Showing posts with label newspapery fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newspapery fun. Show all posts

Saturday, April 07, 2012

PETTY THEFT -- a newspaper blackout poem



PETTY THEFT

the 
snatch
was
a
fluke

the 
move
abandoned
denied  
for fun
and
fickle income
and
that
power

It was just the only option we
had.

I
feel really weird

Still 
it took
risk

© Mary Lee Hahn, 2012



Poem #7, National Poetry Month 2012

I never should have let myself wander into the poetry section at Barnes and Noble yesterday.

I walked out with three new books: THE BEST OF IT by Kay Ryan, WHERE I LIVE by Maxine Kumin, and NEWSPAPER BLACKOUT by Austin Kleon.

If I accidentally start writing more like Kay Ryan and Maxine Kumin, I somehow think that won't be a bad thing. 

And newspaper blackout poems? Those are just plain FUN!

In 2010, I tried a newspaper blackout poem, but after reading Kleon's suggestions for composing, and more of his poems, I decided I would try again. 

Writing a newspaper blackout poem takes a lot of trimming back. (This reminds me of Janet Wong's advice here, or Susan Taylor Brown's advice here.)

Writing a newspaper blackout poem means being open to surprises. This article was about a band, and I wound up with a poem that sounds like a punk kid who, after getting caught stealing something, wavers between, "It was an accident!" "I didn't have a choice!" and "I know it was wrong...but it was also kind of fun..."

Murder yesterday, theft today. What will tomorrow bring?





Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku)...and YOU?





Friday, June 08, 2007

Newspaper Clipping Roundup

The headline at The Daily Sponge reads: School's OUT!

Eric Luper's headline is Muscle Car Goes Missing.

Ask Amy's headline reads One Book Talk Done, 19 To Go. If I'm reading the article correctly, we're invited to help her with the remaining 19!

NYC Teacher explores the classroom posibilities for the Newspaper Clipping Generator in her article titled Discovery!

::Suzanne:: has found the cure for wiggling children! Find out more in Wiggle-less Children.

Go to The Newspaper Clipping Generator and make yours. Send me a link and I'll round you up here!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

The Secret is Divulged

Here is the website where you, too, can make newspaper clippings:

The Newspaper Clipping Generator

Go make a clipping, post it on your blog, then send us a link in the comments and we'll do a round-up of clippings. Have fun!