Auntie's Blog: April 2008

National Poetry Month Contest

April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate Auntie’s wants to hear from you! Just send us your original acrostic poem built on AUNTIES. Like this:

Acrostics are tricky
Unusally so:
Not to resort
To some gimmick, you know
Ideally, you'd find something
Ever so smart
Sadly I've settled for this piece of "art."

Or any mention of your favorite female relative/bookstore will do. Winners can choose between either of the two Pulitzer Prize winners: Robert Hass’s "Time and Materials" or "Failure" by Philip Schultz.

Kids too! Send us your acrostic poems to win the latest from Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky, "My Dog May Be a Genius."

Check back to auntiesbooks.com for poem postings.

Now would also be a great time to catch up on the work of our local poets Christopher Howell, Jonathan Johnson, Tod Marshall, Nance van Winckel, and more. Or pick up the latest edition of EWU’s literary journal known for its fine poetry, Willow Springs.

Find out other ways to celebrate National Poetry Month at poets.org.

Please email submissions to jasmined@auntiesbooks.com (indicate age of child if applicable).

Auntie's Book Group: Suite Francaise

The Auntie’s morning book group met Tuesday for an enthusiastic discussion of "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky. The author began the manuscript during the early years of WWII then tragically lost her life in Auschwitz. All agreed the book showed a surprising amount of perspective considering this. Comparisons were made to Mary Doria Russell’s "Thread of Grace," also set during WWII. But where Nemirovsky focuses on the mundane details of Occupation living, Russell is interested in the courage and nobility displayed by the Italians during that difficult time. Join us next month for a discussion of "River of Doubt" by Candice Millard – a biography of Theodore Roosevelt told through his thrilling adventure charting the Amazon River.