PEARL VERSES THE WORLD

INTRODUCING Pearl Verses the World:
a verse novel written by Western Australian author, Sally Murphy, illustrated by Heather Potter and published by Walker Books May 2009

A moving illustrated verse novel about a girl dealing with isolation at school, and with her grandma’s illness at home.At school, Pearl feels as though she is in a group of one. Her teacher wants her to write poems that rhyme but Pearl’s poems don’t. At home, however, Pearl feels safe and loved, but her grandmother is slowly fading, and so are Mum and Pearl. When her grandmother eventually passes away, Pearl wants life to go back to the way it was and refuses to talk at the funeral. But she finds the courage to deliver a poem for her grandmother that defies her teacher’s idea of poetry – her poem doesn’t rhyme; it comes from the heart.A powerful and moving story about the loss, grief and isolation that children can feel as well as touching on the sensitive issues of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease from a child’s perspective.

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For this stopover on Sally's blog tour I thought it may be fun to use verse format for the interview itself so I emailed Sally and asked:

'How would you feel

about
an interview
on the verse format actually done
in verse? '
I’m happy to do this,' Sally bravely responded.

I sent her six questions.

Back came Sally with: 'Hi Mabel!

Here are my answers.

Answering in verse was definitely a challenge.

You’ve kept me thinking!'

_____________________________________________

Goodmorning Sally!
Welcome to TALES I TELL. You've been on quite a journey these past days responding to comments and questions about your just released verse novel: Pearl verses the World.

Now to my questions:

1. A question of layout:
If word followed word,
crowding each line
to fill every space on the page
would the verse novel
cease to be verse?

Line length in verse
does matter.
Lines start and end

where needed

for emphasis

for rhythm

for impact.

But line length

is not the only difference

between verse and prose.

Important too are all the elements of poetry:
rhythm

imagery

simile

metaphor

and so much more.

2. Narrative
setting out on no great adventure,
no mystery to be solved,
or cause to fight
or poignant tale of unrequited love.

Word pictures and

poetic imagery.

Is there more?

So much more.

A verse novel

must be two things -verse

and novel.

Without a plot

it will simply be verse

and the reader would not want to read

from page to page.

Whilst single poems can be wonderful

a verse novel

must have a story which

develops from beginning to end.

It might be a mystery

a cause

a love story

or something else.

For Pearl, it is a little girl’s

quest

for peace of heart

which drives the tale.

3. Verse Novel:
a first person character study?

that unburdens the heart

and lets X explore

the all about ‘me’-

... feelings

... ... memories

... ... ... dreams?

Whilst it is true

that most verse novels

are written in first person

and present a character’s take on life

the verse novel does more

than a simple character study would.

The reader, too, plays a role,

yearning

laughing

cheering

growing

along with the character

as she
works through

whatever plot is thrown at her.

4. Verses versus Versus!
An underlying ambiguity

twists

these words.

Explain.

Verse is,

of course,

another word for poetry

or a part of a poem.

Versus means ‘to oppose’.

Pearl is a verse novel
and Pearl herself writes verse

but, at the same time

she feels

that the whole world

is against her.

She has so much to deal with:

death

loneliness

and poems that don’t rhyme.

It’s no wonder she feels

it is her versus the world.

The title is a pun

reflecting this –

and the delightful cover image

echoes this struggle.

5. Aware of

the ebb and flow

of Pearl’s observations

and changing moods -

does verse

carry these better than prose?

I am not anti prose –

perhaps if I were

the title would be

Verse Versus Prose.

But for this story, verse was needed.

The form allowed me to snapshot

Pearl’s life

and to explore her emotions

and responses

which were

as important as the plot.

6. Granny said:
A poem comes when it’s needed?

Miss Bruff, that:

Sometimes a poem just is!

How was it for you, Sally?
Did your verse novel explode

from within?

Until Pearl came to me,

late one night,

I had never tried

to write a verse novel.

But Pearl came, and whispered in my ear

as I was preparing for bed.

I wrote the verse down

and tried to forget

but soon more verses came

and I realised I had a story

which had to be written.

Writing in this form did not prove hard

but writing about such emotional events did.

I cried

and cried

as I wrote this book

but, in the end

I smiled.

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M: Well, Sally, we're done! This has been a wonderful exchange.
S: Thanks for your time in hosting me.
M: It's been a pleasure to have you here. Enjoy the rest of your tour

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Stopovers for Sally's Tour
with her Children's Verse Novel:
Pearl verses the World

01 May, 2009 Guest Blogger at http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com/

02 May, 2009 Interview and Review at http://bjcullen.blogspot.com/

03 May, 2009 Associated writing activities at http://www.tips4youngwriters.wordpress.com/

04 May, 2009 Reader's Snapshot. Interview at http://persnicketysnark.blogspot.com/

05 May, 2009 Clare Saxby at http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com/

06 May, 2009 Allie at http://justlistenbookreviews.blogspot.com/

07 May, 2009 Alice May at http://lookatthatbook.blogspot.com/

08 May, 2009 Review at http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale

09 May, 2009 Verse Novel Format at http://belka37.blogspot.com/ [That's here!]

10 May, 2009 Article at http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com/

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