By Jack Rubinger
Writing is often a solitary exercise. Writers spend hours by themselves, taking notes, reading aloud, thinking or just bouncing balls off the wall trying to find a rhythm.
Young writers have few opportunities to branch out of this solitary exercise, so it’s great to hear that Writers in the Schools (WITS), a program sponsored by Portland’s Literary Arts, is bringing this beloved teaching/learning experience live into schools following a virtual time-out during the pandemic.
It takes courage to expose your writing to others and for high schoolers, sharing anything that’s super personal can be scary and risky. So when WITS returned to physically being in the schools after going virtual during the height of the pandemic, there was great reason for teachers, students, parents and the writers to celebrate.
The program is currently at six area high schools: Benson, Franklin, Gresham, McDaniel, Parkrose and Woodburn.
Teachers apply to Literary Arts to have writers work with their students. Teachers and writers collaborate on a curriculum, then the writer/teachers get their classes going for 9-12 graders.
WITS is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, with 23 writers currently involved in the program.
“The program is all about getting experience, getting stronger at telling stories and building confidence,” said Olivia Jones-Hall of Literary Arts.
Novelist Mark Pomeroy teaches creative writing for grades 9 – 12 at Franklin High School. This is his 18th year with WITS.
“You have to be real with high schoolers,” said Pomeroy. “If you’re anything but genuine and honest, they see through you and don’t open up quite as much to the work.
“I also have to make sure that I prepare well for each session. I have to bring variety, substance, good pacing and flow. Each story, poem, or essay that I bring in has to grab and hold attention. I have to pay attention to all the little things, both before I arrive to teach and during each workshop. There are no shortcuts.”
He added, “The creative writing workshops offer kids a chance to reconnect with their imagination, but also with the complex, layered, beautiful world off-screen.”
About 12 years ago Pomeroy had a student named Mohamed who grew up in Somalia and spent a few years in a Kenyan refugee camp. He had been in the US about a year before Pomeroy worked with him.
One day in class, Pomeroy asked the students to get up and go to the windows and look outside with a writer’s eyes. Pomeroy then asked the kids to do a first draft of a list poem, arrange the words and lines for sound and effect.
“Mohamed did several drafts of his poem, he leaned into it and gave it time, and the poem was later selected for publication in the annual WITS anthology,” said Pomeroy. “The launch reading was at Powell’s one evening. Mohamed brought his entire family, then stood up at the lectern and smiled and read his poem. He was so proud. I was so proud.”
Alethea Work teaches at Gresham High School. Work said that having a professional writer in the room changes the dynamic with students.
“They automatically see the real world connection to writing in a way they don’t when it is just a normal teacher in the front of the room. That, and the culture of writing and creativity that it fosters, encourages students to get deeply engaged in the process of writing,” she said.
Work’s writer-in-residence is Vanessa Friedman who writes fiction and non-fiction. Work said she’s had at least three students say they plan to try and become writers after their experiences with the WITS program.
“There is something very special about the hush that falls over the room when students’ become really involved in a creative prompt,” said Friedman.
“High school students are incredibly creative. Many students, even the ones who claim they don’t love writing, will take really fun, silly and/or exciting risks with their creative work when given the space and opportunity to find their own voices.”
Work and Friedman reflected on the ways the pandemic has made things challenging for students and agreed that focusing on journaling would give students space to process some of their big feelings as well as teach them how personal writing can strengthen more formal writing.
To find out more about WITS and Literary Arts, visit literary-arts.org.