Writer's Week!

Mary Fons: I loved Mary Fons, and she was a great start to Writer's Week. I didn't get the chance to go much last year, and I definitely didn't get to experience such an expressive writer. It amazed me how open she was and how comfortable she looked on stage. She was quirky and kind of crazy, but in a good way! I loved how her poetry was so drawn from personal experiences, yet very relatable to us all...life, weddings, love, bad jobs, etc! Not only did her talent with poetry capture my attention, but the way that she carried herself and performed was what really made her stand out as one of favorites.

Dr. Small and Mr. Hill: Like others have said, I feel like I didn't know much about our principal, but this was a great experience that allowed me to see a bit into her personal life and "get to know" her better. Her story was intersting and definitely different (a farm!). It was funny but also emotional, adding even more connection between her and the students/audience. Also, when she revealed that she had read us actual emails, I thought it was very interesting and that it was awesome how personal she had made her presentation. Mrs. Hill's dad was also very personal, sharing a lot about his life. Like Robin said, there was something about him and his piece that made you "awww." He was very relatable in the fact that he wasn't reaaaally a writer, just an average guy, and I liked how, in a way, he stepped out of his comfort zone, like Claire said.

Jonathan Eig: I loved seeing Jonathan Eig! I was amazed at how much time and effort he put into his writing. He spent years searching for documents, trying to talk with family members, and trying to get his stories as true as they could possibly be. I also loved how irked he was by writers with misguiding information. I think it's great that he wants to establish a feeling of complete trust between himself and the readers. When I went home, I found myself telling my family about him and how I was amazed that he would put SO MUCH into his books, caring so much about the facts, even though the outcome (popularity, book sales, etc) is uncertain. It really shows a true passion that I find admirable.

Students: I love seeing students present! I love getting to see a side of people that I might not have known about and just getting that brief look into thier personal life. My favorites were probably Christine, Stephanie, and Emily. I really liked Christine Veit's story about her dog. It was personal and very well written, and it seemed to capture a lot of attention with how real and how sad it was. Stephanie Fox's peice captured my attention with the point of view coming from a character inside a book. That's something you don't hear very often, and it was a very interesting approach. Emily Hoadley's story about her job and the impatient people she encounters was one I really enjoyed. As she read, I completely undertood where she was coming from, and I've definitely experienced people like that before. It also made me more aware that I should be careful to not be one of those impatient, rude people that ends up in someone's Writer's Week story. The other students were wonderful, too, and I loved the assortment of peices I got to hear!

Tony Romano, Kevin Brewner, Gary Anderson: Mr. Romano likable and comfortable up there, and his story was very funny at times, too. He seemed to keep the audience's attention. I liked how he added little Italian phrases in it, too. Little things like that made it more personal and interesting. Mr. Anderson was also very good. Contrary to what Claire said, I actually liked that his poems were short. They were short and sweet, pretty casual but still conveying his message well. My favorite was probably the one about the umpire being a "minister". And finally, Mr. Brewner. He was my favorite. At first, I wasn't sure what he meant by the "connections" in life, but at the end of his story, I loved his point about intertwining events and things happening for a reason. His positive respone to his accident was interesting and made me realize that sometimes we can look at events in life in a different way.

Overall, I loved Writer's Week. I liked it last year, but this year I got way more involved and tried to make it to see as many people as I could! It's great to see all of the different styles that people have and to get fresh opinions and tips on writing. I enjoy writing (poetry), but this always makes me want to write more, and sometimes I get stuck in my own style, and it's cool to see others' and be able to take a little bit away from each presenter.