"If you can awaken inside the familiar and discover it new you need never leave home."
Local Wonders, by Ted Kooser
Celebrating Rural Poetry
Please join the Nebraska Writing Project in a poetry event that celebrates and reflects rural life in Nebraska.
Seven other rural sites within the National Writing Project will join the Nebraska Writing Project to encourage students to write their
"local wonders." The purpose of this program is to help make rural poetry more visible, especially the poetry of rural young adults.
This event is sponsored through a collaboration between the National Writing Project and the Rural School and Community Trust and is
coordinated by the Nebraska site. "Celebrating Rural Poetry" was inspired by the work of Nebraska poet Ted Kooser, United States Poet Laureate.
WHO IS A POET?
All grade nine through twelve students in NSAA classified C and D schools.
THE PROCESS:
Participating high schools chose the poetry of up to five students. Each of these students submitted three to six poems reflective of that student's rural place. These poems were sent to the Nebraska Writing Project at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where they were read by established, Nebraska rural poets.
Ten Nebraska student poets were selected to have their writing published on the Rural School and Community Trust website and to participate in public readings at various venues in the state: Awards Gathering at UNL, Lincoln and the State Capitol Building on May 5, 2006. One of these ten students was selected as the Nebraska representative, and was invited to read her work with Ted Kooser at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on May 8, 2006.
Thank you for taking the time to celebrate rural poetry.
Sincerely,
Rural Poetry Celebration Leadership Team
|
Robert E. Brooke, rbrooke1@unlnotes.unl.edu Professor of English Director, Nebraska Writing Project Editor, Studies in Writing and Rhetoric English-202 Andrews Hall University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-0333 |
Sharon Bishop sbishop@esu6.org Co-Director, Nebraska Writing Project English Instructor Heartland Community Schools 1501 Front Street Henderson, NE 68371 (402) 723-4434 |
|
Robyn Dalton Newriter95@yahoo.com Advisory Board, Nebraska Writing Project English Instructor Cedar Bluffs Public School PO Box 66 Cedar Bluffs, NE 68105 (402) 628-2080 |
Susan Martens-Baker smartens@esu3.org English Instructor Arlington High School 705 N. 9th Street Arlington, NE 68002 (402) 478-4171 |
|
Danielle Friesen-Bethune dbethune@esu6.org English Instructor McCool Junction Public School 209 S. 2 nd St., PO Box 278 McCool Junction, NE 68401 (402) 724-2231 |
