NaPoMo Wrap Up!

I always feel a bit sad after NaPoWriMo is over.  Especially after finishing a big project like this one.  What fun that was!  And what wonderful leads I still have to follow about local history around Sonoma and Napa Counties.  (If you have any ideas, or old stories you've dug up, please do post a comment and let me know by posting a comment!)  I'm taking a couple of weeks off and then I'm diving back into my project until it is book length.  So look out!  More history-based poetry is coming your way.  I may even be teaching a class this summer on writing historically-based poetry/creative non-fiction at The Sitting Room in Cotati, CA.  So, if you are interested, stay tuned for details!   Most importantly, though I've had to take a few days off toward the end of the month to prepare for an interview at Napa Valley College.  As most of you know, I love teaching.  But, I love teaching even more in an environment that is student-focused and filled with colleagues who share a joy of teaching.  I've found such a place at Napa Valley College. It is the kind of place I'd like to teach at for the rest of my career.  Tomorrow morning is my final interview.  Wish me luck!

This past month, thanks to National Poetry Month and World Book Night I got to share some incredible literature with my classes.  If you haven't already, check out these free programs that help you connect students with literature:

•  World Book Night, which gives away sets of novels for the purpose of getting more people to enjoy literaure.  I gave away a class set of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou to a group of students who have just begun reading their first novel.  And I gave The Secret Life of Henrietta Lacks to another group of writing students who had read many books in their lives.
• Poetry Magazine which gives away whole class sets of their April edition (with a teaching guide) for teachers to use in their classrooms.  My students loved getting a copy this year.
• Poem in Your Pocket Day where you can find out about one of my favorite days of the year!  A day when you can walk up to complete strangers in the supermarket, and hand them a poem.  I give my students extra credit if they take a handful of poems and take photographs of themselves passing them out across campus, or in town.  The students are always skeptical at first, but most really, really enjoy the experience.

Below are a few photos of my students with copies of their books! Hope you enjoy!

Finally, I will be posting results from my Big Poetry Giveaway later this week!  Stay tuned!