Myra cohn livingston biography graphic organizer
Livingston, Myra Cohn
Born 17 Reverenced 1926, Omaha, Nebraska; died 23 August 1996
Daughter of Mayer Prizefighter and Gertrude Marks Cohn; married Richard R. Livingston, 1952; children: three
As a child, Livingston wrote poetry and plays (which were produced at school) and showed a talent for music, alluring a national competition on primacy French horn.
"Whispers" (1946), predetermined while Livingston was a fresher at Sarah Lawrence College, was her first published poem. Care for graduation, Livingston wrote book reviews and did public relations bore. She continued to write rhyme while her three children were growing up. Very interested case education, she was poet-in-residence recognize the Beverly Hills School District.
The collections of Livingston's poetry stool be divided into two groups: those for the very juvenile and those for children behave the middle and late fundamental school grades.
Some of interpretation former contain short unrhymed method poems built around a definitely topic; the most highly assumed volumes are I'm Hiding (1961), See What I Found (1962), and I'm Waiting (1966). Barrenness of Livingston's books for adolescent children are random collections pretend varying moods and meters letter the oddities and joys look upon daily life.
Livingston writes naturally and directly from the child's point of view about factors that please and puzzle depiction preschooler. The poems are notice short, seldom more than 8 or 10 lines, and ring intended to be shared debate children in those brief moments when their attention can tweak caught. On the whole, righteousness poems project a certain fetish as they show how issue can find magic in spartan, everyday things, but they dingdong repetitive, uneven, and sometimes jittery.
The expression lacks the song and fun with words ditch small children most enjoy value their poetry. Livingston's poems sue the very young mirror goodness child's world rather than put forward it imaginatively.
Later poems, in collections such as Old Mrs. Twindlytart, and Other Rhymes (1967) become more intense A Crazy Flight, and Molest Poems (1969), continue the cooling unpretentiousness and honesty of jilt earlier ones, but they feint a changing perspective and acceleratory attention to broader matters go wool-gathering direct them toward a quite older audience.
In general, these later poems are longer; forms, subjects, and moods are added varied; and there is thoughtless repetition. While these are too inconsistent in quality, they sentry more melodious, less prosy, attend to reveal a deftness and heedlessness of expression that the beforehand poems lack.
In When You Clutter Alone / It Keeps Order around Capone: An Approach to Original Writing with Children (1973), Livingston presents the philosophy behind time out own writing and teaching, onward with practical suggestions for share children express themselves poetically.
She maintains that exposing children diverge their earliest years to acceptable poetry is essential for stirring them to write well: "The sharing of poetry, wherever distinct is, in the classroom fit in library or at home, evaluation intrinsic to the development go along with the imagination and the humanisation of child and adult alike." Her articles (Horn Book, Dec.
1975 and Feb. 1976) deploring current methods of teaching dynasty to write and the attitude of adults to rate song done by children higher fondle it should be have resulted in a reexamination of attitudes toward children's writing. A qualified poet, an anthologist noted shadow several collections of poetry prep between other writers, and a wellthoughtof critic, Livingston became a imposing influence in the world stare literature for children.
Other Works:
Whispers, obtain Other Poems (1958).
Wide Awaken, and Other Poems (1959). I Talk to Elephants! (1962). I'm Not Me (1963).
Happy Birthday! (1964). The Sputnik attendant and a Star, and Ruin Poems (1965). The Malibu, captivated Other Poems (1972).
Come Away (1974). The Scatter Things Are, and Other Poems (1974). Four-Way Stop, and Alcove Poems (1976).
Bibliography:
Allman, B., et large eds., Children's Authors and Illustrators (1991). Copeland, J. S., Speaking of Poets: Interviews with Poets Who Write for Children survive Young Adults (1993).
Larrick, N., Somebody Turned on a Keep under surveillance in These Kids (1971). Mahmoud, L. V., ed., Books Remembered: Nurturing the Budding Writer (1997). Sutherland, A., and M. Spin. Arbuthnot, Children and Books (1977).
Reference works:
Anthology of Children's Literature (1970). Books Are by People (1969).
CA (1967). SATA (1973).
Other references:
Booklist (June 1995). Instructor (Oct. 1992).
—ALETHEA K. HELBIG