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on March 1, 2011
WritersCorps
Posted project update #12The Poetry Projection Project
Post CommentDear Friends,
We wanted to let you know about a new project at WritersCorps. We've just launched the Poetry Projection Project, a new contest that challenges filmmakers and video artists of all ages to make short films based on poems written by our students.
Entries will be juried by filmmaker Peter Bratt, and will compete for two $150 cash prizes and the opportunity to screen at two venues in April 2011 -- during National Poetry Month. The contest deadline is March 27.
Many of the poems that we're providing to filmmakers are from City of Stairways: A Poet's Field Guide to San Francisco. We've recorded our students reading these poems -- and we invite you to listen.
We've attached two of the recordings to this post ("Imagine" by Robin Black, and "Untitled" by Marcella Ortiz). To listen to the other poems, please visit our site here.
We hope you enjoy hearing the young authors reading their poems. And if you know any filmmakers, please pass along the contest information to them. Thanks so much!
- WritersCorps
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on October 7, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #11'City of Stairways' at Litquake
Post CommentHello Kickstarter Friends,
We're excited to be reading this weekend during San Francisco's annual literary extravaganza, Litquake. WritersCorps will be participating in the legendary Lit Crawl through the Mission District on Saturday, October 9.
Both our student apprentices and teaching artists will be reading about city and place in celebration of "City of Stairways: A Poet's Field Guide to San Francisco." We'll be handing out free bookmarks too. If you are in the area, please stop by to say hello and also check out the many other readings taking place that evening at Lit Crawl.
WHAT: City of Stairways: Exploring Place in San Francisco
WHO: WritersCorps teaching artists with WritersCorps students Indiana Pehlivanova, Annie Yu, Marcella Ortiz, Nicole Zatarain Rivera, Sandra Pulido and Robin Black
WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, October 9, 2010, 7:15 to 8:15 pm
Serendipity, 803 Valencia St, (near 19th St)Cost: Free!
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on September 22, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #10'City of Stairways' at Red Poppy Art House
Post CommentHello Kickstarter friends,
Just a note to let you know that we are having an event Thursday night in San Francisco. We're kicking off the school year with a very special reading of "City of Stairways: A Poet's Field Guide to San Francisco at the Red Poppy Art House (one of the many cool sites mentioned in the book)!
In addition to our student authors, this event features local musicians who will be performing work in response to the poems in "City of Stairways." The artists include rapper/emcee Hopie Spitshard, global avant-garde songstress Tbird Tall Flame Luv, and indie rock band The Invisible Cities. We hope you can join us if you're in the Bay Area. Read more about the event and our special guests.
WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Sept. 23, 7-9pm
Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom StreetCOST: $5-10 sliding scale ($10 suggested donation for adults)
We've also had the opportunity to talk about the book on the radio recently. Last week, one of our students, Annie, went to Pirate Cat Radio here in San Francisco to talk about the book. She had great fun talking about the process of putting the book together and even read a poem on the air. Special thanks to Martin at Pirate Cat for having us!
Watch for us next at Litquake. We'll be reading from "City of Stairways" during the legendary Lit Crawl on October 9.
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on August 25, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #9Reading at Book Passage August 26
Post CommentHello Kickstarter Friends,
We have many little things to share with you!
Reading August 26 at Book Passage
The young authors of City of Stairways: A Poet's Field Guide to San Francisco continue their summer reading series. Join us this Thursday, August 26, at Book Passage in San Francisco's Ferry Building. Our young writers will be reading with award-winning poet Michael Warr. Writer Chrissy Anderson-Zavala will be our emcee for the evening.About our guest poet: Michael Warr wrote his first poem at the age of nine in San Francisco. He is the author of “We Are All the Black Boy” and a co-editor of “Power Lines: A Decade of Poetry from Chicago’s Guild Complex.” His digital photo/poetry performance, Poetic Aperture — An African American Interprets Africa, based on his poetry and photographs created as a photojournalist in Ethiopia and Mali, debuted at Chicago’s The Field Museum.
WHEN & WHERE: August 26, 6-7pm
Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, #42COST: FREE
City of Stairways Reviewed
Our book was recently reviewed in the San Francisco Examiner. LJ Moore praises City of Stairways for being "your treasure map to a San Francisco seen though the eyes of young visionaries who are willing to give you a rare glimpse into what most passers-through pass right by." Read the review here.Photos from our Reading at the Green Arcade
Thank you to everyone who packed the Green Arcade bookstore for our reading there earlier this month. See photos from the reading here. Below is a photo of our students Annie and Indiana with special guest readers Kevin Thomson and Amanda Davidson from San Francisco literary journal Instant City. Many thanks to Ian Wang for taking the photos. -
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on August 2, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #8Event this Thursday | WritersCorps Students in the News
Post CommentHello from WritersCorps headquarters!
We have some exciting updates about our book, City of Stairways. First, if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, we invite you to attend our events. Our next one is this Thursday, August 5, 7 pm at the Green Arcade Bookstore at 1680 Market Street (at Gough).
Aside from the student authors of the book, the reading also features special guests Amanda Davidson and Kevin Thomson from local literary journal Instant City. Instant City publishes fiction, non-fiction, and art generating an ongoing psychogeographic exploration of San Francisco. Details for the reading here.
And now, for a recap of what's been happening this past month:
We had a lovely launch for the book on July 15 at Get Lost Books in San Francisco. After the reading, students answered questions from the audience. (Photo below).
A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle was in attendance and he interviewed the students, asking them about their favorite places in San Francisco, as well as favorite lines from the book. It was such a great moment for the students to see themselves in the newspaper. Read the story here!
One of our students, Annie Yu, also recently wrote a little piece about being a resident of San Francisco on the blog I Live Here:SF. She writes about some of the places that hold personal memories for her, including the Wave Organ, where she and fellow WritersCorps apprentices went on a field trip. Read Annie's piece here.
We were also featured on Youth Outlook TV. Watch the segment here.
By now, we have mailed materials out to you, our fabulous Kickstarter friends. Thank you, eternally, for your support. If you were expecting a copy of the book and didn't get your package, please let us know. It should have arrived by now. We are also missing a few addresses, and we have emailed asking for them, so please write us back!
Hugs and kisses,
WritersCorps -
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on July 12, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #7The Books are Here! The Books are Here!
Post CommentDear Kickstarter friends,
A lot has happened in the month since we've posted an update. First, you should know that THE BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED! They are here! They are here!
Thank you so much to everyone who made this book a reality. The feeling you get from opening up a box and seeing your published book is priceless -- it is a one-of-a-kind moment we will cherish forever.
We are preparing packages with the books to mail out to those of you who gave at the $25 or more level. The WritersCorps Apprentices got together this past Friday to write thank you postcards to you. (See below.) We have also listed all your names on our website here: http://www.sfartscommission.org/WC/thanks-for-the-kickstart/
Also, we are planning many readings and events for the book in venues around San Francisco. The first one is this Thursday, at Get Lost Books in San Francisco.
Here are the dates we have planned:
July 15: Get Lost Books, San Francisco, 7 pm,
August 5: The Green Arcade, San Francisco, 7 pm
August 26: Book Passage, San Francisco, 6 pm
September 23: Red Poppy Art House, San Francisco, 7 pm
October 9: LitQuake, Venue TBDIf you are in the area, we hope you can stop by one of these events. Thank you so much for your support!
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on June 16, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #6In Which We Annouce that the Books are at the Printers!
Post CommentHello Most-Excellent Backers on Kickstarter!
Just a note to say that we are thinking of you today and so grateful for your support. We are happy to let you know our books are on their way to being printed! Yes yes yes! Thank you for making this happen!
We also had a lovely reading this past weekend at Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco featuring the WritersCorps Apprentices, who shared some of the writing that will appear in the book. (Photo below is of the Apprentices with their teacher Milta Ortiz, along with prototypes of the book).
We will be contacting you in the next week via email to get your address and other information so that we can mail City of Stairways and other goodies to you. We are also planning events in San Francisco for the summer and fall. Info coming soon!
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on June 12, 2010Funded!
City of Stairways: A Poet's Field Guide to San Francisco by WritersCorps
City of Stairways is a book about San Francisco secrets written by youth. Both travel guide and poetry anthology, it's a love letter to San Francisco.
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109% funded $4,165 pledged
- 66 backers
- Funded Jun 12, 2010
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on June 10, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #5We Made the Goal!
Post CommentYAY!!!!! YAY YAY YAY! We made it! Thank you, dear backers, for helping us reach our goal -- and for making this book a reality for our students. We are so touched to have your support. Y'all are the best!
The book is going to be beautiful and we can't thank you enough!
A logistical note: Once the project closes, Kickstarter will give us your email addresses and we'll be in touch to get your address and other relevant information to send gifts to you.
We also plan to set up readings throughout the summer in San Francisco, so if you are in the area, you can also come by in person to see the students read.
Thank you so much! We are so grateful.
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on June 8, 2010
WritersCorps
Posted project update #43 Days Left to Go with Just $355 to Raise!
Post CommentHello Everyone!
Thank you so much to all of you who have pledged to our book project so far. We are so thrilled to see the support from the Kickstarter community. We are 90% funded now with just $355 left to raise by Friday! Please keep spreading the word about City of Stairways. We are SO close!
No matter the outcome of the fundraiser, we are throwing a celebration for the students who wrote this book -- and their teacher Milta Ortiz. (Of course, we hope it will also turn out to be a celebration of a successful Kickstarter campaign.)
The WritersCorps students will read poems and works that they wrote for City of Stairways this Sunday at Galeria de la Raza (2857 24th Street) in San Francisco. It starts at 2 pm. The reading is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Thanks for your support!
Photo of some of the WritersCorps Apprentices with their teacher, Milta Ortiz (in the purple shirt):
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WritersCorps
San Francisco, CA
WritersCorps places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since our inception in 1994, we've helped more than 16,000 young people from neighborhoods throughout San Francisco develop their writing skills, expr... view more
