If so, you should check out Susquehanna University's "The Apprentice Writer" publication, a literary magazine devoted to the work of high school students.
I grew up near Susquehanna and it's a beautiful campus and a fantastic liberal arts college. It's creative writing summer program for high school students is one of the top 3 in the nation!
Here's information on its summer institute, which is highly competitive and prestigious:
Advanced Writers' Workshops
in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction
"Every year I am amazed by the enthusiasm of the faculty in the Susquehanna program. Their passion is contagious; by week's end the students have not only learned much about the craft of writing, but are also energized to continue the exploration of their own creativity."
-Susan Perabo, author of Who I Was Supposed to Be and The Broken Places
Tentative Dates: June 28-July 4, 2009 (Program Details)
Request an Application for the Advanced Writers' Workshop
"Through the Writers Workshop, I learned many skills that helped me become a more accomplished writer. By rooming on campus with the other kids in the workshop, I got to experience the feel of college life and in the process made friends that I still consider to be my nearest and dearest nearly two years later." -Charlie Riccardelli '09
An exciting weeklong experience now in its 20th summer, the Writers Workshop at Susquehanna University provides America's most talented high school writers with the opportunity to work in intensive, small-group workshops headed by nationally recognized authors. One of only 27 programs selected by Early College Programs 2003 as a Best Value in Summer College Programs for High School Students, the Writers Workshop features workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Class sizes are limited to 15 students in order to ensure close supervision and individual conferencing.
The Writers Workshop is open to experienced writers entering 11th or 12th grade in the fall of 2008. Writers Workshop attendees are chosen based on teacher/counselor recommendations and portfolio submissions, and each applicant is required to submit 5-6 poems or 6-8 pages of fiction/creative nonfiction. Portfolios and applications must be postmarked or e-mailed by May 1, 2008, to be considered for review.
"While attending the Writers Institute week-long workshop, I wrote some of my best work and feel that, in the short period of time I spent there, I improved immensely. My positive experience at the workshop is the main reason why I am at Susquehanna." -Yvonne Harris '09
And here is information on submitting:
The Apprentice Writer
Submission Requirements
1. Manuscripts must be typewritten and double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 pages. The writer's name, address, and appropriate teacher must appear on each page. Please be sure to affix sufficient postage.
2. We do not return written submissions. Please keep a copy for yourself. All rights return to the writer after publication. We will ask students whose work is chosen to send an electronic copy.
3. If you are submitting photographs and would like them returned, please include an adequately sized, stamped, self-addressed envelope. You must include your name and address on the back of each photograph. All other work will be destroyed.
4. There are no restrictions on style, subject matter, or length (up to 30 pages). We are looking for the best written work and photography/graphics by high school students (grades 9-12) from the United States.
5. Categories for submissions are:
Fiction
Poetry
Essay
Photography
6. We send copies of The Apprentice Writer to accepted contributors and their teachers.
7. We are unable to acknowledge those works which are not accepted for publication. If you have not heard from us by May 10, 2008, you work has not been accepted.
8. Submit individually or have your teacher send to:
Gary Fincke
Writers Institute Director
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2009
Acceptance announcements will be mailed by May 1, 2009
Publication and Distribution: September 2009
It's never too late to think about the future!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
experiencing technical difficulties...
Hey kids! I've been experiencing difficulties posting to the blog from school - I just noticed that several posts I submitted from my classroom computer have not posted! Fortunately, they were not posts outlining assignments however they were posts full of exciting information about reading!
I'll try to re-post the content tomorrow; until then, enjoy your evening and have a good time at hall decorating in the morning!
Also, thanks to all of the parents who have stopped by the past few days during teacher conferences. It's great to meet face to face and if you ever have any questions, feel free to email me at aweiss@ebnet.org or readwriteweiss@gmail.com.
Ms. W.
I'll try to re-post the content tomorrow; until then, enjoy your evening and have a good time at hall decorating in the morning!
Also, thanks to all of the parents who have stopped by the past few days during teacher conferences. It's great to meet face to face and if you ever have any questions, feel free to email me at aweiss@ebnet.org or readwriteweiss@gmail.com.
Ms. W.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Finish Reading The Prologue for Thursday
Make sure you finish reading "The Prologue" for tomorrow (Thursday). Remember - don't stop looking up unknown words and make sure to continue reading and applying the annotations in order to gain insight!
Reading difficult texts is tough - it's not as simple as reading a contemporary young adult novel written in an accessible narrative voice - so remember to apply the skills necessary for success and ask the questions necessary to unlock meaning. It may take longer than expected now, but it's meaningful work and it will pay off!
Reading difficult texts is tough - it's not as simple as reading a contemporary young adult novel written in an accessible narrative voice - so remember to apply the skills necessary for success and ask the questions necessary to unlock meaning. It may take longer than expected now, but it's meaningful work and it will pay off!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Brit Lit Homework Due Tomorrow October 14th
Read lines 1 - 279 of Chaucer's Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. It starts on page 105 of the textbook and can be accessed from the online textbook as follows:
- Go to my.hrw.com
- Pull the left hand scroll bar down to "Collection 2"
- Pull the right hand scroll bar down to "from The Canterbury tales and The Prologue"
- Click on the link labeled "Read Prologue 2"
While you are reading, make a list of the pilgrims you encounter... don't forget The Narrator!
Also, pay CAREFUL attention to the annotations on the side of each page and the end notes - there will be a quiz taken from this information tomorrow! If you're using the online textbook, make sure to click on the circular hyperlinks found within the text - a pop up will appear with the annotation!
- Go to my.hrw.com
- Pull the left hand scroll bar down to "Collection 2"
- Pull the right hand scroll bar down to "from The Canterbury tales and The Prologue"
- Click on the link labeled "Read Prologue 2"
While you are reading, make a list of the pilgrims you encounter... don't forget The Narrator!
Also, pay CAREFUL attention to the annotations on the side of each page and the end notes - there will be a quiz taken from this information tomorrow! If you're using the online textbook, make sure to click on the circular hyperlinks found within the text - a pop up will appear with the annotation!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Book Blog: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Submitted by Kelly Kisch
At first, the novel "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold seems like an
extremely sad story. It centers on the death of Susie Salmon, a
fourteen year old girl living in the suburbs of Pennsylvania in the
1970’s and opens with her murder.
Brutally rapped and killed by a neighbor, Susie is dismembered and her body parts are scattered throughout the surrounding corn fields; however, there is never enough evidence to convict her neighbor, George Harvey, of her murder.
What makes this book interesting is that Susie is narrating the story from her new home in heaven. She spends most of her time watching her family and friends very closely, but sometimes she takes time out of the story to describe what heaven is
like. In the book, heaven is different for everybody; for Susie, in heaven, she lives close to a high school. She has a swing set outside and every once in a while stray dogs wander in and out of her yard. Her heaven happens to overlap with the heaven of a girl named Holly, who Susie becomes close to in heaven.
From Heaven, Susie watches her family try to cope with her death, and sees despicable things done out of desperation, beautiful
moments, and the ugly reality of a family barricaded from each
other. She watches the lives of those she loves unravel, all the time
wishing she could back to them on earth. More than anything, Susie longs for a chance to grow into a young woman.
The story is sad and heart wrenching at its core, but in the end it has beautiful messages about life and death and turns out to be a great book.
At first, the novel "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold seems like an
extremely sad story. It centers on the death of Susie Salmon, a
fourteen year old girl living in the suburbs of Pennsylvania in the
1970’s and opens with her murder.
Brutally rapped and killed by a neighbor, Susie is dismembered and her body parts are scattered throughout the surrounding corn fields; however, there is never enough evidence to convict her neighbor, George Harvey, of her murder.
What makes this book interesting is that Susie is narrating the story from her new home in heaven. She spends most of her time watching her family and friends very closely, but sometimes she takes time out of the story to describe what heaven is
like. In the book, heaven is different for everybody; for Susie, in heaven, she lives close to a high school. She has a swing set outside and every once in a while stray dogs wander in and out of her yard. Her heaven happens to overlap with the heaven of a girl named Holly, who Susie becomes close to in heaven.
From Heaven, Susie watches her family try to cope with her death, and sees despicable things done out of desperation, beautiful
moments, and the ugly reality of a family barricaded from each
other. She watches the lives of those she loves unravel, all the time
wishing she could back to them on earth. More than anything, Susie longs for a chance to grow into a young woman.
The story is sad and heart wrenching at its core, but in the end it has beautiful messages about life and death and turns out to be a great book.
REMEMBER THE PASSWORD
So you don't have to go back through the blog archives, here is the online textbook username and password:
Username: lenglish22
Password: x2u4
Username: lenglish22
Password: x2u4
Homework Due Tomorrow - October 8th
Hey kids -
Please read "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" on pages 159-165 in the text book or go to the online text book at my.hrw.com and set the tabs to "Collection 2" and "from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and then click on "Read the Narrative Poem".
Pay close attention to the repetition of the magical number three and think about Sir Gawain's initial sin and his cycle of redemption.
Before you read the story, however, take a moment to read this background information; it leads up to the beginning of your reading assignment:
As Sir Gawain and the Green Knight opens, King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table are feasting. Suddenly an enormous green stranger bursts into the hall. King Arthur greets the Green Knight and asks him to state his business. The Green Knight, after a few scornful words about the manliness of King Arthur’s knights, says he only wishes to play a New Year’s game. He challenges any knight there to agree to “exchange one blow for another”—he will even give that knight his gisarme, his two-bladed ax. The stranger says he will stand for the first blow; the knight must agree to let the Green Knight have his turn in a year and a day. Gawain accepts the challenge—no other knight except Arthur himself has dared to, and Gawain refuses to let the king give up his life.
Gawain hefts his ax and chops off the giant green head. But the Knight never falters. He picks up his green head, repeats his challenge, and gallops off with the head in his arms.
Just before Christmas the next year, Gawain sadly sets off on the long journey to honor his pledge. One day he comes upon a beautiful castle. The lord of the castle invites him to rest a few days and then suggests an odd “game.” The lord says that he will go hunting each day and whatever he wins in the hunt he will give to Gawain. In return, Gawain must give anything he has won that day to the lord.
Each day when the lord goes off hunting, his beautiful young wife tries to seduce Gawain. For two days, Gawain accepts only kisses, and true to his bargain, he gives the lord the kisses when he returns from hunting. But on the morning of the third day, the lady not only kisses Gawain but also makes him accept a magical green girdle, or sash. She says that if he wears the sash, he cannot be killed.
When the lord returns from the hunt, Gawain gives him the kisses but keeps the sash a secret.
Now it’s New Year’s Day. Gawain sets off to find the Green Chapel and the dreaded Green Knight. Snow and sleet have fallen, and howling winds have piled up drifts of snow. Gawain leaves the castle with the green sash wrapped around his armor. He is certain he is headed for his death.
Please read "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" on pages 159-165 in the text book or go to the online text book at my.hrw.com and set the tabs to "Collection 2" and "from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and then click on "Read the Narrative Poem".
Pay close attention to the repetition of the magical number three and think about Sir Gawain's initial sin and his cycle of redemption.
Before you read the story, however, take a moment to read this background information; it leads up to the beginning of your reading assignment:
As Sir Gawain and the Green Knight opens, King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table are feasting. Suddenly an enormous green stranger bursts into the hall. King Arthur greets the Green Knight and asks him to state his business. The Green Knight, after a few scornful words about the manliness of King Arthur’s knights, says he only wishes to play a New Year’s game. He challenges any knight there to agree to “exchange one blow for another”—he will even give that knight his gisarme, his two-bladed ax. The stranger says he will stand for the first blow; the knight must agree to let the Green Knight have his turn in a year and a day. Gawain accepts the challenge—no other knight except Arthur himself has dared to, and Gawain refuses to let the king give up his life.
Gawain hefts his ax and chops off the giant green head. But the Knight never falters. He picks up his green head, repeats his challenge, and gallops off with the head in his arms.
Just before Christmas the next year, Gawain sadly sets off on the long journey to honor his pledge. One day he comes upon a beautiful castle. The lord of the castle invites him to rest a few days and then suggests an odd “game.” The lord says that he will go hunting each day and whatever he wins in the hunt he will give to Gawain. In return, Gawain must give anything he has won that day to the lord.
Each day when the lord goes off hunting, his beautiful young wife tries to seduce Gawain. For two days, Gawain accepts only kisses, and true to his bargain, he gives the lord the kisses when he returns from hunting. But on the morning of the third day, the lady not only kisses Gawain but also makes him accept a magical green girdle, or sash. She says that if he wears the sash, he cannot be killed.
When the lord returns from the hunt, Gawain gives him the kisses but keeps the sash a secret.
Now it’s New Year’s Day. Gawain sets off to find the Green Chapel and the dreaded Green Knight. Snow and sleet have fallen, and howling winds have piled up drifts of snow. Gawain leaves the castle with the green sash wrapped around his armor. He is certain he is headed for his death.
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