two fruity Barbara Crooker poems (+ a summer blog break)

~ jama ~ 28 Comments

With the Summer Solstice sliding in next week, thought I’d share a couple of juicy poems from Barbara Crooker’s latest book, Slow Wreckage (Grayson Books, 2024).

“Velvet Cherries in Crystal” by Tanya Hamilton.

Though her central theme for this collection is aging, loss and grief (her poems will especially resonate with baby boomers), she balances the inevitable with hope and gratitude for those luminous moments of clarity and startling beauty that occur when we take the time to be fully present.

“Still Life with Raspberries in a Basket” by William Hammer (1863).

There are upsides to being ‘of a ripe old age’ — not the least of which is being able to enjoy summer’s generous bounty of sweet, juicy, sun-ripened fruit.

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“Red and Black Plums” by Robert Papp
PLUM

Thumbprint of the moon,
blush of the summer sky.
A rim of sweetness
hemmed in damask.
Bruise-blue, ruby red,
autumn gold; the full
spectrum of sugar.  
The thrum of a tenor sax.
You brood on the tree,
biding your time.
If we're lucky, we'll 
find you whole, oval,
unstung by wasps, 
ungnawed by squirrels.
You will fill
a child's palm.
Hot juice
of an August night,
a gulp of dark wine.
A taste 
that winter,
which we know
is coming,
cannot erase.

Barbara: “Plum” came from both our terrible plum crop (we planted a little orchard when my husband retired (2 apples, 2 pears, 2 plums, 2 peaches)) and from the organic plums I bought at a local farm stand (Eagle Point).  So it’s a combination love poem to the fruit and also to the luscious “um” sounds I sprinkled throughout (including, or especially, summer) . . .

“Plum Tree” by Maria Petelina.
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[chat + giveaway] Candice Ransom on Juneberry Blue

~ jama ~ 9 Comments

Today we’re happy to welcome back prolific award-winning author, intrepid adventurer and pie lover Candice Ransom to discuss her latest middle grade novel, Juneberry Blue (Peachtree, 2024), officially out next week.

Set in the tiny forgotten town of Morning Glory, Virginia (pop: 8), this beautifully crafted tale of magical realism centers around eleven-year-old Andie Jennings, who instead of inheriting her family’s unique ability to create life-changing recipes, discovers her special gift is being able to communicate with spirits.

If Andie and her brainiac friend Tanner can help the local ghosts at the abandoned Juneberry Blue soda factory ward off a shady property developer, gain access to a locked tower and unravel secrets surrounding the factory’s closing, they might be able to save their sleepy town. Reopening the factory would draw visitors to Morning Glory, generate business for her family’s struggling diner, and best of all, bring Andie’s father home for good from his truck-driving job.

On Test Day, Andie hopes her juneberry pancakes will confirm she’s inherited the matrilineal gift. Juneberries resemble blueberries but taste more like a combination of dark cherries and raisins with a hint of almond (click for recipe at Spirit and Abundance).

A heartwarming, suspenseful story, Juneberry Blue is equal parts fairy tale, magic, mystery, and local history flavored with sly humor. Candice celebrates her love of small towns, rural settings, close knit communities, and the power of storytelling passed down through generations. Add a ghost cat, memorable characters, a sentient potted plant with attitude, a tiny terrarium, and cool animal guides for a thoroughly enchanting read. Oh, and did I mention the cathead biscuits and bacon, grilled pound cake, butterscotch pie, skillet fried potatoes, walnut brownies and fried bologna sandwiches? 😍

Our thanks to Candice for dropping by to tell us more and for sharing such wonderful personal photos.

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[review] Rumi: Poet of Joy and Love by Rashin Kheiriyeh

~ jama ~ 19 Comments

“Should you wish to be in heaven forever? Be a friend to everyone.” ~ Rumi

Can meeting the right friend change your life? Why is it important to share your story with others, and how is embracing everyone in love and friendship its own spiritual practice?

Whether through his relatable aphorisms or divine poetry, Rumi has touched us all. As one of the world’s most popular poets, this 13th century Persian scholar and Sufi mystic continues to teach, inspire, and open our hearts to humanity.

In her stunning picture book biography, Rumi: Poet of Joy and Love (NorthSouth Books, 2024), Iranian-American author-illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh shows how a chance meeting with a stranger transformed an already revered scholar and theologian into a poet for the ages.

We first learn Rumi was born on “a crisp and colorful autumn day in Iran” (present day Afghanistan) on September 30, 1207. From the beginning he was a child of nature and reveled in the beautiful world around him. He chased butterflies and “delighted in the scent of roses and the songs of the birds.” Rumi especially loved to feed the birds; his favorite was the hoopoe, the symbol of wisdom.

Rumi’s father patiently answered his many questions, teaching his son all he knew. One day he shared these prescient words: “Learn generosity from the sun. It lights the world every day and asks for nothing in return.”

An avid reader, Rumi was excited one day to meet the great Persian poet Attar, who gifted him with a copy of his epic poem, “The Conference of the Birds.” Attar advised Rumi to “read it and search for the deeper meaning. One day you will shine and illuminate the world like the sun.”

In Attar’s poem, hundreds of birds (including the hoopoe) travel many miles in search of the mythical bird Sīmurgh to serve as their king. Only thirty birds survived this arduous journey, realizing when they reached their destination that they were actually the Sīmurgh. When together, they flew as one giant bird.

Years later, after Rumi had moved to Turkey with his family, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, with followers from near and far eager to study with him.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 7 Comments

1. Happy June! Are you ready for the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer? In her charming watercolors, Louisiana artist Amariah Rauscher captures the magic of childhood play. Remember those long summer days when you had the leisure to daydream, look for fairies in the forest, befriend dragons or catch a falling star?

I was first drawn to Amariah’s treehouse pictures, delighted by the prospect of visiting a bakery, candy store, greenhouse, or ice cream shop perched high atop the branches. Of course there are lots of adorable animal friends to keep you company and share in the fun.

Amariah is the illustrator of the Princess Truly book series written by Kelly Greenawalt and published by Scholastic. She has a Masters in Communication but prefers spending her time painting pictures. She also enjoys reading, watching cartoons, playing board and video games and spending time with her two daughters. A peanut butter and jelly fan, she can attest to the joys of wearing slippery socks in order to slide into every room of her house.

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[tropical review] Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George and Mae Waite

~ jama ~ 30 Comments

Care to swim with the sea turtles, soar high above the earth with regal hawks, or hear wondrous tales of heroic voyagers navigating the Pacific by wind and stars?

Then join a young Hawaiian girl as she takes a magical journey around the Islands in this gorgeous new picture book, Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George and Mae Waite (Red Comet Press, 2024). Through the traditional storytelling dance of the hula, she learns about the history, culture, and folklore of her homeland while embracing the true meaning of “Aloha.”

We first meet little Ano one enchanted night:

In the hush of the night
with the moon still aglow,
a small baby was born
where the koa trees grow,

where lehua blooms bright,
where the mo'o give chase,
where the ocean spray's kiss
meets the sky's close embrace.

With her curls kapa soft,
breath like breadfruit so sweet,
this dear child evermore
shared the island's heartbeat.

This fierce-spirited, courageous child, so swift and smart, grew in both mind and heart. She was indeed special, but still had much to learn. What did hula teach her with its generations of treasured stories and rich lore?

First, she learned how the islands were formed, and about the evolution of plants and wildlife. As “humble seeds burst to blooms,” and “rock eroded to sand . . . a world born ablaze turned to lush wonderland.” Soon creatures filled the land, sea and sky from “mauka to makai.” Clinging to a hawk’s wings, the girl surveyed all these wonders from her perch amid the clouds, while the majestic bird imparted his wisdom: “To our ‘āina be just./When we care for our earth,/then our earth cares for us.”

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