Don’t miss out on what Houston Press named the Best Reading Series 2011.  The next Public Poetry event will take place at 2 PM on November 5^th at Discovery Green.  As usual, you’ll meet award-winning poets as well as children authors who have worked with WITS writers in schools, hospitals, libraries, museums, and homeless shelters.

The Featured Poets on November 5^th are Sam Amadon, Robin Davidson,  Elisa A. Garza, and Dave Parsons, the 2011 Texas Poet Laureate.  Each Featured Poet has 6 minutes to read, followed by a short WITS student poem, another fast round, and a final bonus student poem.  You won’t want to miss the 2 PM start, with a special guest appearance by Houston singer/songwriter Don Sanders.

President Obama issued a White House proclamation that states that “we must recognize the contributions of the arts and humanities not only by supporting the artists of today, but  also by giving opportunities to the creative thinkers of tomorrow.”

Image by radcerna via Flickr

Every July in Houston DockDogs come to town.  DockDogs will take place at Discovery Green for its fourth year on Friday, July 1 to Sunday, July 3. This national dog jumping competition features four-legged athletes who compete for prizes in jumping competitions.  They leap and fly over water and through the air to catch frisbees and toys.

In honor of dogs who love the water, here is a poem by Gary Soto.   In WITS classes we often use Soto’s poems to teach children how to write about things that they love, such as their pets.

Like the cat he scratches the flea camping in fur.
Unlike the cat he delights in water up to his ears.
He frolics. He catches a crooked stick – 
On his back he naps with legs straight up in the air.
Nelson shudders awake. He responds to love
From head to tail. In happiness
His front legs march in place
And his back legs spark when they push off.
On a leash he knows his geography.
For your sake he looks both ways before crossing,
He sniffs at the sight of a poodle trimmed like a hedge,
And he trots the street with you second in command.
In the park, he ponders a squirrel attached to a tree
And he shovels a paper cup on his nose.
He sweeps after himself with his tail,
And there is no hand that doesn't deserve a lick.
Note this now, my friends:
Nelson can account the heritage of heroic dogs:
One, canines lead the blind,
Two, they enter fire to rescue the child and the child's toy,
Three, they swim for the drowning,
Four, they spring at the thief,
Five, they paddle ponds for the ball that got away,
Six, for the elderly they walk side by side to the very end,
Seven, they search for bones but stop when called,
Eight, they bring mud to all parties,
Nine, they poke among the ruins of a burnt house,
Ten, they forgive what you dish out on a plate.Nelson is a companion, this much we know,
And if he were a movie star, he would do his own stunts – 
O, how he would fly, climb the pant legs of a scoundrel
And stand tall rafting on white-water rivers!
He has befriended the kingdom of animals:
He once ran with wolves but admittedly not very far,
He stepped two paces into a cave and peeked at the bear,
He sheltered a kitten,
He righted the turtle pedaling its stumps on its back,
Under the wheeling stars he caravanned with the mule,
He steered sheep over a hill,
He wisely let the skunk pass,
He growled at the long-bearded miser,
He joined ducks quacking with laughter,
Once he leaped at a pheasant but later whined from guilt.Nelson's black nose is a compass in the wilds.
He knows nature. He has spied spires of summer smoke,
He circled cold campfires,
He howled at a gopher and scratched at the moon,
He doctored his wounds with his tongue,
He has pawed a star of blood left in snow.
He regards the fireplace, the embers like blinking cats,
This too we know about Nelson.
True, he is sometimes tied to parking meters
And sometimes wears the cone of shame from the vet's office.
But again, he is happiness.
He presents his belly for a friendly scratch.
If you call him, he will drop his tennis ball,
Look up, and come running,
This muddy friend for life. When you bring your nose
To his nose for something like a kiss,
You can find yourself in his eyes.

David Avent charms the crowd with his poem, "Going to Cuba." Photo by Yvonne Feece

Seventy-five courageous boys and girls read from their hearts on the Discovery Green main stage  this Sunday, proving to the audience they have what it takes. The Blooms reading of the Houston Young Writers Reading Series, presented by WITS, was the biggest literary celebration of the school year thanks to the principals, teachers, parents, sponsors, and volunteers  in attendance, and most of all, to the children who amazed everyone with their outstanding poems, essays, and stories.

Keynote speaker Karen Walrond shared her personal journey of how she became a writer and encouraged the students to own the statement, “I am a writer,” acknowledging that their pieces had been selected from thousands of entries and published in Blooms. (Read more of Walrond’s powerful speech here.) The students shouted in unison from their seats, “I AM A WRITER!” then individually recited their work with strength and conviction.

Congratulations, winners!

Matilde Acosta
Leen Aldarrab
Daniel Alvarez Fedyaev
Etse Amewolo
Edwin Argueta
David Avent
Alberto Avila
Noble Benjamin, Jr.
John Boland
Emily Bonilla
Daylen Brooks
Abigail Calderon
Genesis Cantu
Jocelyn Cardenas
Priscila Cardoso
Graciela Carrillo
Alex Cope
Kassandra Cortez
Sady Davalos
Teagan Davis
Helena de la Cruz
Leyla Delorme
Bella Deutser
Carlos Escamilla
Mia Fares
Natalia Flores
Josseline Garay
Eleanor Geno
Chris Gonzales
Kingston Griffin
Lesly Guerra
Grace Guerriero
Jordan Hall
Gracie Halperin
Olivia Havre
Rhemi Herron
Anuj Jajoo
Xoloni Johnson
Isabella Krafka
Aamir Lateef
Esther Le
Rachel Lee
Ava Leung
Hugo Lopez
Itzel López
Emely Luna
Sadie Many
Anna Miller
Angelique Montes
Ioana Nechiti
Imnet Petro
Grace Rampaul
Saul Rivera
Estevan Rodriguez
Angel Rosa
Emily Salinas
Jose Sanchez
Jefferson Santos
Julian Santos
Ana Serrano
Smrithi Shibichakravarthy
Kevin Situn
Elizabeth Soriano
Deandrea Stevens
Sarah Swackhamer
Jade Treviño
Truc Trinh
Long Hoang Vu
Bryanna Williams
MaddieYoungblood
Julia Zheng
Jose Ramos