Writing into the Day

Today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by Rhina P. Espaillat, “Weighing In.” As I read this poem, I want you to think about what love means to you. How do you express love to yourself? What would your life look like if you loved your body? Think about three things that you love about your body. Is there a difference in the way people are treated based on their weight? Do you remember the first time someone made a comment about your body size? How old were you? How did your parents/caregivers talk about bodies? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by Jacob Saenz, “Evolution of My Block.” As I read this poem, I want you to think about the pathway to gangs or other peer pressure induced situations. Why do you think our society glamorizes violence and gangs? Are you working against this in your family and circle of influence? Think about how people get recruited into gangs and what could we do to fight it in our cities? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by J. Patrick Lewis, “1938.” As I read this poem, I want you to think about 2020. What are the memorable events of 2020? How has 2020 been different than other years? If you had kids, what would you tell them about this year? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by Jacqueline Woodson, “Flag.” As I read this poem, I want you to think about your non-negotiables. In my classes, I always joke about how time is a non-negotiable for me. You can never get back time you’ve lost. What are your non-negotiables? What are some things or beliefs you care about that you would never want to compromise? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Welcome monsters and ghouls to the final episode of my spooky new series of Writing into the Day (until next year, of course!). This series will feature texts that certainly go bump in the night and you may want to keep your lights on for some of these spine-chilling reads! Today’s Spooktober podcast will be featuring a poem by Eugene Field.  As I read this poem, I want you to think about the personification of the wind. The wind is characterized by the author as having human-like qualities. Why might the author have done this? What does this personification contribute to the tone of the text? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Welcome monsters and ghouls to my spooky new series of Writing into the Day. This series will feature texts that certainly go bump in the night and you may want to keep your lights on for some of these spine-chilling reads! Today’s Spooktober podcast will be featuring a poem by Mary Howitt. As I read this poem, I want you to think about how the Spider tricks the Fly into his web? What is this story trying to teach us? Have you met your own real life Spider? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Welcome monsters and ghouls to my spooky new series of Writing into the Day. This series will feature texts that certainly go bump in the night and you may want to keep your lights on for some of these spine-chilling reads! Today’s Spooktober podcast will be featuring a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar. As I read this poem, I want you to think about the subject of this poem. Why is the speaker so focused on the tree? What tone does the speaker’s description of the tree evoke? Why is there such an emphasis on the haunting of the oak tree? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Welcome monsters and ghouls to my spooky new series of Writing into the Day. This series will feature texts that certainly go bump in the night and you may want to keep your lights on for some of these spine-chilling reads! Today’s Spooktober podcast will be featuring a poem by Robert Graves. As I read this poem, I want you to think about moments, especially moments where you felt scared or experienced some sort of pain. Think about how the people in these experiences can sometimes become warped by those feelings; you can learn to subconsciously associate them with those emotions of fear or pain. Keep these ideas in mind as I read.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Welcome monsters and ghouls to my spooky new series of Writing into the Day. This series will feature texts that certainly go bump in the night and you may want to keep your lights on for some of these spine-chilling reads! To start off my special Spooktober edition of Writing into the Day podcasts, today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by Siegfried Sassoon. As I read this poem, I want you to think about ghosts and the possible purposes of ghostly hauntings. In this poem, Graves writes about his former friends from the war and how they seem to “haunt” him. I want you to think about HOW Graves’ friends seemingly haunt him and WHY he cannot stop thinking about them. Keep these ideas in mind as I read.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support

Today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by Seamus Heaney, “Blackberry Picking.” As I read this poem, I want you to think about a summer memory. I remember in the summers I would pick violets from the lawn. My little self would sit in the shade of a big oak tree for hours, painstakingly weaving the tiny blossoms into a crown. I was convinced the tiny, delicate, petal crown could make me a fairy. How did you spend your summer months? Keep these ideas in mind as I read. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writingintotheday/support