Quick Reminder- Applications for the 2009-2010 Girls Write Now Program are due tomorrow, September 15, 2009. If you haven’t turned yours in already, go to the website now and apply!
Girls Write Now
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Contest
Advice for the Aspiring (Fashion/Style) Intern
Quick question, my friends, how many of you read The New York Times? or The New York Daily News? or The New York Post? Metro? AM? (you know, the free papers you get on the way to the subway?) Or any newspaper for that matter?
Not many, right? I can’t really blame you, not many people my age read them either. But, the thing is, I do. Not as much or as thorough as I should, but I’m working on it. So, here’s my idea. When I come across an article that may be of interest to some of you, I’ll mention it here and give you the link so you can go skim read it for yourselves. And if you read something- either online, in the paper, or wherever- that you think is interesting, you do the same. Fair enough? I say we share and share alike.
So, I read something last week (I know), but it’s still relevant. Anyway, I read an article in the Times called, “Looking for a (Long) Leg Up” which gives advice for aspiring fashion and/or style interns from the professionals at Teen Vogue. Apparently applications to fashion schools (like Parsons, Pratt, and F.I.T here in NYC) are up and the job market for graduates isn’t quite as bleak as one might think. Who knew?
Photo Source
A lot of the advice seems fairly obvious- expect to work hard, and to work your way up the ranks, do your homework (know about the industry you want to work in. That means familiarize yourself with trends, design houses- who owns what, designers, and pop culture), be prepared for the rough road ahead, be creative, be prepared and be optimistic.
I’ll save you my jaded “it’s all about who you know” speech because, honestly, your experience is ultimately what you make it. And yes, know it now, there is a fair amount of nepotism and whoIknowatism in NY fashion, but if you want it, I say go for it. Let people tell you what are aren’t and can’t do and do it anyway. It’s the American way.
Besides, you live in New York, so take advantage of it. You’re young (so expectations, believe it or not, aren’t that high), inexperienced (so you can work intern for free), and most importantly LOCAL! (that means, you can intern during the school year and get the jump on all the summer internships before all those out-of-towners). Now, I know a lot of places look for interns who are in college but if you are a serious-minded, hard-working, organized high school student, and you really want this (or think you do), I say apply for it anyway. You never know what can happen. Be persistent. Be creative and go get ’em.
Definitely rooting for you!
Brooklyn Book Festival
Not to follow up a writing post up with yet another post about writing, but…the Brooklyn Book Festival is tomorrow, Sunday, September 13, 2009 at the Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza from 10 am to 6 pm. It’s free and there are some specific events for teens that you might want to check out.
Here is the schedule for what they are calling the “Youth Stoop:”
Youth Stoop (Borough Hall Plaza)
The Youth Stoop provides day-long literary activities for youth ages 10-18
10:00 a.m. Brooklyn Next Lit Match Awards. Come hear some of the most talented students writing in the borough who are the finalists in the “Brooklyn Next” borough-wide writing contest. Hosted by Jamie Hector of The Wire.
11:00 p.m. Fantastical Journeys. Join award-winning middle grade authors and illustratorsKate DiCamillo (The Magician’s Elephant), Christopher Myers (Wings) and Michael Buckley(The Sisters Grimm) and step into a world of whimsical imagination where elephants guide, boys fly and humans and fairy-tale creatures live side by side.
12:00 p.m. Keeping it Honest. Coe Booth (Tyrell), Matt de la Peña (Mexican White Boy) andPaul Griffin (Ten Mile River) write books for teenagers that are smart and honest and never talk down to their audience. Join them as they talk about their work and about how they keep it real.
1:00 p.m. Breaking Through. Critically acclaimed authors Laurie Halse Anderson (Winter Girls), Gayle Forman (If I Stay) and G.Neri (Surf Mules) discuss some of this year’s most talked about novels featuring teens forced to make difficult decisions under extraordinary—and less than favorable—circumstances.
2:00 p.m. Love and Longing. How far will you go for love and how far will love go for you? Ned Vizzini (Be More Chill), Aimee Friedman (Sea Change) and Anna Godbersen (The Luxe) reveal very different approaches to succeeding in love as they read and discuss their books.
3:00 p.m. Love, War and Adventures in Babysitting…Transforming Stories into Comics. How does a comic artist take a favorite story and make it new? Three new stars in the literary comics cosmos shine the light on their process, adapting award-winning fiction, found historical materials and one of the most popular teen series of all time into graphic novels. Raina Telgemeier (The Babysitters Club graphic novel series), Danica Novgorodoff (Refresh, Refresh) and George O’Connor (Journey into Mohawk Country).
4:00 p.m. Adventures in the Past. Critically acclaimed authors M.T. Anderson (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing), Marilyn Nelson (The Freedom Business) and Margaret Peterson Haddix (Shadow Children and Missing series) take us into a thrilling tour of the past where King Edward V lives, and the eighteenth century comes alive with adventure—giving us a new understanding of race then and now. Moderated by Stacey Barney.
5:00 p.m. High School and the Paranormal. Authors Claudia Gray (Evernight Series) and Carolyn MacCullough (Once a Witch) show us that high schoolers have far more to worry about than acne and who to take to the school dance. Enter an exciting world of witches, vampires and magic. Moderated by Stephanie Anderson.
Directions- Just take the 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall; R to Court Street; or A, C, F to Jay Street/Borough Hall
Hope to see you there! (Ok, well it’s not like I’ll have a booth or anything- this year- but I hope you go, take some friends, and enjoy yourself)
Girls Write Now
And a good Saturday afternoon to you, too sunshine!
Seriously, though. I’m just getting back from a training session with this amazing organization that I’m going to be mentoring with this year called Girls Write Now (GWN) and I’m inspired to write.
Ok, now seriously, doesn’t that picture (taken from the website) make you want to read on? Don’t fight it, it’ll be so worth it.
Quick backstory- a couple of years ago, when I was kind of, how shall we say, a little annoyed with the direction my life was going in professionally, I really wanted to find some kind of volunteer work that would be meaningful and that would remind me of why I got into journalism in the first place. So what did I do? I googled it. I googled exactly what I was interested in doing (and what I would probably be the most help with) “mentoring + teen girls + writing nyc” and up popped the website for GWN.
Girls Write Now is a non-profit organization here in the city that pair teen writers (mentees) with professional women writers (mentors) who mentor them over the course of the school year (September- May). Teens meet with their mentors at least one a week to work on their writing and one Saturday a month, everyone involved in the program gets together for writing workshops that each focus on a different type of writing, like memoir, poetry, fiction, editing, playwriting, journalism and songwriting. I really like the emphasis on covering a lot of different types of writing, because being a writer is not just limited to having one specific “type” of career. GWN also holds readings several times a year where teens (and mentors) can present their work to a supportive audience. And at the end of the program, they each contribute a finished piece that gets published (!) in an anthology. That’s amazing. Basically, it’s the kind of program I wish had been around when I was in high school.
So the more I read about the program, the more I wanted to get involved. It seemed like the perfect fit for me- a really intense, incredibly fun time, where I would not only get to help a young person but also get to learn from them, too, which would no doubt improve my own writing. In any case, when I found the program, the deadline for applications had already passed so I made a mental note to check back the following year. As most “mental notes” would have it, I remembered, but I had missed the deadline again. I know, sucks to me be. So imagine my surprise when I saw the GWN table at the Brooklyn Book Fair. I went over, mentioned my interest and the volunteer there gave me the contact information for the program director. I emailed her, submitted an application and when there was an opening for a mentor, she contacted me. I went in for an interview and almost had a mentee…until she dropped out of the program…foiled again! Still, I went to the public readings and tried to support the program as best I could and this year, I’m a mentor. Lesson learned? Be persistent. If you want something, go out and get it. And if you don’t at first, keep trying.
Nice story, but why does this interest you, you say? Because the applications for high school girls who want to be mentees has not passed yet. But it is coming up SOON- September 15, 2009- three days from now to be exact. So, if you are interested in the program and you want to learn more or if you want to apply, do not hesitate, click on over to their website and check them out. Or, if you’re read enough about them already, you can check out this clip from when they were featured on NBC Nightly News-
They also have a youtube channel with clips of some of the girls reading their original pieces. So if you are even a little interested, you might want to check it out. Let me know what you think.
Check it out girls… write, right now
Fashion Contest
Hey Homegirl Fashionistas!
It’s Fashion Week in NYC and, like most people, you’re probably not invited this year…but, you could be at the next one!
The Art Institutes’ 2010 “Passion for Fashion Competition” is officially open to high school seniors who create original designs. There are two categories- fashion design and fashion marketing, merchandising, or retail management. Two grand prize winners (one in each category) will win:
- a full tuition scholarship to study fashion at an Art Institutes school
- a tour of the Seventeen magazine offices
- lunch with a style pro
- a $500 shopping spree
- tickets to attend New York City Fashion Week
And you get to blog about it all on Seventeen.com!
The deadline is Nov. 20, 2009 and complete applications must be received at the Art Institutes school where you plan to enter the competition and attend if you win. Local winners will be selected from each school in December 2009 and national winners chosen in January 2010.
Check out the website for complete details and to download the brochure, entry form and to read the official rules and regulations. You can also check out past winners and their designs.
Good luck, designer girls!
Writing Contest
Homegirls!
Ok. So, we’re all about empowerment over here and that means helping you do whatever it is that you decide you want to do- even if that means helping you (however we can) discover what that is first. So, as I hear about contests for teens, I’ll post them so you can enter if you like, fair enough?
Last month or so, I received an email from a former journalism mentor of sorts (I met and spoke with her during a journalism program and she basically had lived the professional life I always wanted for myself and was SO freakin’ inspirational, it was amazing) about a writing contest for people who are or were in prison, and their loved ones. So, if you fit that description, or know anyone who does, here are the details:
2009 Writing Contest
“THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL” WRITING CONTEST
Resilience Multimedia, publisher of the widely praised book, “Think Outside the Cell: An Entrepreneur’s Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated,” is sponsoring its second writing contest for people who are or were in prison, and their loved ones. The best submissions will be included in books in Resilience’s “Think Outside the Cell Series,” which is intended to help the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated tackle hard challenges and have successful lives.
The books will be widely distributed and widely read. They are being produced with funding from the prestigious Ford Foundation, which for more than 70 years has been working to improve lives and create opportunity for people around the world.
Contestants may write personal stories about one or more of these topics:
• Reentering society after incarceration
• Waiting for loved ones to return home from prison
• Prison marriages and relationships
Three winners will be chosen for each topic and will receive these prizes:
• 1st Place: $300
• 2nd Place: $150
• 3rd Place: $ 75
Stories that do not win cash prizes will still be eligible for inclusion in the series.
These are the contest rules:
• Stories must be original and about events or situations that actually happened.
• You may submit stories on more than one topic.
• Stories may be up to 3,000 words.
• Stories should be typewritten and double-spaced.
• Handwritten stories will be accepted as long as they are legible.
• Each page must include page number, your name, contact information and story title.
• Resilience Multimedia reserves the right to edit stories for clarity, punctuation, spelling and grammar, and retains the rights to stories in order to ensure the widest possible publicity and distribution, both in the United States and abroad.
• Story entries will not be returned.
• ALL ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY OCT. 1, 2009. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 1, 2009.
Here’s how to enter:
Email your story, indicating which topic it is intended for, to:
resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net
OR mail your story to:
Resilience Multimedia
511 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 525
New York, NY 10011
Questions? Email resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net, call 877-267-2303 or write to the above address.
Check out the website for more information on the organization sponsoring the contest and the contest itself.
Good luck, writer chicks!
Homegirl NYC 