Writing Poetry in Library School – Books We Read

Interview with Danielle Pitter, poet, writer and recent SC&I graduate

Writing and editing the Books We Read Blog provides us with a platform to improve our scholarly research and writing, further enhancing our jobs as librarians. Producing meaningful posts that engage audiences on a regular basis also gives us experience with planning, discipline, research, collaboration and communication, as well as time management and of course practicing our writing.
BLD: You maintain your own blog. Tell us a little bit about it. How and when did you start?

Poetry Reading vs. Writing – Books We Read

There’s such a difference between writing poetry and then reading it aloud. When I’m writing, I’m not paying attention to anything. It’s just me locked away in my room when no one is watching, tucked away either in my bed or at my desk, letting the words flow through me. When I’m writing on my own, my brain goes through a sort of time loop: start, stop, keep going, start, stop, keep going, and it just goes on and on again until I feel I’m completely done.
Both of my books were written in such we...

James Baldwin and his Lasting Legacy – Books We Read

I must admit that I didn’t know much about James Baldwin or his work before entering the James Baldwin Centennial: Native Son, Global Voice exhibit at Alexander Library. I’d heard of his name and a few works like Go Tell It on the Mountain and If Beale Street Could Talk. It’s probably astounding to a lot of Baldwin fans that I didn’t know him that well. However, as part of my own way to celebrate Black History Month this year, I thought it would be a great idea to educate myself on Baldwin’s inc...

How We Read: Read Diverse Books – Books We Read

Welcome to Spring 2025! Let’s continue to read together, one book at a time. In 2022, the Books We Read Blog conducted a series of interviews with contributors and friends of the blog to get a snapshot of our reading habits: the things we like to read, the circumstances in which we read, and more. Revisiting the questions a few years later, here is the first new one.
Danielle Pitter is a published poet and graduate student assistant from the Master of Information Program at the School of Communi...

Destinations: My New Poetry Book is Finally Available! 🧡❄️

Destinations, my second poetry book is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

My latest poetry book Destinations is finally available. I’m so excited to hear everyone’s thoughts on these poems. Thank you to everyone who has helped in any way make this book possible:

Aniya Anderson @anglesbyaniya for all of my photography and promo ideas...

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, Part 2 – Books We Read

This post is a continuation of my Mid-Year Freakout Book Tag (Part 1), where I share my reading highlights of the year so far.
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride. This was another book I had read for my 548 class last year, and I thought it was so heartbreaking and sad. It’s about this girl who stays at a psychiatric hospital for her suicidal thoughts and depression. While she’s there, she meets this boy with whom she used to go to high school, who is also dealing with mental issues....

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, Part 1 – Books We Read

Welcome to this year’s edition of the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, where I share my reading highlights of the year so far. Some reading highlights include favorite books I’ve read, disappointments, surprises, and anticipations from January 2023 – August 2024. Technically, this rule applies to books I’ve read throughout the first half of this year. But I chose to extend the timeframe to include more books because I haven’t read that many books this year.
I wrote about my slow reading journey this...

Neurodiversity on Campus – Books We Read

The term neurodiversity is often attributed to Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, who first tried to map and name an unknown disability in her thesis in 1998. However, a recent article claims that the concept of neurodiversity was developed collectively, with credits due to the online community of autistic people.
According to a popular working definition published in the Harvard Health blog, neurodiversity “describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them i...

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir // Book Review - PoetryBooksYA

BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES
One of Time Magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time Instant New York Times bestseller From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir Amazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 People's Choice Award winner - Favorite Fantasy Bustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 "This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human -- and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear." -- The Washington Post "An Ember...

Poetry Books YA: the 10th Anniversary - PoetryBooksYA

Poetry Books YA celebrated its 10th anniversary this year!


It’s been 10 years since I decided to start this book blog. Walk through memory lane with me.


When I first started this blog, it was under a different name: Poems and Book Reviews of a Young Artist. I didn’t think anything of it, other than to write about the two things I loved doing, book reviews and poetry. At first, I didn’t have any special format or strategy as to how my blog posts would do. I was 21 years old and I’d had som...

SAG-AFTRA Actors/Writers' Strike Thoughts

Here are some of my thoughts about the SAG-AFTRA actors/writers strike.

The nearly 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA are on strike.

On Thursday, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union that represents all performers on film and television, announced its national board voted unanimously to launch the guild’s first strike. The news was unveiled by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher (yes, The Nanny star) and National Executive Director & Chie

Travel Blog: Chicago - 2023 ALA Spectrum Institute | ALA Annual Conference

I’m back from my trip to Chicago for the 2023 ALA Spectrum Institute during the ALA Annual Conference. I was invited by my scholarship program, the ALA Spectrum Scholarship. I’m a 2022 ALA Spectrum Scholar, so I got to attend the Institute for free!!

I had so much fun!! I brought my niece Aniya with me for some fun things too, and it was all so amazing!!

My Debut Poetry Novel 'Reality Check' is Available Now!

My debut poetry novel, Reality Check, published yesterday on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and I’m still excited about it!

Summary: Emotion, time and self are the most necessary parts of humanity. Emotion draws out the best and worst parts of people. Time is something that is never noticed, until it is. The self is the deepest part of the soul that a person can recognize. Reality Check is a poetry collection written during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. These poems are how Danielle Pitter describes hope, love, family, healing and forgiveness.

Should You Update Old Blog Posts // Let's Talk Bookish

Today’s my birthday, so this post is both a gift for me and you! 🙂

Created by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, Let’s Talk Bookish is a segment where discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts every Friday.

This week’s prompt: Updating Old Blog Posts (Suggested by Nicole @ Thoughts Stained With Ink)

Prompts: Do you ever go back and update older content on your blog? For instance, after getting new graphics or going self-hosted?

10 Black Lives Matter Marches Happening Now Across the Nation

In collaboration with West Orange Youth Caucus, there will be a march in protest for the Black Liberation…

“Join us as we march for a movement, not just a moment. Please remember to wear masks and keep a safe distance,” the organizers wrote in a joint statement. “Following the protest, the WO HRC will be hosting a Black Business Bloc Party that community members are encouraged to take part in.”

These events that are created by young people are important in spreading awareness to those who may

Listen to BTS Jungkook's Dreamy Cover of Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber's '10,000 Hours'

BTS member, Jeon Jungkook, released a dreamy cover of ‘10,000 Hours’ by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber.

Jungkook has a tendency to steal ARMY’s hearts with his surprise pop music covers on BTS’ Soundcloud account. This time is a beautiful rendition of Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber’s hit single. Jungkook’s silky smooth vocals over a soft R&B/country/pop track makes for an awesome cover track.

“I’d spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more/ Oh, if that’s what it takes to learn that sweetheart of yours/And I might never get there, but I’m gonna try/ If it’s ten thousand hours or the rest of my life,” the lyrics read.

Check Out All of the Black Designers Featured in Beyonce's 'Black is King' Special

See some of the Black designers featured in Beyonce’s Black Is King special on Disney+.

Beyonce Knowles-Carter has always used her platform to uplift and spotlight Black talent, including designers, stylists, artists, and other creatives. To accompany her 2019 The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack for the remade film, Black Is King centers around a young boy’s journey and growth to adulthood. The visual album encompasses all different aspects of the African diaspora, ranging from South Africa, West Africa, Europe, New York, and L.A.

Keke Palmer Talks About Her Black Lives Matter Speech on 'Watch What Happens Live'

Keke Palmer explained her viral speech to soldiers during a Black Lives Matter rally during a virtual aftershow episode of Watch What Happens Live. Keke Palmer went on the E! show to talk to host Andy Cohen and guest Giselle Bryant about her powerful moment this past June. She attempted to encourage members of the National Guard to march with her during an L.A. protest, although they ultimately chose not to participate.

However, Palmer understood why the soldier did not agree to participate with her.

Get Ready for BTS' Upcoming New Reality Show 'In the SOOP'

ARMY, get ready for BTS’ upcoming reality show, called In the SOOP via Weverse.

SOOP means “forest” in Korean, and the show follows the septet on their outdoor adventures. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook pick their own schedules and do daily activities on their own, with minimal interference from management and company staff.

The eight, hourlong episodes will be hosted by BTS themselves, with new episodes premiering every Wednesday at 10 am EST.

MacKenzie Scott, Former Wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Makes Multi Million-Dollar Donations to HBCUs

MacKenzie Scott puts her activism skills to good use by donating over $1 billion to a list of 116 historically black colleges and universities.

The former wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Scott gathered $1.7 billion from her extensive fortune to give to a number of Black universities and institutions. These institutions include Howard University, Hampton University, Xavier University, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Tuskegee.
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