quiet backdrop, and don't get in the way of the poem; sometimes they extend the poem's sentiments
(usually in humorous ways); and sometimes they offer new dimensions, inviting the reader to dig a little deeper. I think teen poets might find this approach a fun way to illustrate and extend the meanings of their own poems.

    Barbara Tobin (barbarat at gse.upenn.edu)


PS: April, thanks for helping me find the perfect metaphor for my procrastinating behaviors of circling round and round my work before settling down to it, just like those

Ancient dogs circled in the grass round and round to tamp it down
Received on Tue 22 Apr 2003 10:50:54 PM CDT