Poetry Friday round-up is with Michelle Kogan today.
PoemCrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge is a book I go back to again and again for writing inspiration. My writing friend, Linda Mitchell, reminded me of an exercise “our real names” found on page 36. The prompt is simple with different sentence stems to lead you. I was attempting to use this prompt for my “Work in Progress” but I wasn’t happy with the results. No matter. I walked to the study and turned on the IBM Selectric my son-in-law found at an estate sale. The hum and the musty smell settles me into creative writing.
The first name that came to me was Temperance Flowerdew. My cousin has done some genealogical research and found her in our ancestral line. She survived the Starving Time in Jamestown and was married to two governors, George Yeardley and Francis West. Not only did she have a wonderful name, she was an early colonist, a fighter, and a survivor. I can’t even imagine what her life was like, but I can invoke her name to give me strength and courage.
I am pleased to announce the first post of the Bayou Song blog tour is with Michelle today. Click over to see features of the book and an interview. She is also rounding up all Poetry Friday posts today.
Friday, June 22:
Michelle Kogan
Tuesday, June 26:
Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
Friday, June 29:
Ruth Hersey at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town
Friday, July 6:
Kimberly Hutmacher at Kimberly Hutmacher Writes
Friday, July 13:
Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
Tuesday, July 17:
Laura Shovan
Tuesday, July 24
Amanda Potts at Persistence and Pedagogy
Friday, July 27:
Carol Varsalona at Beyond LiteracyLink
Monday, July 30
Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
Friday, Aug. 3
Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work that Matters
Reflections on the Teche 
Such a fun poem, Margaret. This reminds me of a recent picture book about names, Alma and How She Got Her Name. It is exciting about your book!
Maybe you’ll want to write a picture book about Temperance? I like that the smell and sound of the typewriter puts you in a writing mood!
COngrats on the new book and the upcoming blog tour. I loved Michelle’s review today.
Temperence Flowerdew is a great name and she sounds like quite a woman. I enjoyed your poem.
How fun to have a Selectric at your fingertips. I used one the summer I worked as a secretary at the private school where I had taught. I loved setting up a letter and then calling someone so they would think I could actually type that fast! I remember that hum. I have Poemcrazy, but haven’t used it much. Maybe it’s time for some writing prompts from Susan for me. Congrats on your new book!
What a fun prompt! I love “secretly I know I am morning glory.” Thank you for sharing this and making me think about my “real” name. Congratulations again on the publication of Bayou Song!
Guess I gotta get this book…mentioned in no fewer than 3 blogposts this week! I like what you did with Temperance Flowerdew–what an almost incredible name to work with. I hope you are having a thrilling time at ALA and waving BAYOU SONG all over the place!
“Temperance Flowerdew” is a magnificent name, I knew there’d have to be more flower in this poem down a line or two, as you brought in,
“secretly I know I am morning glory
waiting for the sun to rise to come into the light”
I love this poem–I hope more comes from it its filled with fertile possibilities …
All the best with “Bayou Song!”