National Poetry Month: An April Day

An April Day
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When the warm sun, that brings
Seed-time and harvest, has returned again,
'T is sweet to visit the still wood, where springs
The first flower of the plain.

I love the season well,
When forest glades are teeming with bright forms,
Nor dark and many-folded clouds foretell
The coming-on of storms.

From the earth's loosened mould
The sapling draws its sustenance, and thrives;
Though stricken to the heart with winter's cold,
The drooping tree revives.

The softly-warbled song
Comes from the pleasant woods, and colored wings
Glance quick in the bright sun, that moves along
The forest openings.

When the bright sunset fills
The silver woods with light, the green slope throws
Its shadows in the hollows of the hills,
And wide the upland glows.

And when the eve is born,
In the blue lake the sky, o'er-reaching far,
Is hollowed out and the moon dips her horn,
And twinkles many a star.

Inverted in the tide
Stand the gray rocks, and trembling shadows throw,
And the fair trees look over, side by side,
And see themselves below.

Sweet April! many a thought
Is wedded unto thee, as hearts are wed;
Nor shall they fail, till, to its autumn brought,
Life's golden fruit is shed.

National Poetry Month: Song of a Second April

Song Of A Second April
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

April this year, not otherwise
Than April of a year ago,
Is full of whispers, full of sighs,
Of dazzling mud and dingy snow;
Hepaticas that pleased you so
Are here again, and butterflies.

There rings a hammering all day,
And shingles lie about the doors;
In orchards near and far away
The grey wood-pecker taps and bores;
The men are merry at their chores,
And children earnest at their play.

The larger streams run still and deep,
Noisy and swift the small brooks run
Among the mullein stalks the sheep
Go up the hillside in the sun,
Pensively,—only you are gone,
You that alone I cared to keep.

New Prestwick House SMShakespeare™ “Text”books Revolutionize Student Learning

This week, Prestwick House is proud to announce a new line of products specifically tailored to 21st century students. The new SMShakespeare™ series features some of Shakespeare’s greatest plays and boasts a unique feature that sends the Bard’s text directly to students’ cellular phones via SMS.

Cellular phone use in education is becoming increasingly more mainstream with tools such as Google SMS, which allows students to search for information via text message; programs like Text2Teach™, which help teachers monitor student attendance; and applications like MobileTutor™, TouchMaths™, and mDictionary™, which fill a variety of other needs in the classroom.

Business Week reporters Cathie Norris and Elliot Soloway suggest, “Students are already bringing these technologies to school; we just need to allow the kids to bring them out of hiding and use them in their classroom for curricular purposes… rather than spending a bundle on building a sophisticated wireless infrastructure and another bundle on maintaining it, a school could make use of cell-phone computers and the telecoms' existing wireless infrastructure for Internet access.”

In keeping with traditional text message lingo, Prestwick House’s new SMShakespeare™ line takes the text of each of the Bard’s plays and shortens it for increased readability in the SMS medium. From Hamlet’s famous “2 b or not 2 b” soliloquy to Juliet’s beautiful lament “a @->--- by ne other name” to Macbeth’s “2mrw n 2mrw n 2mrw” speech, all of the most popular plays are represented.

“IDK how tchrs will feel re: txt as a med, but stdnts r luvin it! Its a gr8 way 2 reach stdnts,” texts Prestwick House General Manager, Keith Bergstrom. “IMHO txt is srsly more effective than F2F teaching. Thx 2 SMS, ppl can read Shakespeare ne where n form a POV b4 l8tr discussion w/o heavy books."

In addition to Shakespeare’s text, students will receive periodic picture messages containing illustrations of important scenes as depicted by LOLCats™ to increase understanding. Similarly, tweeted scene summaries and study guides will be available via Twitter’s SMS feature, and students will have the option of becoming a fan of “Pr3stw1ck Pwns SMS” on Facebook to get the most recent software updates, Shakespeare memes, and various other LOLs to increase retention of Shakespeare’s works.

To order Prestwick House’s new SMSShakespeare™ line, visit PrestwickHouse.com today for more information.

Literary April Fool's Day Prank

According to the Museum of Hoaxes:

In February 1708 a previously unknown London astrologer named Isaac Bickerstaff published an almanac in which he predicted the death by fever of the famous rival astrologer John Partridge.

According to Bickerstaff, Partridge would die on March 29 of that year. Partridge indignantly denied the prediction, but on March 30 Bickerstaff released a pamphlet announcing that he had been correct: Partridge was dead. It took a day for the news to settle in, but soon everyone had heard of the astrologer's demise. Thus, on April 1st Partridge was woken by a sexton outside his window who wanted to know if there were any orders for his funeral sermon. Then, as Partridge walked down the street, people stared at him as if they were looking at a ghost or stopped to tell him that he looked exactly like someone they knew who was dead. As hard as he tried, Partridge couldn't convince people that he wasn't dead.

Bickerstaff, it turned out, was a pseudonym for the satirist Jonathan Swift. His prognosticatory practical joke upon Partridge worked so well that the astrologer finally was forced to stop publishing his almanacs, because he couldn't shake his reputation as the man whose death had been foretold.

Celebrate National Poetry Month: FAQs from Poets.org

To help prepare you to celebrate the cruelest month this April, Poets.org has compiled a helpful FAQ sheet!

What is National Poetry Month? National Poetry Month is a month-long, national celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets. The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern. We hope to increase the visibility and availability of poetry in popular culture while acknowledging and celebrating poetry’s ability to sustain itself in the many places where it is practiced and appreciated.

Who started it? The Academy of American Poets has led this initiative from its inception in 1996 and along the way has enlisted a variety of government agencies and officials, educational leaders, publishers, sponsors, poets, and arts organizations to help.

When is National Poetry Month? April. Every year since 1996.

Why was April chosen for National Poetry Month? In coordination with poets, booksellers, librarians, and teachers, the Academy chose a month when poetry could be celebrated with the highest level of participation. Inspired by the successful celebrations of Black History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March), and on the advice of teachers and librarians, April seemed the best time within the year to turn attention toward the art of poetry—in an ultimate effort to encourage poetry readership year-round.

What are the goals of National Poetry Month? The goals of National Poetry Month are to:

• Highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets
• Introduce more Americans to the pleasures of reading poetry
• Bring poets and poetry to the public in immediate and innovative ways
• Make poetry a more important part of the school curriculum
• Increase the attention paid to poetry by national and local media
• Encourage increased publication, distribution, and sales of poetry books
• Increase public and private philanthropic support for poets and poetry

Shouldn't we celebrate poetry all year round, not just in April? By all means, yes! We encourage the year-round, life-long reading of poetry. National Poetry Month is just one of the many programs of the Academy of American Poets. To keep the celebration going, consider becoming a member of the Academy and receive special benefits and privileges year round, listen to a few of our poetry audio clips, or attend a poetry event in your area.

How does the Academy celebrate National Poetry Month?

• Posters: Each year the Academy creates and distributes nearly 200,000 official NPM posters, which are mailed for free to teachers, librarians, and booksellers nationwide.
• Events: The Academy presents several special events and readings in April. Some of our special events include a 10 Years/10 Cities reading series and our star-studded annual Poetry & The Creative Mind.
• Publicity: To ensure that poetry gains national attention in the media each April, the Academy mails several thousand press releases and media kits each year to editors and journalists across the country. As a result, thousands of articles about poetry appear in newspapers, magazines, and online media outlets. The Academy also acts as the official clearing house for news and information about National Poetry Month.
• Inspiration & Guidance: The Academy offers a plethora of practical resources for celebrating NPM, including tips for teaching poetry during April, creating a poetry book display in your bookstore or library, presenting a poetry reading or contest, and much more.

Do organizations need permission to participate? No. Just as you don't need anyone's permission to celebrate Black History Month or Women's History Month, you do not need permission to become part of National Poetry Month.

What can I do to celebrate NPM? There are thousands of ways to celebrate. We've developed a list of 30 to get you started—one for every day in April.

How can teachers become more involved? In addition to free poetry lesson plans and curriculum units, the Academy provides tip sheets for teachers, including ideas and success stories from past years. If you're a teacher with a success story you'd like to share, email us and we may post your story on Poets.org.

How can librarians become more involved? The Academy provides tip sheets for librarians, including ideas for book displays, programs and discussions, collection development, outreach, and marketing, as well as success stories from past years. If you're a librarian with a success story you'd like to share, email us and we may post your story on Poets.org.

How can booksellers become more involved? The Academy provides tip sheets for booksellers, including ideas for marketing, merchandising, and special events, as well as success stories from past years. If you're a bookseller with a success story you'd like to share, email us and we may post your story on Poets.org.

Does it cost anything to celebrate National Poetry Month? Not necessarily. A school or library that has an already scheduled program for April can simply offer it under the umbrella of National Poetry Month. The Academy offers free poetry lesson plans, which could be taught in April. A radio station could develop a program for April from its own audio library, without incurring additional cost. Finally, all the poems, essays, and audio clips on Poets.org are available for your personal use and enjoyment free of charge.

Can other organizations use the NPM logo? Yes. Any school, library, bookstore, or nonprofit organization can use the NPM logo to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Do I need permission to use the NPM logo? No. Any school, library, bookstore, or nonprofit organization can use it. Please submit an event listing for your NPM program, and we will include it in our national events calendar.

How can I obtain a copy of the National Poetry Month poster? To request copies of posters, use our handy online order form. To view images of all our posters, old and new, visit our NPM poster gallery.

How can I support National Poetry Month? Donations in support of National Poetry Month are much needed and greatly appreciated. Simply designate your donation for National Poetry Month, and you'll help the Academy support the celebration of poetry in April.

Tuesday Trivia

1. In 2004, which world-renowned author’s daughter discovered a 5,000-word story entitled "The Incident of the Dog's Ball" in the attic of her home?
2. Which young adult writer is the brother of the man who invented the sole of Sperry Top-Sider shoes?
3. Which American fiction writer began his writing career while working as a pencil sharpener wholesaler in 1911?
4. Which young adult author did not begin writing children’s literature until the age of 47?
5. Under nom de plume Ashley Cooper, which American author wrote a long-running column for the Charleston Post Courier until 1993?

Ernest Hemingway, named after his mother’s father, disliked his given name. What was his reasoning?


According to Hemingway, he didn’t want to be "associated with the naive, even foolish hero of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest".


The American band Kansas had a song entitled "Journey to Mariabronn" a reference to which German novel?


Journey to Mariabronn was based on Herman Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund.


Which author was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature?


In 1926, Sinclair H. Lewis refused the Pulitzer Prize for his book, 'Arrowsmith,' but in 1930 he became the first American to be named a Nobel Laureate in literature, which he accepted.


“The Short Timers” by Gustav Hasford was the basis for which Vietnam War move?


“The Short Timers” was the basis of “Full Metal Jacket.” Similarly the movie “Platoon” was based on a script by Michael Herr and “Apocalypse Now” was loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.


Who coined the term “The Lost Generation”?


In a conversation with Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein said "All of you young people who served in the war...you are all a lost generation". The phrase usually depicts a generation of young men and women where are characterized by doomed youth, hedonism and creativity, that had been severely wounded by their experiences and horrors of the war.

Former PH Intern Kyle Price and the Mickey Yeti

On a recent trip to Orlando, Florida, Prestwick House Art Director Larry Knox met up with one of our former graphic design interns, Kyle Price, to catch up on how things have been going for the young designer since leaving our company–and things are going quite well.

Kyle interned at Prestwick House during the spring of 2006, tackling book covers, logos and text design with a high level of skill and a great deal of enthusiasm. Graduating from Wilmington University, he set out to pursue his long-held dream of working as a graphic designer for the Walt Disney Company. Kyle applied during the time he interned for us, and he was accepted into the coveted Disney intern program and moved to Orlando to begin his six month position as a graphic designer.

Due to his talent and very strong work ethic, he was asked to stay on for another term as intern and soon after, was offered a full-time position with the merchandise design division of the Theme Parks for the entertainment giant. Kyle has since applied for and was hired as a designer on the historic and elite Walt Disney Imagineering Team (also known as WDI or simply Imagineering) –the design and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide.

Kyle has worked on a number of major projects including the recent redesign of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

While in the Merchandise design division, he was asked to lend his creative illustrating skills to a new line of collectible, limited-time-only vinyl characters. Not only was his design accepted, but he also created the packaging and the logo. His Mickey Yeti was a huge hit with collectors and for a time, was the top selling figure in the line.

At present, it is actively sought after by Disney collectors online. Disney recently released 8-inch Vinylmation Plush versions of the top sellers in the line, including Kyle's. Kyle thanked Larry for the opportunity Prestwick House gave him on his way to becoming an Imagineer and presented him with one of these highly desired collectibles.

The Imagineers work on a principle known as “blue sky,” a process where they generate ideas with no limitations — the sky’s the limit, very appropriate for this talented young man at the beginning of his career.

Great job Kyle! Best of luck in the future. We can honestly say we knew you when...

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Editor's note: you can see more of Kyle's work at www.kyleprice.com

Celebrate National Poetry Month in Your State!

For great ideas on celebrating National Poetry Month in your area, visit Poets.org and click on your state for more information!

Happy Tolkien Reading Day!

According to SciTechBlogs:

Every year since 2003, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tales have gathered on March 25 for meetups at local libraries, schools, universities and elsewhere to celebrate the works of one of the original geek icons.

March 25 is the date that Sauron, the evil overlord, is overthrown in Tolkien's "Return of the King."

It all started when the Tolkien Society, a group dedicated to the "Lord of the Rings" author, were approached by a journalist who asked why there was no day of celebration for Tolkien to match the one for James Joyce.

Thus, Tolkien Reading Day was born.

Each year, there is a different theme for the day (this year it's "Tolkien's Seafarers"). Fans - encouraged to attend in costume, of course - read aloud some of their favorite sections for about ten minutes or less, and participate in "musical interludes." Some people even bring recordings of Tolkien himself giving a reading.

Since the final Oscar-winning film of the "Lord of the Rings" series was released, Tolkien Reading Day has been the main event to bring Tolkien fans back to basics.

One of the most popular forums at Tolkien fansite TheOneRing.net, is "The Reading Room."

Patricia Dawson, a senior staff member with the site, said that the original purpose of the site 11 years ago was to post the latest news about Peter Jackson's films (Jackson, and subsquently, Guillermo Del Toro, have a close relationship with the site). Since then, she said, the site, with its 4,500 message board members, has been even more "grounded in (Tolkien's) works and readings." The aforementioned "Reading Room" is a place for scholarly discussion.

Fans, young and old, flock to Tolkien Reading Day, according to Dawson. Some of them were fans long before the idea of having an online community first came about.

Young children, she said, "do some of the best readings I’ve ever seen." She has even heard of 24-hour reading marathons taking place.

To be sure, the long-awaited "Hobbit" movie is still a big topic among fans online. Del Toro keeps TheOneRing.net visitors aware of the latest developments, including recent "enquires from above" about releasing it in 3-D, in the aftermath of "Avatar."

Until "The Hobbit" hits theaters, however, fans will continue to pay tribute every year to the man who first wrote that book over 70 years ago.

If you stop by your local library today, you might just be get the opportunity to join them.

Is "Hey" the New "Hi?"

Is HEY the new HI? Most adults do not hey someone because their mother, grandmother, or teacher corrected them if they said hey, saying “hey is rude” or “hay is for horses.” It used to be that addressing someone as "Hey, you" was an insult. Then in the late 90s, hey replaced ‘sup (meaning what’s up) in teenage slang. Hey as a greeting also showed up in 90s sitcoms like Friends, Seinfeld, and Sex and the City. Linguists tell us that when slang makes its way into the mainstream, it does one of two things. The new word or usage is either accepted widely into common usage, or it disappears altogether.

If hey replaces hi, it won’t be the first time that Americans have switched overnight to a new greeting. Just 150 years ago, Americans used "Good morning," "Good afternoon," "Good evening." "Good day" and "Good night" were typically used as parting phrases, not as greetings. Technology caused masses of Americans to switch to "hello" in a short period of time. Back in 1840, the English used "hallo" to mean “look out," or "watch out.” The words "holla" or "hollo," a shout to attract attention go back to 1588, and are probably from "hola" (Spanish), "haloo" (Thai), "allo" (Russian), "hallo" (German). The English word morphed into hello with the invention of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell wanted people to answer the phone with "ahoy," but Thomas A. Edison won out with "hello." Early telephone operators were even known as "hello-girls."

Hi became popular in the Roaring Twenties. Americans embraced new art, new music, new inventions, new fashion, and new slang. Hello remained the standard for telephone etiquette, but Americans, borrowing from jazz lyrics, began to hi each other. By the 1940s hi, and in some regions hiya, had replaced hello as the American salutation. According to Etymology Online hi is attributed to a Kansas Native American in 1862. Did he really mean "how," a Sioux greeting that dates back to 1817?

Hey is a much older English word (1225) meaning “look out” or “watch out,” probably borrowed from "eho" (Roman), "eia" (Greek), or "hei" (German). Again, musical lyrics from Fats Waller (Hey, hey, hey, yes, yes!) and Lionel Hampton (Hey Baba Ree Bop) show that hey was floating around in the jazz and blues culture before it became a greeting. The youth culture seized on hey in the 50s and 60s in song lyrics ("Hey, Baby," "Hey, Paula," "Hey, Jude") and as the counter-culture greeting "Hey, Man!" Two people -- a woman at a wedding and my plumber -- both greeted me recently with "Hey, Girl!" I don’t know if that’s a feminist issue or the case of someone not remembering my name.

I won't be saying hey, but I’m not so keen on hi or hello either. I wish we said Namaste (Hindu: My soul salutes the God within you), or Tashi Delay (Tibetan: Congratulations, you are alive!). Maybe the Australians, Israelis, and Hawaiians have the best idea, one word that means both hello and goodbye . . . G’day! Shalom! Aloha!


Image from Getty Images

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Mary Jane McKinney is the creator and owner of Grammardog.com LLC, publisher of grammar, style, and proofreading exercises that use sentences from literature.

She is a former high school English teacher and dedicated grammarian whose column Plain English appears in several Texas newspapers. Grammardog.com LLC, P.O. Box 299, Christoval, TX 76935, www.grammardog.com, 325-896-2479.