author recipes

something sweet from laura purdie salas

~ jama ~ 1 Comment

#18 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2010.


 Penny Candy Store in McCloud, CA by mlhradio.

Just for today, let’s go to an old fashioned candy store!

What would you like? How about some root beer barrels, salt water taffy, red hots, sour balls, or peppermint sticks? Maybe some licorice, Smarties, gumballs, Gummi Bears or wax lips? Don’t forget the Mary Janes, Bit-o-Honey, fireballs, and caramels!


 mosaic by simplyembellish.

Can’t decide? Me neither. So many colors, shapes, sizes, and textures — hard, chewy and crunchy. I just want something to last as long as possible ☺. Good thing Laura Salas has dropped by with a special poem about the quintessential childhood candy, lollipops!

Continue reading →

friday feast: douglas florian’s french boast

~ jama ~ 1 Comment

#17 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2010.

  
   photo by aaton25.

Bonjour, mes amis!

Please take a seat.


 coffee photo by blamstur.

The inimitable Monsieur Dooglas of Chez Florian will be serving you breakfast today. Oo-lah-lah! He has brought freshly brewed café — French roast, naturellement — can you smell that divine aroma emanating from your computer screen? It’s the best part of waking up, non?

FRENCH TOAST

French toast
French toast
Fridays I like French toast most
With French coffee that I roast.
I don’t wish to brag or boast:
Coast to coast I’m French toast host.

© 2010 Douglas Florian. All rights reserved.

C’est fabuleux! But — there’s just one leetle problem. Bien sûr, in all the world, there is no finer French toast host than Monsieur Dooglas, and we love his café and his cozy French country inn.

*kisses fingertips*

Continue reading →

a word of caution from greg pincus

~ jama ~ 1 Comment

#16 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2010.


 photo by Sakuraku Kitsa.

It always happens.

You invite a perfectly respectable group of people to a Potluck, and at least one of them brings a questionable dish. Nothing politically incorrect, you understand, like a side of beef for vegans, or pork chops without applesauce — just something a tad deceptive, maybe even a little frightening.

Friends, nothing is safe.

Good thing we have uber-cool social networking maven, Gregory K. Pincus, looking out for us.

Continue reading →

jeannine atkins and her friends, laura and rose

~ jama ~ 1 Comment

#15 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2010.

Why, yes. That would be Jeannine Atkins up there waving to us from atop that airplane. Of all our Potluck guests, Jeannine knows best how to make a dramatic entrance. And she’s not fashionably late or anything, which is quite surprising considering she had to travel back in time to bring us the two amazing women who appear in her poem: Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane.

Today, Jeannine is sharing an excerpt from her recently released verse biography, Borrowed Names. You may remember my singing its praises on its official pub day. Since then, it has earned yet another *starred review*, this time from Horn Book! We’re absolutely thrilled for this author/poet/professor who dares to defy publishing odds against poetry and historical fiction. Just as Rose Wilder Lane once flew over San Francisco Bay strapped to the wing of an airplane, these days Jeannine Atkins is flying high on well-deserved praise.

Continue reading →

sweets for the sweet: liz garton scanlon

~ jama ~ 1 Comment

#14 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2010.


 Namaste.

Please have some jasmine green tea with honey!

When I was searching for a photo to capture the essence of Liz Garton Scanlon, this one by Genevieve Howard caught my eye. There’s a feeling of peace, calm, and radiance. Here’s the comment Genevieve included on her flickr page:

the honey is a moment condensed from hours in a late spring field full of clovers. the tea plants grew for months on a hillside and jasmine bloomed while the sun set.

such sunshine, so much time, concentrated in this cup of tea.

may you be blessed with a sense of having plenty of time,
may you be blessed with hot drinks and sweetness.

Is it not perfect? I often picture Liz outdoors in the fresh air, hiking through fields, up and down hills, navigating river beds, soaking up the sun. She grows rich with beautiful moments, then condenses them to a few carefully chosen words, words seasoned with time, glowing with wisdom.

Continue reading →