2021-22 Writers in the School Anthology Launch
Students, educators, families, and festival attendees gathered at the Park Stage for the launch of the 2021-22 Writers in the Schools anthology, To the End, Through the Tunnel. Ten students read their poems, short stories, and essays from the anthology to a captivated crowd of nearly 200.
Order the WITS anthology here!
Youth Workshops
Thirty students were served by three free youth workshops at the Portland Book Festival on Saturday taught by WITS writers. Students explored the intersections of art and writing in the classes held in the Portland Art Museum.
Middle School Workshop
In Dey Rivers’ workshop, “what I mean when I say: art meet poetry,” middle school students created ekphrastic responses to poetry and some art works, including pieces currently found at the PAM. Rivers shared ekphrastic works by Dr. Eve L. Ewing, Carrie Mae Weems, and Douglas Kearney to give students a basis for black out poetry.
High School Poetry Workshop – Poetic Sculpture
In Alex Behr’s high school poetry workshop, students looked at art and typography and then created their own wooden sculptures with poems they wrote in the class.
High School Prose Workshop – Dialogue
Damien Miles-Paulson’s dialogue class for high school students had opportunities for eavesdropping-as-material, with students writing and performing conversations.