Poet & Author Janet Wong Visits Todd Elementary

Author of over 30 books, Janet Wong visited Todd earlier this Spring to talk to students about her love of language and about the importance of poetry. She introduced herself to them by sharing a regret from her childhood: she had the opportunity to learn how to speak another language from her relatives, but she didn’t because she was afraid other kids would make fun of her. She encouraged them to “be brave and embrace being unique!”

Then she asked the students to raise their hands if they considered themselves readers. A few hands reluctantly went up. But she knew how to make them feel better, “Would you read a cereal box? Do you read video game instructions? Do you read bathroom graffiti?” Soon every hand in the library was raised! “You are all readers!”

She shared several of her poems with them and then she opened her “poetry suitcase.” What do you take in your suitcase? The things you need most. Favorite things. We need to think of poems as necessary, favorite things.” Janet’s suitcase was full of odd props including a turtle, a snake, a hat, and noodles and lots of other treasurers. “A suitcase takes you places—and so does poetry.”
Janet closed her time with the children by reading her poem about her father called “Dad,” and gave them some important advice. “If you write something that’s about someone, don’t identify them! Definitely write it down, get your feelings out, but be smart…Rip it up into little pieces and throw it in three different garbage cans.” The students ALL thought that was hysterical.

Todd Librarian Tara Phethean and coordinator of all special events on the library said, “Author visits are always an exciting time at Todd and each one is a unique opportunity to engage the students. We are extremely grateful to our PTA for generously funding these special experiences for our students!”

Janet’s journey to becoming an author, which she shared with each group of students, began twenty-five years ago when she was a lawyer [the Director of Labor Relations at Universal Studios Hollywood], negotiating union contracts and firing people and as she explains the worst part was it was starting not to bother her. One evening after a particularly hard day, she asked her husband if she was becoming a mean person and he said ‘YES!’ That was it. She knew she had to do something that would make her feel good. Although couldn’t think of anything more important than working with kids, she had been a substitute teacher when she was working my way through Yale Law School—and being a teacher was the hardest job she’d ever had and she knew she would not survive as a teacher. One day shortly after her initial revelation, while searching in a bookstore for gifts for her two-year-old cousin, she I looked down at her armful of books and the idea hit her: “Someone wrote these books. Why not ME?” The rest is history. You can read more at her website janetwong.com.