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POET HERO:
JACK PRELUTSKY
by Ify from Bowie
As a kid, Jack hated poetry. He said he had a teacher once who gave him the impression that "poetry was the literary equivalent of liver; that it was good for him," but he didn't believe it. Jack didn't believe there was any purpose for poetry until he grew up and began to draw. He drew silly cartoons and wrote little poems for each one. His friend urged him to show them to an editor and, to his great surprise, Susan Hirschman believed he had incredible talent.
Still writing and illustrating books, Prelutsky currently lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife, Carolynn. However, he has also lived in Manhattan, Albuquerque, and Boston. He says that he plans on living in other cities as well.
Jack has many interests other than writing poetry. He enjoys photography, carpentry, creating games, collages and "found object" sculpture. Prelutsky entertains himself by teaching himself to draw and create multimedia on the computer. He also collects art, children's poetry books, and frog miniatures. Jack studied classical music as a young man and still attends the opera and symphony whenever he gets the opportunity. He also loves to eat out! Here's a poem by Jack Prelutsky:
I'm a nasty, nasty dragon,
It's my nature to be nasty,
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Written by
Ify from Bowie
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Jack Prelutsky's website Jack Prelutsky on Poets.org A brief biography of the poet. Writing with Writers A nifty website where you write your own poems or stories with step-by-step instructions by authors. This link goes to Jack Prelutsky's guide to writing a poem. It's really neat! |
RECOMMENDED
READING | |
 My Dog May Be a Genius by Jack Prelutsky |
 Ride a Purple Pelican by Jack Prelutsky |
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| A. Navoi wrote poetry over 500 years ago that has withstood the test of time. | Ada Aharoni works for peace between Israelis and Palestinians with poetry. | Alexander Pushkin is one of Russia's greatest writers. | Anna Akhmatova is considered one of Russia's best poets. |
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| Carl Sandburg wrote poems, stories and nonfiction about Americans and American life. | Chairil Anwar was a beloved Indonesian poet. | Christine de Pisan was a 15th century French poet. | Dante Alighieri contributed to Italian culture by his use of the Tuscan language instead of Latin. |
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| Doreen Van Lee writes about her Chicago childhood. | DuBose Heyward Wrote most of the lyrics to the famous musical, 'Porgy and Bess.' | Dylan Thomas : life will carry on, always with the same vigor. | Edgar Allan Poe was a renowned poet who overcame many hardships including depression. |
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| Edna St. Vincent Millay 's poetry was both popular and critically acclaimed. | Emily Elizabeth Dickinson wrote nearly 2,000 poems in her lifetime. | Emma Lazarus was an advocate for immigrants' rights and wrote the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. | Hadraawi, Beloved Peacemaker / Poet of Somalia is a powerful voice for peace in his country. |
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| Henry Rago was a Poet and Professor whose poetry stands the test of time. | Ilse Bing was a remarkable poet and photographer. Her works withstand the test of time. | Isaac Rosenberg was a poet of the Great War. | Jack Prelutsky is a beloved children's book author, and the first Children's Poet Laureate |
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| Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi is a renowned Iranian poet. | Langston Hughes was nicknamed the Poet Laureate of Harlem. | Li Bai is often referred to as the 'God of Poets' in China. | Maria Josephine Barrios Filipina poet and activist |
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| Mariama Khan writes poetry to champion the cause of the voiceless. | Mattie Stepanek is a hero to people of all ages around the world. | Maya Angelou is a beloved female author and poet. | Naguib Mahfouz was the first Arab to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
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| Ntozake Shange is the inventor of the choreopoem. | Pablo Neruda is the most widely read Latin-American poet. | Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African-American poet of the nineteenth century. | Phillis Wheatley was the first distinguished African-American poet. |
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| Robert Lee Frost was named 'the national bard.' | Robert Penn Warren was the first Poet Laureate of the United States. | Saul Williams is a Spoken Word Poet and Slam Champ. | Shel Silverstein was a poet, playwright, lyricist and good friend. |
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| Theodor Seuss (Dr. Seuss) Geisel | W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar. | William Shakespeare wrote plays & poetry that continue to have a lasting effect on readers all over the world. |
Last changed on:4/2/2008
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