Okay Geoff, this is such brilliance I recall from your work at YWP. It's easy to try one of these as I just plopped in as.a comment, but a good one takes sweat and time. I have used the challenge many times when doing workshops but never got the depth of stories your students created.
That you did this with students, then chose 6 of them to share publicly with the backing of 6 musical scores written by a student is the kind of creativity that seems lacking. Where does this happen any more?
I have trouble picking, but the one about newspapers is haunting in somehow predicting how decimated or gone the state of news writing is in 2025. But I have admit some wry smile love for the "bird" shop story, as it leaves my imagination reeling to guess what shop it really is.
Thanks for keeping the spirit of true writing alive and sharing it out.
Thanks Cogdog. I really appreciate that. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing to a black hole here.
Hope all is well out there in Saskatoon or wherever it is you live and I hope you are not freezing your knockers off.
We are overdue for a call. But I’m tied up until mid-March — have been made (and I use that term wisely) the new Managing Editor of our town’s monthly/weekly newspaper and am also helping an old friend in California and am filling in as Managing Editor of his operation, Lookout Santa Cruz, while his regular ME is on medical leave. Whew.
Absolutely. The things I learned and saw from my 12 years working with kids were truly amazing. By building a community of trust and respect (online or in their classrooms) they took creative risk, provided each other support and insight, had fun and grew as writers. We did it just long enough -- and the state had writing tests for just long enough -- to see improvement in participating schools' writing test results, too. However, the state changed its testing and eliminated writing tests....
Regarding your project, what a fantastic experience for the authors to not only hear their words read aloud, but to hear the music they inspired! Awesome idea.
And what are *you* afraid of?
Okay Geoff, this is such brilliance I recall from your work at YWP. It's easy to try one of these as I just plopped in as.a comment, but a good one takes sweat and time. I have used the challenge many times when doing workshops but never got the depth of stories your students created.
That you did this with students, then chose 6 of them to share publicly with the backing of 6 musical scores written by a student is the kind of creativity that seems lacking. Where does this happen any more?
I have trouble picking, but the one about newspapers is haunting in somehow predicting how decimated or gone the state of news writing is in 2025. But I have admit some wry smile love for the "bird" shop story, as it leaves my imagination reeling to guess what shop it really is.
Thanks for keeping the spirit of true writing alive and sharing it out.
Thanks Cogdog. I really appreciate that. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing to a black hole here.
Hope all is well out there in Saskatoon or wherever it is you live and I hope you are not freezing your knockers off.
We are overdue for a call. But I’m tied up until mid-March — have been made (and I use that term wisely) the new Managing Editor of our town’s monthly/weekly newspaper and am also helping an old friend in California and am filling in as Managing Editor of his operation, Lookout Santa Cruz, while his regular ME is on medical leave. Whew.
Messed up the six digit code.
Never liked Grampa much. Too bad.
I know I'm young, and poor
For the boy: Dust Bowl. Hardscrabble hunger. Patient photographer.
Geoff, these ideas--the compositions and the challenge--are brilliant. Did the kiddos go on to develop their skills?
Absolutely. The things I learned and saw from my 12 years working with kids were truly amazing. By building a community of trust and respect (online or in their classrooms) they took creative risk, provided each other support and insight, had fun and grew as writers. We did it just long enough -- and the state had writing tests for just long enough -- to see improvement in participating schools' writing test results, too. However, the state changed its testing and eliminated writing tests....
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This is always fun, 1st photo....
Forest shadows claimed them that day.
They say it's better in California.
Once again, giving up. Moving on.
Put the screen away. Touch grass.
In old photos we breathe immortality.
We six emerged. Three thieves didn’t.
No cigarette money; another bad birthday.
Second:
Boy or man. No matter, I work.
Greed took my boyhood. History repeats.
Such a fun game Geoffrey!
For the family: Come children, climb moustache to dreams.
For the boy: Button up, button down. Thread-bare.
He wanted food. A photo, instead.
Regarding your project, what a fantastic experience for the authors to not only hear their words read aloud, but to hear the music they inspired! Awesome idea.
yes, that idea blossomed, was made beautiful by a bunch of kids. imagine that.
My pockets as empty as promises.
Beanpole people coming out at last.
a hundred miles from the fog
Behind his eyes, the dead generations.