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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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

Long Titles, Short Poems

Tonight the Dream Keepers tried to write short poems with long titles, an assignment from Dawn DiPrince's wonderful book Yoga For the Brain . Here's the example I wrote: What Happened when John decided to Do His Laundry the Old-Fashioned Way: with a Bar of Soap, a Rock, and a River. Threadbare Underwear. The assignment is harder than it sounds, and the Dream Keepers had a tough time with it. But they still came up with some good samples. Read their work, and then try writing your own! By Elly: What Elly Was Left with After She Ate A big Juicy Hamburger in Two Bites. Yummy Tummy. By Leroi: What the Owner Said When He Took His Pet to Meet the New Vet, who Already Had Met a Dog, a Frog, and a Bunch of Cats. Oh No. By Daquan: What Happened When I Took A Bone from a Dog Who Had Had It a Long Time. Fight. Bite. By Tierra: The clock stopped at 11 O'Clock. Tick Tock?

Introducing Dream Keepers

In 2004, I began attending a church in the heart of my city. During my first visit, I had a vision: I would teach writing to the young people in this place. I dismissed the thought. I’m too busy. It’s too hard. They wouldn’t be interested. But the visions persisted. Each time I sat in the pew, the dream would come. Finally, I accepted this vision as a calling. I shared the dream with others, but I didn’t believe it would come true. Then a friend asked, “What can you do right now to make this happen?” In the fall of 2006, I embarked on a writing journey with four young women from the church. We have named ourselves “Dream Keepers,” after a poem by Langston Hughes. Hughes believed that writers were the dream keepers of the community. We are! In addition, recent studies suggest that people who write down their deepest thoughts, feelings, and dreams are healthier, happier, and have better success achieving their goals. Every Saturday I meet with four or five young women. We talk and write....

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