Oh dear readers. Forgive my blogging tardiness. I’ve been chipping away here in NYC.
I have another poem that will appear in a children’s poetry anthology! It will be edited by Kenn Nesbitt, Children’s Poet Laureate of the United States. www.poetry4kids.com.
It will come out in 2016. That makes 9 poems in 5 books that will come out in the next year and a half. I have my fingers crossed on another one that’s being reviewed right now!
Found out that the 1st of these anthologies, DEAR TOMATO: AN INTERNATION CROP OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POEMS edited by Carol-Ann Hoyte, which I have 3 children’s poems appear, will be released sometime in February.
The 2nd of these anthologies will be THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS.
Once again edited Sylvia Vardell, http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/ and Janet Wong, www.janetwong.com, this treasure trove, published by Pomelo Books, www.pomelobooks.com, will have 156 poems that will be in both English and Spanish. Subjects range from National Puzzle Day to National Braille Day to many, many more. I have 3 poems in the book. "Black History Month," which every February honors achievements by African Americans, "Juneteenth," which is the oldest known jubilee commemorating the end of slavery in America, and "in Rhythm," which honors the birthday of the National Basketball Association. Publication date will be in late March/early April.
Will conduct workshops at The Churchill School and Center on February 24th and 26th. Churchill is an independent K-12 school for students with learning disabilities. Thank you Paula Zamora, Elementary Librarian and Diversity Initiate Coordinator, for this opportunity. http://www.churchillschool.com
I’ve been continuing my work as a teaching artist for Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. http://rushphilanthropic.org/education/ I finished my sessions at PS 6 in Jersey City and MS 136 in Brooklyn in December with the talented Hawley Hussey http://vcfa.edu/art-design-education/faculty/hawley-hussey
I’m looking forward to working with Hawley again in May when we will conduct sessions again, this time at The Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Brooklyn.
I’m also looking forward to working with my good friend Candy Heiland http://candyheiland.com/home.html on 2 different Saturdays in February when we team up with the Rush kids as we explore the meaning of the word Home.
In December I accompanied the Rush Kids, Teenagers and Teaching Artists on a tour of The Old Merchant's House Museum. It is the only NYC home that has stayed intact, from the inside and out, since the 19th century. A merchant family named The Tredwells lived there for almost 100 years. Since the theme is Home this year with Rush, they couldn't have picked a better trip for all of us to go on. I felt like I stepped into the setting of the Martin Scorsese picture The Age of Innocence, based on Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize winning novel about the trails and tribulations of upper class New Yorkers in the 1870's. http://merchantshouse.org/
Read – a – Poem, my document of what I’ve been reading is chugging along. Some of the books don't have to be children’s poetry, but that is my main objective. I read the following books:
WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD by Joyce Sidman.
RUTHERFORD B: WHO HAS HE? by Marilyn Singer.
DRAW by Raul Colon.
On a personal front:
Saw THE RIVER by Jez Butterworth and starring Hugh Jackman at Circle in the Square on Broadway. It was a mind bending 3 character play whose script I will need to read in the future to get all the clues nestled throughout the story.
Saw A DELICATE BALANCE by Edward Albee starring Glenn Close, John Lithgow and Martha Plimpton, among other strong character actors, at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway. Albee’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play was about the tribulations of a family and their friends in a suburban home. The play was enhanced by its actors and an excellent set design.
Attended a taping of THE LATE SHOW with David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theatre. Ever since Dave’s show premiered in the fall of 1993 I’ve always wanted to attend, and felt thankful that I did before his retirement in May of this year. What I enjoyed about it was watching a show live that I have seen TV for years. The theatre was smaller than I thought and the technicians were so impressive in the alacrity of keeping up the pace of the show, especially the singing segment. Dave came out before the show started to say hello, and I got to watch the famous Letterman sprint before he makes his way to the stage.
Paid off my Herculean SAG-AFTRA initiation fee. For those who don't know, SAG-AFTRA is a union for actors in film, television and radio. I became a member in April of 2014 and had been chipping away at the fee for 8 1/2 months. It was my goal to finish paying it off by the end of December and that's what I did.
Continued doing background and stand-in work for a variety of TV series. The hours are long, but I learn so much every time. Watching other actors, as well as directors and technicians apply their craft is like a being a part of a free film school.
I leave you with a poem about a man whose work helped establish Black History Month.
CARTER G. WOODSON – FATHER OF BLACK HISTORY
He was a son of slaves,
Self-taught as a youth
Turned Ivy League graduate
Speaker of truth:
Of self-reliance,
Of black pride,
His mission?
Change
The racial tide
From injustice
To equality,
Peace be to our brother
Carter G.
(c) Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.
