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River of Words: Images and Poetry in Praise of Water

Edited by Pamela Michael
Introductions by Robert Hass and Thacher Hurd

96 pages (8 x 8), full color throughout, with 45 plates
Trade paper, ISBN: 1-890771-65-1, $12.00

Published in conjunction with River of Words

Water—in all its splendid forms—is the subject and inspiration behind the alluring artwork and astounding poetry presented in River of Words: Images and Poetry in Praise of Water.

Rivers, lakes, oceans, rain, and tears come alive in pages of verse and full-color art. This collection is all the more remarkable because it was created by surprisingly young poets and artists. Culled from the annual River of Words art and poetry contest, here is an exceptional selection of creative work from young people (ages 5–19) across America and around the world. Both children and adults will appreciate and enjoy the creative results of children experiencing and exploring water as part of the environment. An epilogue by Pamela Michael, addressed to parents and teachers, discusses how to inspire great art and poetry from kids.

River of Words was co-founded in 1995 by Robert Hass and Pamela Michael to promote literacy, the arts, and environmental awareness. River of Words conducts an annual international poetry and art contest for students K–12. To learn more, visit them at www.riverofwords.org.

Reviews:

"Young minds, in poems and paintings, freely playing creatively, conceptually, physically, with water. Kids showing us canebreaks, ducks, frogs, clouds, streams, and friends, all forms of water, through their fresh eyes. These selections of the best of the best give us pleasure and hope."—Gary Snyder

"Spend some pleasant time with the blithe and irrepressible spirits reflected in these poems and paintings created by young minds."—Wayne Thiebaud

"To turn these pages—to gaze and peruse here–is to discover an unfamiliar joy. These young people offer transcendence, enchantment, and the experience of human attainment—sensations adults too often, now, lose track of. What an antidote to dejection about our species’ potential mounts up in these poems and images."—Barry Lopez

"Pablo Picasso famously said that it took him eighty years to learn to paint like a child. The fresh vitality of these young poets and artists is an inspiration to all of us to let our imaginations run free."—Sandra Jordan

Awards:

2004 Skipping Stones Honor Award

Contributor Biographies:

Pamela Michael, River of Words executive director and co-founder, is a writer and communications specialist.

Robert Hass, U.S. Poet Laureate from 1995 to 1997, has published several books of poetry, including Sun Under Wood (1996) and Human Wishes (1989).

Thacher Hurd has written and illustrated over twenty-five books, including Mama Don’t Allow, which won the Boston Globe Horn Book award, and Zoom City, which was chosen a New York Times Best Illustrated Book in 1998.