About this item
Enormous Smallness is a nonfiction picture book about the poet E.E. cummings. Here E.E.'s life is presented in a way that will make children curious about him and will lead them to play with words and ask plenty of questions as well. Lively and informative, the book also presents some of Cummings's most wonderful poems, integrating them seamlessly into the story to give the reader the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry.In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that.Matthew Burgess teaches creative writing and composition at Brooklyn College.
About the Author
Matthew Burgess is an Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College. He is the author of a poetry collection, Slippers for Elsewhere (UpSet Press, 2014) , and four children's books: Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings (Enchanted Lion Books, 2015) , The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon (Knopf, 2019) , Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring (ELB, 2020) , and The Bear and The Moon (Chronicle, 2020) . He has edited an anthology of visual art and writing titled Dream Closet: Meditations on Childhood Space (Secretary Press, 2016) , as well as a collection of essays titled Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry (Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 2019) . Several books are forthcoming, Make Meatballs Sing: The Life & Art of Corita Kent (ELB, 2021) , and Bird Boy (Knopf, 2021) . A poet-in-residence in New York City public schools since 2001, Matthew also serves as a contributing editor of Teachers & Writers Magazine.
