Southern Maine Writing Project's Young Authors Camps

Portland YAC - Session 4, Day 3

2011-07-28T21:20:00.002-04:00

July 27th, 2011 was a blast at The Telling Room’s Young Authors Camp. We had opportunities to play games, take pictures, meet new people, and of course, to write.

Molly and Kelly kicked the day off with a tricky game of two truths and a lie. As an entire camp, we managed to guess most of the lies, but we did have a select group of especially good, sneaky liars in there.

Our second activity was interviewing another camper that you did not know very well. You might not even have known their name! After spending a few minutes questioning our partners about things from their favorite color to the most enjoyable food to eat, in their opinion, we went around the large circle introducing each other.

When the previous activity was completed, we quickly shoveled in a snack, and before we knew it, we were onto the next unique thing planned for the day. All of the campers counted off by six. The six different groups hit the streets carrying only strips of paper with phrases that were written by previous Telling Room Students and a camera. Our assignment was to simply place the selected phrase and place it with a person, place, or thing you thought had some sort of connection to it. When you had done that, you snapped a picture and were off to the next location. Our goal was to conjure up some ideas for new and original stories that had not yet been told. This activity worked, and many different stories came from it. It was truly amazing how much inspiration one person can get from an ordinary photo with a few words within it.

Lunch was spent all over the city. Some people chose to go to the faithful Lobsterman’s Statue, others to the wharfs, and some to Tommy’s Park. Each group got a different experience with different memories and inspiration just from a plain lunch break.

After lunch we regrouped at The Telling Room and were lead in some writing exercises by Gibson that included six word memoirs and writing stories based off of reaching into a hat, picking out peoples real and made up secrets, and writing what ever story waltzed into their head.

In all, it was a terrific day at The Telling Room. All of the campers were able to find new inspiration in the activities we were introduced to. I, for one, cannot wait until tomorrow’s day of camp.

~Julia

Portland YAC: Session 4, Day 2

2011-07-26T20:29:00.001-04:00

The Young Author's Camp today was very thought-provoking and fun. It started with a couple pieces of inspiring poetry, and then a special guest, a man who plays the cornet! I loved listening to the different mutes and their effect on the brassy sound. The music inspired some great pieces of writing. After snack, we did a fantastic activity involving poems for multiple voices. I helped create a three-voice-poem about weather. When lunch was over, some kids did an activity about the senses while others stayed in the Telling Room and wrote. After an awesome piece of original poetry, it was time to go home. The day seemed to end much too quickly, but I'm already looking forward to another day of camp.

Welcome John

2011-07-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

First days of work are always pretty weird, even when you're starting a dream job. There's no routine to follow, your work space isn't set up, you don't have keys to get in and you're just never really sure of what you should do. And so it was that I launched myself into my new position as the Creative Director at the Telling Room on Monday July 25, 2011. Lucky for me, when I walked in the door a new Young Authors Camp was just getting under way and I immediately found myself participating in several classic "name games" with 22 young authors. Instantly I was on familiar territory--I'm not really a sit around the office kind of guy-- and all my minor fears of day one slipped away.

As I tended to the much less interesting but necessary tasks of filling out tax forms and setting up my new email account I kept my ears on the young authors in the studio next door to the office. What I heard, and what I didn't hear, was the sound of young authors hard at work practicing the craft of writing. The ebbs and flows of the energy and volume in the studio spoke of engaged young artists brimming with the need and desire to write and to share what had been written. There were moments when the density of discourse became quite dense as multiple voices filled the room with conversations about writing and about the things that young people talk about when they're getting to know each other. There were also moments when every writer in the room was focused on the one person brave enough to share what she had just written followed by a focus on a fellow writer who had listened hard enough to be able to offer some intelligent and supportive feedback to her peer. And there were moments when there was hardly a sound at all except for the sound of pens and pencils scratching across pages as fast as the hands that held them could move. All of these densities speak volumes and all are equally important evidence of students engaged in creative learning that results from creative teaching.

So it was that day one came and went. To be a fly on the wall at a Young Authors Camp is to be a lucky fly. To begin a new job at the Telling Room is to be a lucky professional. And to begin a new job on the same day a camp kicks off is about as good as it gets. Here's to you Young Authors, keep on bringing what you bring and always remember that your stories are important!

Portland YAC: Session 4, Day 1

2011-07-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

One cool sunny morning, 22 young writers gathered in a place called the Telling Room. Some had been there, some hadn’t. Some were friends, some strangers. They wandered around the room, tasting jelly beans and popcorn, molding play-doh, and smelling cinnamon. They drew maps and wrote stories, stories about neighborhood bullies, about touching stop signs, about lawyers and lizards and about the haunting orange stripe in the middle of a piece of candy corn. They scattered in groups to find benches and green spaces around the bustling Old Port, then they returned and wrote about full bookshelves, falling out of trees, and playing lacrosse by the ocean. Thus began the Young Authors’ Camp.

Portland YAC: Session 3, Day 5

2011-07-23T20:59:00.001-04:00

Today was a great farewell day. We played writing games, enjoyed each other's humor and laughed a lot. We took a hot walk through the city and played telephone along the way. We wrote six word memoirs and shared our anthology pieces. Today was a great farewell day.
- Ezra

Topsham YAC Day 3

2011-07-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

Camp

Here at writers camp we
Write in many ways
We write
Learning Autobiography poems and more
We wouldn’t be able to do it if it wasn’t for
Mrs.Aronson and Kaili
So thank-you for making this possible for us to do
Writers Camp

Student Writing

2011-07-21T22:03:00.000-04:00

The Ocean By Saoirse

Ocean water glistens with beauty

Seagulls circle around the ocean buildings

lobster traps stacked columns of five

Small fish swim peacefully in circles

boats parked along the wharf

and here I sit peacefully watching

all of this beauty fitting together like

puzzle pieces

Student Writing

2011-07-21T21:56:00.004-04:00

A poem in two voices

By Abby .M. and Abbie .A.

Tennis racket Tennis ball

I am round and bouncy

I am oddly shaped

Together you can play tennis

I am green and fuzzy

I am made of wood

Together we are a really fun game

I have tape on my handle so I don’t slip

I have white lines around me

When I hit the ball it makes a thwack

I go zooming through the air

The crowd roars

I’ve done it I won

I deserve a round of applause for flying all around

BFF

A soul sister
Almost like a sister
A secret keeper
A BFF
A best
Friend
Forever
Is all of the above

Portland YAC: Session 3, Day 4

2011-07-21T16:38:00.002-04:00

We had another great day at the Telling Room today. We started out by playing a sticky note game. We each got a sticky note and wrote down one sentence to start a story. Then, we stuck them onto the wall and Sarah read them all. We had to pick someone else's and we used it for a great beginning to a story later on. Then, we made a writer's toolbox for ideas for writing. We got a list of characters, problems and settings and we can mix them up to use later. Then, we had some time to write our author's blurb to go with our individual writing in the anthology. We spent a lot of time working on the story for the Chamber Music Festival and Asher Applecrest and his friends search for his missing nuts. It will be awesome. We look forward to our last day of camp tomorrow...not because it is the last, because we are having so much fun!
- Caroline

Portland YAC: Session 3, Day 3

2011-07-20T20:59:00.001-04:00

Our day was exciting, fantastic, phenomenal! Those are some of the adjectives that were used in our wrap up after our Writing Marathon. All of the things you could want in a day. First, of course, we arrived at the Telling Room. We talked about what would happen during the day and how the Writing Marathon worked. Then, we set off to hit the streets! We split in different locations and found comfortable, shady, or sunny spots to write. We shared a bit and set off for a different place to observe. We wrote a whole bunch. Funny, we heard musicians playing at each location. Later we found out that they were arranged and there to spark any ideas and give a nice sound to our writing. At the end of the day, we shared how the experience was for us and shared part of what we wrote about. It was a great day in the city, a warm sun and cool breeze was great.
- Fiona

Portland YAC: Session 3, Day 2

2011-07-19T21:56:00.001-04:00

Our second day at the Young Author's Camp was GREAT! We started the morning by playing a few games called Tell Me About the Time and Fortunately and Unfortunately. After, we got our writing brains all warmed up, we began to write our story for the concert. We came up with some different plots and story ideas. We even got the character names down. We worked right up until snack! After snack, we worked on our own personal writing until we went to explore Portland. Those trips included a fire, a bride, a commercial and a interesting man that tried to teach us how to ring a bell. RANDOM! Who knew Portland could be so pretty, bizarre, and fan? After that, we ate lunch, yum! Then, we came back to the Telling Room and worked on our story a little bit more. We talked about what we did in Portland and worked on out group story. Before we knew it, it was time to go. What a fun, funny and exciting day! - Violet

Topsham YAC Day 2

2011-07-19T21:52:00.000-04:00

We all met in the front of the school ready for a new day of writing. But before we got in side they had a surprise for all the campers. Because it was so hot upstairs, we got to work in the library. But we could only be in there as long as we kept it clean. When we got inside, we started off with word a minute we all love word a minute a good way to start the day. And then after sharing a work with a partner. And then we headed to a quiet place to start on autobiography, all the campers say that it was good, and they enjoyed it. after a while of that we headed outside for snack break. people were in little groups with friends talking and telling jokes. when we got ready to go inside there was yet another surprise, because of the most important poems we did before we left for snack, we get to go to D.Q. on thursday! the idea came from one of the poems people did on ice cream and because its going to be hot why not do a writing marathon all the way to D.Q.! that really made people smile. once we got inside we did art that talks about the work we are doing for the anthology.
Abby and Miranda

Topsham YAC Day 1

2011-07-19T21:51:00.001-04:00

The first day of writers camp have been awesome! It is very hot through out the time here but It seems most of us cool off as soon as we dive into our writing. For the fist day we went over the basics of writers and what they do, then we were sent off to write on our own. At first most people were really into it , but as our time went on it got hotter and hotter, by the time it was over and we were at the meeting, you could see the sweat on the person next to you. But that didn't stop us! After the meeting we went right back in to the world of writers. We started to think about the writing for the anthology after, we were asked to get into groups with people we don't know and read the short story that we had worked on in the free writing time. Then we got to food time, everyone got together in the group and we ate what we had brought for snacks and we talked with friends. When everyone was done most kids had to run around so we went outside to play around for a while, but it was hotter outside than in. We all headed back upstairs, after we all settled down we play a little game of "excuse me what are you doing?" that made a few laughs! But then after that it was back to writing, we started on the autobiographies. and after what seemed like a long but fun time, we had to get everyone to come for closing. After closing we got T-shirts and went down stairs and ready to get picked up. All together day 1 was Awesome and we couldn't wait for the next day.

Portland YAC: Session 3, Day 1

2011-07-18T20:48:00.002-04:00

Our first day of our Young Author's Camp was wonderful. Our theme for the week is sound, so we started the day with a game called Sound Machine. We sat in a circle with our backs towards the middle and created a song with only sounds. The rhythmic woof and boom added dimension to our creation. Patty Hagge came to share some drumming and rhythm we can use with our words. We listened, modeled and shared some very creative works. After lunch, we came back together to hear about a fantastic and collaborative opportunity that the Portland Chamber Music Festival, the Young Authors Camp writers (that's us) and Peek-a-Boo Children's Center will put together. Using a piece written by Dvorak, our campers will write a story to be read while the chamber performs. Also, the Peek-a-Boo Children's Center artists will add scenery for a backdrop to our story. All of these elements will be performed on the 14th of August and our writers might have the chance to take a bow on stage! We hope everyone can make it. We hope that the rest of the week runs so smoothly and we see even more of the creativity that we saw today. We will have a writing marathon on Wednesday and be outside for the majority of the day. So, dress accordingly and see you tomorrow.

Student Writing

2011-07-14T17:22:00.001-04:00

It all started when the sky turned to fire and my nose fell off.

The old prophecy told me that when the sky turns red and a limb falls off, you

become an adult. That limb grows bak in a few seconds.

I was exited for this day, and when the sky turned the color of a brilliant red, I

was joyful. My mother was worried though. She didn't seem to like the

green streaks in the red sky.

Then the sky seemed to swallow me whole, and I felt a tugging sensation at

my nose. Then my nose went numb, and it didn't seem intact anymore.

P.S. The girl's mother kicks her out of the house, and she's stuck between

the adult world, and the world of childhood for the rest of her life.

Thank you Jasmine, Thalia, and Mae

Portland YAC: Session 2, Day 3

2011-07-13T21:02:00.000-04:00

We went on a writing marathon

Edited a few of our stories

Didn't stop having fun

Nor did we stop writing

Escorted our writing to lands that you can only dream about

Shared our stories

Day 3 of camp

And many people asked what we were doing and we answered...

Yes, is the answer if you are wondering if I am a famous writer!

-Grace

Portland YAC: Session 2, Day 2

2011-07-13T13:59:00.000-04:00

Taking pictures

Unbelievable sentences

Extra cool assignments

Stalking people (hahaha not really)

Dramatic papers

Awesome stories

Yahooo!!!!!

By Miss Steampunk

Portland YAC: Session 2, Day 1

2011-07-11T20:01:00.001-04:00

Our first day of this YAC session is over, and the camp is off to a great start. Today we explored Portland, collected both sounds and smells, and transformed this sensory gathering into remarkable writing. I think we are all much impressed with these kids! What a talented group of young authors! After sampling the rich array of smells (and sights and sounds) to be found at Standard bakery (their bread smells oh-so-good - and so do their teas!) we found ourselves inhaling exotic aromas from around the world at Mexicali Blues. Students brought these smells back to the room and embarked on what is arguably a challenging project - group writing. Despite this challenge, I was so impressed with my group, and the other groups, as they began working on their stories, hashing out the details, spontaneously generating ideas, and allowing themselves to be inspired by each other. What was produced was a rich variety of sometimes wacky, sometimes magical stories in which secret agents stole pizza recipes, heroes smeared their bodies in a variety of foods, and tranquil tea houses broke out into all out food fights.

Perhaps the tastiest event of the day came after lunch, when campers were given a sumptuous chocolate, but told, rather than just eat it, they must observe it. They held it in their hands, feeling the round bulk, listening to the crinkle of the foil wrapping. They slowly unwrapped it, watching as the foil opened, pausing to jot down the details. As they ate just half of the chocolate they observed as well, feeling the texture, noticing the smell, and paying close attention to the process of eating a simple piece of chocolate.

Once they had finally been allowed to eat the chocolate, they got down to writing, producing a fun, and insightful collection of short stories and poems that captured the agony of anticipation, the joy that delayed gratification eventually brings, and the loneliness of a wrapper bereft of its chocolaty companion.

It was a "sensational" day...

Portland YAC: Session 1, Day 5

2011-07-01T12:59:00.002-04:00

Lots of friends to say goodbye to.

Always want to come back to the Telling Room.

Super fun here.

Terrific writing that has improved.

Delicious chocolate treats.

A day filled with writing.

You'll always love this camp.

Tons of pieces of writing to publish.

Oh wow! New friends made on the first day stick together.

Wonderful memories to hold on to.

Really, the best writing camp.

In building 225 the magic happens.

Telling Room is the most magical place.

Everybody has improved their writing.

! FUN !

Portland YAC: Session 1, Day 4

2011-07-01T09:49:00.002-04:00

It's so sweltering hot here in the bakery that the chocolate chips on my backside are starting to melt.

Oh my, a half dozen kids are breaking into my house. Let;s call 911!

Hello, I have an emergency! Oh, the pizza delivery guy? Well then, a large mushroom pizza with extra cheese please. While I was distracted by the pizza someone grabbed me by my rotund belly and dropped me into a waxy bag. From what I could see I could tell one of the kids was bringing me to the Ferry Terminal. I could smell the saltiness of the ocean. Then I was off to the Court House to rest in the grass. After that I was hauled off to Tommy's Park where they ate lunch. I WAS EATEN!! My spirit stuck with them when the went to the Telling Room for a bathroom break and sharpen pencils. The walk ended with a visit to Monument Park and the Michael sculpture. It was an interesting day. I learned a lot and I am excited that I made it into a story. What a Writing Marathon!

Portland YAC: Session 1, Day 3

2011-07-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

"Bilbo, what did you see on Earth?"

"Powerful Leader, I visited a place called Young Authors Camp in Portland, Maine. Kids write there. On Wednesday they started with two gesture games and then they heard a poem about a fence that went around a ruined fort. I didn't like the poem. Then the kids wrote about a place they remembered. A girl named Sadie wrote about York, ME. A boy named D.O. wrote about a comic book. A girl named Meredith wrote about a ranch in Texas.

"Bilbo, what a place!"

"Yes Powerful Leader and they eat too. They go out in groups to eat in different places for snack and lunch. After lunch the writers made lists for a tool box. They listed jobs, places, problems, smells, and sounds. They could use these lists to help make short stories. Someone could write about a scuba diver who smells cut grass near the ocean but can't find his air tank. Lastly, the kids wrote their blurbs for the Anthology.

"Bilbo, what is a blurb?"

"It is a little thing that shares something about the author."

"Bilbo, job well done. Two week vacation!"

Portland YAC: Session 1, Day 2

2011-07-01T09:31:00.002-04:00

Once there was a crumb. His name was Joe. Joe practices Kung-Fu. He ate chocolate and then wrote about it. He learned that chocolate was tasty and that you can write a lot about tasty things. Then he stuck words all around the Telling Room and Portland. One set of words was "louder and louder" and he stuck next to a sign that said "if towed call." Then he took a picture of it. When the kids came back to the Telling Room he was REALLY FREAKED OUT. So, he played dead. Then when they left he had a party. The end.

Student Writing

2011-06-28T13:12:00.003-04:00

Thank you Henry.

Baseball Bob loves

Baseball and likes

Baseball soup and

Is sneaky.

Student Writing

2011-06-28T13:10:00.001-04:00

Thank you Cameron!

The important thing about a curtain is that it’s wavy. It ends and starts a show. It makes your window unique, soft but colorful. It is the thing that holds the secrets inside your house. Without one the outside world would see everything. But the most important thing about a curtain is that it’s wavy.

PortlandYAC - Session One - Day One

2011-06-28T10:38:00.004-04:00

We came. We wrote. We laughed.

That’s the six-word memoir for our first day of Young Authors Camp.

Wait, what’s your name? Oh, hello Bob. Will you have snack at the ferry terminal or lunch at the Nickelodeon? The most important thing about food is that it makes your tummy happy. It helps you grow and keeps you healthy but the most important thing about food is that it makes your tummy happy. Thanks Margaret Wise Brown.

Bob, when its time to go home we can use the maps we drew. What cozy nook do you like the most? What story does your neighborhood have? What is your favorite place?

Bob. It was a great first day. We will see you tomorrow!

YAC 2011!

2011-05-09T22:15:00.002-04:00

There will be 8 sessions of Young Author Camps across southern Maine! We are very excited about all our programs and look forward to celebrating the written word with our young writers. Check out the sites and dates on the Southern Maine Writing Project website.

Portland YAC in the Phoenix

2010-08-17T13:10:00.002-04:00

The third session of Portland YAC had an opportunity to meet with Brian Duff, a local food critic. He shared his experiences with the young writers and some of their words in his most recent article.

Enjoy the last bit of vacation. August is the Sunday of summer.

Student Writing

2010-08-01T19:27:00.002-04:00

Thank you Joy for sending this in for everyone to enjoy. It is a perfect piece for a terrific summer. Remember, anyone can submit writing to the blog. Feel free to send along your works in progress.

Hot Fudge Sundae
By Joy

The best food that I ever had to eat was a hot fudge Sunday from Willard Scoops. The sundae had a yummy, fluffy pile of whipped cream on top with nuts scattered though out the sundae. Then there is the delicious, warm, smooth, hot fudge. But then below the whipped cream, hot fudge and nuts, is any home made flavor of ice cream. It is scrumptious!

Portland YAC - Session 3, Day 5

2010-07-30T18:55:00.000-04:00

Friday in a Schedule

8:30 We arrived

8:30-10 Writing prompt and anthology work

10- Snack

10:30 free write, read, writer's blurb for anthology

11:30-12:00 Picture writing prompt

12- Lunch

1- m&m about me

1:20 Paper of questions about camp

1:30 Writer's camp reading

We've had lots of fun,

but it's time to say bye,

Emily, Meg have no fear.

We'll be back next year!

Portland YAC - Session 3, Day 4

2010-07-30T13:57:00.001-04:00

6 1/2 hours of camp
20 campers
4 were not here
3 groups walking around
15 letters in "writing marathon"
5 hours of writing outside (approximate)
8:30 is when we arrive
2:00 is when we leave
6 places we met on the writing marathon
999,999,999,999,999,999,999,

999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999...million loads of fun

Portland YAC - Session 3, Day 3

2010-07-29T09:19:00.000-04:00

I walked into The Telling Room as excited as ever. Today, Wednesday, a food critic was coming in to talk about writing about food. Emily thought it would be fun because that was the writing subject for the week: food. Before the food critic, Brian came, Theo read the opening moment. When Brian came, he talked to us about descriptive food writing, and the different ways to describe food. We got to ask tons of questions and Brian told us about how he became a writer. After he left we had snack and then, for the hour and a half before lunch, we did writing from pictures of people's fridges, making up stories about the people who owned them and the stuff that was in them. Then we had lunch. We could either go to a a farmer's market or sit outside Flatbread's. After lunch we did an activity. We were timed to write as many characters, settings, and problems as we could. Then, we all picked one each for ourselves, and made stories out of them. It was so much fun! For the rest of the day we free-wrote. We had a closing moment, read by Emily, and then we were dismissed. That was the end of Wednesday.
Abbie

YAC Makes News

2010-07-28T13:10:00.002-04:00

The Topsham Young Authors' Camp was highlighted in the local newspaper. Check out the article!!

Portland YAC - Session 3, Day 2

2010-07-28T13:02:00.000-04:00

Took pictures around Portland
Under influence of awesome teachers
Extra fun
Super fun games like "fortunately and unfortunately"
Dark colored pens and markers
Awesome stories
Yellow pencils everywhere

Milena

Portland YAC - Session 3, Day 1

2010-07-26T20:23:00.001-04:00

T oday is the first of five days of fun

E verything was really cool

L unch was a blast at the wharf or flatbread

L etting us have a great time was what the counslers did

I had a great time

N obody is ever bored

G reat things happen while at work

R oom is full of kids willing to learn

O utside the box is where we want to write

O utside the sun is shining

M y day was amazing

Portland YAC - Session 2, Day 5

2010-07-25T20:17:00.003-04:00

I am sad to say that today was the last day of Young Authors’ camp. Today, we picked our final pieces and typed them up. For lunch some of us went down to Tommy’s Park and had a truly bodacious game of Wah. Others of us stayed in to work on writing. When it got too hot, we came back and did the chicken dance! When we got back, we wrote for a bit and then read our stories out loud after singing some songs with Emily. It was a great day to end a great week! I can’t wait until next summer!

Caitlin

Portland YAC - Session 2, Day 4

2010-07-23T08:28:00.003-04:00

Today was the fourth day of writer's camp and it was an unusual day. We were very happy to share our morning with Rohan Henry and Charlotte Agell. They are two published authors and they came to share their work with us and answer our questions. Both have really great books and Charlotte even gave away her newest one about a girl names India. The character keeps a blog. Later we were visited by Justin Ellis who is a reporter. He gave us some tips about interviewing and shared his life as a reporter. We then went out into Portland and interviewed people that we met. Tim had four rules for us. Do not feed the people. Do not touch the people. Do not give away personal information. Always stick with your buddy. We also made sure to thank everyone we spoke to. Young Authors' Writing Camp was a fun place to be on Thursday!

Portland YAC - Session 2, Day 3

2010-07-22T08:27:00.006-04:00

Today we had a really fun time at Young Authors' Camp. We started the day off with story starters. Here are some examples:
Have you ever noticed...
They will never take away...

Once everyone arrived we had the opening moment. It was done by Misha. She played a song called 3 Wishes by the Pierces. Then together we brainstormed some emotions and physical characteristics. Our task was to personify an emotion of our choice. We had to describe what the emotion would look like, how it would move, how it would sound, and how it would make us feel. After we finished our emotion stories we split into three groups and walked around Portland. This was called the Writing Marathon! It was a lot of fun. We went to various places to write stories. Some of the places we visited were the Nickelodeon Movie Theater, Portland Public Library, the farmer's market, Tommy's Park, Widgery Wharf, the ferry terminal, and Deering Oaks Park. After a long day of writing we went back to the Telling Room to share what we had written. Finally, Gracie read an excerpt from Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. That was our closing moment. That was Wednesday at Southern Maine Writing Project's YAC.

Portland YAC - Session 2, Day 2

2010-07-21T08:02:00.004-04:00

Walking snapping pictures

Red lobsters, piers and belly dance

Interesting story lines

Tons of words written down

Experiments with dictionaries

Realy cool haikus (don't you love that word?)

So many people out and about

Excellent starfish in bikinis, duct tape wallets and postcard views

Yes we had a good day

Even though goblins were banned

Phoebe

Portland YAC - Session 2, Day 1

2010-07-19T20:33:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time 29 writers ventured into Portland to find the Telling Room. The roads were crowded and the trip was dangerous. When the writers were safely inside they were inspired by the words of Naomi Shihab Nye and they began to write. They started with Six Word Memoirs:
candy and chocolate is sweet heaven
a masterpiece captured with a click
allergic to tuna, parents don't believe
my neighbor's chickens wake me up
still searching for adventure, as usual
was there magic in the glitter
wrote, danced, hiked, pickled, never slept

The writers then prepared for a week's worth of work. They constructed a writer's tool kit. They brainstormed a list of jobs (Ferris wheel operator, moth ball maker, translator), places (dumpster, ice cream truck, la la land), sounds (popcorn popping, voice of a crusty hobo, high heels on granite), and problems (locked bathroom, no pants, skunk in the tent). They then pieced these ideas together to create the outline of a story. One could have written a story about a Bonsai tree groomer who was in an airplane bathroom and could hear the Muppet Show's theme song, but had lost his translator.

The gifted writers then imagined their futures and planned their author's blurbs. They also reflected on their favorite places complete with sounds, smells, and tastes. The young writers left the Telling Room tired but excited about returning for another day of YAC.

Portland YAC - Session 1, Day 4

2010-07-16T11:13:00.002-04:00

Today at Young Author's Camp, Meredith Goad talked to us about how she visits restaurants tasting food and writes about them for the Portland Press Herald. We conferenced our stories with our camp leaders and Telling Room volunteers to get ready for the big day tomorrow. Also, four rappers, including Sontiago and Astronautalis, came in and played games with us including "rhyme time." I am having a fun time at Young Author's Camp. I can't wait for tomorrow - our last day!

Sarah

Portland YAC - Session 1, Day 3

2010-07-15T15:48:00.002-04:00

Today we took a nice walk in town, after splitting up into groups, and set out looking for inspiration from people, buildings, and we even got permission to eaves drop on people's conversations! We got to see a bunch of sculptures when we stopped to write in the library, and I wrote about a girl with faded orange hair that I saw while we were there. At one o'clock we went back to the room to share what we wrote during our adventure. I hope to hear what everyone wrote about when we finish sharing tomorrow!

Julia

Portland YAC - Session 1, Day 2

2010-07-13T22:31:00.002-04:00

Today was an exciting day! In the morning, nine teacher/writers came in from the Southern Maine Writing Project and wrote with us. Some people shared their stories, including the visitors. Once they left, we had snack for about 20 minutes. Then we had some writing time. After that we split up into two groups and walked around town taking pictures. Once we got back, we sorted through our pictures, picked one, and wrote a story about it. Then we ate lunch and did an activity called "writers toolbox." We ended the day with some extra writing time. I can't wait for Young Author's Camp tomorrow!

Emma

YAC 2010 Begins!

2010-07-12T21:12:00.003-04:00

The Southern Maine Writing Project is proud to be hosting four Young Authors' Camps this summer. Three will be held at the Telling Room in Portland and one will be held at Woodside Elementary School in Topsham. This blog will keep everyone up to date on all the exciting things that happen at YAC. This blog will also give young writers a chance to share their writing.

Portland YAC - Session 1, Day 1

Our first day together was fabulous! We started with beach-ball introductions and learned interesting facts about each other. Campers dove into their writer's notebooks and played with different prompts about food. It's unanimous, our writers love to write a "word a minute" and are looking for a challenge by the end of the week. After a beautiful lunch in a park, we drew pictures of the best, or worst, meal we had and used our pictures to write from. A stellar first day at the Telling Room with a terrific group of writers!

2010-03-12T12:58:00.004-05:00

Brochures and applications for YAC 2010 are now available. Follow the link below and share the information with your friends and teachers. We are looking forward to seeing you this summer! Remember, this blog is a place where you can post your writing. Send your writing pieces to PortlandYAC@gmail.com.

For YAC information visit:
tellingroom.org

Warmer Thoughts

2010-02-16T15:05:00.006-05:00

Winter is returning to Maine with a mid-February snowfall but YAC's attention is turning towards the summer. Three camps will be held in Portland, Maine this summer!

July 12-16 and 26 - 30 will be for writers entering grades 4,5, and 6.
July 19 - 23 will be for writers entering grades 6,7,8, and 9.
There will also be YACs in Topsham, Litchfield, Brunswick, Orono, and Benton.

We have some great plans in place and we can't wait for summer writing! Keep your eyes peeled for brochures and applications in the mail and at school.

November Writing!

2009-11-01T19:40:00.006-05:00

Eat this Essay
Grades 5-8
Mondays, 3-5pm
November 2, 9, 16 and 30

Mint snowballs, sweet plums, and fifty-cent hot dogs.
These three foods inspired three famous poets and
writers to delve into their imaginations to recall stories
of their families, their loves, and their childhoods and
transform them into beautiful pieces of writing. What
are your favorite foods? What person or memory is tied
most strongly to those foods? While answering those
questions, we’ll eat a little, read a little, and write a lot.
Everyone will leave with their own food memoir, and
the final session will be a group reading and feast!

Stop Time Animation
Grades 4-8
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:50
November 18, December 2, 9, and 16

Have you ever wished that your stuffed animals came to
life? Have you imagined the stories they'd tell you? Come
learn the magic of stop-motion animation - a digital video
technique that brings inanimate objects to life! In this playful
class we'll create characters using paper, clay, and other
materials, and then set them in motion using digital SLR
cameras. Together we will create a series of animations in
class, and learn the skills necessary to make your own
animations at home. Students are encouraged to bring story
ideas and their favorite art supplies.

All of our workshops are free. For more details,
and to see a complete list of upcoming workshops,
check out the workshops page at http://tellingroom.org/

Thursday, August 27, 2009

2009-08-27T12:05:00.002-04:00

Enjoy the last few days of summer and best of luck during the school year. Remember to submit your writing to this blog throughout the school year. Also, your anthologies should be arriving soon. They are terrific.

Here is a poem from Molly. Thank you for sharing.

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

I love you.
Though we still have our,
disagreements.
I love you.
Everything you've done,
has paid off.
Saying
"no" to certain things
helps me understand
“the Dangers of this
world”
and the strange people
living in it.

Dear Daddy,
I love you,
but I feel a little unsure of
what you expect of me.
Am I really a snob for wanting to go to
Harvard Law School?
Did you mean it like that?
Or is it because you didn't go to
College?
Or is misunderstanding you my perfusion?

Dear Daddy,
I will always love you.
You don't have to take me out
anywhere.
You don't have to buy me new
clothes.
I can take care of myself.

Dear Daddy,
I want you to let me
grow up some more.
I know I'm only
12.
I have a long road ahead of
me.
But, I just want you to let me be,
and If I fall
all I want is yours and mother’s
support
to help pick me up.

Dear Daddy,
I love you.

Monday, August 10, 2009

2009-08-10T18:21:00.003-04:00

It is terrific to see all this summer writing popping up on this blog. Thank you for sending your pieces along. I hope to see more as August rolls on. The following is a bit of creative writing from Althea.

UNTITLED

Its august now and school is just around the corner. I'm sitting here typing to a friend that lives six states away, wondering what to tell her. There is not much to say as my scedule is more relaxed now since its summer. During the school year I never seem to sit down; always running to my next subject or activity until it is nightime and I can finally sink back into the sofa and bury myself in books. As I stare at the screen a message pops up.

zoogrl: Hey u there

Seeing its Hazel, the girl I'm writing to right now, I debate whether I should answer or not

zoogrl: Hello r u there

I make up my mind

icesk8luvr:Ya

I wait for the next message to pop up.

zoogrl: whats up

icesk8luvr: nothin much. u?

zoogrl: me neither

I stare at the screen for a while. Then open another window before I can travel to another website The other window pops back

zoogrl: HELLO WHY R U IGNORING ME???!!!

icesk8luvr: I'm not

zoogrl: yes u r

icesk8luvr: Just wait 10 min

zoogrl: what u think I have all the time I want on the computer

icesk8luver: I know u do

icesk8luvr: just wait for a little while

zoogrl: fine but its boring

icesk8luvr: thanx

I return to the window and go to www.blogspot.com I make a blog within ten minutes and type my first entry

Summer days

I sit wondering when the next sunny day is so I can go out into a large field with a friend. Together we lay down on the grass finding shapes in the puffy white clouds. We talk and laugh together, somehow growing closer during that period of time. When the next day comes we are both rested and do somthing else such as going to the water park, spending the hours going down huge slides, swimming, and drinking ice cold slushies. How I wish I could do an activity like that today, but it wouldn't work in the rain. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

icesk8luvr: hey I'm back

zoogrl: about time

icesk8luvr: sorry but I had to do somthing

zoogrl: Oh wait...

zoogrl: I have to go

zoogrl: mom calling me

zoogrl: bibi

icesk8luvr: cya

I didn't tell her about the blog, but I don't care. I guess its my privete thing for now. My own project just for me. I love summer.

Friday, August 7, 2009

2009-08-07T11:32:00.006-04:00

The following piece was written following an exciting YAC experience. Our writers had an opportunity to meet with Justin Ellis and Sarah Corbett (see July 28 and 29 entries below). These two journalists shared their writing experiences with us. After our discussions we hit the streets looking to answer the question, "who are the people in our neighborhood." Thank you Kiernan for sharing this with us!

Torrents of Tourists

Tourists, if you like them or not, bring money to our shops. I knew that before I did this article, but I always thought that tourists couldn’t understand Maine culture. Never in a million years did I think that each one had an amazing story to tell.

Joel Wilts is from Connecticut and is extremely fond of his pup, Maya. Mark and Mary-Lou are from Ontario, Canada. Although they are not from America, they do have political opinions for their next-door neighbors. Their thoughts on government agree with most, but not all of the Obama administration. They believe that Canada has much better health care, but patriotic pride is something Canadians lack. On the other end of Mark and Mary-Lou there is Mimi and Giles. Mimi and Giles who are both from Virginia are here visiting family, but that’s the end of the normal tourist story. Giles is a graduate student in urban planning. She enjoys beehives, bike rides, hiking and tennis just to name a few. Mimi is a historical architect and has two cats. Together they have some pretty interesting ideas like public transportation being a human right or organic food being the same price as non-organic which are coupled with some main-stream ideas such as pro-choice and supporting our president, Barack Obama.

Tourists may never understand what it means to be a Mainer, but tourists have amazing stories to tell and are from totally different backgrounds. This article changed my mind about hating tourists because each one has a unique story to tell.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

2009-08-05T11:08:00.005-04:00

Keep sending in those entries! You may send in an entire piece or a few short lines that you are tinkering with. We will get them up for others to read. Send your writing to PortlandYAC@gmail.com. Here is the start of a story from Muntaha.

In the newspaper, headlines read: 1 NEW KIDNAPPED IN LEWISTON.

“Hey, mom! Where does Edmund live again?” Carrie asked. “In Lewiston, he should be coming over on Friday.” It was a Tuesday. Carrie moaned. Edmund was their cousin from Lewiston. He was tall, pale, had black hair, and was very handsome. Although Lewiston was two towns away, he didn’t visit often. And although he didn’t visit that much, Carrie still noticed that when he did visit, he seemed different. And lately, when he smiled at her, it sent a chill down her spine. But, that didn’t mean she didn’t care for him. . . but still.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Went her alarm, which meant it was time to go to school. Carrie, starting that day, officially was a freshman at Portland High School. She was excited, she didn’t know what it would be like in the classrooms. She went to basketball games, and dances that were held in the gym, and the cafeteria. But, she never saw the hallways, or auditorium, or anything else. Carrie made her way down her driveway, and to her bus stop. Outside was foggy, and damp. Not her kind of weather. She stopped at the end of her street, her bus stop. She checked her watch: 7:00. She was ten minutes early, but at least that guaranteed she wouldn’t be late. She looked to her left and saw her neighbors house. She looked to her right and saw the familiar woods she saw everyday. The woods were beautiful, especially in fall with all the different colors. Often, she took walks, long walks that took her deep into the woods. With each trip she discovered something new. For instance, a baby squirrel, a family of deer, a dead animal, or even a new tree. She planned to talk a walk right after she came back from school. Just then she heard the rumble of the bus‘s engine, was it ten minutes already? She thought, she checked her watch: 7:11, wow, time flies. She walked to the door and up the steps. No one else was on the bus, she was the first stop. She chose the seats up front so she wouldn’t have to deal with all the pushing, and she would be the first one out. She looked to see who the bus driver was. It was a man, probably in his mid-forties, signs of gray hair, lots of wrinkles, short, and fat. The man kept on shooting her looks as if he thought she was up to something. She chose to ignore him and gazed out the window as seats were taken and chatter filled the room.

“Hey!” Carrie looked to her side to see her best friend Emma right beside her. “Emma!” They gave each other hugs. And chatted about their summer. They compared their schedules and saw that they didn’t have any classes together. So, they would be hanging a lot after school, and before they knew it they were at the High School. Classes came and went and finally it was lunch time. Carrie and Emma got a table with their other friends.

“So, do you like your teachers?” Carrie asked Emma.

“Well, their all pretty okay, but there is one teacher, Mr. Weisman, who just creeps me out,” she shuddered, “just the way he looks at me, its so weird.” Carrie was about to answer when she looked across the cafeteria to see Edmund staring right at her, an unwavering stare. Carrie shivered, even though it was warm.

“Hellooo! Carrie, are you listening?!” Emma waved her hand in front of Carrie’s face and in that instance where her hand passed her face, Edmund was gone. . . but still she shivered. Carrie got up and started walking to where she had seen him. “Carrie? Where are you going? Carrie!” Emma yelled after her. Carrie went to the table, looked under it, at the tables surrounding it, and down the hallway. He just disappeared. Carrie was confused, no one, is that fast, and no one ever just disappears. Just then Emma was at her side, and just as confused as Carrie was.

“What was that Carrie?” Emma hounded her. “Nothing, just thought. . . Nothing.” Carrie was freaked out, what if he was stalking her? That’s creepy, but it could be true. She thought. But, the fact that he just… disappeared, scared her.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

2009-08-05T10:21:00.009-04:00

The Portland YAC has had a successful summer. We want to thank all of the student writers who generated some wonderful pieces and helped us have fun with our writing. We want to encourage you to keep writing. Share your ideas with others, read your pieces out loud, and play around with words and sentences. This blog can help you broadcast your pieces. Send along a whole piece or part of a piece to be uploaded. E-mail your writing to PortlandYAC@gmail.com You can participate at any time including the school year!

With that in mind here is a student submission. Thank you Michael.

There once was a Telling Room
It's about writing, I assume
There's Emily, Gibson, and Tim
and Dominic writing about someone getting torn limb from limb
Oh, the prospect of getting up in the morning does loom
- Michael

Friday, July 31, 2009

2009-08-01T10:05:00.002-04:00

Today was an exciting day. We started with some writing where Tim gave us some words. The first word was syrup and we had to create a story. Every few minutes he would give us another word and we had to add it in. After our warm up we turned in our pieces for the anthology. It will be fun seeing all the writing in one place. Emily, Tim, Gibson, and a few volunteers helped us type once we picked the ones we wanted. At lunch Misha read her Hot Dog v. Nacho story to the hot dog man who has been talking to us all week. When we came back to the Telling Room we all had a chance to do a reading from our notebooks, make a magnet for the wall, and eat some of Emily's cupcakes.

Have a great summer.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

2009-08-01T09:53:00.002-04:00

Today we did some reporting! We have been looking forward to this for the past few days especially after listening to Justin Ellis and Sarah Corbett. We planned our questions and then went out into Portland and asked random people about themselves. We came across this one guy, Harry, who told us all about where he worked and then he said he was retired! We found the Got Milk festival and got free smoothies, t-shirts, and our pictures with milk mustaches. I was with Molly and Elizabeth and it was so fun!

After our free milk we talked to a couple that didn't really want to talk to us. Then we went into Cool As A Moose with Rachel, Joe, and Maddy. They interviewed the cashier and Joe bought a cool sticker that he plans to put on his tackle box. Joe likes fishing.

When we got back to the Telling Room we continued to kid each other and laugh. We also took our notes from our reporting and created articles about the people we met. They sounded great. We also spent some time looking at all our writing from the week and thinking about what pieces we could put into the anthology.

Today was really fun.
Olivia

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

2009-07-30T12:29:00.006-04:00

I am shy. I am shy to express my own writing but I come to the Telling Room every morning because I love to write. I see my friend Rachel and I listen to her blog entries. I hear her dramatic voice echo through the room. The room that used to be an old warehouse refrigerator. I see my friend Muntaha and wonder what she is writing.

After writing we had a visitor. Sarah Corbett took a visit to the Telling Room. She told the class about her writing career. She told us about the stories she has written about in glossy magazines. They have appeared in magazines like Elle, Runners World, and New York Times Magazine.

Later in the day we walked around Portland for the Writer's Marathon. Many things inspired me to stop and think. Under the dark bridge, people on the benches, conversations on the street. It was a good day at camp.

Mady

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

2009-07-29T09:04:00.012-04:00

I can say that I walked into The Telling Room a little easier today. The first day I was scared. The second day? No sweat. As soon as I sat down they told us that we were going into town to take pictures. Wooohoo! I ended up in Tim's group and found a really creepy alley way. There were tons of graffiti everywhere. Even the pigeons posed for us. After taking about 60 or 70 pictures I had to delete all but two, which is easier said than done.

We also had a guest speaker. Justin Ellis from the Portland Press Herald came in. He told us all about his job and shared some funny stories that he had to write about. Justin writes for the paper and the paper's blog. He even went to the inauguration! I just watched at school instead of having art class but he was there! I can olnly imagine how cool that must have been! Justin wrote about his visit to Southern Maine Writing Project's YAC.

After he was done I went with Emily to eat lunch at the Ferry Terminal. We got to see a ferry boat unload, reload, and we waved as the passengers left. Unfortunately the person in the lobster suit wasn't there. Once we got back to The Telling Room we saw the pictures we took earlier in the day and wrote the stories that were behind them. Mine was about an orphan named Sinnet. She was kind of creepy but fun to write. Then Misha gave the Closing Moment and we left.

Well, there's Tuesday! Straight from the writer's pen!

Rachel

Monday, July 27, 2009

2009-07-29T08:19:00.005-04:00

Mom woke me up and I didn't know what to expect. "I won't know anyone," I thought, as I ate my cereal. "What if everyone was mean?" I thought as I dried my hair. "What if I can't find the bathroom!?"

Okay, so I really didn't need to worry about all that. My worrying really didn't help me at first. My worries didn't turn out to be true. I did know someone. I knew Elizabeth from school. Everyone else was super nice, and yes, I could find the bathroom.

After what seemed like forever we started to write. Never in a million years did I think I would ever write about how much I hate mushrooms. I'm sorry if you like mushrooms but I think they are disgusting! When Gibson and Tim told us we would have a wandering lunch I didn't know what they meant. I ended up going down to the wharf with a small group. The view was beautiful. Claire and I found some mussel shells and I can now write a murder mystery that goes with the shells.

After lunch we came up with "Top 10" lists of favorite words, interesting characters, settings, and dilemmas. I ended up writing a story about an epic racing snail named Melvin who was stuck in Portland because of a hurricane in Texas and his luggage was lost in Vancouver. Poor Melvin.

After that it was time to go home and write this blog entry. Well, there you go! My day, straight from the writer's pen.
Rachel

Thursday, July 16, 2009

2009-07-28T21:43:00.003-04:00

The light came on and kids started coming in for the day. They chatted as they sat down and started working on the morning challenge. They did that for a little bit then Tori read the Opening Moment. They all listened, leaning in. When Tori had finished Tim and Gibson introduced some volunteers and they explained Blurbs. Blurbs are a piece of writing that introduces the author. It can be written any way and it can be creative. Questions were asked and answered and then everyone started in. Kids talked to one another and laughed as they brainstormed. Kids that were stuck gazed around the room until they started writing. After that the kids left for lunch. They didn’t return for 45 minutes. The kids stormed in carrying lunch boxes and laughing. The rest of the day was spent working on independent writing. Looking down from the ceiling I could see a girl writing about a desert. I saw a boy writing about super-sonic snails. I also saw a girl writing about falling into a pond at a mini golf course. I could feel all the good writing floating around the room as I watched the children leave waving good-bye. That was the end of Thursday.

Sierra C.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

2009-07-28T21:42:00.004-04:00

Today we had so much fun. For Opening Moment Gracie read a page from the book Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. We then did a fun assignment. We brainstormed together and came up with a visual (outward) characterization and personal (inward) characterization. Then we brainstormed emotions and wrote a little story or poem about them. Example: What would be some things that would happen if Love walked into an ice cream store? How would Love sound and move? What kind of ice cream would Love order?

Then for three hours we walked around Portland for the Writing Marathon. We stopped at different places to write. The Closing Moment at the end of the day was done by Molly. She read a poem from Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein called Captain Blackbeard Did What? That’s the day. Thanks for reading Wednesday’s blog.

Maddie

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

2009-07-28T21:41:00.002-04:00

Today, Tuesday, was the second day of writing camp. Today was really fun. First, for Opening Moment Maya read something that she wrote in her journal. Then Gibson talked with us about memoirs. He helped us think of past moments by leading us through some quick-writes. After writing we had snack. After snack Tim told us to put our journals away because we were going to do something different. I am not sure what to call it but it was fun. Tim asked us to think about our writing of a favorite place from Monday. We then picked parts we liked and using real maps we made some cool projects. Some were 3-D. At lunch we got to pick where we ate. 5 of us picked Monument Square and go to see a boat building festival. When we got back to the Telling Room we looked at the pictures we took on Monday. We used those pictures to inspire some new writing. I can’t wait to see what we will do tomorrow.

Cassidy

Monday, July 13, 2009

2009-07-28T21:34:00.003-04:00

Today was the first day of Portland’s Young Authors’ Camp. We met new people, thought about writing in new ways, and mined our pasts for writing ideas. We spent a great deal of time talking about words and the power that they have. We spent so much time on words that we may have forgotten about numbers. As Norton Juster writes in The Phantom Tollbooth, “words and number are of equal value, for, in the cloak of knowledge, one is warp and the other woof. It is no more important to count the sands than it is to name the stars.” So here is our Monday by the numbers!

26
The number of writers participating in the first week of Portland’s Young Authors’ Camp.

330
The length, in minutes, of Monday’s session of Young Authors’ Camp.

4,5,6
The grades the writers will be entering in the fall of 2009.

5
Boys attending the first week of Young Authors’ Camp.

21
Girls attending the first week of Young Authors’ Camp.

27
The number of chairs in the Telling Room.

20
The number of stairs it takes to get to the Telling Room.

5
The number of instructors that spent the day with the student writers. A Young Authors’ Camp Director, an Executive Director of the Telling Room, an AmeriCorps Volunteer, a Telling Room Intern, and a Southern Maine Writing Project Volunteer.

1
The grade of Naomi Shihab Nye when she visited Chicago and wrote a poem, which became the subject of Tim’s Opening Moment.

3:49
Minutes spent listening to the CD Our Maine: The Way Life Is, which let us hear writing in which students focus on place. We used these pieces to spark our own writing of place.

128
Number of ounces of apple juice and iced tea guzzled during snack time.

5
The number of sounds Gibson asked us to remember from our dinners at home or lunches at school. We also brainstormed food we ate with our fingers, food we liked, and food we disliked (Brain Soup?!). You are what you eat!

2
The number of oranges the character in Gary Soto’s poem had in his pocket.

12
The number of Opening Moments, closing moments, and blog entries that students volunteered to be responsible for throughout the week.

2
Locations to choose from for our “field trip” lunch: Widgery Wharf and Tommy Park.

130 +
The total number of pictures all 26 writers were allowed to take during our walk around Portland with digital cameras.

52
The number of pictures that were kept to be used for Tuesday’s writing and possibly the cover of the summer anthology.

1,277
The number of miles between the two countries which the poems Gibson shared at Closing Moment were written.

347,832
The estimated number of tourists we bumped into during our walks around Portland on a beautiful Monday.

Today was a great start to what will be a terrific week of writing. I hope you all enjoyed it and look forward to the other four days.

What is YAC?

2009-07-28T08:35:00.008-04:00

A YAC is a Young Authors' Camp. There are seven sites across the state of Maine and hundreds across the country. All sites strive to instill a passion for writing through creative exploration. Teacher Consultants work with students in week-long sessions. Young writers celebrate their work and share their creative pieces in a relaxed summer atmosphere with peers and Teacher Consultant mentors. Summer YACs are one of many offerings provided by the Maine Writing Project through the University of Maine and the Southern Maine Writing Project through the University of Southern Maine. Along with YACs both sites provide Summer Teacher Institutes, Effective Practices Conference, and technology initiatives.

Portland's Young Authors’ Camp is a unique sit in Maine in that it is a collaborative effort between the Southern Maine Writing Project and The Telling Room. The Telling Room: Greater Portland’s Community Writing Center, is a nonprofit writing program in Portland, Maine, dedicated to young writers and storytellers. The goal is simple: To meet each student’s passion for writing with enthusiasm, to provide role models for those looking to further their writing, and to privilege the act of storytelling as a vital means of expression and community building.

To become more familiar with the Southern Maine Writing Project, the Maine Writing Project, National Writing Project, and the Telling Room, visit:

http://usm.maine.edu/cehd/SMWP/index.htm

http://www.umaine.edu/edhd/mwp/
www.nwp.org/
www.tellingroom.org

The entries that follow are from this summer's writers. Each day a student volunteered to reflect on their YAC experience. It will give you snapshot into Portland's Young Authors' Camp 2009.