The Basketball Poets, continued

More

Basketball Poets:

In previous years

there were more girls in this group

but now it seems the boys

are in the majority.

I liked this sign over the gym door:

The Basketball Poets

In honor of 

World Read Aloud Day

(today)

I had the privilege of making my annual visit

to the Basketball Poets

of Supply, NC.

The current group are middle schoolers

who combine reading and writing poetry

with playing basketball

!

I know, unusual, mm?

And very, very cool.

Here are a couple of the poets

reciting their poems:

(more pics of poets to come)

After they recited their poems

they moved out on the court.

I sure love this group.

Here is their coach and the founder of the Basketball Poets,

Marty Mentzer (at left):

That's me on the right.

What a day!

Basketball Poets

Today I made my annual visit to the Basketball Poets of Supply, NC. These are student basketball players who write poetry--and poets who play basketball. This is about my seventh visit to the Bball Poets and their teacher/coach and surfing queen, Marty Mentzer, a remarkable woman with contagious energy, enthusiasm and optimism.

The group changes from year to year, but they always entertain me by reading their own poetry--and that's a very nice change for me--to be able to listen instead of being 'on' for an hour.

    
The Basketball Poets

31 May, 2009

      I first heard about the Basketball Poets in 2003, when I received a letter from a teacher in North Carolina.  She had recently formed an elementary school activity, Basketball Poets, combining, yes, basketball and poetry.  That combination and the teacher's enthusiasm for her students and for Love That Dog intrigued me.  Her school was near where my sister lives, so I planned a visit.  

Well!  That teacher, Marty Mentzer, and her students blew me right out of the water!  They performed for me (instead of my being expected to perform for them):  a rousing rendition of Blake's "Tiger, Tiger," complete with basketballs bouncing on accented syllables.  They then read their own poems written in the style of Jack, in Love That Dog, and afterwards, they all shot hoops. It was all such a perfect, crazy, wonderful thing to witness.

Each year I send Marty books for her new B-ball Poets, and each year I visit them and they entertain me.  Each year their group performs elsewhere in the community. I've heard that other schools have set up their own Basketball Poets, too.  Amazing and wonderful! Crazy and perfect!