From: Aprilstory at aol.com <Aprilstory>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 01:45:18 EDT

I am enjoying the discussion about illustrated poetry and have been asked to share the following:?

I studied with poet Myra Cohn Livingston for over ten years.? Myra believed that poetry should Not be illustrated, with a capital N, but I have come to believe differently.?

We live in an increasingly visual culture...and, just as some not-so-great series have hooked readers who graduate to reading wonderful books, sometimes it takes illustrations to hook poetry readers.

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...

April Halprin Wayland
 www.aprilwayland.com Girl Coming in for a Landing: a Novel in Poems (Knopf)
Received on Mon 21 Apr 2003 12:45:18 AM CDT