By the time you read this, I'll likely be flying overhead - on my way to Denver, CO for this weekend's National Council of Teachers of English annual convention! I'm going to be super-busy, too, if this graphic is any indication. I'll be participating in a panel presentation with poets Georgia Heard and Allan Wolf, and Poetry Friday friend Carol Varsalona on Sat., Nov.

I just realized that we are a mere two weeks away from Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and only six weeks from Christmas! Good grief, where does the time go?? I had meant to share my annual recap of the state fair by now, but with all the book festivals and events taking place this fall, it somehow got completely past me.

You probably realize this already, but I'll say it anyway: not everything an author or poet writes is meant for (or worthy of) mass consumption. There have been plenty of stories, poems, essays, and random lines written over the years by numerous folks, both famous and unknown, that likely will never see the light of day. Some of this is by accident - where the project just doesn't turn out the way the creator had hoped and is scrapped - but some things are written with no intention of ever being shared.

I love surprising students. When schools invite me to visit, I often share the behind-the-scenes journeys of my books or unusual aspects like illustrations or STEM elements. These receive great reactions, when kids discover so many things about the creative process - and the world - they didn't know. But when a school requests a poetry workshop, kids are even more surprised - at how fun poetry can be!

There are few things more comforting than a nice, warm serving of pasta – whether it’s a plate of angel hair carbonara, a thick slab of lasagna filled with roicotta and bolognese, or el…

There are few things more comforting than a nice, warm serving of pasta – whether it’s a plate of angel hair carbonara, a thick slab of lasagna filled with roicotta and bolognese, or el…