Tag: Waukesha Reads 2014
The “Poe-try” of Poe Limericks
Those attending the Waukesha Reads – The Big Read Brown Bag Conversation in October had some fun with poetry and the Poe theme. Check out these creative limericks.
There once was a poet named Poe,
Whose ma said, “Now, Edgar, you know,
That with some jocularity
Plus a touch hilarity
Using less gloom might be apropos.
There once was a poet named Poe
Whose writings are famous, you know.
His mysteries and fantasies
Affect me emotionally.
I cease to say “mo” about Poe.
There once was a poet named Poe
Whose years were filled with great woe.
He moved from city to city
With a wife who was quite pretty,
But wealth he never did know.
There once was a poet named Poe
Whose life was a tale of woe.
He missed his dead wife
All of his life,
So his sadness would never go.
There once was a poet named Poe
Whose drug and alcohol use brought him low.
So his writing was creepy,
And his poems sadly weepy,
Resulting in great tales of woe.
There once was poet named Poe
Whose soul was enveloped in woe.
He wrote out his pain
In the bleak and the rain;
He proved that you reap what you sow.
There once was a poet named Poe
Who wrote many poems of woe,
Like the grief of Lenore
And the Raven’s “Nevermore;”
None of which earned him much dough
There once was a poet named Poe
Who one day ran out of dough;
So he wrote a story
That was really gory,
And now he is “Poe” no “mo.”
There once was a poet named Poe;
Had all his ducks in a row,
Bringing quacks of good cheer,
And never a fear;
And this is as far as we’ll go.
There once was a poet named Poe
Who was stranded in a large flow;
With a skill so outstanding
And courage so demanding
He faced the world with a glow.
There once was a poet named Poe
Who did not make very much dough.
Some days he was sad;
Some days he was glad.
His writings were mostly of woe.
Get to Know Poe
Do you want to know more about Edgar Allan Poe and his work? Explore these sites to learn more.
The Big Read Reader’s Guide
The Big Read Teacher’s Guide
The Big Read Audio Guide
The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
The Poe Museum
Poe Stories
Children’s Books for Hope
Putting books in the hands and homes of children in need.
Thank you to all who donated new and gently used children’s books for the Free Children’s Library located at Waukesha’s Hope Center.
More than 450 books were collected during the Waukesha Reads – The Big Read program. These books are given away to families that visit the Hope Center – putting books in the hands and homes of children in need.
Book donations are accepted throughout the year at Hope Center located at 502 East Avenue in Waukesha.
Where in the World is Poe?
Get in on the Flat Poe fun!
Pick up your Flat Poe at the Waukesha Public Library or during Waukesha Reads – The Big Read Kickoff events on September 26 and 27. Take Poe with you wherever you go or send him to friends near and far. Then post photos of your Flat Poe adventures on the Waukesha Reads Facebook page.
We are extremely grateful to artist John Kascht for creating this special Poe for Waukesha Reads – The Big Read.
John is originally from Waukesha and is among a handful of caricaturists whose work is collect by The Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. Find out more about John’s work at www.johnkascht.com.
2014 Books Now Available
Do You Know Poe?
Free copies of Poe’s work in both English and Spanish and copies of the children’s companion title, The Tell-Tale Start by Gordon McAlpine, are now available at the Waukesha Public Library, while supplies last.
Books and program information also will be distributed at Waukesha’s Friday Night Live, September 26 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. and at the Waukesha Farmers’ Market, Saturday, September 27 from 8:00 a.m.-Noon.
Flash Fiction Contest
Enter a writing contest? Have you lost our mind?
Poe wrote all sorts of stories about people losing their minds.
Now you can do the same and enter the Waukesha Reads – The Big Read Flash Fiction Contest.
Create your own fictional masterpiece, 1,000 words or less, with a “Losing My Mind” theme and you could win!
Open to middle and high school students and adults. Winners will be selected in each category.
Deadline is October 6, 2014.
Flash Fiction Contest: Losing My Mind
Enter a writing contest? Have you lost your mind?
Poe wrote all sorts of stories about people losing their minds. Now you can do the same and enter the Waukesha Reads – The Big Read Flash Fiction Contest.
The theme of the contest is, as you might have guessed, “Losing My Mind.” We want you to create your own fictional masterpiece with the “Losing My Mind” theme. Your story can be happy, sad, creepy (one of Poe’s favorites), funny, uplifting—whatever you like. This is a chance to let the rest of the world know what’s on your mind.
Submissions to the Waukesha Reads – The Big Read Flash Fiction Contest will be evaluated within three participant categories:
- Middle school students
- High school students
- Adults
The winner in each category will receive:
- A $100 cash prize, an official Waukesha Reads 2014 t-shirt, and publication on the Waukesha Reads website (www.WaukeshaReads.org).
A runner-up in each category will receive:
- An official Waukesha Reads 2014 t-shirt and publication on the Waukesha Reads website (www.WaukeshaReads.org).
Judging
Submission will be judged anonymously. Your name will not appear with the text of your entry during judging.
Works will be judged by a panel of judges.
Contest Guidelines
- We are looking for thoughtful, well written fiction of no more than 1,000 words. Entries should be double spaced and may be typed or legibly hand written.
- Submissions must be of unpublished original work.
- We are interested in your words and ideas, but if you choose to quote an outside source or author, you must give credit to that source by citing the author, publication, title and date. Plagiarism will be considered cause for elimination.
- To be eligible, each entry must be accompanied by the official Waukesha Reads Contest Entry Form. This form must be filled out completely and signed both by the author and, if under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian. Completing and signing the entry form is certification that this is your own work. Please submit only one entry. Multiple entries will not be considered.
- All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. on Monday, October 6, 2014. Entries may be dropped off or mailed to Waukesha Public Library: 321 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186. Or, entries may be emailed to [email protected].
2014: GREAT TALES AND POEMS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE by Edgar Allan Poe
It’s time to say the obvious. No author stays internationally popular for 150 years by accident. Edgar Allan Poe is one of the classic authors of American literature—a master of the short story, a magician of the short poem, and a critic of brilliance and originality. And no small part of his artistic sleight of hand is that he appeals to readers from childhood to old age.