Alyce Wilson

I often tell people that I founded Wild Violet because a poetry instructor had once inspired me to “make a place for poetry in the world.” As poets, he told us, we had to do more than simply submit our work to literary magazines. Instead, it was our role to help create make poetry more integral to society. That is part of why I created an online literary quarterly: because I wanted it to be more accessible to readers.

Now that I’m a mom, I’ve got a new goal. I want to introduce my son to poetry and show him how beautiful and, yes, fun it can be. Before he was even born, one of my oldest friends gave me “A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children,” a collection edited by Caroline Kennedy.

While he was a newborn, I read anything to him, just so he could hear language. That book was one of the first things I read to him. It has been shelved for a little while, since he has been hard on his board books and it is a beautiful, hardback edition. Yet, he is now gentle enough with paper pages that I can read to him from it without fearing that he would suddenly hit the page and tear it.

This same friend has also given me numerous other poetry books, many of them retired from the library where she worked until recently. I also took a book from our local library lately, “The Usborne Book of Poems for Little Children.” It’s got colorful illustrations and simple poems that are better geared towards a child his age.

I’m also probably going to buy for him “The Random House Book of Poetry for Children,” edited by Jack Prelutsky, which I just purchased for my 7-year-old nephew’s birthday.

At this point, my 20-month-old son is just beginning to speak and to recognize some letters. But I’m hoping that, by introducing him to poetry early, I will help to make a place for poetry in his life.

What poetry books would you recommend for young children? (Or, indeed, for adults?)

After being a member of the  Writers Coffeehouse Yahoo! group run by Jonathan Maberry for two or three years, I finally managed to make my first meeting. The group meets the last Sunday of every month at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore, 102 Park Avenue in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. It just seems that I’m doing something the last weekend of almost every month!

The meeting space was packed with about 50-60 participants when I arrived, but I found a place next to a friend, writer Mark Wolverton. The discussion was definitely worthwhile, and I took copious notes on writing advice, conferences, and other opportunities. Topics included: how to find a book cover artist; creating a public version of oneself as a writer; using Twitter to promote your work and make contacts; the current state of the publishing world; finding an agent; and pitching your work at a conference.

I got some great feedback to a question on my mind: how to balance a writing career with being a stay-at-home mom. Unlike many mothers, who might get an opportunity to write in the evenings when their partners come home and can assist with baby care, I do evening transcription work. Finding the time to write in the daytime while I’m also the primary baby care person has been a challenge these past eight months. I was encouraged by the support of my fellow writers/parents, who assured me that I should go easy on myself, reduce my expectations, and enjoy this special time that, after all, will only last for so long.

Following the regular meeting was a Query Letter Writing Clinic run by Jonathan, which was very enlightening, even though I could only stay for an hour. Hopefully, I’ll get to attend more Writers Coffeehouse meetings in the coming months. It’s easy to isolate yourself when you’re a writer, but it was great to connect with other writers in person!