Hi everyone,

This weekend it’s my pleasure to introduce my 32nd edition of Poetry from Daily Life, featuring guest poet GEMMA CAMPANINI, who lives in Springfield, Missouri. Gemma’s writing career began before she could actually write. Her grandparents transcribed her stores for her over the phone. By 14, she loved poetry and short fiction. In her teens, she self-published her first book of poems called Embarrassing My Future Self. (Editor’s note: “I love that title!”) More recently Gemma enjoyed researching and writing her graduate seminar paper on how to write and perform poetry as a tool for emotional growth.

Each week of the eight months since I started the column, Springfield News-Leader (and now four other papers in three states) has brought thousands of readers insights about poetry from the aspect of writers, performers, students, teachers, and researchers. I’m unaware of another menu like it in the country.

I’ve been writing for young people for a long time. Little did I dream that one day it would be my good fortune to host a weekly poetry column for all ages, for readers across the United States and beyond. Thank you, Gemma Campanini, for being my guest this week. Your column will be in print tomorrow (Saturday) and online on Sunday. When the link is available, I’ll post it on Sunday morning so that people everywhere can read it, enjoy it, and share it with others.