My very first Poetry Friday poem was inspired by the fact that my mother taught English as a Foreign Language when I was growing up. Our church ran a free program which allowed my mother, whose dream of being a teacher had to be deferred when she left high school, to finally realize that dream.
As a teen, I assisted the teacher of the children's class, and one of the highlights of every semester was the potluck dinner. From Poland to Thailand, Guatemala to Vietnam, at every potluck the table was full of the culinary specialities of the many countries our students had come from - side by side in one delicious feast.
I looked forward to my favorites, loading up my plate with delicious flavors and foods that I would never have encountered, were it not for the fact that we had been brought together from many countries to learn and eat. In food, we can celebrate and appreciate our differences, while at the same time being drawn together by the sharing of it.
Food has been on my mind a lot lately, not least because of my participation in the Anthologies 201 course led by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. From selecting poems to the nuts and bolts of uploading a book for print-on-demand publishing, they gave us a glimpse of the many hats one wears when publishing an anthology. And this week that anthology is out in the world!
Like their previous anthology, Things We Do, this book supports the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund, which provides support for children whose lives have been disrupted through war, civil disorder or natural disaster. In this moment, with so many children's lives being disrupted by war on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II, I could not be prouder to have a poem in this newest anthology.
Things We Eat is a celebration of food, with diverse, inclusive photos and rich back matter that makes it perfect for school and classroom libraries, as well as a fun book for parents, grandparents and caregivers to share with their young foodies. You can find out more about Things We Eat, with buy links, on the Pomelo Books website.
Sylvia and Janet are our hosts for Poetry Friday this week. You'll find pictures of some of their foodie adventures, as well as a smorgasbord of today's yummy poetic goodness, here. And here is my poem from the anthology.
Bon Apetit! (or as we say where I live, En Guete!)
I love this well 'cultured' post, Elisabeth! Yogurt is my favorite way to "taste the rainbow". :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your Yogurt poem in this (yummy) book! I LOVE the sounds of that potluck dinner, too.
ReplyDeleteThe international food fair at our school was a big highlight of my childhood; I remember how happy my mother was to be able to do something for the school. Every year she would cook a huge batch of egg foo young or chicken teriyaki, and it would be gobbled up in a minute. I felt so popular and was so proud. Thanks for bringing that memory back to me with the description of your annual church potluck, Elisabeth!
ReplyDeleteThose potluck dinners sound delicious--such happy memories! I love the rainbow of yogurt!
ReplyDeleteKudos on this rainbow of a poem! Thanks for sharing your foodie background. Life can be a smorgasbord, as we said in our home church!!!
ReplyDeleteYum, yogurt!! Enjoyed your poem and hearing about the international potluck. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat poem, Elisabeth! I always end up with more containers of yogurt than I need. The flavors sound so yummy!
ReplyDeleteOh, that potluck menu sounds like one I'd loved to have known growing up. I really didn't discover any 'different' thing until I was an adult. I missed a lot, didn't I? And, I do love yogurt, my breakfast favorite every day. Congrats for your poem, Elisabeth!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the wonderful poem you created for the Things We Eat Anthology, Elisabeth. As a previous districtwide school director I, along with the ESL teachers, sponsored an international foods night. Our students' were so proud to parade into the room and stand behind their family's contribution. We had such a wonderful array of foods that were available for sampling. Your poem and post remind me of that event. You chose a tasty food to write about, so thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth, I just responded and once again my comment flew away. I want to congratulate you for your wonderful poem that highlights a yummy food. It is wonderful that you are one of the poets for the Things We Eat anthology. Your poem reminds me of a past memory when I was a school districtwide director. My ESL teachers and I organized an international food exhibit each year. The K-12 children and their families created food booths for sampling their foods from around the globe along with written projects about their countries. It was always a special event that brought pride and recognition. I am glad that your poem is also being recognized.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth, congratulations! I love your YOGURT poem. What a great experience taking the anthology class. I loved your intro too, about the class your mom (and you) taught, and the delicious international potlucks. Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteOoh... I would love to be part of your international potluck! What a great experience! And such a happy poem about yogurt!
ReplyDeleteLove this poem! I grew up in Thailand and remember being totally overwhelmed by the vast array of choices in the grocery store when we returned.
ReplyDeleteYour poem is wonderful! Congratulations on being included in THINGS WE EAT.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! What a fantastic review of THINGS WE EAT, and I'm so glad that a poem of mine lives in the same book with yours! Yum!
ReplyDeleteElisabeth, we have loved getting to know you! Thanks for sharing some of your learning from our work together in your blog post. Keep in touch please!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun, Elisabeth! I eat yogurt every day, pretty much...huh. Poetry and yogurt are two of my daily doses of culture--hehehe.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book, Elisabeth! (I *love* that rainbow!)
ReplyDeleteAh what a delicious poem Elizabeth, I can taste the creamy flavors from your jaunty lines!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed hearing about the international potluck dinners too, what a treat and adventure, thanks!