Paint Me A Poem

"Poems inspired by masterpieces of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C."--Publisher's website.

This book is a celebration of the ways in which art and writing caninfluence and inspire each other. In 1999- 2000, Grace Nichols was thefirst Writer-in-Residence at the Tate. During this time she worked withchildren from London schools, helping them respond to art by writingpoetry. She herself was inspired to write over 25 memorable andperceptive new poems, collected in this book. In addition, Paint Me aPoem contains Grace's highly personal reflections on the paintings andsculptures, as well as fascinating insights into the inspirations forthe paintings, written by Colin Grigg, Head of Young People'sprogrammes at Tate. Included towards the back of the book are manylively activities designed to inspire children to write their ownpoetry and to have fun with language.

Today my name is colorful. Yesterday my name was dead souls. Tomorrow my name will be lively spirits. My friends think my name is fire. The police think my name is burden. My parents think my name is symphony. Secretly I know my name is anything I want it to be. Paint Me Like I Am is a collection of poems by teens who have taken part in writing programs run by a national nonprofit organization called WritersCorps. To read the words of these young people is to hear the diverse voices of teenagers everywhere. Included are a foreward by acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni, an essay from Kevin Powell, another poet associated with WritersCorps, and writing tips from WritersCorps instructors. WritersCorps was started in 1994 to help at-risk youth in three American urban centers: San Francisco, Washington, DC, and New York City (the Bronx). Thousands of children and teenagers have since benefited from finding creative expression through writing.

Rinnie Gardener's life looks like a perfect painting from the outside, a loving family and a beautiful house, but when the paint is stripped away, this dream dissolves to dust. Her parents divorce. Her father treats her like a stranger. Her mother, looming like a black cloud, treats her worse. Painful words become painful bruises. Rinnie's own body becomes a source of self-punishment. As her life seemingly falls apart, Rinnie struggles to find the courage to pick up the pieces. In a brilliantly unique style and voice, Rinnie tells her story, a search for identity, love, and healing. She must look in the darkest places to repaint the canvas of her life. She must face the monster.

This book is a comprehensive collection of ideas for writing poetry with children from five to eleven years -- together with inspiring presentation and display

I have been inspired by children my whole life and wanted to do something that would put a smile on their face. I came up with these poems, hoping that it would brighten up a child’s day.

A few years after the island of Mauritius gained independence from Great Britain, people and cultures collide and navigate life as Shakti, a little girl tries to make sense of the world and find her way. Testimonials Jackee Holder: Author, Coach, Trainer “Thank you dear one for sharing this powerful story with us. I really appreciated the way in which Shakti tells her story. I was totally engaged. The chapters were so readable. I found myself swooning as she shared her mystical experiences in the temple. Shakti has this way of going deep without saying a lot. I noticed this in her collection of autobiographical poems “I: A Woman Speaking Up”. This is a powerful testimony of overcoming life’s adversity. Shakti explores taboo subjects such as colourism with honesty and grace. This is a story of moving from turbulence to triumph. The shortness of the chapters kept me wanting to keep turning the page. Shakti’s voice encourages the reader to reclaim their lives and to frame a new empowered story.” Dr Janet Balabanovic: Counselling Psychologist “Shakti bears her soul in this intimate collection of childhood memories. Please Paint Me Caramel delivers a beautifully evocative account of a childhood of relative privilege in Mauritius, a childhood which is richly suffused with vibrant and colourful memories of religious festivals and cultural traditions. Disturbingly, this is uneasily juxtaposed alongside a powerful undercurrent of emotional abuse disguised as love and protection. Suffocating demands and expectations are justified to protect and safeguard the future of a young girl who was born “too dark”, “with bad blood” and “in the wrong month”. The crushing weight of her family’s fears is keenly felt as the little girl grapples with her perceived defects and secretly and repeatedly prays to be painted caramel to secure her place in the world as a marriageable woman in a society that dictates only one path to a good and worthwhile life. A poignant reminder of the devastating impact of parental and culturally-bound conditions of worth on individual self-acceptance.” Jane Yeadon, Author, Scotland “This is an important book written from the heart- breakingly honest viewpoint of a child bewildered and marked by tradition and her family's adherence to it. Care, compassion and humour are the colours Shakti brings to her pages. She has brought the characters, traditions, and the emotions of her Mauritian childhood brilliantly to life.