Poems for children, illustrated by Springfield artist Felicia Olin
A Net to Snare the Moonlight and Other Poems for Children is the latest book of Vachel Lindsay’s poetry to be released by the Vachel Lindsay Association. This 17-poem collection, illustrated by Springfield artist Felicia Olin, contains some of Lindsay’s creepier children’s poems. The publisher of record is the Vachel Lindsay Association and the book designer is Judy Gilats with Peregrine Designs out of St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Lindsay has a reputation for writing big poems full of drama,” said Lisa Higgs of the Vachel Lindsay Association. She wanted a mix of poems that were full of danger and whimsy. Higgs chose the poems for this collection and said Lindsay lovers will be surprised. “Lindsay had a quirky, wonderful spirit,” she said.
The association board began discussing releasing another book of Vachel’s poetry about a year ago and wanted Olin to illustrate it. “Felicia has an intuitive grasp of what Lindsay is about,” said Higgs. “You can tell they’re kindred spirits. Her illustrations exceeded expectations.”
Olin received her bachelor’s in fine arts in painting from Illinois State University. She’s known for her ghostly igures and works in acrylics and mixed media. She draws her inspiration from Alice in Wonderland, Internet memes, nature, pop art and vintage items.
Olin wanted to be part of this project and said “yes” when approached by board member Ted Morrissey. “Vachel’s poems have some of the best visuals,” she said. “When you read them, the words form such great pictures. I was inspired by his beautiful language.” She wanted to make a breathtaking book.
She succeeded on all levels. The care she put into creating the illustrations for this book is evident throughout. She plays with light and colors to create a mood that is sometimes dark and sometimes fanciful.
Olin uses a lot of dark colors. Many of the poems that form the central basis for this slim volume are Vachel’s moon poems, including The Moon Is a Book, What the Rattlesnake Said, What the Hyena Said, Drying their Wings, The Candle-Moon and A Net to Snare the Moonlight.
Olin said some people might think the poems are scary. “Kids like things that are a little bit dangerous,” she said.
Vachel’s whimsical side is interspersed among his darker works. The Dandelion, Parvenu and The Dangerous Little Boy Fairies lighten the mood.
“I carried my sketchbook everywhere I went,” said Olin, who would read and reread each poem and use hints from the poems to create an image. One of the most difficult poems for her to illustrate was The Spider and the Ghost of the Fly. “It was hard making a spider look human while keeping it spidery,” said Olin.
She loved the imagery of the mouse, lowers and the dragon ly in The Flower of Mending. Another of Olin’s favorites is What Grandpa Mouse Said. She used the borders around each poem to bring out the characters in the individual poems.
While she was working on the illustrations, she would imagine herself having conversations with Vachel Lindsay. “He’s such a great poet,” said Olin. “He’s kind of obscure. It helps to get his poetry published.” She would sometimes get a vision while working on an illustration. “I hoped maybe he was sending that to me,” she said, adding she hopes he likes what she did.
It took her a month and a half to complete the illustrations. “I would pretty much work on one at a time,” said Olin. Some poems were easier to illustrate than others. Some would only take her a couple of hours, while others would take her a month.
“I made a mock-up of the book to see what it would look like,” said Olin, who was obsessed with making little books as a kid. It allowed her to visualize the finished project.
This collection is for children in grades second through sixth. “The poems are perfect for that age group,” said Higgs, who said the association board geared the book towards what a fourth-grade boy would like.
At some point, Higgs said the board will do another book of Lindsay’s poems. First the board has to earn back its costs. “Poetry is not a big sell,” said Higgs. This is one way to expose people to art and literature. “It’s important to get kids interested in poetry at a young age.”
A Net to Snare the Moonlight costs $14.95 plus sales tax and is available at the Studio On Sixth and the Tinsley Dry Goods store at 1 Old State Capitol Plaza. Several other businesses have expressed an interest in carrying the book as well. Higgs said the best way to purchase a copy is to send an email to vachellindsay@gmail.com.
“This book was a labor of love,” said Higgs. “We’re so pleased to have this book.”
Roberta Codemo is a frequent contributor to Capital City Parent. Her favorite illustration in the collection accompanies The Spider and the Ghost of the Fly. She can be contacted at rcodemo@hotmail.com.
