Hello, and Happy National Poet’s Day!
There’s never a bad time to read a poem or two, but today, it’s even better than usual.
You could start with something silly (and yet, surprisingly profound) — ‘The Tiger’, written by a six-year-old named Nael. Truly, it captures what poetry is all about.
You might then move on to two poems inspired by fairy tales: ‘Gretel, from a Sudden Clearing’ by Marie Howe (‘I think it must have been a bad broken off / piece at the start that left us so hungry’) — or ‘Fat is Not a Fairy Tale’ by Jane Yolen.
Fat is Not a Fairy Tale —Jane Yolen
I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Cinder Elephant,
Sleeping Tubby,
Snow Weight,
where the princess is not
anorexic, wasp-waisted,
flinging herself down the stairs.I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Hansel and Great,
Repoundsel,
Bounty and the Beast,
where the beauty
has a pillowed breast,
and fingers plump as sausage.I am thinking of a fairy tale
that is not yet written,
for a teller not yet born,
for a listener not yet conceived,
for a world not yet won,
where everything round is good:
the sun, wheels, cookies, and the princess.From Such a Pretty Face: Tales of Power and Abundance, an anthology edited by Lee Martindale (Meisha Merlin Publishing, 2000).
For more, here are 22 poems from around the world with a strong sense of place — and you might also enjoy these past episodes of our short-form podcast The Library of Lost Time:
enjoy two poems that celebrate the passage of time and fresh starts
a lively discussion with author Amy Tector about creating daily poetry habit
Before today, I only knew Jane Yolen from her brilliant poem. Where have I been? She’s the author of over 400 books (!) and won scads of awards. Her final historical fantasy for kids — Monsters of Fife: Terror Birds — was published posthumously on 14 June 2026.
With almost every novel I read, I go through the same arc. At first the novel bores me. Then, suddenly, it becomes the most interesting thing in the world.’ Emma Adler writes about the point in a novel she calls the volta — a ‘a shift to visceral enjoyment.’
The Anythink Nature Library in Colorado is the first public library with an outdoors focus. ‘There’s a library in the Denver metro area where you can play in the mud, work in a garden and check out everything from telescopes and bird-watching kits to waterproof tents and snowshoes. Inside, there’s a wall of live plants, a darkroom with twinkling stars on the ceiling and a fireplace with a bench that can be heated in the winter. Oh, and there are books, too.’ You guys, it as a fireplace.
Your periodic reminder to read the Substack publication Beyond the Bookshelf with Matthew Long. He’s a thoughtful reader and inquisitive thinker, which means his Commonplace posts are filled with delightful, interesting things. We were delighted to find Strong Sense of Placeamong his recommendations in a recent post.
In this interview, Art Spiegelman — the artist/writer behind the ground-breaking graphic novel Maus — talks about writer’s block, the aftermath of 9/11, aging, and the still-challenging work of writing: ‘I know I’ve done comics before and they work, but I have no idea how to do it when I start a new one… I have to rethink what it might be to make a comic.’
I know we’ve got a lot of Dungeon Crawler Carl fans around here. Do you know about the dress?! (There’s also a bowling shirt and other cute stuff.)
New life dream unlocked: Visit Switzerland’s Saint Bernard museum and take a few dogs for a walk. ‘I should have worn gear that wicked sweat and slobber, and anticipated frequent breaks for kibble and belly rubs.’
Pretty! Tabletop games devoted to the art world.
Sorta related: The First 30 Seconds: A Beginner’s Guide to Seeing Art. I love this approach and can’t wait to apply it IRL. (This is a nice analysisof Fragonard’s ‘The Swing.’)
Delightful! Architects Dressed as Their Own Famous New York City Skyscraper Creations at the 1931 Beaux-Arts Ball.
Irresistible headline alert: The Bookstore-Slash-Skate-Shop Next to Ballerina Farm. (Need to know more? Here’s the store’s website.)
Let’s grow your TBR! The 2026 Gold Dagger Shortlist for best crime fiction and the best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Just in case you want to try your hand at living overseas, here are the world’s best countries for expats in 2026. Fun fact: We’ve done podcast episodes about six of them. I’m not saying that’s why they’re on the list, but I’m not not saying that. Our shows: Panama, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, Spain, Portugal.
Do you like dogs and reading as much as I like dog’s and reading? This post is for you.
News you can use: How to Quit a Classic Without Turning It Into a Moral Crisis. ‘There is a very specific form of literary self-harm that sounds like this: I know I hate this, but I feel like I should be the kind of person who finishes it. This sentence has ruined more evenings than the actual books ever did.’ Preach!
For all those romantic heroines out there, trying to avoid a muddle. Checklist for Choosing a Chaperone.
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