Airplanes Light Trails (Photo credit: JcOlivera.com)

Leaving land of lone star

of heat, humidity, and horses

on a huge white bird

over open ocean

in night’s ebony embrace

Out of the ominous

an amazing archipelago

the pearl of perfection

the majesty of mountains

home

By Samuel Samson-Williams, 7th grade

On Thursday, May 17th, at 7pm, Writers in the Schools (WITS) students will share their art-inspired creative writing at the Menil Collection. This reading, called The Watchful Eye, will feature stories, essays, and poems that come out of a collaborative project called Writing at the Menil. The event is free, and the public is welcome.

Summer is coming.  Have you made your plans? There are still spaces available in the Writers in the Schools (WITS) Program.

Who: Middle and High school students

What: Summer writing workshops

Where: Bellaire High School

When: June 11-29, 9 am -12 noon

Why: Because you have a story to tell

How: Click here to sign up today

In the Creative Writing Camp, you explore different literary genres (poetry, fiction, essay, drama) with friends. You learn about craft and revision in one-on-one conferences with published authors. Through multi-disciplinary projects combining text and art (such as painting, sculpture, or music), you will also find new ways to address a particular audience. At the end of the three weeks, you will publish your best work in an anthology and celebrate!

• Write your own poems and stories, real or imaginary.
• Compose an essay or a manifesto.
• Perform your play.
• Discuss your revisions with published writers.
• Spend your Fridays on the Rice University campus.
• Gather material and gain the skills to write a great essay for college applications.
• Visit a real publisher.
• Publish your work in an anthology.
• Make friends with other writers.

Click here to find out more from a Rice News story. This summer program is sponsored by Writers in the Schools (WITS) and Rice University’s School Literacy and Culture Project.

Space is very limited. Click here to enroll.

WITS Young Writers Reading event enriches the lives of students ranging from elementary to high school age by giving them the chance to read the work they have written under the guidance of a professional writer. Each student has been chosen from a juried competition. WITS publishes the best work in a bound anthology called Blooms.

The Young Writers Reading Series began in 1989 as a way to celebrate the achievements of the city’s most gifted young writers.  For more information, visit www.witshouston.org.

You won’t want to miss this wonderful event at Discovery Green!  Arrive early to play with our friends from Playworks Houston.  Please come out on Sunday to support Houston’s youngest poets and writers!