Introducing the Dream Keepers

We met Thursday night with the Seedfolks Summer Reading Circle. We're reading amazing books. Last week it was Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. This week we started Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan. After we read, the Seedfolks director, Venice Williams, invited the young people to do some writing exercises. I will share the first one here, as a way of introducing these fine young women. Watch for more writing in the coming weeks!

I am
full-figured shape
round face
chocolate colored
dark ebony eyes
I am
shrewd
clever
passionate
introverted
I am
daughter
poet
journalist
college bound
I am
Deanna
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I am
short
African American and Indian
nice
and shy
I am
funny
adventuress
goofy
and intelligent
I am
a god mother
an eleventh grader’
a peacemaker
and a Christian
I am
Natalie
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I am
thickum
beautiful
crazy
funny
I am
insane
retarded
kind
helpful
I am
daughter
aunt
designer
artistic
I am
Brittene
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I am
short
fat
ball headed
I am a girl
I am
smart
sassy
unique
sweet
I am
dancer
singer
writer
worker
I am
Elisha
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And as I read these,
I am
proud
amazed
honored
delighted
learning.

Blessings to all, Rochelle

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On Beauty

Last night we read poems and essays about beauty in the book edited by Iris Jacob called, My Sister's Voices: Teenage Girls of Color Speak Out. The girls wrote poems in response. Standards of Beauty by Natalie Branch I’m that girl who never fits in. I’m not fat nor am I thin. I’m an African American with light skin. When I walk out the house, I’m full of curiosity— Not knowing what others will think of me. Some may be jealous, others furious. Me, I’m just curious. My confidence isn’t low; it’s not high either. My emotions are building up—like a deadly fever. People like me because of who I am. People hate me because I’m not like them. Sometimes I ask myself: should I stay the same, or become someone else? That’s something you will never again hear me say. People say change, but I stay the same. I am me, and I was born this way. And this is how I will stay. Yo! I’m sayin’! by Deanna Branch Q: Why you wear yo’ hair like that? Yo! I’m sayin, My hairstyle reflects my personality. When...

Six-word Scary Stories

We've done six-word memoirs. Tonight the Dream Keepers wrote six-word scary stories. Read and enjoy! (Then write and submit your own in the comment field!) A vampire destroys the city with power. —Tramonta Garner (pictured above) One virus. One town. No survivors. —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 One girl. Many monsters. What's next? —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 Big zombie eats eyeballs. City blind. —Elisha Branch, 14 One house. One family. Both gone. —Elisha Branch, 14 Knock, knock. Who's there? Killer mysterious. —Derranesha, 12 Baby cries. No answer. What happens? —Derranesha, 12 Ring, ring. "Hello." Please help me. —April, 12 The spooky monster ran towards me ... —Sonya, 17 The worm crawls into the brain. —Sierra The slippery, slimy monster grabs two. —Quintoya Eskridge

Dream Keepers Dreaming

On Monday night, I brought a fun exercise for the Dream Keepers. I gave them a version of the Best Possible Self exercise found in several psychology studies (Laura King, Sonja Lyubomirsky, et. al.): "Imagine yourself a year from now. You have worked hard. Everything has gone as well as possible. Tell me what your life looks like. What have you accomplished? What do you do with your days? What is new in your life?" This was not a new exercise to the group. We had done a variation of this more than a year ago. The Dream Keepers looked like I'd asked them to eat brussels sprouts. Or write a novel in 30 days. Actually, when I shared with them my wild and crazy dream that we'd write a book together, they embraced it. "No problem!" one shouted. "Even if it's long? Like 200 pages?" I asked. They shrugged, undaunted by the idea. BUT THIS! Imagine their best possible future selves? Too hard, they whined. I tried again. I invited the Dream Keepers to cr...

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