Engaging Readers with Humor, Poetry, and Storytelling

On September 28, 2024, SNL had a skit that resonated with me. A textbook publishing company had asked a romance writer to produce a mathematics book.  Of course, the result was a matchbook with very ‘racy’ word problems. Early copies released to the schools had resulted in outrage, and the publishers called the author in to fire her.  As the author read some of the offending passages out loud, the publishers tried to make her understand the problem.  Of course, she saw nothing wrong with her work. Realizing she couldn’t write anything but romance-themed, the author would be let go when a woman rushed in to report that math scores were soaring.

Of course, explicit sexual content is not appropriate for school textbooks. Still, I definitely do agree with the sentiment expressed in the SNL script. I am committed to engaging the reader through creative content. If you can get the reader’s attention, you can educate, especially about supposedly dull, uninteresting topics like math and science. This is what I am trying to do with my books. I’m using poetry and humor to engage both children and adults. Some fellow authors question why I need to rhyme my scientific information.  Why can’t I be more straightforward in my presentation and just use prose? Because I use poetry as a hook. I also enhance with vividly colored illustrations.

Using Poetry to Engage Readers

I could try writing in prose – it would undoubtedly be more straightforward than writing good rhymes. Rhyming does not come naturally to me, but I enjoy the challenge and joy of creating an effective stanza. By effective, I mean a good rhyme that correctly and clearly conveys the fact. How do I know I should keep rhyming? Based on the feedback I get from readers and repeat customers.

For those of you old enough to remember the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, there was a memorable educational episode – no, not the one where they find out domestic turkeys can’t fly. No, I’m referring to the one where Venus teaches a neighborhood teenager about the atom. Venus described the components of an atom in terms of neighborhood gangs and their personalities. The teenager successfully learns the structure of an atom. Brilliant and effective writing.

Every now and then, mainstream television shows how a little creativity can improve the conveying of information. I hope my books are described in that way: educational and entertaining.

If you’re ready to engage readers with creative content that educates and entertains, check out my educational workbooks filled with humor, poetry, and storytelling.