An Interview with Tom Spencer

by

Jackie Huppenthal

 



 

This year, IWC’s Power of Poetry Project instituted a special award to be given when a student writes a poem that is an exemplar of the highest quality poetry. The picture above shows Tom Spencer with fourth grader Gloria Radford, the first winner of the Tom Spencer Award.
 
Tom Spencer is a published poet and writer who has been writing for over 50 years. He is the founder of the Northwest Indiana Poetry Society and belongs to several other writing groups. Tom is also active in the Indiana State Federation of State Poetry Societies.
 
When did you start writing poetry?
 
It was in the 8^th grade. I got glasses and was finally able to read and catch up on what I had been missing. My teacher, Alice Peterson, introduced me to poetry. I read it excessively and started writing poetry immediately. Not too long ago I talked to an older woman who came to listen to my poetry and we talked about Alice. It turns out she was my elementary school principal.
 
Do you have a favorite poet? / poem?
 
My favorite poem is “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. He composed the last stanza then worked backwards to write the story. I memorized it in its entirety back then and even named my daughter Lenore after the “radiant maiden” in the poem.
 
What topics do you write about?
 
I write about ecology to world affairs, love and romance, but I prefer to write about social responsibility. I wrote poems to my wife even before she was my wife.
 
What is your favorite poetic form?
 
I enjoy all forms of poetry but my favorite is the sonnet. It is the basic core. It has a beginning, middle, end, and a twist.
 
How many books have you published?
 
I have published two books. The first was Word Castles, a collection of poetry published in 2000 by Writers’ Village University. It was reprinted in 2007. The second was America on Fire, which was coauthored with Dr. Jaswinder Singh. It is “a Poetic Tribute to the Memories of September 11, 2001.” Both of us did intensive writing for over a month to get the book published by the end of the year.
 
How many groups do you belong to?
 
I currently belong to about eight writing groups including Indiana Writers’ Consortium and Write-On Hoosiers.
 
What advice do you have for kids who are interested in writing poetry?
 
Ninety-nine percent of writing is reading. Read often, write what you feel. I write every day. The poems I write come from short stories. The short stories are written more for me but the poems are for everyone.
 
How do you feel about having a children’s poetry award in your honor?
 
It is an overwhelming honor. I had no idea I was this well respected. I was nominated for Indiana Poet Laureate a decade ago and had 76 letters of support from around the world. This, however, is a bigger honor to me.
 
What other accomplishment are you most proud of?
 
I brought the National Federation of State Poetry Societies national convention to Merrillville, Indiana in 2012. It was a wonderful experience.
 
Tom, you have been an inspiration to me and many others. I keep a quote from you propped up in front of my computer and look at it daily:
 

“A poem captures the rhythms of life in words.” Tom Spencer

 

It certainly does. Thanks for sharing your time and talent! Now, let’s take a selfie.

Tom Spencer's first Selfie
with Jackie Huppenthal

The Power of Poetry Project: 2013-14

 

On March 27, 2014, proud students, their families, and educators filled the gym at the Jerry Ross Elementary School for the Fourth Annual P.O.P.P. Awards event.  P.O.P.P committee members Katherine Flotz and Judy Whitcomb organized the event along with Katherine’s husband George, Judy’s grandson Louie Cortez, and poet Beverly Stanislawski.

The Power of Poetry Project annually partners with elementary schools to recognize young poets’ creativity and talent.  Sponsored by the Indiana Writers’ Consortium (IWC) and generously funded primarily by the Crown Point Community Foundation along with private donors, P.O.P.P. presents awards to students at the local school level and the regional level.  This year three area schools participated in the awards event:

                                                Lake Street Elementary School

                                                Cindy Wise Principal

                                                Carey Govert, librarian

 

                                                Solon Robinson Elementary School

                                                Barbara L. Merrill, principal

                                                Fiona McCarroll, media specialist

 

                                                Jerry Ross Elementary School

                                                Jennifer Stolarz, principal.

The project began in late summer 2013 when a grant was prepared and then submitted to the Crown Point Community Foundation by September 1^st.  In October, once the P.O.P.P committee received notification that the project had been funded, we solicited schools and additional funders. In November, a kick off took place at participating schools when committee members presented the project to fourth and fifth grade students as well as staff members.  Teachers were asked to have dedicated class time devoted to the reading and writing of poetry. Students were encouraged to explore multiple poetic forms and to begin writing. 

 In January, all submitted poems were collected from the schools.  All students who submitted a poem received a P.O.P.P. pin.  In February, a judging team anonymously selected the winning poems.  This year there were over five hundred poems. First, second, and third place poems were chosen from each school in both grade levels.  These were the winners at the school level.  Winning poems then moved to the regional level where overall first, second, and third place poems were selected at each grade level. All other regional level poems were awarded Honorable Mention.  All regional level poems were published in the P.O.P.P. Poetry Book.  We also recognized and awarded students who contributed artwork to the book.

 An additional event was added to the project this year.  On Saturday, March 29^th, P.O.P.P. winners were invited to read their poems at the Crown Point Library. The room provided overflowed with standing room only as many of our young poets shared their poems with the large audience.

The P.O.P.P. committee and IWC proudly recognize all of the students who entered the competition and their parents and teachers who supported them in their efforts.  Our time spent on preparing for and conducting the project is always rewarded as we call up each award winner and see how proud he or she is of his or her accomplishment. We know students are being impacted in a positive way.  Katherine Flotz lives near Lake Street Elementary School, and last week she found a note in her mailbox. It was from a young man in fourth grade at Lake Street. It stated:

 

Dear POPP Ladies,

      Thank you for the awesome award. I really appreciate your group working with us.

From Owen Walkowiak

 

And you know what, Owen and all of our other participants?

We really appreciate you.

The Power of Poetry in the Schools

Indiana Writers' Consortium held its third annual Power of Poetry Project (PoPP) awards assembly on April 25, 2013. IWC recognized 51 fourth and fifth grade students for their achievements in poetry and art. The students came from schools in Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, and Lowell.

The first four pictures in this post show some of the winners. The last one shows the hard-working volunteers who were the backbone of the project .

PoPP was funded by a grant from the Crown Point Community Foundation and a grant from the Lake County Community Fund of the Legacy Foundation as well as by individual and corporate donations. IWC thanks them and all the volunteers who made the project possible.

 

 

IWC is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and build a community of creative writers.

IWC PoPPs Up in Northwest Indiana Schools

This is the third year that Indiana Writers' Consortium has brought its Power of Poetry Project (PoPP) into Northwest Indiana schools. The project started in one school during the 2010-2011 school year and expanded to four schools for 2011-2012. This year PoPP is serving the 4th and 5th grades in eight schools that are located in Gary, East Chicago, Crown Point, Lowell, and Winfield.

PoPP kicked off with presentations to the fourth and fifth grade classes and their teachers. The pictures show IWC members explaining the program at Williams Elementary School in Gary (above) and Timothy Ball Elementary School in Crown Point (below).

PoPP is designed to build creativity by bringing poetry into the classroom. It does this in two ways. First, IWC provides teaching resources and suggestions for using poetry to meet educational standards. Second, PoPP encourages student to write poems and participate in a contest, with the potential to see their work in print.

Each student who participates by submitting a poem or artwork receives a lapel pin, and any student whose poem or artwork is published in the PoPP book receives a copy. (The final picture shows last year's book.) First, second, and third prizes are also awarded at each grade level.

PoPP is funded by a grant from the Crown Point Community Foundation and a grant from the Lake County Community Fund of the Legacy Foundation as well as by individual and corporate donations. The most valuable resource, however, is the volunteer time and effort put in by the PoPP Committee, consisting of of Katherine Flotz, Jackie Huppenthal, Sandra Nantais, and Judy Whitcomb, and by the PoPP judges, headed by Tom Spencer.

IWC is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and build a community of creative writers.