Hello, all! I haven’t had much time for writing lately as I’ve been busy with other things (like teaching literature to homeschool students — what a joy!). In spite of this, though, I have some exciting writing news to share with you: Bandersnatch Books,1 publisher of treasures found off the beaten path, is releasing a children’s poetry anthology! Three of my poems will be included alongside the work of 61 other gifted poets, including Jonathan Rogers, Jennifer Trafton, Ned Bustard,2 and Emma C. Fox.3 Nearly all of my fellow contributors are friends and favourite authors, and I’m honoured to be in such good company!
I’ve Got a Bad Case of Poetry is exactly the sort of book I would have loved as a kid. Full of wonder, whimsy, wordplay, and heart, it’s perfect for fans of Robert Louis Stevenson, A. A. Milne, Jack Prelutsky, and Shel Silverstein. The title of the collection comes from the following poem by editor Rachel S. Donahue,4 also called “I’ve Got a Bad Case of Poetry” (don’t forget to read it out loud — it’s more fun that way):
I’ve got a bad case of poetry.
Words flit like bees through my brain
Seeking the nectar:
A wingéd prospector
Whose presence might drive me in—
Side by side they march in little rows,
These synonyms parading through my mind,
Distracting me with their potential prose
And calling for the terms to be de—
Lights! Camera! Action!
Words make a scene.
Quick! Flip the script,
Before they get ob—
Serving a platter of endless selection,
Words are like tasty new treats.
I’ll sample them all. Do they give satisfaction?
If I take two, what is their interaction?
Could I try three without making abstractions?
How do they taste with the beats?
(Will I ever go back to sleep?)
I’ve got a bad case of poetry.
Doc says that writing’s the remedy
This is just a taste of what’s in store! This collection is bursting with poetry about aardvarks, quicksand, baseball, and broccoli; poetry that is playful and scary and silly, and sometimes makes you hold your breath in wonder. My own poems are about the intricate dance of the frost fairies, the sylph-like stealth of the cat,5 and the risks of applying magical lotion.
All these poems are sorted into six broad categories: Flora & Fauna, Dreams & Whimsy, Unexplorable Depths, Cautionary Tales, Vittles, and Humans. Each category will be brought to life by Emily J. Person’s delightful watercolour illustrations, complete with its own colour scheme:
If this is something you would like on your shelves, it’s currently available for preorder through Kickstarter! Kickstarter allows you to pay for your copy in advance and participate in the book’s creation at the same time. You can back the project at a variety of levels, with rewards ranging from an e-copy of the book, to physical copies accompanied by stickers, bookmarks, art prints, and more.
We’ve already hit our base goal, which more or less covers the costs of printing a full-colour, hardback book (Hoorah!!). Now we’re trying to hit our stretch goals, which will allow our publisher to upgrade the book further, adding a ribbon marker, printed end sheets, cover foil, and more. Bandersnatch Books wants to make a beautiful, heirloom-quality book that can be read and reread for generations!
Would you like to help us achieve this? If so, now’s the time! There’s only 2 days left to back/preorder on Kickstarter. You can view our Kickstarter campaign here.
Update: We hit Stretch Goal #1, which means that the book will have a ribbon marker! Thank you! If you missed the initial campaign, you can still preorder your copy through Kickstarter by making a Late Pledge. This won’t count towards any new Stretch Goals, but it still supports this project and is a big help to the publisher!
Notes:
- Bandersnatch Books is possibly my favourite publishing house! They consistently publish good, beautiful, and truthful stories for a variety of ages and in a variety of genres. My favourite so far might be Loren G. Warnemuende’s Daughter of Arden trilogy (read my thoughts on the first book here and the second here).
- I also had the pleasure of collaborating with Jonathan Rogers, Jennifer Trafton, and Ned Bustard on The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad (Rabbit Room press 2022), which was recently released as an audiobook! I also highly recommend both of Jennifer Trafton’s fantasy novels and Jonathan Rogers’ Wilderking Trilogy.
- I’m a big fan of Emma C. Fox’s historical fantasy novels The Arrow and the Crown and The Carver and the Queen. I shared some brief thoughts on The Arrow and the Crown in this post.
- Rachel S. Donahue knows what she’s doing when it comes to poetry! I recently read her book Beyond Chittering Cottage: Poems of Place and found it approachable, profound, and deeply nourishing. Each poem, subtly layered, demands to be read and reread.
- Some of you might remember this poem, which originally appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of the Orchards Poetry Journal and which I shared in this post.
The Glass Hill 