I want to give you flowers so that you are happy. I want you to feel my heart. I would like to give you toys. Some sun to keep you warm. A star so you can sleep calmly and with love. I would especially like to give you my heart. By Jocelyn, 1st grade
Songbirds singing Trees waving in the wind The sound of people talking The sound of cars zooming by The smell of freshly cut grass The vision of doves flying overhead You can feel this dream making More and more of itself. by Ty, 4th grade
What: Houston Inside Out: A Symposium Who: Rosellen Brown, Robb Walsh, Bao-Long Chu, Roger Wood, and Gwendolyn Zepeda Where: Houston Public Library, Central Branch, 500 McKinney St. When: Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm Cost: FREE and open to all! Writing & C/Siting Houston brings together writers, folklorists and scholars to create written portraits that explore the ways and the wheres through which [...]
This Thursday a project called Writing & C/Siting Houston presents personal essayists on the topic, Old Neighborhoods, New Neighbors. Four local writers will delve into their chosen Houston sites: Nimmi Jayathurai, “Banana Leaves and Migrant Passages” Raj Mankad, “America Varshe, America Kande: Hinduism, Ornament, and the Suburban Box” Thomas Meloncon, “My Fifth Ward” Gwendolyn Zepeda, “The [...]
When I am lost, I turn to the stars When I am lonely, I climb trees When I am angry, the storm screams in my ear When I don’t have any answers, I walk in the woods When I feel strong, I run in the wind When I am happy, the sun burns bright No [...]
Hamborn Abbey Extension (via DesignBoom) Whenever I walk down the hallway of advice, the walls close in and smile again to see me and attend to my uncertainties. I thank it for its help, its kindness, its love and leave it alone. It always waits for me. By Luis, 7th grade
From Hip Hop to SugarHill Marco Cervantes, “Transforming Jail Route” Bao-Long Chu, “2600 Travis” David Theis, “The Ruins of Houston” Roger Wood, “Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios: The Story of a House” Thursday, September 22, 2011, 7:00 pm Bohemeo’s, 708 Telephone Road, 77023 Free and open to all! Writing & C/Siting Houston brings [...]
I’ve studied a lot of countries around the world because I love knowing facts about places all over the globe. I’ve visited El Salvador, which is where I was born. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It’s in the volcano hammock of Central America. It lies on a ring of fire. The [...]
On August 18, 1983, Hurricane Alicia hit the Texas coast. It killed 22 people and caused a billion dollars in damage. Many children have lived through natural disasters and witnessed difficult things. Creating a safe space for them to talk and write about their experiences is a form of healing. Today, as we remember the [...]
By Marcia
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Also posted in family, Houston, nature, poem a day, poetry, student, writers in the schools, writing
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Tagged Hurricane Alicia, hurricane poem, Natural disaster, storm poem, texas, weather, weather poem
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As teachers, many of us must spend time teaching the personal narrative in preparation for state testing exams. We concentrate on organization, clarity, word choice, grammar, and other writing “essentials.” The child’s real story, though, sometimes gets lost. As I prepare to return to the classroom (and all of those What I Did This Summer [...]
By Marcia
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Also posted in essay, family, Houston, poetry, student, writers in the schools, writing
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Tagged Afghanistan, Afghanistan war poem, brother poem, dream deferred, Langston Hughes, poetry, war poem
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Our Green Tomorrow is sponsoring a writing contest for kids. Deadline: October 31st, 2011. What to submit: Based on our topic, children between grades 6-12 can either submit a written entry or scanned artwork that relates back to the environment. The main goal is to encourage kids to start thinking positively about the environment and the way [...]
May 20th is Flower Day. Robin Reagler, Executive Director of WITS, often tells the story of her mother explaining to her what she needed to do to be a poet. The first thing on the list? Memorize the names of 20 flowers. So, Robin got right to work: daisy, azalea, silverbell, dahlia, magnolia, petunia, zinnia, [...]
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates the Mexican army’s unexpected victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In Houston, the city with the third-largest Mexican population in the United States, Cinco de Mayo is a popular day for recognizing and appreciating Mexican heritage and culture. In honor of Cinco [...]
I come from the dog that barks in my neighbor’s backyard. I come from the noise of the hurricane in 2008 when many things were crushed. I come from the clouds in the middle of the sky. I come from a tree in the middle of the world where it’s quiet. by Jonathan, 2nd grade [...]
I hear the sounds of gangs fighting like red fire, lobster and shrimp being cooked on orange, warm grills. People being served at tables with happiness, the loud sound of barking dogs that turn black, sounds of footsteps walking through the night with sadness, loneliness roams in the air, gleaming light from the moon that [...]
