The Writing Lives Story Project

For the last two years, I have worked as Outreach Assistant for Wick.  I travel to elementary and high schools, as well as to after school programs, to conduct poetry workshops with students.  Recently, I worked with at-risk youth in Portage County’s Arts Alive! program.  These students always seem eager to express themselves, often moreso than students in traditional high school classrooms.   

It's been, though, a bit of a selfish endeavor.  The cliche says that the teacher will learn more from the students and so forth.  It is cliche, but true.  I primarily write fiction, but find the devices associated with poetry are very useful when applied to my prose - careful selection of words, concrete detail, etc.  Working with kids through Wick Outreach has made me develop and hone new poetry skills.  The students benefit from an outlet which allows them to tap into themselves and create from the inside.  I benefit from constant preparation for and the experience of leading these poetry workshops, and forcing myself to cultivate a new crop of writing skills. 

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