Chrystal D. Giles 10/1/21 Chrystal D. Giles 10/1/21

Review | THE ONE THING YOU’D SAVE by Linda Sue Park

Review by Chrystal D Giles of Linda Sue Park’s THE ONE THING YOU’D SAVE

Aida Salazar 9/9/21 Aida Salazar 9/9/21

Writing From The Heart

Janet Wong 8/12/21 Janet Wong 8/12/21

Pick a Number

Saranyan Vigraham 7/15/21 Saranyan Vigraham 7/15/21

Sense-making through poetry

From May 5, 2020 to June 26, 2020, I wrote poems against news articles. Every day, I wrote at least one poem. I religiously sat under an old Elderberry tree in our backyard, reading news about what was happening in America, and in the world. Then I spent hours writing one poem from the articles I read. I wrote about murders, freedom marches, pandemic where doctors and patients discussed death over Zoom, data leaks, a corrupt political administration attacking transgender rights, and many more.

Anindita Basu Sempere 7/1/21 Anindita Basu Sempere 7/1/21

Poetry as Resistance

During difficult times, especially during periods of social or political upheaval, we often ask: What is the role of the artist?

Padma Venkatraman 6/17/21 Padma Venkatraman 6/17/21

Review | RUNAWAY: THE DARING ESCAPE OF ONA JUDGE by Ray Anthony Shepard

I remember the first time I heard Ray Anthony Shepard read aloud his draft of what became his picture book, Runaway.

Ari Tison 6/3/21 Ari Tison 6/3/21

Review | YOUR HEART MY SKY by Margarita Engle

It’s summer 1991 in Cuba during el periodo especial en tiempos de paz.

Padma Venkatraman 5/20/21 Padma Venkatraman 5/20/21

Welcoming Two New South Asian American Verse Novels

When I wrote A TIME TO DANCE, I hadn’t set eyes on a single desi verse novel in English for young people. So it is with such very special joy, today, that I celebrate 2 South Asian American verse novels: Rajani LaRocca’s Red, White and Whole and Reem Fauqui’s Unsettled.

Padma Venkatraman 5/6/21 Padma Venkatraman 5/6/21

Poetry speaking out against hate

Here are a few social media posts from #DiverseVerse launch day, highlighting poems or poetry resources that educators may use as a starting point to engage in nuanced discussions to help fight hate and hate crimes

Padma Venkatraman 4/19/21 Padma Venkatraman 4/19/21

What does respectful amplification mean?

This is going to be a super short blog post. Respectful amplification of a BIPOC poet’s voice, to me, may include…

Padma Venkatraman 4/13/21 Padma Venkatraman 4/13/21

How Diverse Verse Came About

Last year, when the pandemic broke out, I was solo parenting… so I had a bit of time to do bit of “soul searching” … and I thought about how, in the field of literature, there is so little one can control in terms of career.

Padma Venkatraman 4/6/21 Padma Venkatraman 4/6/21

Teaching Ideas: Using Poetry as a Starting Point to Combat Hate

Lesson Plan Suggestions and Resources

for harnessing the power of poetry to speak out

against hate crimes

and for inclusion, equality and respect for diversity

Padma Venkatraman 3/29/21 Padma Venkatraman 3/29/21

#DiverseVerse and #AuthorsTakeAction Event

The past year has, for us, been one in which we've witnessed so much hate; and yet also one that challenged us to keep hoping.