What Learning Leaves
(New and Revised Edition)
poems by Taylor Mali
Publisher: Write Bloody
Publication Date: November 15, 2012
(First published January 7, 2012)
It wouldn't be National Poetry Month without at least one review of a book of poetry, would it? Apparently not. But I can't think of any book of poetry I'd rather be reviewing than that of Taylor Mali. He's one of my top five favourite slam poets of all time, he's amazing, he's smart AND he's a teacher. It would be harder for me NOT to be a fan of his than to just go ahead and love him (which I do).
What Learning Leaves contains many of my favourite Taylor Mali poems (including "What Teachers Make" and "Like Lilly Like Wilson" which you can see him perform in the videos below) as well as many I hadn't read before. As I was reading them, I kept getting up to read them aloud to my partner Mike, who is a junior high (middle school) teacher. He particularly liked the notion of "saving the world one eighth grader at a time" and making his classroom a "like-free zone" (as in, like, not, like, letting students say, like, like all the time).
Hit the jump to see videos of Taylor Mali performing some of his poetry. He's truly outstanding.
Here are a couple of my favourite Taylor Mali poems, both of which are in the book. But, honestly, I could have posted at least a dozen more because he is so awesome.
"Like Lilly Like Wilson," by Taylor Mali
"What Teachers Make," by Taylor Mali (clean edit)
"What Teachers Make," by Taylor Mali (live performance)
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