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Some of you might remember David Harrison from the New Jersey Annual Summer Conference.  He was the keynote speaker in 2010 and also did an Intensive and a number of workshops to help our members. 

Well, David is conducting a Poetry workshop this coming year for the Highlights Foundation.  I am letting you know this early, because the space is limited and you might not get a spot if you wait.

If you decide to attend, I can let you know that David is extremely helpful in giving his time and expertise to other writers and he is very saavy about social media and new technology.

You can visit his website at: www.davidlharrison.com or his blog dedicated to poetry: www.davidlharrison.wordpress.com

Here is the information about how the workshop 5 -day layout and what you will learn.

Highlights Foundation

Poetry for the Delight of It 

Workshop Description 

Date: September 28 – October 3, 2013

Arrive Saturday, September 28, at 3:P.M. for a tour of HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN and Boyds Mills Press. Ends Thursday, October 3, after lunch. 

Designed For: From budding poet to published veteran, we learn and teach at every stage. If you like to think, talk, write, and share poetry, this one’s for you. 

Limited participants 

Group activities:

• Four key workshops:
  • Conceiving ideas for poems
  • Rough drafting
  • Revising & Rewriting
  • Tips on marketing
• Discuss and practice poetic techniques  
• Verse and free verse: pros and cons
• Become better readers of our work
• Learn what to look for in good/bad poetry
• Become better critics of our work
• Meet and hear special guests 

Individual activities will include time to:

• Practice writing what you’re learning
• Be still with your thoughts
• Start something new
• Meet one-on-one with your workshop leader
• Have your work critiqued by your workshop leader
• Fun, impromptu gatherings to share poems
• Chance to learn from others 

What you will accomplish:

• Write poems
• Practice fundamental elements of poetry
• Return home excited about the new poems you will write 

What we will accomplish:

• Make you a better poet
• Create a community of poets 

IT IS TIME TO NOMINATE WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING www.kathytemean.wordpress.com for the WRITER’S DIGEST’S 101 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS!

If you have enjoyed the articles and information you received everyday this year, please help by dominating my blog. Submit an email to [email protected] to nominate my blog www.kathytemean.wordpress.com

I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Today was the first of 7 poetry sessions with a group of teen boys at my local juvenile hall.

It wasn't as bad as my first classroom speaking experience 15 years ago when I had to swallow back tears after something a kid said to me and the teacher let slide. (Truly, I wanted to run from the room in tears.)

It wasn't as good as some of my other class visits, like a mother/daughter bookclub where the girls WANTED to be there, WANTED to meet me, WANTED to do what I came to do.

It was about what I expected which was probably fine for them, was fine according to the teacher, but considering the very high standards I set for myself, I graded it a C.

I brought in colored portfolios for them to keep their work in. They thought that was cool, especially when I said they could decorate them, within the rules of the hall. I'm bringing the portfolios back and forth so I can comment on them but at the end of the session, they can keep them. A couple of them were very excited about that.

Right now there are 9 boys. I think we lose one by the next session but there could also be someone new. It will be constantly changing.

Of the 9, 1 speaks little English. He couldn't, wouldn't do anything. Wouldn't try. I don't know how much English he really knows but he used his lack of it as an excuse, no matter the options we came up with. He will be a struggle.. He is also a bit of a trouble kid (I know, they all are, but some are trying and some just want to stir things up.) I expected a couple of these so I am not surprised.

Sitting next to him is the worse of the group. He only wants to write about sex and drugs. Everything is a joke. He has no respect for anyone in the class. I expected someone like him too. He is the type to try to keep in bounds, (He only wanted to write about being a cocaine addict.) He is also the type who, if touched, will write something outstandingly real.

Two in the front worked very hard, one even read outloud.

Of the two in the back, on the right, one worked non-stop but didn't want to share. One kept his head down the whole time and did nothing.

Of the two in the back, on the left, one is a boy I knew from the community school before. It was sad to see him there. His english has improved but his concentration has not. He is bigger now. He has tatoos that weren't there before. He didn't remember me but he remembered the teacher I had worked with on that project. He wrote, mostly stuff that made no sense, but he wrote.

Next to him was a boy who tried very hard the whole time. He even smiled while he worked. Probably going to be my star.

In the front was Mr. Tough Guy, at a table alone. He didn't write much and I got a sense of learning disabilities, but he was very good at participating verbally.

Note - I am writing all this before I read their work that I brought home.

I started with a little background on me. Funniest part of the day was when I told them I was 50. They were shocked.  50 was supposedly to be a little old lady in their minds.

I read some poems from my book, Hugging the Rock. I asked them some questions but only one of them garnered a response.

We moved to some writing exercises, brainstormed some words on the board, and wrote some simple acrostic poems about their name and some words that described them. A painful process for most of them. A painful process for me.

We also did an exercise where I took in lines from a poem that had been cut apart and let them put back together then I read the original.

At the end of the session I let them vote on what they wanted for art tools - markers or colored pencils. I thought they'd choose markers but they chose pencils. Now to find them some good bargains on pencils, erasers and paper.

After the fact analysis.

90 minutes is way, way too long. I knew it was going to be tough. The teacher told me after the session today that they are used to getting a break every half an hour. I'll do that next session which should help.

I had originally thought to keep art apart from the writing because I wanted to keep their focus. Now I think I am going to art at the end of each session, an hour of writing to a half an hour of art. It will be the reward for participating.

The cut up poem was a good idea in theory but I think I needed a different poem, shorter even. This one was 12 lines but I think half of that would be enough, more than enough, for them.

Biggest challenge - figuring out how to make an emotional connection with them.

Hardest things for me, facilitating conversation. How to fix that? I have no idea.

Next hardest thing - making a cohesive session rather than jumping all over the place. How do teachers in the classroom do that?

Next hardest thing - remembering all the stuff I want to talk about. Not being able to pull things out of my head when I need them.

Internal problem I'm struggling with - the idea of teaching poetry. Teaching writing feels comfortable to me but this is supposed to be all about poetry and for some reason that is causing, as my grandmother used to say, a hitch in my giddyup.

Next visit is Wednesday. Hope I figure out some new tricks by then.