All the 'Write' Stuff: Events Showcase Prose, Poetry

Poet Scott Beal gave an extremely well-received 'repeat performance' in the Imperatore Library earlier this week. See story for details.

2/1/2013 Portions of this article contributed by Jamie Dalgleish '13.   Two recent events at Dwight-Englewood (D-E) celebrated the power and possibilities of the written word. Write Night was held for the second year in a row in the Imperatore Library and was once again a great success. The event was co-sponsored by the D-E English Department and the Upper School arts & literary magazine Calliope. Students from the Middle & Upper School joined in the beginning to hear a few writers share their work: Josh Kurtz ’13, 8th Grade student Joel Lee;  and Mr. Petkus, D-E Middle/Upper School Librarian and faculty advisor to Calliope. All four editors of Calliope were present (Jamie Dalgleish ’13, Josh Kurtz ’13, Saundra Kornbluth ’13 & Rachel Kupelian ’13), sharing their own work and accepting submissions for the magazine, which has an earlier print date this year to broaden readership.  Student and faculty attendees then enjoyed an informal refreshments break, after which English Department Chair Fred Daly introduced the keynote readers. After that, everyone broke down into more intimate sharing groups: Middle School, Grades 9 and 10, and Grades 11 and 12, all accompanied by faculty, who also shared writing. The purpose of Write Night is to enable avid authors to present their work; to have work honestly and constructively critiqued; and to enhance students’ and teachers’ relationships in order to finesse repertoires, style, and method. After the small groups had all their breakout sessions, everyone reconvened in the main area of the Library. The night was capped with more keynote readers, among them spoken word artist Daniel Garcia ’13. Mr. Daly later commented, "We have a lot of goals [with Write Night], but mainly we want to encourage the students  to write creatively. We also want to promote sharing; writing is often a solo activity, but young writers need affirmation,  which they can get only by being bold enough to put their work out there. It's also a nice occasion for Upper and Middle School students to come together, and teachers as well; it was a special treat that four of my colleagues shared their work. It was a good night; [we will likely do it again, given the positive response.]" The energy of this written word 'give and take' carried over later the same week and in the same space with the 8th Grade Poetry Festival.  Another annual tradition, students recite by memory a poem for their classmates and faculty attendees.  A hallmark event during the Poetry Festival was the repeat visit of poet Scott Beal, for a late afternoon poetry reading on Thursday, January 31. In addition to reading both current and new examples of his work, Beal shared some tips and hints with the budding poets, who were from both the Middle and Upper Schools, and answered questions including "What role do emotion and imagination play in writing your poetry?” Beal and Steve Petkus attended graduate school together at the University of Michigan. The first poem that Beal read, “The Academy,” was about classical thinkers, philosophers, and geniuses.  Beal's second poem was based on an unexplained newspaper headline he once saw, “Caller Spots Baby On Road” and played with intertwining stories and real and fictional accounts. This  reading was followed by a series of five poems about an octopus going through a divorce, which made the audience consider human marriage a bit differently! After that, it was on to a poem written in the style of bottom liners that used to appear on the bottom of CD tracks, which would be the band thanking and explaining their work. Towards the end of his recitation, Beal once again shared a poem that he read last year,clearly to the delight of his audience.  "The Girl with Barbed Wire" is about a girl born with barbed wire for hair and considers how she’s treated in school, how it affects her life, and how it changes the world she lives in, which in turn can change the reader. To finish off, Scott shared one of his new works, “Chicken Soup,” which was written for a sick friend, and tells the story of the inception of chicken soup.  Interestingly, the remedy dates from an accident in the Middle Ages, by Sister Francesca in a nunnery, who roasted a chicken for an important celebration, only to have the chicken fall in someone’s bath! Sister Francesca was struck with “divine inspiration” and saved the day by concocting a dish that became a treat with visiting clergy. By the event's end and based on the enthusiastic response following his readings, it was clear that Scott Beal is well loved by D-E, and his visits are a high point for the writers in our midst. In the words of Calliope editor Jamie Dalgleish" "We can’t wait to see him again!"