Take Action: Marriage Petition

Marriage Petition

Show your support for marriage equality in New Hampshire!

Sign our petition, and join hundreds of other NH citizens in saying “yes!” to marriage equality. Stand up for equal rights with your family, friends and neighbors, and let YOUR voice be heard!

Full Petition Text:

I urge the state of New Hampshire to allow gay and lesbian couples to share fully in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of civil marriage.

Signed by:

[Your name]

[Your address]

via Take Action: Marriage Petition.

Maine Gay Marriage Legalized

Maine Governor John Baldacci signed Wednesday into law a bill legalizing gay marriage in the state. The move makes Maine the fifth state to allow gay marriage.

The press release:

Governor John E. Baldacci today signed into law LD 1020, An Act to End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom.

“I have followed closely the debate on this issue. I have listened to both sides, as they have presented their arguments during the public hearing and on the floor of the Maine Senate and the House of Representatives. I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully,” Governor Baldacci said. “I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste.”

“I appreciate the tone brought to this debate by both sides of the issue,” Governor Baldacci said. “This is an emotional issue that touches deeply many of our most important ideals and traditions. There are good, earnest and honest people on both sides of the question.”

“In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions,” Governor Baldacci said. “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.”

“Article I in the Maine Constitution states that ‘no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person’s civil rights or be discriminated against.’”

“This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs. It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of Church and State,” Governor Baldacci said.

“It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government.”

“Even as I sign this important legislation into law, I recognize that this may not be the final word,” Governor Baldacci said. “Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people.”

“While the good and just people of Maine may determine this issue, my responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and do, as best as possible, what is right. I believe that signing this legislation is the right thing to do,” Governor Baldacci said.

via Maine Gay Marriage Legalized.

Crafty Roundup

Is it Friday yet?  Didn’t think so.

I picked up my second sock last night to knit a little bit along it.  It’s messy.  Somehow I can manage 2×2 ribbing but 1×1 ribbing turns out like dogs vomit in my hands.  More practice needed I suppose.  I want to get the second sock finished!  I have a half inch of ribbing on the leg cuff done.  I did maybe a row last night.

I finished up some amigurumi last night though:

They are presents for Katie, supposed to have been Christmas, but they’re a little late as you can see.  She put on the final touches like the collars and ties.

You can see a few other amis that I’ve made lately at my flickr

Geocaching and Creativity

This past month I’ve been doing a lot of writing and a lot of geocaching and not much knitting or crocheting. I do have supplies and plans for making a couple of fabric belts though. I just need to locate my freakin’ straight pins! I seems to have misplaced them.

Geocaching has been a TON of fun lately.  We started out trying to use our Tom Tom, but it just cannot get more precise than a quarter of a mile.  So I managed to sneak a GREAT deal on a GPS (a Garmin eTrex) on eBay.  It’s been working fantastically and Katie and I have now found 16 caches and a couple of benchmarks together.

Me and Katie’s mum, geocaching in Freeport, ME where I found my first travel bug!

My classes are winding down and I’ve got almost no motivation to do anything (how is this different from normal I hear you say- shhh you!).

The Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup is starting up a new term Thursday!  I hope to garner inspiration from there *grins*.  The HPKCHC is a group on Ravelry if you’re interested in learning more about it.  It’s wickedly fun and last ‘term’ was fantastically motivating for me.  I got a lot of projects done.

I’m still working on ideas for the handmade meme that I’m doing for friends.

Knitting Bug

I’ve definitely been bitten by the knitting bug, and strongly! I see knitted and crocheted things EVERYWHERE now! And I find myself craning my neck around corners trying to see how things are made.

It’s amusing. I’m pleased that my fiber obsession has lasted a while though. My fancies can sometimes be powerfully strong but short lived. This one has lasted right on through six months! Crazy!

Now I just need to learn more cast-on techniques and cabling is my next big task to tackle.

Someday I’ll even get smart and start making gauge swatches!

Probably. Maybe.

Today I was bummed that I had to spend lunch time doing a french review instead of working on the tiny sweater that I’m making.

Here’s to a bus ride this afternoon to work on my sweater!

Miniature Sweater

Miniature Sweater, originally uploaded by Rachel Gogan.

I knit my first miniature sweater today.

Did I mention that I’ve relearned how to knit lately? I’ve made a few pairs of mittens, one sock, and now a tiny sweater. I’m spending all my time on the knit/crochet social networking site: http://www.ravelry.com

It’s truly an AWESOME site.

I’ve been home sick with a rotten cold most of this week, I was very glad of a snow day on Monday.

Oh. And. P.S. – I GRADUATED :) *brandishes shiny MLIS degree* Now if I could just find an awesome job.

Ice Storm

Ice Storm, originally uploaded by Rachel Gogan.

Pictures from the Ice Storm From Hell. Now up on flickr.

Pretty ice. HATE IT SO HARD!

We’ve been without power since Thursday night. Le Sigh. So much not fun. We’ve been staying with Katie’s parents (they have a generator, so thankful!). We brought our kitties over there too so they can stay warm as well.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll have power back on soon!

Oh and side note: I graduated!

Baby Mitten Crochet Pattern

Baby Mitten Pattern

Materials:
size G hook
small amount of worsted weight yarn

This pattern is worked in rounds.  Do not turn or join.  Use a stitch marker to mark the start of each round.

Directions
Ch 2

Round 1: 6 sc in second chain from the hook
Round 2: 2sc in each sc around (12 sc)
Round 3: 2sc in first sc, sc in next sc around (18 sc)
Round 4: 2sc in first sc, sc in next 2 sc around (24 sc)
Round 5-11: sc in each sc around.
Round 12: *sc2tog 2 sc in next two sc* repeat all the way around.

Round 13: chain 3 (serves as hdc and one chain), skip one sc.  *(hdc in next sc and chain one)*  Repeat around from * join to top of chain 3.  Finish off and weave in ends.

Ch 50 to serve as the tie.  Weave the chain through the chain 1 spaces in Round 12, tie in a nice bow.

Fridge Pictures

Fridge Pictures, originally uploaded by Rachel Gogan.

Pictures of my family on the fridge :} And one of our wedding pictures in the center.

Book Review: The Messenger

Book Review: The Messenger

Lowry, Lois. The Messenger. Houghton. 2004.

Published Review:

Like Lowry’s hugely popular Newbery winner, The Giver (1993), this story dramatizes ideas of utopia gone wrong and focuses on a young person who must save his world. Teenage Matty lives with his caregiver in the Village, a place of refuge, where those fleeing poverty and persecution are welcomed with kindness and find a home. But the Village people are changing, and many have voted to build a wall to keep the newcomers out. The metaphor of the wall and the rage against immigrants (“They can’t even speak right”) will certainly reach out to today’s news images for many readers. But Lowry moves far beyond message, writing with a beautiful simplicity rooted in political fable, in warm domestic detail, and in a wild natural world, just on the edge of realism. Matty lives with his blind caregiver, Seer. Both of them were driven from home and nearly perished. The drama is in their affection; in the small details of how they cook, care for their puppy, and tease one another. Matty teases Seer about his blindness, even though they both know Seer sees more than most. In contrast is the terror of Matty’s secret powers and the perilous journey he must undertake to save the Village. The physical immediacy of his quest through a dark forest turned hostile brings the myth very close and builds suspense to the last heart-wrenching page.
- Hazel Rochman

Book Review: Gathering Blue

Book Review: Gathering Blue

Lowry, Lois. Gathering Blue. Houghton. 2000.

Published Review:

In what might be described as a companion to The Giver (1993), Lowry once again brings readers to an alternative civilization and introduces a young person who will be entrusted to pass on its history. This time, though, she will have the opportunity to plot its future, too. Kira is lame and a recent orphan, so she is not surprised when she is brought before the Council of Guardians to justify her existence. Unexpectedly, she finds a champion who brings her to live in the Council Edifice, where her talent for embroidery and her intuitiveness make her the choice for an important job–repairing the robe of the Singer, who each year sings the history of the world, with the events meticulously embroidered on the robe he wears. At first Kira cannot believe her luck. She makes a friend, Thomas, who carves the Singer’s wooden staff, and learns the delicate art of dyeing her threads from a crone who lives outside the village. She is even able to maintain her friendship with the sassy, loyal urchin Matt. Slowly, however, Kira begins to see that all is not right in her world. Lowry is a master at creating worlds, both real and imagined, and this incarnation of our civilization some time in the future is one of her strongest creations. The coarseness and brutality of the people, the abundance of the land’s natural resources, and the intricacies of the society make this setting as rich as Kira’s most glorious colors. There is richness in the characters, too, all of whom are detailed with fine, invisible stitches. Only the final bit of plotting falters: too much is disclosed too quickly, and answers to questions about how Kira will achieve her objective–to create a kinder future as reflected by her stitchings on the robe–are left as hints (perhaps this bodes well for a sequel). Lowry has clearly addressed the issue of what happens when a young person becomes disillusioned with society; it would be equally interesting to know how she thinks worlds evolve into better places.
- Ilene Cooper

Book Review: Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan

Book Review: Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan

Steinberger, Aimee Major. Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan. Go! Comi. 2008.

Aimee Major, an artist and Japan-o-phile chronicles her adventures when she visited Japan with two friends.  In this graphic travel diary she brings the reader to some of the awesome famous landmarks in Japan, like the temples in Kyoto and the cosplay district of Tokyo.  Anime fans and graphic novel enthusiasts will love this book.

Published Review:

From Booklist

Accompanied by two friends, Steinberger, a professional animator and devotee of that special brand of cuteness that hails from contemporary Japan (think Sanrio’s Hello Kitty and similar artistic and commercial ventures), provides a charming recapitulation of their visit there. Steinberger’s height (she’s six feet tall), along with such things as the language barrier, immediately marked the trio as tourists, but their devotion to such Japanese-inspired pastimes as cosplay (dressing up as manga, anime, and fantasy characters) and Steinberger’s interest in Japanese Volks dolls gave them several avenues into popular culture, where they found considerable enjoyment. Steinberger tells their story largely in black-and-white, manga-style line drawings, with the occasional application of bright colors. Manga and anime fans will appreciate the gentle travelogue, and even readers unfamiliar with Japanese culture today will like Steinberger and her pals and be intrigued by their observations on what it can be like to be a tourist.
- Francisca Goldsmith

- Source for choosing this book: Friend’s Recommendation
- Grades 9-12
- Related Book: Schwieger, Dirk. Moresukine: Uploaded Weekly from Tokyo. NBM/ComicsLit. 2008
- Both books are graphic travel diaries from trips to Japan.  One from a girl’s POV and one from a boy’s.

Book Review: Gay America: The Struggle for Equality

Book Review: Gay America: The Struggle for Equality

Alsenas, Linas. Gay America: The Struggle for Equality. Amulet Books. 2008.

A history of GLBT Americans and the history of the Equal Rights movement in America.  Broken up into easily manageable time periods and rich in photographs and text excerpts from contemporary publications of the times.

Published Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews:

From the murder of Freda Ward in 1893 by her teenage girlfriend to same-sex marriage legalization in Massachusetts, this offering chronicles the ups, downs, victories and woes of gays and lesbians in the United States without sounding too much like a textbook. The stories unfold in brief, just-the-facts snapshots that are easy to follow, yet Alsenas’s language is sophisticated enough to be authoritative. All of the usual topics are covered, including Stonewall, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Alfred Kinsey, James Baldwin and AIDS. Less well-known events and ideas, such as the formation of the Mattachine Society, a group formed by three gay Communist Party supporters in the late 1940s, also come to light. Black-and-white or full-color photos that accompany the text add to the overall appeal and readability of the book. What results is a well-written, topical and eye-catching work that simultaneously fulfills the need for assignments and literary nonfiction pleasure-reading forays. Middle- and high-school students should walk away feeling informed; many will be inspired to explore the LGBT universe even further.

From School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-This eminently readable work highlights the history of gays and lesbians in the U.S. Beginning with the Victorian period and following with five more chapters covering the 20th and 21st centuries through 2006, Alsenas prefaces each historically accurate section with a true story told from a personalized (or fictionalized) point of view, such as the notorious 1892 Memphis murder of Freda Ward by her lover, Alice Mitchell. This technique, combined with abundant archival photos and the author’s accessible writing style, makes the pages fly by almost as if reading a long, compelling story. Of course, this book only touches on salient points of LGBT history, but for young teens who are interested in learning about queer scholarship, it is an excellent place to begin. A good index, excellent notes, and a selected bibliography of resources, into which the author encourages readers to “dig deeper,” only increase the usefulness of Gay America. (Betty S. Evans, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield)

From VOYA

In his foreword, Alsenas writes that his history of gay America in the twentieth century and beyond is meant to open the burgeoning field of gay historical inquiry to teens who “arguably need access to it the most.” It is not meant to be a comprehensive history of gay scholarship but rather an entertaining narrative that can be used as a jumping-off point for further research. In both of those aims, this volume succeeds brilliantly. Each chapter begins with a short story, “from a personalized point of view,” based on historical events and people but told in the author’s words. The first from 1892 tells of Alice Mitchell who, making good on a pact with her lover Freda Ward, killed Ward when their families would not let them be together. The last takes place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2004 as gay couples celebrate their freedom to marry. The sections that follow these stories cover roughly twenty-year periods each. The people, movements, and large events of these eras are examined in short, one- to four-paragraph essays. Gay organizations and their origins and aims-Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis through Stonewall to Act Up, PFLAG, and the Human Rights Campaign among others-are presented, mentioning people from Ma Rainey to Harvey Milk and Ellen DeGeneres. There is no discussion on the origins of same-sex attractions, whether scientific or sociological. The volume is attractive, and the endnotes are well documented. There is frank discussion of sexual practices but never more than is necessary to explain the events. (Timothy Capehart)

- Source for choosing this book: Recommendation from Friends
- Grades 7-10
- Related Book: Corinna, Heather. S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-To-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College. Three Rivers Press. 2007
- Both books deal with sexuality and sex.  One is history and the other is contemporary issues.

Book Review: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants: Even Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Book Review: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants: Even Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Rennison, Louise. Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants: Even Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. HarperCollins. 2003

Our Good Pal, Georgia is back again in this, her fourth, confessional adventures.  She still chases the Sex God and strives to impress with her maturosity.  Georgia doesn’t dissapoint in this latest installment.

Published Review:

From Booklist

The fourth and (“probably”) final entry into Georgia Nicolson’s diary is as loopy and laugh filled as ever. The plot? Well, if it matters, Georgia has chosen Robby the Sex God over Dave the Laugh, and lots of good snogging ensues. But Georgia continues to experience red-bottomisity, as other boys besides Robby look good to her. Subplots? Angus the cat has gotten the kitty across the street pregnant, despite having his “trouser snake addendums” removed. True, this doesn’t sound like much, but in the hands of Rennison, it’s hysterical. Most of the fun stuff comes from the language, of course, and once again a glossary is provided for those who don’t know their “conk” (nose) from their “bum-oley” (“quite literally their bottom hole”). The book also is permeated by a manic energy coupled with an utter disdain that pretty much says teenager. Bye-bye, Georgia; we’ll miss you dancing in front of the open window in your nuddy-pants.

-Ilene Cooper

- Source for choosing this book: Booklist
- Grades 7-10
- Related Book: Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. Little, Brown Young Readers. 2006
- Both deal with young teen romance and balancing family and dating.

Book Review: Inkheart

Book Review: Inkheart

Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart. Scholastic/Chicken House. 2003.

Meggie has been surrounded by books her entire life.  Her father is a book binder by trade.  When a mysterious man named Dustfinger appears in the middle of the night and calls her father by a strange name, Silvertounge, Meggie’s life is thrown into chaos as things from books start becoming more and more real.

Published Review:

From Booklist

One dark night, a mysterious man called Dustfinger appears at the house where Meggie lives with her father, a bookbinder. Dustfinger’s arrival sets in motion a long, complicated chain of events involving a journey, fictional characters brought to life, dangerous secrets revealed, threats of evil deeds, actual evil deeds, a long-lost relative found, and the triumph of creativity and courage. Despite the presence of several well-developed, sympathetic characters, the plot is often driven by the decidedly menacing, less-convincing villains. Although Meggie, one of the few young people in the book, remains the central character, she is not always in the forefront of the action or even on the scene. The points of view of sympathetic adult characters become increasingly important and more fully developed as the story progresses. Like many other fantasies, this will appeal to a broad age range, though the writing is far less child-centered than it is, for example, in the Harry Potter series. Translated from the German, this long book was written by the author of The Thief Lord (2002).
- Carolyn Phelan

- Source for choosing this book: Booklist
- Grades 6-12
- Related Book: Jones, Diana Wynne. House of Many Ways. Greenwillow. 2008
- Both books focus on a young adult main character who loves books and reading and have fantastic elements to the story line.

Book Review: Song of the Sparrow

Book Review: Song of the Sparrow

Sandell, Lisa Ann. Song of the Sparrow. Scholastic. 2007.

Elaine is sixteen years old and has been living in the war camp with her brothers and father ever since she was very young.  King Arthur depends on her to help heal his wounded men and Elaine cannot imagine a different life until arthur’s bride to be, Gwynivere arrives in camp throwing Elaine’s whole life into dissaray.

Published Review:

From Booklist

When Arthur rises to power and his bride-to-be arrives at his military encampment, 16-year-old Elaine, who was raised at the camp, watches in horror as her childhood crush, Lancelot, falls for dazzling Gwynivere. Rivals in love but united in their frustration and despair as the men march toward a decisive battle, the young women participate in a reckless act that gives way to heroism and self-discovery. A somewhat improbable conclusion casts Elaine-a character modeled on the Lady of Shalott-as more empowered than her tragic counterpart in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s familiar poem. The novel’s verse form is consistent with the ballads typical of Arthurian source material, although its distilled nature does not always allow for the rich detail and development that many readers seek in historical fiction. Still, the unadorned writing style reflects Sandell’s magic-free interpretations, rooting the characters in the bloody business of pre-Camelot power wrangling. Offer this to readers familiar with the lore, who will be most equipped to appreciate Sandell’s interweaving of several plot strands and her thoughtful end matter.

- Source for choosing this book: Booklist
- Grades 7-10
- Related Book: Tennyson, Alfred Lord. The Lady of Shalott. Kids Can. 2005.
- Both stories deal with Elaine and the King Arthur Mythology.

KCT0015 Crochet Cable Scarf

Crochet Cable Scarf

kct0015 cable scarf

If you’re new to crochet cables, give this scarf a try. It's fun to crochet, and the perfect gift idea for everyone on your list. Even the "hard to buy for" guy in your life.

Skill Level: Intermediate

To view and print the pattern, you must have Adobe® Reader® installed.

store search shop online

free pattern instructions (pdf)

via KCT0015 Crochet Cable Scarf

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Book Review: Crispin: the Cross of Lead

Crispin’s mother has just died and the steward of his village wants to kill him. Surely Crispin must have sinned against God to receive such a harsh life. Hunted down and forced to leave his village Crispin must overcome all odds if he wants to live to be fourteen.

Published Review:

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 14th-century England, Avi’s (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as “Asta’s son.” Mired in grief for his mother, the boy learns his given name, Crispin, from the village priest, although his presumably dead father’s identity remains obscure. The words etched on his mother’s treasured lead cross may provide some clue, but the priest is murdered before he can tell the illiterate lad what they say. Worse, Crispin is fingered for the murder by the manor steward, who declares him a “wolf’s head” wanted dead or alive, preferably dead. Crispin flees, and falls in with a traveling juggler. “I have no name,” Crispin tells Bear, whose rough manners and appearance mask a tender heart. “No home, no kin, no place in this world.” How the boy learns his true identity (he’s the bastard son of the lord of the manor) and finds his place in the world makes for a rattling fine yarn. Avi’s plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it’s the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story. A page turner to delight Avi’s fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc

- Source for choosing this book: List of Avi’s YA books
- Ages 8-12
- Related Book: Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Seeing Stone. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2001
- Both books deal with a young male main character struggling to find a place in the world and discover who they really are and what that means.

Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nungas

Book Review: Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison

Rennison, Louise. Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nungas.

Georgia Nicholson is at it again in this, her third volume, latest confessional novel.  She’s trying to show the Sex God just how mature she is, and also deal with Dave The Laugh who knows that she was just using him as a red herring.  Her Vati is still insane as usual.  What’s a girl to do?

From School Library Journal

Louise Rennison’s third title in the diaries of Georgia Nicholson (HarperCollins, 2002) reveal the innermost thoughts of a 14-year-old girl. Akin to the Bridget Jones titles for adults and the Adrian Mole set dealing with a teenage boy, this audio version is even more British than the print edition thanks to an expressive oral interpretation by actress Stina Nielsen. Complete with plummy vowels, very British slang (for which a glossary, quite funny in its own right, is provided), and an energetic delivery, listeners are given an amusing, if sometimes bewildering look into the dizzying inner life of a very boy-crazy girl. By turns ingenuous and jaded, catty and sweet, oversexed and childlike, Nielsen delivers a Georgia who is always funny while trying to sort out the absolute maelstrom of emotions she’s confronting. The appeal of this book is likely to be limited to young teenage girls who can get past or even enjoy the Brit-speak and who are familiar with the previous two titles and are eagerly awaiting this installment. Listeners new to the books may find hearing the slang rather than seeing it just that much harder to deal with. Those responsible for building collections aimed at students younger than high school age would want to be forewarned about the sexual references, even though they are delivered very humorously and obscured somewhat by terms like “trouser snake” and “red-bottomosity.”-Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY

Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc

- Source for choosing this book: Booklist
- Grades 8-10.

Book Review: Your Own Sylvia

Book Review: Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill

Hemphill, Stehphanie. Your Own, Sylvia. New York: Knopf, 2007

This book is a picture of the life of famous poet, Sylvia Plath.  It is told in poetry through the eyes of people who knew Sylvia, from when she was a young child all the way up until she took her own life in 1963.  Although this book is classified as fiction it has a heavy grounding in fact and Hemphill’s footnotes at the end of each poem paint a rich picture of the events surrounding Sylvia and what she was doing and might have been feeling throughout her life.

The story starts with Syvlia’s adoration of her father, whose shadow she might never have stepped out of in her own mine, it chronicles her through her manic highs and dangerous lows in college and her escapades with boys and her disastrous marriage and it’s eventual dissolution.  The poetry is beatiful and constructed with such an economy of words as to make each word so carefully chosen and filled with meaning.

The story is so haunting that readers will find themselves so attatched to Sylvia at the end that the tragedy of her suicide is very real as though Sylvia had become a close friend.

This book would be an excellent complement to a poetry curriculum or a study of Sylvia’s writings.  It would also be an excellent book to discuss the subject of relationships and suicide in a safe way with students and your children.  This is a great way to get someone who might be reluctant to try poetry because the poems weave together to tell a story through many voices.

- Source for choosing this book: Booklist
- Grades 9-12
- Related Book: Rosenberg, Liz. I Just Hope It’s Lethal: Poems of Sadness, Madness and Joy. Houghton/Graphia.  2005.   Both of these books deal with poetry and with the concepts of depression and suicide.

Published Review

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—Through a series of skillfully crafted poems, Hemphill has pieced together a collage of the life and work of the American writer. Arranged chronologically from Plath’s birth to the month of her suicide, the poems are written from the points of view of people involved in her life. The voices of Plath’s mother; her poet husband, Ted Hughes; and other intimates are interspersed with those of more fleeting acquaintances, each chosen to underscore a unique aspect of the subject’s fiery life and tumultuous literary career. Hemphill rises to the challenge of capturing the life of a poet through poetry itself; the end result is a collection of verse worthy of the artist whom it portrays. Form is of paramount importance, just as it was to Plath herself. Many of the selections were created “in the style of” specific Plath poems, while others are scattered with Plath’s imagery and language. While the book will prove an apt curriculum companion to Plath’s literary works as touted on the jacket, it will also pull the next generation of readers into the myth of Sylvia Plath.

—Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved