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College Fair and Poetry Slam THIS Saturday!

11/05/2009
College, Contest, Local, Poetry, Writing
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!!The New York Knicks and Urban Word NYC host Annual College Fair This Saturday!!

Date: November 7th

Time: 10AM-3PM

Place: Hammerstein Ballroom (34th Street @ 8th Ave)

According to the website, “This College Fair is one of the most unique annual college fairs around the tri-state area. High school students are encouraged to come out and meet with over 60 colleges and universities from around the country. While exploring the fair, you will be able to watch master poets and dance groups perform, listen to music and live bands, and interact with over 2,000 students. In addtion to all of these festivities, there are two dynamic Poetry competitions going on at the same time.

College application workshops will be conducted throughout the day and financial aid advisors will be on hand to answer any questions.

Special guests, including Knicks Alumni, will make peridodic appearances throughout the day and sign autographs.”

As mentioned, there will also be a Poetry Slam Program– one Spoken Word Competition and a Written Competition. Here are the details:

1. Spoken Word Competition — A Poetry Slam competition where students progress through an Open Audition, Poetry Workshops, Preliminary Slams, Semi-final Slams, all to compete at the Knicks Poetry Slam Finals at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.

Spoken Word Prizes

1st place – $10,000 laptop and printer
2nd place – $7,500 laptop and printer
3rd place – $5,000 laptop and printer
4th — 10th – $1,000

To be eligible for this competition, participants must prepare a 1-minute poem audition and perform before a panel of judges at the College Fair on November 7th between 10am-3pm. Top scorers will be placed in a 5-week writing workshop series taking place at sites across the city. Open to teens ages 13-19 years old.

2. Written Competition — students must submit a portfolio of original work including: an essay “The Reason I Write,” poetry samples, community service and a resume. The portfolio will be reviewed by a panel of judges to determine the winners.

Written Contest Prizes

2 full scholarships (4 years) to the University of Wisconsin
1 full tuition scholarship (4 year) to Mercy College
To be eligible for this competition, participants must register here. No audition is necessary. Open to High School Seniors.

Each person attending the College Fair MUST Register beforehand- even if you are not participating in the Poetry Slam! See the website to register and for more details.

(New) NYC Youth Poet Laureate Zora Howard

10/23/2009
Uncategorized, Writing
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Hey girls! Did you know that New York City has a Youth Poet Laureate? Well, it does and so do you! A month or so ago, I got an email from a group called Urban Word NYC about a competition for the first ever Youth Poet Laureate of New York City; young people were being encouraged to apply and compete for the position.  I immediately got excited. NYC was recognizing the importance of artistic achievement and contribution to this “city of dreams,” especially among the youth is incredible.

A week or so ago, I got another email announcing that 16-year-old Zora Howard had been named Youth Poet Laureate after competing in a Voter Slam at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. According to the press release, 75 young people submitted applications and 12 made it to the finals; Zora was selected as the winner among them.

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Go to NBC NY to hear the poem she recited that won her the award.

So you might be asking yourself, what exactly is a poet laureate and what do they do? Both are good questions.  Well, according to wikipedia (that all-knowing, quick information site), a poet laureate is “a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events.” Most states have poets laureate- the New York State Poet Laureate is Jean Valentine; some of her poems can be heard  here.  And there is even a poet laureate of the United States; her name is Kay Ryan. It’s quite an honor to be named poet laureate and I’m glad to see poetry getting some respect on the national stage. Do you all remember when poet Elizabeth Alexander read her poem “Praise Song for the Day” at President Obama’s Inauguration back in January ? She was only the fourth poet ever to do so. We’re making progress.

So, congrats to Zora, who’s a student over at LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and the Performing Arts. What will she be doing as Poet Laureate? Well, according to the press release, “Zora Howard will travel our great city over the next year encouraging and engaging younger New Yorkers to be civically involved members of our democratic process.” How dope is that?

Look out for that and keeping writing! Hopefully, we can get an interview with Zora and find out a little bit more about her. Here’s a video of her performing the poem “Bi-racial Hair” at the 2006 Urban Word NYC Annual Teen Poetry Slam, back in ’06.

Also, you should really check out Urban Word NYC, they offer a lot of free writing workshops, classes and performances in the city. It’s a great way to work on your writing, connect with other teen writers and get your name out there.

The October Issues

10/05/2009
Contest, Magazines, pop culture, Writing
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Hey all! So the magazine world likes to do things months in advance. So the October issue comes out in September and the editors are most likely already working on the February  issue. I’m a little behind, but I was waiting to get more information on the Girl’s Life Oct. issue. So, if you have not seen them, here are

The October Issues

NYC-SeptOct2009

The September/October 2009 issue of New Youth Communications (NYC) Teen Magazine focuses on food- what you choose to eat and what’s inside what you’re eating. Good idea. There’s an interview with the man responsible for NYC public school food, articles on: a farm in the city, obesity in the country, trying to be a vegetarian in a family that eats meat, why bad food is good,  two very NY-centric pieces on healthy options from the bodega and why they’re aren’t more healthy options in them (something I’ve wondered myself), and food movie reviews. Sounds good. So check it out- articles written by NYC teens and available for free online.

There’s also a writing contest question- How do you think technology will change in the next 30 years? How will it affect our lives and behavior? Describe the typical day of a New York City teen in 2039.

There are three cash prizes: First Prize $150; Second Prize $75; Third Prize $50

You must be 14-19 to enter. The deadline is October 26, 2009. Submit entries here.

Good luck!

Represent Magazine Fall 2009

The Fall 2009 issue of Represent is about Art: “Making it,” and “How Art Transforms Us.” There are articles in this issue on writing, alter egos, dancing, fashion, music, Broadway musicals, arts therapy and (my fav) misogyny in hip hop. There’s also a book review and a comic. Good ish.

There is a reader survey you can complete and maybe even win some money. Fill it out here and they will pick three names at random for cash prizes. First name drawn $100, Second name drawn $50, Third name drawn $25. The survey should take less than 10 minutes, so complete it by the December 1st deadline.

Represent also has a writing contest question-Imagine President Obama has chosen you to be his top adviser on foster care reform (improving the system). Write him a letter describing the three most important things that should be done to make foster care better, and why. Good one; that’s deep.

There are three cash prizes: First Prize $150; Second Prize $75; Third Prize $50. The deadline is November 1, 2009. Submit entries here.

Good luck, chicas!

Teen Vogue has that warewolf dude from Twilight on the cover. Ok, ok. His name is Taylor Lautner, not warewolf dude (although that is the first thing I thought when I saw the cover). And I’m sure he’s a great guy (we’re talking about Jacob in the movie, not Taylor in real life although I’m sure he’s plenty nice, too) but…I’m still team Edward. Yeah, I said it.

On to the October issue. I must say that I’m impressed with Teen Vogue, in general. I wrote them off sometime last year (or the one before) and just let my subscription die in a fit a rage. But this issue actually has more than one article I’m excited to read. And can I add that I see more diversity in this magazine (in both ads and editorial content) than I do in most others. (mini hand clap)

I’m checking for:

“Breaking the Mold”- Plus-sized model Crystal Renn discusses finding happiness with her body personally and professionally after starving herself as a teen and struggling with an eating disorder. I like this chick. She should write something for us.

KeKe Palmer in the “Leaders of the Pack” young Hollywood feature…Hmm…I’m not sure how official that list is, but Keke is is a fave so I’m glad to see her on there. They also did a piece on her last month in Style Blogger- great look.

“Little Miss Perfect”- Examines what we give up trying to be such good girls all the time. (Sidebar-When I first saw the cover line I was like, are you serious? I’ve had that article idea for ages! Don’t you hate it when that happens? You see someone implement an idea that you had and didn’t pursue? Or you did pursue and didn’t get too far with? Well, lesson learned…Act on your ideas or don’t get tight when someone else does.)

“Character Development”- Condola Rashad, 22 year-old-daughter of the actress, beauty,  everymom Phylicia Rashad, is finally getting some face time and print space. I love it! Good job, Teen Vogue, very good job. I’m definitely checking for her.

AND they actually have an article on Debt! (seriously). How very…apropos…and responsible of them.

I’d say check it out  (for free at the library, like I did, if nothing else).

Oh Seventeen…is it just me? Or does this cover never change? I guess you go with what works. The cover girl is Whitney Port, whom you may know from the MTV show “The Hills” or her current show “The City.” Can’t say I’m a fan- maybe I need to up my tv watching, although I am really loath to do that. Anyway, there’s an article in here on girls who are changing the world and making a difference (p. 154) and that sounds totally inspiring. Other than that, it’s usual Seventeen stuff- clothes, boys, advice, makeup, quizzes. There is a piece in the Heath+Sex+Fitness section on loving the breasts you have (yay!) and a piece in the Dating section on having a hot Halloween. See the website for details.

image.axd

Now, Girl’s Life publishes two issues at a time, so this is the October and November issue for them. The cover girl is Kay Panabaker of the movie Fame, fame. She’s a newcomer (or at least not that popular yet) so it could be interesting. At the very least it’s not someone  you’ve read about a million times already. There really isn’t anything in this issue I’m interested in reading. But there is an article on managing your hectic schedule which could be helpful-

GL Life: Under Pressure?
Tons of To Do’s have you frazzled? How to manage your hectic schedule while still keeping your sanity in check.

Lots of articles on what to wear, clothing and quizzes if you’re in to that sort of thing. Go to the website for more details on this issue. GL is giving away some things though and tis the season to get free stuff, so have at it:

WIN a wardrobe for winter
Warm up with cozy-cute coats and furrific boots. We’re givin’ away must-have winter essentials all through October. Our GRAND PRIZE? One stylin’ fashionista scores a WHOLE winter wardrobe from Pink Cookie. CLICK HERE to download the October’s Clothes 4 Chilly Chicas Giveaway Calendar now!

Win a DS and a Wii
From snappin’ shots with digi cams to pluggin’ in your tunes with an iPod Touch, this November we’ve got awesome hi-tech freebies. Plus! One gamer girl gets the ultimate prize pack with Wii console, DS console and the entire new line of Charm Girls Club video games from EA. CLICK HERE to download the November’s Totally Tech Giveaway Calendar!

Good luck with that! Be back soon with more on November!

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

09/14/2009
Contest, Writing
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Any Ayn Rand fans out there? If so, you might want to enter the  Atlas Shrugged essay contest. But act quickly because the deadline is Thursday, September 17, 2009 (that’s three days from now). I know it’s soon, but I just found out about it myself.

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What do you do? Well, first, read the book, I would imagine. Then,  select one of the following essay topics:

1. Hank Rearden does not apply the same philosophy to his personal life that he applies to his business. In what way does this contradiction harm him psychologically and practically? What is the central error that he makes? How does correcting his error improve his life?

2. In Atlas Shrugged, the heroes want to “make” money while the villains want, on the surface at least, to “have” money. What is the difference between these two views of money? Explain your answer by reference to actual events in the novel.

3. Choose one of the following pairs, and compare and contrast each character’s approach to life and basic motivation:

a. Hank Rearden and Francisco d’Anconia

b. Dagny Taggart and Lillian Rearden

c. Eddie Willers and James Taggart

Basic Rules:

  • Open to 12th grade students or those students enrolled in college/university.
  • One entry per person.
  • Essays have to be between 800 and 1,600 words.
  • Essays must be postmarked by 11:59 Pacific Time on September 17th. (technically, that’s 2:59  a.m. on Friday, September 18, 2009 Eastern Standard Time, but don’t wait until the last minute)
  • Don’t plagiarize and yes, they will check.
  • They’ll notify winners by November 27, 2009.

Prizes:

First Prize: $10,000

3 Second Prizes: $2,000

5 Third Prizes: $1,000

20 Finalists: $100

20 Semifinalists: $50

See the website for complete rules and for submission information.

Good luck!

NYC Teen Magazines

09/14/2009
Magazines, Writing
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I asked a question in a previous post about whether or not Seventeen and Teen Vogue were the only two teen magazines left standing. Well, the answer to my own question is no, they are not. In fact, there are two magazines written by and for teens in the NYC area that I wanted to tell you about, in case you didn’t know or hadn’t heard of them. And yes, they do deserve their own post.

New Youth Connections (NYC)

NYC-MayJune 2009

NYC is a magazine written by and for teens in New York City. It’s published seven times during the school year and if you attend public school in NYC, you should be able to get a free copy at your school. If not, check with your local library. You can also go to their website to read articles from the most recent issue (May/June 2009) and back issues.

Represent

Represent Magazine--Nov/Dec 2008

Represent is NYC‘s sister publication and it’s written by and for teens in foster care. Represent is a bi-monthly magazine and you can also check out their website to read articles from the Summer 2009 issue and previous issues. (That cover is kind of sick, right?)

Also, if you are interested in writing for either one of these publications, you can! If you are between the ages of 15 and 20 and live in New York City, you are eligible. You might even be able to receive school credit, but you have to be committed to working really hard on your pieces. Check out the  FAQ page for more information.

I have a really talented writer friend who works as an editor for NYC. She loves her job and working with young people, so I would really encourage you to reach out to them if you are interested in writing for one of their publications (and are committed to seeing it through). It sounds like a really amazing opportunity. You not only get to write and have your work published, but you also get to work with professional editors and maybe even see how a magazine is put together. Hotness.

Write on, girls

Brooklyn Book Festival

09/12/2009
Events, Writing
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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

09/12/2009
Girls Write Now, Writing
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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.

bluemarine_logo

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

Writing Contest

09/10/2009
Contest, Writing
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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

Think Outside The Cell - the book

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!