From: Steven Engelfried <sengelfried>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 11:56:49 -0700

I know we've been talking about actual books of poetry mostly, but I'd like to mention one "how-to" title. Ralph Fletcher's "Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out" is an excellent book for young poets. He intentionally ignores defining forms and styles and really gets to the heart of things: Why might you write a poem and how do you go about it? He writes a lot about the practical process of poetry writing: getting started, rewriting, trouble shooting, and shows how it's often more about hard work than mere inspiration. He uses examples from established poets and from students, and also has a few interviews with poets. Without gushing, he conveys the excitement you can get from writing or reading a good poem. His tone is conversational and very accessible. I read this one aloud to my own kids and both have applied Fletcher's advice in their poems since then.

- Steven Engelfried, Head of Youth Services
 Beaverton City Library
 12375 SW 5th Street
 Beaverton, OR 97005
 503R6%99
 sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us
Received on Mon 14 Apr 2003 01:56:49 PM CDT