Louisiana Book Festival Author Talk and Signings

I am excited to be one of the featured authors at the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, November 2, 2024! I will be reading my latest book (just arrived!) Petit Pierre and His Wild Adventure and sing a few of my singable books from 11:30-noon in the Children’s Author Tent 2, followed by a book signing in the Cavalier House Book tent from 12:15-1:00 and a second signing in the Pelican Publishing Booth in Exhibitor’s Hall from 2:00-3:00.

The festival is the literary highlight of the year so you won’t want to miss it. See you there!

Right for Children? The Business of Writing Picture and Board Books Workshop

I will be giving a workshop titled Right for Children? The Business of Writing Picture and Board Books for budding writings interested a career writing for children. The workshop is part of the Louisiana Book Festival and will take place at the State Library in Baton Rouge on Friday, November 1 from 1-4 PM. Register online at https://louisianabookfestival.org/events/wordshops/

Petit Pierre and His Wild Adventure Book Trailer

Petit Pierre is at it again, and we are thrilled to share this book trailer to this upcoming sequel!

Ukulele Workshop for Teens and Adults at the Nantucket Atheneum!

Nantucket Atheneum Here We Come!

Haiku Society of America 2024 Merit Book Award Winner!

I couldn’t be happier to hear the news that my long-time friend Stanford Forrester and I received a Merit Book Award for our bird anthology Bird Whistle! I regard Stanford as a modern haiku master, and to share an award with him is incredible! Thank you HSA for this amazing honor! Here the information below:

Haiku Society of America’s 2024 Merit Book Awards for Best Haiku Anthology: Stanford M. Forrester and Johnette Downing. Bird Whistle: A Contemporary Anthology of Bird Haiku, Senryu, & Short Poems. Windsor, CT: bottle rockets press.

Copies may be purchased from bottlerocketspress.com

First Place in the 2024 Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Award!

Results from the 2024 Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Award have been announced. Congratulations to the following poets:

First Place

Mercury retrograde —

the old clock

tock-tick

Johnette Downing

Second Place

y axis to x axis all day snow

Brad Bennett

Third Place

in remission

f

i r e

f l

i e

s

Frank Hooven

Honorable Mention (ranked)

sundial

a ladybug rests

at noon

William Cullen Jr.

the silence

after the read receipt …

young stars

Aidan Castle

perhaps one day I'll be a real boy …

yellow oak

Joshua St. Claire

middle age

the invisible wings

of a hummingbird

Sasha A. Palmer

his face

on the ultrasound …

throb of fireflies

Aidan Castle

Results including the judge’s commentary will appear in the summer issue of Modern Haiku (to be mailed soon) and online at our website shortly.

Thank you to this year’s judge, Sandra Simpson, and to everyone who participated!