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I am from Venus and Mars

Sent to Earth for my education.

I come from a storied universe

Black holes and emergent stars.

Constellations of siblings: Grocho Marx,

       Sophia Loren, Annie Oakley, Zora Neale Husrton,

        Andrew Carnegie, Bernard Madoff surrounding

by   shooting stars, comets and meteorites creating

the the landscape for my lunar exploration.

I c   I come from within and extend outwards pulsating

in    enlighted years.

 

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         Lee Francis,  Aaron Cuffee, and Joseph Romero were word  

         smiths who continue to hone their craft through their exprressive  

         voices. Their poems were personal, as they coached: 

         BE who you are and express what is happening in your life.

 

        Poetry Slam began with the insight of Mark Smith in Chicago who

        wanted to bring more excitement to poetry readings by adding a

        competitive edge.

       

        The process for writing poetry and finding your voiceas suggested 

         by Francis, Cuffee & Romero:

  1. Find poems
  2. Read poems
  3. Practice poems
  4. Write your own poems down; try to find your own voice
  5. Revise your poems
  6. Share your poems and solicit feedback
  7. Practice your poems

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  •       March 9:  LOUISE HOFFMAN Author of  shared with us her story and experiences writing and publishing her book.
  •        It is always a rare pleasure and opportunity for an author to talk with you about their book(s). You realize there are stories within stories. It also helps createa stronger connection to the book and story because when you read or reference it, you can imagine the author talking with her own voice, seeing their expressions.
  • Louise reminded me that each of us has ordinary stories of growing up that are rich and precious. It was a relaxing opportunity to sit and be able to listen to someone's family story as she highlighted the pivotal points and family members which reflect who she is today. She is a sum total of the parts those events and characters played in her life.
  •  
  • Her story reminds me of the CNN slogan: Ordinary people; extraordinary  stories.  

 

      Thank you, Louise and best wishes in the Peace Corpse in Bulgaria!

       No doubt good goulash there, too!

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  • April 6: shared with us about and Anime. Devin is usually a quiet, reserved person and when he begins talking about Manga and anime his passion and knowledge are evident.
  • is considered the father of Anime and manga. I remember growing up with and along with Disney's Looney toon characters.
  • Most anime originate as manga first and appeal to both genders and age levels with something for everyone.
  • Manga is an artistic form appreciated and revered by Japanese readers as it is a 3billion dollar industry and gaining momentum in the U.S. refers to the writer and/or artisit creator of manga.

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  • April 13: Katie Beatty visited us at Tibbetts school and talked about , a project resulting from her son's experience as a cancer survivor. Katie is also a children's writer and will return to share some of her writing with us. But first we will do a UNM book drive to collect as many new books as we can to donate to John's Bookshelf by April 30.