306: Recipes for Poetry and Creativity - Interview with Marilyn Singer

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marilyn Singer.

Winner of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry, 2015, Marilyn Singer has written more than 100 books in many genres. She created a poetry form, the “reverso,” featured in three of her award-winning collections:  Mirror Mirror, Follow Follow, and Echo Echo.

She co-hosts the Poetry Blast, which features children’s poets reading their work, at the American Library Association conference and other conventions. Marilyn lives in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT with a dog, a cat, and two doves, as well as her favorite dance partner, who also happens to be her husband. 

On a more personal note, Marilyn is someone I consider a dear friend. We first met while standing in line for a book signing at BookExpo when I was just a newbie and I remember thinking “OMG this amazing author is talking to little ol’ me!” I’ve had the pleasure of featuring her on this show before (she was one of my very first interviews) and her books are among my children’s absolute favorites.

So it is truly a pleasure and an honor to welcome the fabulous poet and children’s book author, Marilyn Singer back to DIY MFA Radio!

In this episode Marilyn and I discuss: The inspiration behind Follow the Recipe Tying together the illustrations and poems Structuring a book of poems The reverso form The power of constraint in poetry How to get started writing poetry Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/306