Honorable Mention: Rochester Auditorium Theatre

Honorable Mention

The Theater

by Rebecca, age 12

Penfield

The Auditorium Theater is the place to go
When you want to see an amazing show

When I was little I saw “Blue’s Clues” and “Bear”
Then I saw “Wicked” and “Lion King” there

My friends were a part of the “Wizard of Oz” cast
All who watched surely had a blast

“Lion King” was really great
I hope to see it again at a later date

“Wicked” is my favorite, I saw it three times
Sorry, I can’t think of any other good rhymes

My mom helps us get tickets really cheap
She makes sure we don’t go to shows sure to put us asleep

Next year we’ll see “Shrek” or “Billy Elliot”, either one would be great
Which one will we watch? I’ll just have to wait

On the third floor is MJT Stages, a small theatric endeavor
However, it’s a great place to see shows whenever

I’ve been to camp there for many years
It’s helped me overcome my acting fears

So that is the one of the greatest places around
You should head over there if you’re ever in town

Joe’s Commentary: The Auditorium Theatre certainly is a special place to visit. Rebecca has written a very convincing poem with perfect end rhymes. It makes me want to head to the Auditorium Theatre to have some thrilling experiences. Rebecca, thanks for sharing your poem with readers. Keep on writing poetry. This is a very good poem. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Linda Sue Park Loves Poetry

Linda Sue Park was featured in the “Living” section of our Sunday newspaper, the “Democrat and Chronicle.” If you still have the paper, it’s worth saving. It’s interesting, informative, and very honest. What will you discover about her? Well, that of course depends on what you already know.

If you know very little about her, you should know that she was the winner of the 2002 Newbery Medal is Linda Sue Park for her book, A Single Shard, published by Clarion Books. Winning that award is like winning a Pulitzer Prize or an Academy Award. I put her in the same category as those winners: simply amazing people who are truly gifted.

A Single Shard is about life in a 12th-century Korean village where a twelve-year old boy, Tree-Ear, learns pottery and comes of age. I am not used to reading historic novels, but I enjoyed this thoroughly researched and lyrically written novel, full of suspense, hurdles, and fascinating imagery. It was a worthy choice for the Newbery Medal.

When I joined Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators, I met Linda Sue Park. She’s an active member of the group, and I wondered what she was really like. I had met other famous people like Jackie Robinson, Art Buckwald, Vincent Price, Bob Costas, Jean Fritz, Steven Kellogg, Buffalo Bob, and Hopalong Cassidy. (And I've written a poem about wanting to meet Charlie Rose that was featured during Poetry Month by poet Jayne Jaudon Ferrer on Your Daily Poem.) So, I hid my awe of her on first sight. It turns out that she is a highly professional writer and very helpful to the members of RACWI, and she loves poetry. Isn’t that how many prolific writers become interested in writing? I know Judy Blume did.

The first piece of writing Linda got published was a haiku in a children's magazine. At the time she was nine years old:
In the green forest 
A sparkling, bright blue pond hides. 
And animals drink. 
(Trailblazer magazine, Winter 1969)


She was paid a dollar for the poem. For Christmas, she gave the dollar to her father. Dad framed the check. Linda Sue Park has never outgrown her love for poetry. Even when she writes prose, it is very lyrical in nature.


In the newspaper, it says that Linda once met a boy named Daniel who read A Single Shard 62 times. 


Do I have a story like that?


I once saw a young lady circle all the tables at Rochester Children’s Book Festival for over an hour, and she could only buy one book. She bought Waiting to See the Principal and Other Poems. Now I write poetry with her in mind.


Check out Linda’s website at http://www.lindasuepark.com/.               

You won't be disappointed. It has a unique style, just like Linda Sue Park.

Not Me!

Poets need lots of rest so that they can reflect on the human condition, daydream about making life better, and challenge their grandkids in wii. But they don't nap. This is not me. I don't care what you say. This is not me. It's not even a poor sketch of me. I have more hair...I think...My belly isn't quite that round. My glasses aren't perfectly round.  I don't nap. I don't snore. This in not me. I am not in denial. This is not me. Did I tell you? This is not me. I get a solid eight hours of sleep every night. I kid you not. This is not me. I don't nap. I hardly ever get up in the middle of the night and go to the bathroom. I have an awesome bladder. I sleep like a rock because I don't nap. I don't own a rocking chair. My wife does. She owns a Lincoln rocker. I own a recliner. But I don't nap...zzz....zzz...zzz...zzz...zzz...zzz...zzz...zzz...zzz...