Salinger’s book Well Defined: Vocabulary in Rhyme provides me with a way to teach my students vocabulary and poetry simultaneously. I’m passionate about both, which is why I was so excited to get my hands on this book yesterday. Each poem contains a title (the word) and a definition at the bottom of each page, almost as if it’s a footnote to the poem. The illustrations that go along with many of the poems further enhance the meaning of the words they accompany. Here’s one of my favorites:
Incessant just doesn’t know when to quit
seemingly having no beginning
or end
that dog barking at all hours of the night
that friend who always borrows money
a toothache, an ulcer, bad dreams
the nagging of a parent or spouse
like water torture
incessant accumulates
overflowing the cup
never giving in
never giving up
Well Defined was written by Michael Salinger and illustrated by Sam Henderson. It is new this month from Wordsong. A review copy was provided by the publisher. The poem, above, was reprinted with the Boyds Mills Press.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 
I can’t wait to get my hands on that book! Looks great.
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Judging by your last two posts, you might be interested in an article called “Grammar Matters: A Creative Writer’s Argument.” It’s by Anna Leahy. Here’s a link, though I’m not sure it will work.
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/pedagogy/v005/5.2leahy.html
The interesting thing about the article is that it talks about grammar not as rules that writers have to follow, but as tools writers can use to guide their readers through a piece.
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