
Four of us Poetry Friday Peeps read and discussed THE HURTING KIND one section at a time in August. It was the best #sealeychallenge activity ever. We got more out of this book with a slow read and deep conversations than we ever would have by plowing through it in a day and checking it off our to-do list.
If you haven’t read THE HURTING KIND, I highly recommend it. Here is the book trailer with Ada Limón reading the final poem in the book.
Here is a cento I made with almost all of the poem titles in the second section, Summer. The words in italics are the only words I added.

Carol, at Beyond LiteracyLink, has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup.
Love your cento Mary Lee, and of course “the trees” are so much Ada Limón, along with your closing contrast. I enjoyed diving deeper between the lines of her poems, thanks!
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Beautiful collection of lines, Mary Lee… They call to me, like Limon’s trees.
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I need to read Limon’s book now. What a wonderful cento! Love how you ended with the specifics.
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Mary Lee, I love the cento poem of Ada Limon’s words. I listen to the Hurting Kind trailer and another video of one of her readings. It is great hearing her voice and the rise and fall of her read aloud. Thank you so much for this experience.
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I do like Ada Limón’s work & this one is new to me, your poem an enticing way into her work. Thanks, Mary Lee
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Thank you taking me on the journey with you, Mary Lee. Now I want to read more of Ada Limon’s work.
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If you have another poetry book club, please count me in. What a wonderful thing to do. Especially for August
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You’ve definitely got me wanting to do a slow, close read of THE HURTING KIND. Your cento is lovely.
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I’m really in love with Ada Limon’s poems. I read THE HURTING KIND before The Sealey Challenge. I read two other books of hers during August and I decided to hang onto them and read them for my 3 a day–slowly! I just signed up to hear her read at the Library of Congress this month!
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I have been enjoying Ada Limón on The Slowdown. I look forward to reading her new book. The way you wove her titles into a poem was enjoyable – and pushes me to go grab a copy of her book.
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I’ve read several centos lately and am so impressed by how you and the other authors weave the chosen lines into something new and rich. This is a form I have yet to try. I’m also realizing that I’m not nearly conversant enough with Ada Limón’s poetry. Something to remedy for sure!
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I love it! This is a cento after my own heart.
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