Book goes to India

She Would Draw Flowers was used as a reader for poetry classes for the 7 - 8 th grade and the 9-10 th grades of the Sloka Waldorf School in Hyderabad India.  I, as her mother, had the privilege of being asked to go to India and teach a poetry block.    Students loved her words and found the book very helpful with poems  by a teenager to compliment  other American poets, and to inspire their own poems about nature, friends, and  family.   For teachers a complete  outline of the lesson plans for that experience are available .

It is an amazing coincidence that took me to India.  When Kirsten was born, we gave her a Hindu middle name (Savitri)as a wish for her to be a global citizen. Her complete name is Kirsten Savitri Bergh.Her father Paul was studying East-West Psychology/Spirituality at that time. After she died and I published her poetry book, one of her books made it halfway around the world to the school library at the Sloka School in Hyderabad India, and a teacher named Jyotsna noticed it because of the Hindu name on an English book. She pulled it out of the shelf, and then fell in love with Kirsten’s poetry and showed the book  to her class.   Soon after that her daughter moved from India to Bloomington Minnesota, within a few miles of where I live in Minneapolis. She came to visit her daughter, found me, came to my home and invited me to come to India to train the teachers.  Later she asked me to also teach poetry to the 7 - 10 grade, and I took along books for all the students in my suitcase.

I loved teaching there. All the students became excited about poetry, reading it, speaking it, and writing it.  At first they were nervous about an American coming to teach them poetry; but once we started they found out what interesting ideas they had, and how language could come alive.

Readers speak out

Comments from 7th grade students in Minneapolis MN at the City of Lakes Waldorf School.  They used the book as a reader for their poetry and writing block.   I also visited the class for a day to share about Kirsten as a poet and a person, and to hear their thoughts. Then I went back after I went to India and shared about that trip.    I appreciate that they took the time to write their thoughts.  I would welcome other students and adults adding their responses to her poems.

To tell you the truth, I had never really taken much interest in poetry until I read this book. I loved how her poetry actually meant something important - it was stories from her life. Each poem had an individual meaning to it, that was very heartfelt - some sad some filled with joy, but all of them were very beautiful and intricate.  I loved how nearly every page had an extraordinary drawing to go along with it.   I felt that her drawings were extremely inspiring, some delicate, some bold.  Every night I got excited to sit down and read another one of her poems, and each night I would share my favorite one and read it aloud to my mom who also very much enjoyed them.   Overall I felt that the book was beautifully put together and told an amazing story through each poem.     Hannah

I enjoyed how her poems showed the stages of her life.  i loved how how she wrote poems about her friends and people she knew and how she kept it realistic. Her poems inspired me to write about whatever I want and feel comfortable about it. I’m really happy that we got to read She Would Draw Flowers because her book of poems is very inspiring to me.     Hayden

I loved how the tragedy of the accident counterpoints the joy of Kirsten’s life. This book shows how you should live life to its fullest every day; sing loudly, dance with spirit, speak your mind and do what you’ve always wanted to, because you have no idea how quickly the road of life can lead over a precipice.      Graham

Even though poetry isn’t my favorite type of literature, the poems drew vivid pictures in my mind.   The poems and drawings as a whole were very inspirational.   After reading the book I have a different perspective on what poetry is and what it can be. Ian

When I think back on reading She Would Draw Flowers I think it really made it easier for me to write creative stories and writings. I think it was a good influence on my writing.    Ocean

A poem  a swift melody of words residing in a smooth lulling rhythm of music.  A poem explains the soul and life itself  while giving details to the small and the forgotten a new description and gives the reader a new feeling about the forgotten.   She would Draw Flowers gives you these thoughts and makes you remember the forgotten and gives it a new cover to its story Christian

She would draw flowers was a fun book to read.   The letter in the beginning was very interesting  I liked that the poems changed as her life went on   The poems told the story of her life.   Joey

I liked the book She Would Draw Flowers.   The drawings were very cool.  I like the way you can tell how she’s feeling.  But at the same time, that gave us a view of the bad ties as well as the good.   Oscar

Reading She Would Draw Flowers was a wonderful and powerful experience.  Looking at her poems and pictures inspired me to write about Kirsten’s life and death - to think about her hopes and dreams.  It showed me that you should strive for your dreams, no mtter what life gives you.    Lilli

I really liked She Would Draw Flowers.  It was interesting how the mood of the poems changed with her life.  One of my favorite parts was the letter at the beginning of the book.  I was amazed how the poems told the story of her life.     Griffin

She Would Draw Flowers  was a very fun book to read because it really told the story of her life.  l liked the letter in the beginning of the book. although it was quite sad.   The book really tells how Kirsten’s personality was.         Sam

To read Kirsten Bergh’s poems really gave me a different perspective on how someone other than myself thought. When Linda came in and told us the history behind Kirsten’s writing, it really gave me something to think about, like why she wrote an ode to Ringo Starr or why a poem to her friend mentions iced grapefruit chapstick.  You can feel so much of her feelings in her poems, and the illustrations are just as beautiful as the writing.     Alesandra

Kirsten