Category Archives: publishing

Calling Houston Young Writers

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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.

Celebrate Literacy with HoustonPBS

Hosted by Houston’s former First Lady, Andrea White, the evening will include a panel discussion moderated by KUHF News reporter, Edel Howlin with leaders from local literacy organizations. Mrs. White will also debut her new children’s book Tummies on the Run, with co-author Mimi Vance.

Admission is FREE but you must register online.

Featuring a distinguished panel of literacy experts:
Margaret Doughty, Literacy Powerline
Sheri Foreman, Houston Center for Literacy
Dr. Rhea B. Lawson, Houston Public Libraries
Robin Reagler, Writers in the Schools

Presented in conjunction with World Book Night.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 6:30pm
at the United Way Community Resource Center.

Presenting Sponsor: John P. McGovern Foundation

For more information call  713-743-8459  or visit
www.houstonpbs.org

Books Alive! Houston Public Library Contest

ENTER and WIN
Contest to Win a Catered lunch with Tom Angleberger
Contest is open to children ages 6-12
Use your creativity, you will. The Houston Public Library wants to see your Origami Yoda-inspired art or fiction. Fifty winners will be rewarded with a catered lunch during the third annual Children’s Book Celebration on Saturday, May 5th, 2012.  The contest winners and one adult guest each will be treated to a delicious meal and an autographed copy of Tom Angleberger’s book, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.  Winners will be ages 6 to 12 years old; twenty-five winners will be from the 6 to 8 age group and twenty-five winners will be from the 9 to 12 age group.
Instructions:
You may submit your contest entries to your local library, or you may submit entries by mail.*
Please mail submissions to:
Houston Public Library
Attn: Programming & Youth Services, Deborah Moore
500 McKinney St.  | Houston, TX 77002
Your submission must include:
  • Child’s full name
  • Child’s age & grade if applicable
  • Parent or guardian full name AND if this is a class project, the teacher’s name
  • School attended (if not applicable write home school)
  • Contact information so that we may contact you if you win:
  • Two phone numbers OR one phone number and an email address
For more information call 832-393-1313.
DEADLINE IS APRIL 16, 2012.
WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAY 1.
*Note: Traced or copied artwork or images will not be accepted; please do not use copyrighted images. One person per entry and one entry per person. Please limit story to two pages typed.

Landon Godfrey’s New Book of Poems

Cider Press Review just published former Writers in the Schools (WITS) writer Landon Godfrey’s first book of poems Second-Skin Rhinestone-Spangled Nude Soufflé Chiffon Gown.

David St. John selected her manuscript for the Cider Press Review’s book award in 2009.

If you’re interested in buying the book, you can find it at the Cider Press bookstore as well as book stores such as Malaprop’s in Asheville, NC. Amazon also carries it.

 

Congratulations to Helms Elementary Students!

Three Writers in the Schools (WITS) students at Helms Elementary (HISD) will have their winning poems published in the Young Writers of America Annual Students Anthology!

Congratulations to 3rd graders Joshua Martinez, Bella Corona, and Emily De Leon, who are students in Ms. Jennifer Martinez’s class and work weekly with Writers in the Schools (WITS) writer Yolanda Schulte-Ladbeck.

Here is Bella’s poem:
What I Learned from my Uncle

I learned from my Uncle how to be funny.  I know how to make my Mom and Dad laugh.
I learned from my Uncle how to communicate in sign language.  I can teach my friends now.
I learned from my Uncle how to look for pictures in the sky.  I can find me riding horses in clouds.
I learned from my Uncle how to say kind words.  I don’t say bad words and I stay away from strangers.
I learned from my Uncle how to decorate my room.  I have stars in my room that glow.

To read the other winning poems, please visit Helms Elementary website.  Go, students!Writer at work 259/355

Photo by immsm via Flickr

National Playwriting Competition

English: Broadway show billboards at the corne...

Image via Wikipedia

FROM OUR FRIENDS
at
Young Playwrights Inc.

Do you know a young playwright,
under the age of 18?

National Playwriting Competition

Deadline: January 2, 2012

Young Playwrights Inc. is holding a competition for playwrights under the age of 18. The winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to attend the Young Playwrights Conference and collaborate with professional theater artists on an Off-Broadway staged reading of their plays.

For submission instructions and competition rules:WWW.YOUNGPLAYWRIGHTS.ORG.

Houston Texas Online Contest for Young Writers and Artists

Target by Jasper Johns

2012 Children’s Contest Rules

Subject = Adventure

The final deadline for entries is March 31, 2012. Children are encouraged to submit their work to Houston-Texas-Online as soon as possible. They will receive 10 extra points if they submit their work prior to December 31, 2011. These extra points will count toward the final judging.

Entries will be displayed on the web site once they are received so more people will be able to admire their work.

AGE  Children in grades 1 & 2 (also those who are 6 years old and not yet in 1st grade during the year of the contest) are eligible.

Children in grades 3 – 5 (also children in 6th grade who are 12 years of age any time during the year of the contest) are eligible.

QUALIFICATIONS  Children must be residents of Harris or Fort Bend County, Texas and may attend public or private school or be home schooled.

REGISTRATION  Any child who plans to enter the contest should be registered as soon as possible. You may simply send an email with the child’s name, grade, age and parent’s contact information.

ENTRIES  1st-2nd Grade – may compete in art. Only one entry may be submitted per child.

3rd-5th Grade – may choose only one category – either art, poetry or short stories. Only one entry may be submitted per child.
ART WORK  Art work must not exceed 18″ x 24″ and may be media of the child’s choice. If you are considering submitting art work other than water color, oils, pastels, chalk, crayons, colored pencils, etc., please send an email describing the type of art you are considering so that we may verify if it would be acceptable.um number of entries in each category = 100. The first 100 entries received will be eligible. Please submit your work as early as possible.

Original art entries should be delivered to Linda Moore. Please contact Linda when you have an art entry ready to drop off and she will furnish you the location.

POETRY Poetry must be neat and easy to read and limited to one single page. It is preferable if the entry is typed and double-spaced (Times roman, 12 pt), but may also be printed if child does not have access to a computer and printer.

SHORT STORIES  Short stories is a new category for 2012. Short stories should be no longer than two single pages, preferable typed (Times Roman, 12 pt.) and double spaced. If child does not have access to a computer and printer, they may print as long is it is very legible and limited to two single pages.

Entries for poetry and short stories may be emailed to Linda Moore or you may contact Linda for mailing instructions or address for personal delivery.

Each entry must have an entry form completely filled out in order to be eligible.

IMPORTANT  Do not put the child’s name or any other personal information on the “front” of the entry or they may be disqualified.

ENTRY FORMSEntry forms must be completely filled out and attached to the back of the entry

To print out an entry form, click here

If you cannot print the entry form, you may type or print the following information and either tape, tack or staple to the back of the submission

  • Child’s full name
  • Child’s birth date
  • Parent’s name
  • Home address (must reside in either Harris or Ft. Bend County)
  • Phone # (home, work, cell)
  • Email address
  • School Name
  • Grade
  • Principal
  • Teacher
  • Contact information for teacher or principal (phone # and/or email address)

AWARDS CEREMONY  Children must attend the awards ceremony to receive their awards. In case of an emergency, another family member or their teacher may accept the award for them.

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop. In addition, the winning poem will be published in The Kenyon Review. The runners up will also see their poems published. 

The contest is named in honor of Patricia Grodd in recognition of her generous support of The Kenyon Review and its programs, as well as her passionate commitment to education and deep love for poetry.

The final judge of the contest is KR poetry editor David Baker.

Submissions will be accepted electronically November 1 through November 30, 2011. The link to the submissions page for the contest will be active from this webpage on November 1, 2011.

Check out the guidelines and ubmit your work to the Patricia Grodd Poetry Contest by visiting the website.


Making a Mark: Raising Awareness of Childhood Cancer

September 2011 is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  To raise  awareness, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers (TCCHC)  sponsors an extraordinary event called Making a Mark, the annual art  exhibit presented by The Periwinkle Foundation.

The Periwinkle Foundation, which reaches more than 4,000 children every year, provides programs for children, young people,  and their families who are challenged by cancer and other life-threatening  illnesses. It operates Camp Periwinkle, Camp YOLO, Family Camp, and the Long Term Survivor Program.  It also supports the Arts & Creative  Writing Program at the hospital, which culminates each year in Making a  Mark.  Writers in the Schools (WITS) is honored to partner with The  Periwinkle Foundation and offer creative writing workshops in the clinic every week.

Every September I look forward to Making A Mark, which features art and  creative writing by patients and their siblings. The poems, stories, and  visual art make a powerful statement about the healing that the arts can  bring to patients and their families affected by cancer and blood disorders.  In addition to the framed artwork, there are copies available of The Splendid Review, a publication of creative writing by patients and siblings who worked during the year with a WITS writer.

One aspect I particularly love is the collaborative piece that a professional guest artist, Periwinkle volunteers, and the children create together.  Come out and meet Guest Artist Ann Johnson and see the amazing Friendship Fence that she and the children have created. You are invited to Texas Children’s Cancer Center’s Making a Mark® art exhibition on Sunday, September 11, 2011, from 2-4 pm on the Auxiliary Bridge between Texas Children’s Hospital Clinical Care Center and West Tower. Complimentary valet parking will be provided at the Clinical Care Center and the reception is open to the public. 

A panel of judges selected blue ribbon pieces of art in three groups they felt most effectively represented Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Past exhibits have been shown in Japan, Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, and numerous cities throughout the state of Texas.  Don’t miss your chance to see this year’s inspirational exhibit presented by The Periwinkle Foundation.

“One Book, One City”

Have you heard about Gulf Coast Reads: On the Same Page, a “one book, one city” program that will take place through September 30th, 2011?  Everyone in the the city of Houston is invited to read and discuss the book One Amazing Thing by author Chitra Divakaruni, an internationally acclaimed writer who is featured in one of our  WITS public service announcements and a big advocate for the work we do in the community.

This educational and fun citywide reading initiative is being presented in partnership by the Houston Public LibraryFort Bend County LibrariesHarris County Public Library, and Montgomery County Memorial Library.

The goal of Gulf Coast Reads: On the Same Page is to cultivate a culture of reading in Houston by encouraging people to come together in libraries, bookstores, community centers, homes, places of worship, schools and parks to discuss the book. This program will take place Saturday, August 27 through Friday, September 30, 2011.

For more details visit www.gulfcoastreads.org. More information will become available on events, book discussions, and author visits.

Please submit your personal story of “one amazing thing” that you’ve experienced to Gulf Coast Reads!  Share your story with the rest of Houston.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the arts to unite our city!

Crashtest Magazine Seeks Submissions

Writer Wordart

Image by secretagent007 via Flickr

Call for Submissions—High School Writers

If you are a teenager currently enrolled in high school, grades 9-12, Crashtest, the new online literary magazine for high school writers, would like to hear from you!Crashtest publishes poetry, stories and creative non-fiction in the form of personal essays, imaginative investigation, experimental interviews, and more.

They are looking for writing that has both a perspective and a personality. They’re looking for authors who have something to say. Check them out at here.

Crashtest only accepts email submissions. Visit their site for sample work in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Go to www.crashtestmag.com for complete guidelines.

The WritingFix Project

happy kids with their painted face

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re a teacher trying to figure out her first-day-of-school writing prompt, visit the Northern Nevada Writing Project (NNWP) for some wonderful, interactive writing lessons that will get you off to a brilliant beginning.  The NNWP WritingFix page is set up for teachers and features many helpful ideas, routines, and practices for the writing classroom.  Many of them involve art or other forms of fun, hands-on inspiration that will get students in the mood to write!

One of the best parts of WritingFix is YOUR STUDENTS.  That’s right.  NNWP posts high-quality lessons and resources provided by NNWP workshop presenters, but you don’t have to live in Nevada to take advantage of them!  You are welcome to use these lesson plans, available online for free, and then report back on how they manifested in your classroom.

What’s the coolest part of WritingFix?  YOU!  You get to submit work by your students, and many of them are posted as student samples on the website.  This is a fantastic publishing opportunity for your students.  I used the countdown and count-up stories from WritingFix last year in my classroom, and they were a huge hit!

By Marcia Chamberlain, Writers in the Schools

Child Authors

When our daughter turned 4 years old, we signed her up for the Summer Creative Writing Workshops sponsored by Writers in the Schools and Rice University’s School Literacy & Culture Project. Carrie wasn’t really “writing” at all when she started camp, but she was bursting with energy and ideas. By the end of camp, she had amassed, through dictation and scribbling and drawing, a stunning portfolio of stories and poems and illustrations. She announced to anyone who would listen, “I’m a writer.” And she was.

If you have a young child and you’re looking for a wonderful summer literacy experience, please visit our website to sign up for summer writing camp. You may be nurturing the next Hilda Conkling!

Hilda Conkling started writing poetry daily when she was just four years old. Her mother, a teacher at Smith College, began sending Hilda’s poems to magazines and when she was 10, she had one hundred poems collected and published entitled Poems by a Little Girl.

by Marcia Chamberlain, Writers in the Schools

Book Jargon

These days I’m amazed and excited by all the new book jargon. In addition to nooks and kindles and kobo e-readers, there are terms such as POD, reflow, and XML. It makes me giddy.

On the other hand, I still love good old-fashioned book jargon too. When our oldest daughter was in kindergarten, she learned about the basic parts of the book: the cover, the spine, the table of contents. I smiled and smiled as she named and pointed to each one.

When I teach book jargon, I gravitate to the less practical terms. Who can resist the beauty of sticker ghost, the place where glue from a sticker has reacted chemically to discolor the surface leaving a ghost-like trace? My students always like words such as worming, the small hole in the page of a book left by a book worm, and dog-eared, when the corners of pages have been turned down like a dog’s ear.

Do you have a favorite book term? Share it with us in the comments section.

by Marcia Chamberlain, Writers in the Schools

Publishing Op: Crash Test Magazine

If you are a teenager currently enrolled in high school, grades 9-12, Crashtest, the new online literary magazine for high school writers, would like to hear from you! the deadline for the inaugural issue is APRIL 15, 2011.

Crashtest publishes poetry, stories and creative non-fiction in the form of personal essays, imaginative investigation, experimental interviews, and other invented forms. The editors seek writing that has both perspective and personality.

For more information and to submit your work online, click here.