The poet, Lee Bennett Hopkins, is a legend in our business. For many years he has entertained us with his wonderful stories and has introduced new authors through his anthologies. He is talented, kind and generous and I am so pleased that Lee Bennett Hopkins agreed to be interviewed.
When and why did you start writing for children?
After publishing professional books for several years, my first anthology of poetry for children appeared in l969: DON'T YOU TURN BACK: POEMS BY LANGSTON HUGHES (Knopf).
What advice would you give to a newly published author?
My advice to a newly published author is get to work quickly on a next project.
Children's books, especially picture books, take several years to appear on a crowded
marketplace. Be ready to soar.
Name some of your favorite children's books?
I have far too many 'favorite' children's books thus I would have a very hard time
narrowing it down to one.
What are you currently working on?
Currently I have at least ten projects finished and in production. I am working
on something of my own that is far too silly to mention at this point. Perhaps it is
just 'finger exercises' but I am having a wonderful time with it. In essence it is
a book of plays that last only seconds but has casts between two and thirty actors!
I hope to finish this before my own final curtain comes down!
What is your favorite dessert?
My favorite dessert is ANYTHING chocolate. Why? Why not? What is better than
truffles, brownies, chocolate ice cream, chocolate anything, chocolate everything.
Only people who send me chocolates appear in my anthologies! (Only kidding... or am I?)
Lee Bennett Hopkins has written and edited numerous award-winning books for children and young adults, as well as professional texts and curriculum materials. He has taught elementary school. and served as a consultant to school systems throughout the country. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Hopkins graduated Kean College, Bank Street College of Education, and holds a Professional Diploma in Educational Supervision and Administration from Hunter College. In 1980 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kean College; in 1989 he received the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for "outstanding contributions to the field of children's literature" in recognition of his work.
His creativity is the result of his passion for poetry and his unflagging belief that poetry is a necessity for children, at home and in the classroom.
At the heart of all his writing is the dedication to bring children and books together. "You must teach children to love books," he insists. "We spend too much time teaching children to read and not enough time teaching them to love to read."
Hopkins’ trilogy of American History in Poetry for Children and Young Adults include the award-winning titles: HAND IN HAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH POETRY, MY AMERICA: A POETRY ATLAS, and forthcoming AMERICA AT WAR (2008,all Simon & Schuster).
To encourage the recognition of poetry, he has established two major awards: the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, presented annually by Penn State University for a single volume of poetry, and the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Reading Association Promising Poet Award, presented every three years by IRA.
One of the nation's most sought-after speakers on the subject of children's literature, Mr. Hopkins lives in Cape Coral, Florida.
Penn State University announced the 2008 recipients of the LEE BENNETT
HOPKINS POETRY AWARD:
WINNER:
BIRMINGHAM, 1963 by Carole Boston Weatherford (Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press)
HONOR BOOKS:
BLUE LIPSTICK: CONCRETE POEMS by John Grandits (Clarion Books)
THIS IS JUST TO SAY; POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS by Joyce Sidman
(Hougton Mifflin)
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Posted by: instant degree | May 14, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Thanks for the interview with Lee. He's one of my favorite people.
Posted by: Kelly Fineman | January 22, 2008 at 01:07 PM
Thanks for this. Can't wait to read his new plays!
Posted by: Jules | January 22, 2008 at 07:37 AM
I love Lee Bennett Hopkins' books! Both his anthologies and his own writing (I've just been rereading Alphathoughts and Been to Yesterdays, in fact).
Thanks for sharing the interview!
Posted by: Laura Salas | January 22, 2008 at 05:45 AM