Book Spine Poetry

In the spirit of National Poetry Month (which ends today), I thought I'd share a fun "new" development in the creative book world: Book Spine Poetry.

The premise is simple: You take books, turning them on their sides so the titles read as a line of text, and then stack them according to your artistic whim, thus creating mini-poems with a decidedly literary twist.

I discovered this new poetic form about a year ago, and have enjoyed watching it develop and grow in popularity. It's fun, quirky, creative. It's an excuse to pull out all your favorite books, and a great way to stretch your brain - playing with the arrangement of titles to make sense, and working around their sometimes fragmented nature. Here are some examples I've "written" (the first two with my personal books, the others happened here in the Library):

Jane Austen's Guide to Dating
Emma & Knightley
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
A Walk in the Meadow at Rosings Park
For Darkness Shows the Stars
The Road to Pemberley
Pemberley Ranch
The Truth About Mr Darcy
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
Jane Austen: A life revealed

The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After
Charlotte Collins
Christmas at Pemberley
Darcy's Temptation
Murder at Mansfield Park
Jane Austen Made Me Do It
Why Jane Austen?
To Conquer Mr Darcy
Compulsively Mr Darcy
The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy

Abandon
The Warrior Heir
City of Glass
Deep and Dark and Dangerous
Hidden
Raider's Ransom
What Happened to Goodbye

Darkness Falls
My Heartbeat
Magic Under Stone
Lock and Key
Bewitching
Glimmer
If I Stay
Starclimber
Magic of the Moonlight

Walls within Walls
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Dragon Rider
Secrets in the Fire
Rider in the Dark
The Last Treasure

Queen of Broken Hearts
Love the One You're With
This Charming Man
Stealing with Style
Something Blue

For more fun and inspiration to create some Book Spine Poems of your own, check out these blog posts:
YALSA Hub
School Library Journal Book Spine Poem Gallery

Poetry, the Library, and Spring Fever

April is National Poetry Month, which has always been a favorite for me -- not only do I enjoy scribbling lines of verse, and reading it (of course!), but it happens in April. That glorious month when it's starting to be warm more than it's cold, the days are longer, and the world is not only green but blooming as well. (In case you couldn't tell, I have a serious case of spring fever!) There's something about spring that gets in your blood, making the everyday sparkle and shine in a way that just beckons for verbal expression. Starting to see the connection, in my mind, to Poetry Month?

In the last few years, I've started to appreciate a new form of poetry -- the verse novel. While I haven't read a lot of verse novels, those I have read I've enjoyed greatly. If you've never read one before, it's a novel-length story told entirely in poems. Sort of like really short chapters (although some are shockingly long), but with all the rhythms and patterns of poetry. And like that broad spectrum of "poetry," verse novels feature a variety of poem types - even within the same novel. It adds a whole new level of artistic expression to storytelling, and can make for a surprisingly enjoyable read. On the other hand, sometimes the restraints of verse for telling such a long story can be frustrating. With such short "chapters" it can be harder to get to know characters, or keep up with the pacing. Here's where it's desperately important to have a good writer at the helm.

Two of my favorites are Terra Elan McVoy's After the Kiss and Lisa Schroeder's The Day Before, both YA novels (and both published by Simon Pulse, coincidentally). In each of these novels, the use of poetry to tell the story builds tension, creating emotional connections and adding depth and even a little mystery.

Verse novels appear to be a growing trend in YA literature (Ellen Hopkins' novels are hugely popular), which I find rather interesting, and I look forward to exploring more ... I have a historical fiction verse novel about the journey of Lewis & Clark sitting on my To Read shelf, and there are a lot of contemporary novels being written in verse.

What about you? Have you read any novels in verse and/or have any recommendations?

Odds & Ends

Wow. How is it already April? Seems like just yesterday it was early January, and my world was being rocked with the news I'd be joining the Archdale Library staff! And now we're 25% of the way through the year, the sun is actually shining, and spring is just around the corner! Goodness. Time really does fly when you're having fun.

What else is "April" ...


Image credit: http://www.shelbytwplib.org/poetry%20club.htm

... it's National Poetry Month, as well as being National Poetry Writing Month (I guess there's something about warmer temperatures, brilliant sun and growing plants that makes us feel reflective, or even romantic)


... National Library Week is April 14-20th

... April 23rd is the relase date for Sophie Kinsella's new novel Wedding Night!

Hmm ... What else is newsy ... Have you checked out the new Asheboro Library Teen Zone tumblr? I've joined forces with Teen Services Librarian Dave Bare, and a teen patron Lauren, and we've got a personal mission to make libraries the coolest place ever. Check us out for YA book reviews and other random fun stuff in the teen reading universe.