Admiring Poetry, TWJ event

Take out your quills and moleskine notebooks, because April is National Poetry Month.

I used to scorn poetry, as I thought of it as a pretentious medium of literature. That was until I attended Andrea Gibson’s poetry reading in college.

Gibson recited beautiful stories about queer love, their genderfluid identity, criticisms towards white supremacy and our capitalist culture, and how we all must learn to become more altruistic people. Gibson shared the trauma they suffered and the struggle to find love and acceptance in the world, while also appreciating the moments of falling in love with someone. A few of her best poetry chapbooks are “Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns,” and “Lord of the Butterflies.” Gibson is a Boulderite and you can follow them on their website, andreagibson.org.

After doing a little digging into the realm and beautiful spectrum of poetry, I grew a stronger appreciation for free verse novels (a novel written in the style of free verse poetry). This medium is a clever device to showcase the main character’s experiences of loneliness, the difficulty of communication, and the observations they make from the people around them. I don’t see it so expertly done in any other novel I’ve read, which is why I love this genre so much.

To name a few, here is a short list of free verse novels that I’ve come across recently. Up first is written by another Boulderite called “The Lost Language,” by Claudia Mills. This is the story of an eleven-year-old girl named Betsy, who often lives in the shadow of her controlling best friend, Lizard. Betsy also wishes her mother was more caring, supportive, and present in Betsy’s life, instead of overworking herself at her linguistics job.

One day, the two girls discover the prolific number of languages that are going extinct and Lizard wants to save a dying language. But can these two girls find the right words to save their dying friendship? This novel is a beautiful story about finding the courage to express your feelings to others, finding independence, and forming your own identity. It’s the perfect story of how we all must learn to establish boundaries in ourselves and the people we’re with. There were times where I was on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who felt unheard or unappreciated in a relationship. Also, check out Claudia Mill’s blog where she writes about writing https://claudiamillsanhouraday.blogspot.com/2022/03/.

Up next is “Jazz Owls'' by Margarita Engle, who served as the national 2017-2019 Young People’s Poet Laureate. This is another middle-grade story told in the perspective of three Mexican-American siblings in the 1940s. It’s based on the Zoot Suit Riots, a series of hate crimes led by white sailors, off-duty police officers, and civilians in Los Angeles in the summer of 1943. The excuse for these mob attacks was based on attacking young Latino men for wearing zoot suits, a baggy style of clothing, when wool and textiles were subject to strict rationing during World War II. “Jazz Owls'' is a compelling story reminding us of the injustices of our country’s past and present. This book is great for any age, but it is certainly a book most children should be required to read (at least in my opinion). Topics covered include biased and racist-driven journalism, the exploitation of labor, immigration, ethinic cleansing, and a piece of American history that I’m sure most of us have never even heard of.

In other literary news, the Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop is hosting “Educator Appreciation Night” on Saturday, April 23, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Current teachers, school librarians, curriculum coordinators, principals, and other school educators are invited to join in an evening of giveaways, author appearances, light snacks, and beverages. They’ll also have informational packets available on the services the shop offers to schools and teachers, as well as informal discussions on how the bookstore can best partner with educators. Current school and district identification, as well as online registration is required.