Where I'm From (Writers' & Young Writers' Series #2) [Paperback]

George Ella Lyon (Author), Bob Hoskins (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999 | Series: Writers & Young Writers Series, #2 (Book 2)

Geroge Ella Lyon, poet, author and story teller, gives insight into the poetic process. Number two in the Auhors and Young Author's Series. Listed as one of the Best Books for Teenage, New York Public Library, 2000. It was short listed for the 2000 Howard Prinz award from American Library Association.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 9 and up. In a combination memoir and how-to book, a popular children's author conducts a personal journey through her creative writing process--with mixed results. Using her own poems as examples, Lyon discusses themes, sound, rhythm, language, and line breaks. Chapters address using play, images, shapes, other people's words, and personal stories to inspire poems. The section "Voices" offers particularly sensible, accessible advice on developing characters. Beginning writers may find the sometimes rambling, simile-and metaphor-laden explanations and exercises confusing and difficult to follow. However, the text comes alive through Lyon's personal recollections of Appalachia, its people, and her own childhood experiences, all of which lend insight into the author's other writings. Fans of Lyon's works will no doubt enjoy learning more about her, and novice poets will appreciate her encouragement and enthusiasm for a challenging genre. Shelle Rosenfeld

Review

Novice poets will appreciate Lyon's encouragement and enthusiasm for a challenging genre. -- Booklist, Summer 2000

The book's overall purpose is to convey the message that anyone is capable and can write verse. -- Infotech, January 2001

This guide to poetry writing carries a simple message: You have within you everything you need to write. -- The Riverbank Review, Winter 1999/2000

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 98 pages
• Publisher: Absey & Co; 1 edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888842121
• ISBN-13: 978-1888842128
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, inspiring, usable book for writers and teachers., October 31, 1999

By 

Leatha Kendrick (East Point, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where I'm From (Writers' & Young Writers' Series #2) (Paperback)

George Ella Lyon has been inspiring writers and teachers for years. Her writing exercises and her lyrical way of talking about writing keep her in demand as a workshop leader and speaker at schools. At last we have this book! I have used her exercises for years in my writing workshops, always with results that far exceed the writing that students have have done up to that point. Those same exercises have led me into writing poems I didn't know were waiting to be written. No one is better at evoking the voices of real people or helping a new writer really see what she is trying to get on paper than Lyon. The exercises in this book are wonderful, but a close reading of Lyon's poems is perhaps the most rewarding part of Where I'm From for writers and teachers alike. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Support for budding poets!, June 13, 2007

By 

Pamela S. Smith (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where I'm From (Writers' & Young Writers' Series #2) (Paperback)

George Ella Lyon's, "Where I'm From," is a wonderful gem for giving teachers of young poets an accessible link to how a writer thinks, imagines, and prepares to write a poem. The collection is perfect for teachers that want to launch a new year with an opportunity for students to do some writing. The signature poem, "Where I'm From," can be used to model student writing that invites everyone to share something about themselves and begin the process of building community in the classroom. Ms. Lyons has a very down-to-earth way of expressing her encouragement to budding writers. There is a poet in all of us, and this book will help students find their writing "voice."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for teachers, September 30, 2005

By 

Dr. W. C. kasten "Co-Author, LIVING LITERATURE" (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Where I'm From (Writers' & Young Writers' Series #2) (Paperback)

This book teaches about writing poetry and is suggestive of things teachers could do with their students.