July 2007

I learn something new every day, and today's lesson is this: if I'd never published any of my poems, writing them would have been worth the effort.

My mother passed away in May, and since then, I've occasioned upon poems I'd written about her through the years. Scattered among my books and journals, each poem is a sculpted memory, providing me a solid place to pause and reflect on the moments and events of my mother's life that touched mine. Whether the memories are smooth, or jagged, I'm grateful for them all. At each one, I can stop and sit a spell, and revisit the mother I once knew.

I believe I'll see my mother again, someday. But in the meanwhile, these poems give me a piece of her to hold onto, right now.

UPDATES

June was lovely, in many ways. I celebrated starred reviews for my new book When Gorilla Goes Walking. Hurray! And I received the Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor for The Road to Paris. Not bad, eh? I also learned that a boardbook edition of Welcome, Precious is in the works.

Finally, thanks to all those who came to one of my signings in Washington, D.C. at the American Library Association Annual Convention.