“Between the Lines” Summer Creative Writing Program

by Emily

Still looking for a cool summer program (you know, besides the AWESOME stuff Brian and I are dreaming up for this summer at the library)?

The University of Iowa’s International Writing Program is hosting “Between the Lines: The Writing Experience,” and “invites high-school students of differing nationalities, ages 16 to 19, to the University of Iowa’s campus for a unique summer program where participants develop their creative writing skills while exploring other cultures.” There are two, two-week sessions, each focusing on a different area of the world. This year, the Arabic World will be the focus for the June 22-July 6 session, and Russia will be the focus of the July 13-July 27 session.

Activities include exploring Iowa City as the great City of Literature that it is (just how much do you actually know about literature in/from Iowa City?), creative writing workshops, mentoring from other writers, and collaboration with students from other cultures.

The due date for the application is April 20.

Want more information? Check out the Between the Lines website, the 2013 Between the Lines information page, check out their Facebook page, and click here for the application. The library has some brochures available in the Young Adult area on the 2nd floor.

Iowa Young Writer’s Studio: Summer 2013

by Emily

This summer seems far away when 3-6″ of snow is on the horizon.

But…

The Iowa Young Writer’s Studio is accepting applications for the Summer 2013 session until February 11.

Stephen Lovely, the director of the program, writes “You know you are a writer because you write even when it’s not an assignment for school, because you read insatiably and aspire to write books as amazing as the ones that make you do that reading/walking shuffle to dinner, because hours slip by unnoticed when you engage your imagination. You write because there is nothing in the world like the feeling you get when you finally finish that poem or short story. You write because it’s fun. You write because you have to. Come meet others like you and share your work at one of the most exciting places to write: the University of Iowa, home to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the International Writing Program, and the Center for the Book.”

Way cool! Check out their website for more about their curriculum, daily activities, and application process. And check out their Facebook page!

City High Review Literary Magazine

by Emily

Looking for local authors, photographers, songwriters, filmmakers, and poets? You probably don’t have to look very far in Iowa City, but sometimes it’s difficult to make yourself heard among the sea of other talented individuals, right?

City High has a new literary magazine: City High Review. Filled with submissions by City High students, this seems like a perfect opportunity to spread your literary/artistic wings (or read/experience other folks’ work).

“We are City High’s new literary magazine. We publish the writing, visual art, music, and videos of City High students. The blog . . . is a very inclusive collection of student work, updated twice a week. Our print magazine, the Review, collates the best of the blog every two months or so.”

Also, be sure to check out their Facebook wall and Twitter feed. They update regularly!

 

Jr. High Writing Jam

by Emily

 

Attention 7th and 8th graders!

The One Book Two Book children’s literature festival and the Iowa Young Writer’s Project are teaming up to host the Jr. High Writing Jam on Saturday, January 12 from 11:30-1:00 PM at the pedestrian mall location of Capanna Coffee and Gelato. You must be in 7th or 8th grade to participate.

The writing jam itself sounds like lots of fun: free Wedge pizza for registered participants, hanging out with other aspiring writers, and listening to their sweet stories and poems in an open-mic format. Plus, first place winners will be awarded  ”two free tickets (for the student and one guest) to the Once Upon a Time dinner on Friday, January 11; be acknowledged at the dinner, the Writing Jam! and throughout the festival weekend; and be interviewed and videotaped (with permission) for our On the Fly author series. The interviews, along with the winning stories, will be posted on the City of Literature website.”

Fame, glory, pizza…what’s not to like? Head over to their website to register and learn more!

The Iowa Youth Writing Project and Women’s WRITES!

by Emily

Interested in writing? The Iowa Youth Writing Project is sponsoring “Women’s WRITES!”  ”a workshop for teens of all genders interested in writing creatively about gender identity what it means to be a woman today.”

“Participants will attend three workshops on 10/28, 11/4 and 11/11 from 1-3 PM in order to generate creative work and practice revision and performance. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet and work with Special Guest Writers from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the International Writing Program! The workshop will culminate in a reading, and participants will have the opportunity to have their work published online and in print.”

There’s limited enrollment, so if you’re interested, sign up ASAP. A donation is appreciated as a fee, but it’s not required. Find out more here and on their Facebook page.

 

Featured Website: Rookie Magazine

by Emily

Looking for a new website? Look no further: Rookie is an online magazine for teenage girls, and “[features] writing, photography, illustrations, videos, and more from a lovely staff and our readers. The site features monthly ‘issues,’ each revolving around a theme. We post just three times a day – after school, after dinner, and before bed.“

Sounds like a neat way to connect with other teenage girls across the country and share a bit about what it is to be a teenage girl these days. The site encourages submissions from its readers, so if you’ve got a neat article or journal entry to share, they’re willing to give it a read!

More importantly, however: the staff is roadtripping this summer (be sure to check out their tumblr), and they just stopped in Iowa City! Sorry you missed them, but it looks like they had a great time at the White Rabbit and the Record Collector. Cool!

In Appreciation: Iowa’s Drumming Wonder, Thomas Scot Halpin

by admin

T. Scot Halpin, later years

Perhaps this doesn’t matter to many teens, The Who being a perennial classic rock staple that recently garnered criticism for a sub-par performance at the 2010 Super Bowl and hasn’t been known for much in the way of innovation in the years following the deaths of drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle. But it’s important for any Iowan under the impression that this state has no significant rock bands aside from Slipknot to know that their small yet great state gave birth to one would-be rock legend.

Iowan Thomas Scot Halpin, born February 3, 1954, was living in San Francisco in late 1973 when he got the opportunity to live the dream of many a rock fanatic. After manic, wild drumming legend Keith Moon passed out twice behind the kit on November 20 during a concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, The Who’s guitarist Pete Townshend invited anyone in the crowd with drumming ability to fill in for Moon, reiterating ‘someone good’ forcefully.

Then 19-year-old Halpin was with friend Mike Danese at the left end of the edge of the stage, and Danese almost immediately began hounding the security staff with the assertion that his buddy could play. It caused such a commotion that legendary promoter Bill Graham’s attention was grabbed. As Halpin himself would later recount, Graham simply stared him right in the eye and asked, “Can you do it?” Halpin, just as simply, replied “Yes”. Given a shot of brandy for his nerves, Townshend told him “I’ll lead you, I’ll cue you”, and the band launched into the loose blues jam of “Smokestack Lightning” with their temporary new drummer.

Although Halpin found the complex rhythms of his third and final song with the band, “Naked Eye”, intimidating, he gave a stellar performance for a pick-up musician. In fact, at the time, he hadn’t picked up a drumstick since leaving Iowa a year earlier! He passed away far less well-known than he should have been at the age of 54 on February 9, 2008, ironically enough in the year that marked the 30th anniversary of the death of the man he replaced for that one night.

Don’t let anyone tell you no rock somebody has ever emerged from the cornfield state.

THOMAS SCOT HALPIN: 1954-2008

Scot Halpin & The Who, \”Naked Eye\”

New Website for Teen Writers

by admin

There is a new website for all of you out there who love to read, write, and connect.  Figment debuted this month and offers young writers the chance to share their work through an interactive and easy to use site.  Go  check out the short stories, poetry, and novels-in-progress by heading to Figment.com.

Click on the picture above to read Soul by Emily Kane.  Each book gives you a short description, approximate reading time, and the genres the author has classified it under.      You can also review the works on Figment or just leave a comment for the author.  Soul was pretty funny. I really liked the narrator’s voice in this, and the beginning is really strong and includes these lines:

While you pine over fictional brooding vampires or troubled teen wolves, the real thing lurks in the shadow. It has no interest in your feelings or your mind. It stalks you, prey and predator.

Figment also includes sneak peeks of newly published books by adult authors, like Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler.  You can read the first three chapters and decide if you like it enough to buy it or check it out at the library.  Side note on Hunger: Kim really was not into this book, but she also did not like The Giver, so you can make your own decision and leave it in the Figment comments :)

Writing (by You!)

by admin

At the Iowa City Public Library, we’re celebrating NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) by launching our very own “Writing (by You!)” section of the ICPL Teens website.  Do you have a short story you’ve been working on?  Some angsty poetry in a spiral notebook that’s yearning to see the light of day?  What about song lyrics, an essay on cats, a play about robots, Twilight FanFiction, or a haiku proclaiming your love for sandwiches?  Send ‘em to teens@icpl.org whenever, wherever, and we’ll post them on the site!

(Super shy?  That’s ok — anonymous submissions will also be considered.)