WRITERS WEEK XV
If you had to pay for this, you couldn’t afford it.
Please report directly to the auditorium. Let’s try to sit in the middle section. The place is going to be jammin’ so get there as soon as possible. First person there, get a row for our class. Once you find your seat, wave or wink or point so I can take attendance.
Here’s your assignment: Post 2 blog posts responding to the week. One by Wednesday, one by Friday. (But feel free to post on the first two days or post everyday, though) Include specifics, always specifics. Think quotes. Zingers. “Ah-ha” moments. Post this as a comment to this post. Write three polished thank-you letters. (I'll send these!) Have a shareable draft – inspired by WW. (Thank yous and SD due Monday, Mar 2nd)
**Don’t be obnoxious and shuffle papers in the auditorium. Just carry around a pocket notebook or a few index cards and when you hear a zinger, quietly jot it down. If you don’t write it down, you’ll forget…and then what? No B or A, that’s what. And if no B or A, no college, no future, no family. The pits. The bottom of the pits. The cruddy leftover gunk that sticks to the pits. You don’t want that. And for your thank you notes, again, include specifics: “Thank you, Writer, for not laughing at me when I asked you a question. Everyone else laughs at me. You didn’t. Thanks...”
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I saw Stephen Whitfield 5th period on Monday. He was expressive in both his word usage and his emotion. He talked at a fast, but not rushed pace as if he were to come to a grand conclusion. He used a variety of different words: demons, purity, suturing punishments. I was shocked he had his piece memorized.
On Monday, I went to writer's week first period to see Mary Fons. She had her large intestine removed, and during a song she lifted her shirt to show us her recovering abdomen. I really didn't need to see that.
I saw Mrs. Enk and Mr. Herriges on Monday. I cried during Mr. Herriges's piece. It reminded me of my childhood best friend and next door neighbor who was diagnosed leukemia. When he talked about his cousin's weakened body and state, the picture was clear in my mind. The imagery was fantastic, and the story was heartwarming. Mrs. Enk's piece about how Disney is advocating that girls need to "wait around for their prince" was also quite interesting and reminded me of a Taylor Swift song.
Kristine= awesome... my favorite line was "my lips creep into a small grin"
Ricky= fantastic...especially of the 2nd poem when you talk about silence
Bizzy Melado was interesting and i could really relate to her pieces- I liked how she said we shouldn't assume that things are always there and should be thankful for what we have
It was cute that Nick Tresnowski was asked to turnabout, and i liked the pieces about being awkward, because i have definitley had my own awkward moments too- they knew their audience well
Finally i just have some zingers from today:
Moez= "We're all players in the casino of life"
Katie= "Just because you're old and wise doesn't mean you can't have fun."
On Monday, I was really touched by Bizzy Mellado's speech about assumptions. When she said, "Only when we stop assuming can we really appreciate what blessings we are given," I really felt convicted of taking my possessions and the people in my life for granted.
Wubeekins was spectacular with her imagery and exemplary word usage. It was so funny because my friend Abby said how she wanted to eat a watermelon real bad because of Wubee's description, and she doesn't even like watermelons. lol! I also loved the "Meatball" story. Wubee posed so many in depth questions. lol! It was so humurous and clever. You go Glen Coco!
Ricky rocked my socks off. I had the pleasure of reading his pieces before W^2 (Writer's Week for those out of the cool lingo loop)and really enjoyed his piece about poets and writers sometimes ruin moments and pictures by depreciating their beauty and value with words.
On Monday, first period, I got to see Mary Fons. I really like her work and was really surprised when she told us that she had her large intestine removed. I thought it was great when she said that everyday she was in the hospital she wrote on her blog.
Also on Monday I saw some students. Those who really stood out to me were Ashley Fullerton, and of course, Kristine and Ricky. I liked Ashley's piece, which was a satire addressing her homecoming date. I thought it was funny at parts but since it was a true story, I also felt pretty bad for her.
I also greatly enjoyed Kristine's pieces. What was really funny to me was when a couple girls behind me said that Kristine must really like watermelons. But as I see what lauren wrote, she doesn't like watermelon's. Kristine had really good description and I laughed out loud at her meatball piece.
Ricky also had outstanding pieces. I liked the poem about how poets lie to us. I thought he had some really good insights and I agree with him, images are more powerful than words.
Great job Ricky and Kristine!
I loved Tim Crowe's speech. I know him through cross country, and the when I heard that he had procrastinated and not written a formal speech, all I thought was "you would do that , Tim Crowe." Although he winged it, and at times it was kind of obvious, his comic timing and and side remarks made his speech hilarious. I had another "you would do that, Crowe" thought when he humorously remarked how Rachel Palumbo was "one of the only people ahead of me in class rank," or how he was just "an awkward person." I loved how he didn't develop a different persona or perform the stereotypical structered poetic speech. He just was himself.
So far, I am loving Writer's Week. I fully appreciate all of the student writers and the hard work they put into their pieces, and I loved seeing Ricky and Christine do their thang, but I am way more a fan of the professional writers. On Monday morning, I had the pleasure of seeing Mary Fons for the first time. I had never seen her before, but I had heard a lot about her writing and how spectacular she is. She FOR SURE lived up to the hype. Her poems were so insightful, and I loved how she played with the language to convey different meanings of simple things. I was also inspired by her dedication to what she loves to do - even though she was in the hospital for two months she wrote every day. I wish that I could love anything as much as she loves writing. Her stage persona was amazing and even though she did gross the audience out with her nasty little poo bag thing, I give her so much credit. She is way braver than I could ever be.
My favorite line was from her poem "I Am So Young" when she said, "I am so young, self-destruction is still a cute word to have in my vocabulary, so pour me a drink and bum me a light because cancer and alcoholism are thirty years off."
Writers Week has been very entertaining so far. On Monday, I saw Mary Fons first period, and I was so excited to see her because ever since I saw her freshman year, I loved her! Not only does Mary Fons have great poetry, but she lights up the stage when she performs. You can't help but not look at her, and give your undivided attention. She recited a poem about getting her large intestine out, and then she pulled out her sac that she goes to the bathroom in now. It's stuff like that where it's really risky, but totallyy worth it in the end because once again Mary Fons had an unforgettable performance.
Nick Treznowski was really funny. I loved his awkward piece because I could relate to every one of his pieces of advice. By starting off with being really awkward, and not saying anything and only clearing his throat and breathing deeply was a great attention grabber. I found myself saying, "This is so awkward." Little did I know that was precisly the point.
Tim Crowe was hilarious also. When he said, "All I had was a description of her house," I nearly lost it. I mean, he was extremly honest, and he had an unforgettable performance also. His point was extremly true too. Awkward experiences do open up new opportunites, and I can even think of times when this was true of me.
PS. Christine and Ricky were fantastic!!!
yay writers week!
I guess i'm really lucky this year because i get to go to writers week twice every day (not including lunch) so i've seen many people read their writing. There are so many students reading and all of them are talented. I specifically could relate to the part in Ricky's poem where he talked about not speaking and just taking in everything. i believe that sometimes, life has to be this way, and so many people get caught up with labels, but everything has its own voice.
I was really disappointed that i didn't get to see Mary Fons this year, but i heard a lot of people talking about poems that she read last year and one of them inspired me for a scene in the movie i'm writing.
On Monday, I was really nervous about reading my pieces so didn't really want to see anyone before I had to go, but Cori and Lauren made me go to see Mr. Herriges and Ms. Enk. I didn't see all of Enk's piece, but it was something about how we fall under misconceptions about men because of stories. I thought it was quite interesting. Mr. Herriges' was touching because he talked about his cousin's bout with cancer.
I was nervous about reading my own pieces, but it ended up being really fun. I definitelt think I will read again next year if I have the opportunity. When you start reading, the nerves really settle down. From the experience, I learned that poetry is really good for writers week. I didn't really want to read my poem because I thought it was weird, but everyone liked it more than my short story..That's good to know.
Kristine, you did an awesome job. I was nervous for most of the time when you read because I knew I would have to read again, but I could pay full attention to your meatball piece...HYSTERICAL...awesome job.
Today, I liked how thouse two guys did those pieces about awkwardness. I think the one's name was Nick. I liked how they weren't afraid to take a risk and be funny. The guy who performed last today, the one who sang his poetry, was cool too...I've never really seen anyone do that before.
So far, I've been loving writers week and have yet to come across a writer that hasn't evoked a reaction either through their writing or what they say while presenting. A couple quotes have really stuck with me from the writer's I've encountered so far.
Mary Fons wrote a poem about when she was sick and how hard it was to sit in a hospital when things just keep going wrong and you have complication after complication. She then went on to say that though it was the hardest point in her life, it made her that much stronger and encouraged her to live more. She said how there were times when she just got motivated to live and why she ended her poem with "so I push..." I loved the poem all around and how it provoked a reaction of invisibility in me that just inspired me to go out and live and have something to push for.
I also loved the analogy that Moez Dawood made today about life and how its all a game. There have been many times I've pondered the idea that every action leads to something else, so everything I do (or don't do) in my life affects someone. His piece reignited this idea which has left me pondering this fact again which I liked because some critical thinking is always good for the brain.
So far I have not been disappointed by any of the authors which is only encouraging me to go see as many people as possible. This year's writer's week has been extremely fulfulling!
So I think every year I forget just how much I love Writer's Week. I'm really disappointed that I didn't get to see Mary Fons this year. You guys should definitely check out her blog or better yet try to catch her when she returns to performing with the Neofuturists at Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. It's so worth it.
Anyways, this was the first year that I read at Writer's Week, (only as a direct result of Mr. Brewner's threats the last two years.) Often times when people describe being nervous or scared or excited they say "my heart was beating out of my chest" and I have to say, never in my life have I really felt that sensation until I was sitting up there on the stage. But once I started reading, I got into a groove and felt much better. I'm really glad that I did it, especially when it is something so far out of my comfort zone. I suggest everyone tries it next year! You won't regret it.
Also, Ricky, I thought you did a great job! I know how you felt up there and I was glad you were there with me. :) I really liked the poem that you read, you had some great insights. Also, I liked how you included a quote from the Awakening in your short story. :)
So unfortunately, Monday I only got to go during eighth period. But I really liked Busy's piece on how we should fall in love with the everyday things around us and really appreciate all that we have.
Oh yeah, I also got to see Jess Tacket yesterday. Who did amazing. I love her writing. I like her descriptions, but I also like how in her writing she tries to send a message. I can't remember the exact line, but I like when she mentions not knowing why the lady chose to sit next to her.
So today I really liked Tim and Nick's presentations on awkwardness. I like their creativity and originality.Also, it takes a lot of guts to do something funny. But I thought they fit their audience well.
I have seen Patrick O'Steen perform before, I didn't really know what to expect. But I thought he did a great job. He commands the stage well, and has a confidence up there that makes him likable to the audience. I also thought that his rhymes were really good, and it's impressive because I know sometimes he just makes stuff up as he goes.
Zingers that caught my attention today: "the words echoed in her head, for better or for worse, 'I do.'"
-"Forgotten, or remembered things the way you want."
-"One decision could bring me to the top."
-"Leave your heart and soul behind, it don't matter because they are already mine."
-"God gives him a face, yet he wears another."
On Monday, I saw Mary Fons, and I agree with John about the lack of seeingness requirement. But overall, her story (the sickness) was interesting and well-told and the poems were well constructed. The words just seemed to fit together well.
Today, we saw Moez with the casino of life piece, and that was pretty interesting. He had really enthusiastic and expressive gestures and I knew who he was, so a bonus. I liked the device of the gambler; that was a good tie-together.
I don't know Tim Crowe, but I heard him yell, in the hallway to some other kid I do know, that he didn't know what he was going to say. And when he came up on stage and said he was going to wing it, I realized what that hallway statement meant. But he was able to entertain the audience well with his awkward stuff and the story and the teacher imitation - I think he made people feel like funny with his general manner. Nick Tresnowski also entertained the audience with awkward stuff; his demonstrations in the beginning were "well done". Awkwardness was a good topic choice for the high school audience. Both were funny. And the last guy was very distinctive and interesting with the devil and man singing.
Having come from a different school, this was my first time attending Writer's Week. It's been very entertaining to listen to writers read their works, particularly the students', as I can relate to a lot of them. I got to see Mary Fons, who performed with great vigor and energy, and when she was reading one of her poems, "I Am So Young," I found myself becoming refreshed as well. While she was reciting her poem, I remembered how free we are and that there are so many things I would like to accomplish in the future. The pieces that students performed were varied, spanning a wide range of topics, and I thought they were all very unique and creative. I especially liked the piece about casinos and I couldn't agree more with the part that said that "your decision affects everyone, not just you." I think anyone can relate to this quote easily. We, the "gamblers" must be careful in making the right decisions, because even the smallest ones may unexpectedly determine the rest of your life.
On tuesday, I saw Tim Crowe and Moaz Dawood. Both of them said things that really reminded me what I often forget, and allowed me to see things in a different, more positive, perspective. Tim Crowe said, "You can let awkward situations get in the way of making new experiences." I thought this was really interesting because I always hated awkward situations and tried my best to keep myself away from them. However, this gave me the advice to allow those moments to become something greater. Moaz Dawood said, "Make the most of every opportunity. Your decisions not only affect you but they affect the people around you." Oftentimes, people are very self-centered (whether they are without knowing they are or they are even though they know they are). We fail to think of how certain decisions will affect the others around us. This got me thinking of the importance of carefully choosing my decisions- not only for what's good for me but what's good for everyone.
On Tuesday, Mosely Dawood talked about how life relates to a game of blackjack. Even though he was tapping his foot nervously before he went up to the podium, I thought he used good intonation and spoke confidently. I especially liked when he energetically shouted something about Napolean and also when he said: "A boy and girl were hanging out, if you know what I mean." His piece accurately described life as a chain of consequences and, with any luck,impacted some students who cared little about the future to change their ways.
I also liked the writers who talked about awkwardness - I couldn't help myself from laughing when one demonstrated how to create an awkward situation: sit down next to someone and slowly turn your head towards him or her, then slowly your head back forwards.
Well Writers Week is more than half way over, and I'm definitly getting a little sad. I love Writers Week when it comes around. I went to Writers Week with my French class today to see Cori Lin (yay cori lin!), and Mr. P started talking about how cool it is that we have Writers Week because seriously like no other schools really have it (or at least as cool as we make it). Then I realized, it IS really cool how we have this great opportunity. Unfortunatly some dont see this great opportunity, and decide to ruin others experience... stupid freshmen.
Anyways, I was so glad to see that Billy Lombardo was coming duirng our English period because I love him and his work. He read "How I Knew You Were Mad At Me" last year, and that's my favorite of his work. So then obviously I was happy to hear him start to read it. It really amazes me that just that one line his son said at the table, "I already have a fork. We dont need a fork," inspired him to write a whole poem about something that didnt even happen to him. And it's not like the poem was entirely about that one line either, he just put in his poem because he saw an opportunity to twist it a bit and add it to one line of his poem. Also, I enjoyed how the line, "My salvation lies in your love," from a song he heard on the radio inspired him to write because songs inspire me/motivate me to write too.
YAY WRITERS WEEK.... AND CORI LIN DID AN AMAZING JOB TODAY ALSO :)
Monday I saw Mr. Herriges and thought he was amazing. I liked how he opened with saying this was hard for him because guys don't like to express his emotions, and then go into this awesome piece about his cousin. Mrs. Enk was also great. I think big picture wise, it's important to take a step back and evaluate one's own addition to a problem; be it letting your kids watch disney movies when you disagree with the message they send or something on a grander scale, like hating ignorant people but not attempting to educate others.
p.s. Ricky and Kristine- you both rocked my world. seriously.
I saw mary fons on monday morning, and she did a piece about her time in the hospital. I thought it was really inspiring that she could take her horrible experiences and make art about it. I really really loved her.
So today i was incredibly disappointed that i didn't get to see Fanboys...But 8th period the last 2 days has really had some awesome performances...
Billy Lombardo- I wrote down a few quotes, but unfortunately i lost that notebook.. i like how he had the mother as like two people (Mom and Audrey) it was cool. But i was a little upset that the boy in the story was a white sox fan...The poem he read at the end, about how he knew his wife was mad at him pretty much made me cry. I thought it was really sad...
Hayes: that might possibly be the funniest thing i have ever heard at writers week, i was bursting with laughter... in psych we study cross cultural things, and the his comments about how the chinese value honor were really insightful... Also the "In America you are poo" and the top ten names were really funny
Hogrefe: My eyes were filled with tears, and i as i walked into the hallway i noticed everyone else's were too..1st off i noticed Mr. Donatucci choking back tears as he introduced him, and the speech was just wonderful.He was funny at the beggining, and more serious at the end when he talked about his hair falling out. He seemed so strong which amazed me. I was shocked that he shared such personal journals; It must have taken a lot of courage.
-I always feel like the best pieces are the ones that can make you laugh uncontrollably, or cry.
-I have cried in the auditorium three times this week, and haven't stopped laughing since monday. I feel very lucky to have this experience.
I thought that Mr. Hay's talk of China was very humorous. However, I didn't like when he (and many other students, teachers, and guests) cussed. To me, I felt that they could've made the audience laugh without all the cussing. Although, I thought Mr. Hay's experience and the way he explained them were funny, I felt like he was making fun of China and in general- Asian countries. I'm sure he did not mean to provoke such feelings but, I felt a little offended.
This year was actually my first time seeing Billy Lombardo, and I had a good time hearing him read us his writings. However, there were a few things that I thought he could've changed. One was that he used the word "said" in his writing way too much. It was so repetitive, and I feel that he could've made his writing much more descriptive in that sense. However, too much description can be bad also. A lot of his writing felt very, very long. As if each sentence was a paragraph long.
The piece about a teacher's experience at a local school in China had funny moments, and I couldn't help but laugh with the audience while he was reading his story. However, I think that these were rather cheap laughs; it's easy to make fun of people who live half a world away who have limited exposure to English. To further stereotypes against Asians is quiet irresponsible, particularly in a school setting. Would these jokes have been as acceptable if they were making fun of other racial or religious groups?
I totally forgot one post was due on Wednesday...
On Tuesday I saw two pieces regarding awkward situations. One by Tim Crowe and the other by Nick Tresnowski. Both these pieces talked about the same subject but how they presented awkward situations really stood out for me.
I loved how Tim Crowe was basically improvising his whole piece on stage. I give him big ups for that because I would probably throw up or start rambling and mumbling if I didn't have anything prepared. His performance was natural and very entertaining. There were many laughs, specifically when he was sitting in the bush in front of Rachel's house. That was awesome and I could totally see him just creeping in front of her house waiting for the right moment to ask her out on a date.
Nick's performance was also entertaining and very funny. (The turnabout asking was cute as well) I loved the beginning when he started hesitating and faking a freak out. He totally got me; I was scared for him. That was a good start to his piece. When he demonstrated a specific awkward situations, (when he sat down next to Tim really close and they both stared at each other and looked back) I almost fell off my seat because that's so true. I loved it. Both performers did a great job, they really knew how to entertain the audience.
Yesterday, I really enjoyed listening to Billy Lombardo. I read his book The Logic of a Rose, a couple summers ago and liked his writing style. Although, I found that I liked his writing even more when he read it out loud. I guess it was something about the way that he would pause or read quickly, his words just seemed to tie me in more. So even though there were extremely rude boys sitting behind me talking through the whole thing, I could still focus on what Billy was saying and really think about his words. I especially liked his piece titled The Thing Is... I loved his descriptions and how he explained that it is difficult to say things that you are feeling sometimes. But if it were in a movie or a song it could be so much easier. I also liked his first story, and especially his description of the mom that would stop at the dance studio and shade her eyes and look in. This reminded me so much of when I was little and would do just that at my sister's dance studio. His descriptions just really seemed to hit home with me.
Today I though Mr. Hayes and Mr. Hoegrefe did a great job. In different ways, but both very good. I like to see other teachers from other departments up there participating in writer's week. I think that is soo cool, getting the entire school involved.
Also, FanBoys was awesome! You were great Mrs. Gerber! :)
Just a little story before my post about Writers Week...
Today, after track practice, one of the members of StuCo gave me a pizza so I was chomping away (clearly, I'm a dedicated track star with a pizza in hand) when I passed Mr. Pagnani by the door. I said hi, we had a little chitchat and little did I know, Mr. P. was one of the StuCo officers and he noticed me and my pizza. "Where'd you get that pizza...?" He says. "From my bag..." I say with fear in my eyes (no one out of StuCo is suppose to have pizza) And Mr. Pagnani, jokingly, of course...I hope, says "I will choke you" and immediately after he said that I hoped to Lord Almighty that he wouldn't asked if I saw FANBOYS today because I didn't. I tried my hardest but physics just decided to be a jerk today. So I really do believe if he had me if I had watched and I said no, Mr. Pagnani would truly choke me. It was a scary moment. Mr. Pagnani, if you ever see this, I am so sorry I asked SAL AIELLO to give me a slice of pizza! I will buy you and the StuCo staff a box, just please don't choke me. =)
Sorry Mrs. Gerber, I just had to post this. I hope that entertained you at the least bit. It has relevance to Writers Week so I thought it was acceptable. Anyways, Writers Week...
I would love to get to know Mr. Hays! He seem so chill and awesome. The fact that he went to China to teach is very interesting. I loved his performance. There were a lot of laughs particularly in the name/end of his piece. Although somewhat inappropriate, I was all for it. The superhero was also very funny. He made me want to go to China and be oblivious of its culture and as a result have many awkward but funny moments. His piece made me laugh and humor is always a plus in my book.
I just have a higher respect for Mr. Hogrefe. I never had him as a teacher and I was one of the students, who he mentioned, was unaware that he had cancer. When I found this out last year, I was really surprised because Mr. Hogrefe is so healthy and fit. I never would have known the hardship he was going through. It just shows how the unexpected can happen to anybody. I felt the raw experience Mr. Hogrefe described. I felt the honesty in his voice when he thanked all the people who supported him and helped him get through this tough time in his life. Cancer was one of the road blocks for Mr. Hogrefe and I'm really happy he was able to fight through. He was able to show his strength and beat cancer at its own game.
I love Writers Week
Today I saw many great people perform at Writer's Week. I went seventh period and saw Lin Brehmer, WXRT DJ. I thought he was really funny. My favorite piece of his was the story of his trip to Florida. I definately could relate to his experiences becasue I have four brothers and we tease each other in the car also on the way to florida to pass the time. I also liked his piece about Facebook. I thought it was really clever.
Seeing Mr. Hays and Mr. Hogrefe eighth period was awesome. The extreme differences in emotions between the pieces were very intense. Mr. Hays had a really interesting and funny piece. It was cool to learn about China's culture and his experiences there. My favorite part was the end when he listed his top ten favorite American names of the kids he taught. I laughed so hard I cried. I loved the names pepsi, diet, and whiskey. Mr. Hogrefe and his story about his cancer was a big contrast compared to Mr. Hay's piece. I was tearing during his piece and was surprised when he made jokes about his cancer. I thought it was awesome how he could do that even after all that he has went through. So far, this week has been amazing!!
Unfortunately I didn't get to see FANBOYS today because I had physics. I was quite disappointed. Anyways, I really liked Mr Hayes piece about China. I knew it was going to be good when he started talking about a girl named "Potato." My favorite part was probably when he listed off his favortite names of his students. Mr. Hogrefe's was really good, too, sad, but also fun at times. My favorite line of his was, "When we play one-ball, don't ask if we can add another ball to make the game better. One gets the job done." The crowd enjoyed it, too.
I also saw Cori Lin yesterday during 3rd period. I had already heard her piece, but she was really good in front of the audience. The first thing she said was, "I have a cold, guys, so sorry if I sound like a man." You're officially one of my favorite people ever, Cori.
I really liked Mr. Hayes writing today. I enjoyed the conversational tone he took and how it didn't feel like it was really an essay. I didn't even know that the essay started from the beginning. When he said "I want to give you some background information" I thought that was just him talking to us (and it might have been, I honestly don't know). If that wasn't his essay, then I don't know where it started, which just shows that he did a really good job of capturing that casual tone.
Mr. Hogrefe's was really good just because it was so real. He was constantly telling us what was going on with his body and with his emotions during all the stages of the process. Overall I really liked it just because he did open up to us and put it all out there for us to know.
Wow, Mercedes. Great story. NOT.
Anyhoo, I freaking love Writer's Week, just like everyone else in our class. I am constantly amazed by the amount of talent in the world, and Writer's Week always reminds me of how amazing people in close proximity to my life are. Today, I had the immense pleasure of seeing Mr. Hays and Mr. Hogrefe perform. Though they were two very different writers and readers, it was a truly enjoyable experience. Mr. Hays was obviously hilarious with his stories, and I was impressed by his Chinese. I know what you're thinking. "Jane, you're white. What do you know about Chinese?" Well, I know pretty much nothing about Chinese, but I do know that he had a killer Chinese pronunciation for a white guy. Mr. Hays was very much in control of his audience, and his jokes were perfect for the maturity level of the audience. I nearly died of laughter when he said the name of his student was "Giiiiiiiiiiiz." I'm betting none of you were able to keep a straight face then either. Mr. Hogrefe's reading really impressed me. His honesty and bravery were stunning, and though his story made me sad to hear, it made me happy at the same time to know that there were people like himself out there doing their best in times of hardship. Most of all, I was impressed with the Fremd student body who were all so mature during Mr. Hogrefe's reading. No one ever knows how to act in such situations, but I think we all handled it with grace and maturity, which makes Mr. Hogrefe's reading even more special.
I didn't get to see FANBOYS today, that was upsetting. I was in physics, and RoRo did not take us. Luckily, I got to see Mr. Hayes & Mr. Hogrefe, which was cool. Mr.Hayes was hilarious, and I liked how he would sneak in comments & critques of american students. I would die if I had to go to school all day, 6 days a week. We complain much more than we have right to. I like how he would just touch on that, then move away, distracting and winning us over with his humor. Mr. Hogrefe's presentation was very moving. I had him for just a bit over a semester last year and he was a great teacher. He kept us posted throughout the year, but it hadn't really hit home until I heard him today. He's an amazingly strong person and I admire him for his courage and for being able to remain in high spirits throughout such trial.
Unfortunately, I was not able to attend Writer's Week yesterday. However, I thought today's performances were very well done. Two different and both really good extremes of experience in Mr. Hays and Mr. Hogrefe. Mr. Hays was funny and light. It's cool that he decided to go to China, and I liked his humorous presentation style - he knew how to make people laugh. I think he was able convincingly convey humor in cultural differences, poking fun at both cultures along the way. And the name-listing was of course very funny.
Mr. Hogrefe's story was convincingly real and well told. He was really able to convey what he went through, and I personally admire the way he dealt (and continues to deal) with the cancer. The whole atmosphere during his presentation and his generally honestly realist (as I think was perfectly appropriate), and at the same time humorous in the middle, style created a general..goodness. And of course, the content of his presentation, his experiences, were really admirable.
Today 8th period, Writer's Week was enjoyable and interesting and moving to watch.
Today and yesterday, i saw a lot of really amazing writers! Yestertday, i saw Dennis Florine, who was totally amazing because he played songs and read poetry. He said that he used to do the poetry slams so the way that he performed his poetry was really cool and really caught my attention. Today, i saw an awesome group of students because a lot of them wrote about what i was interested in. When we saw Mr. Hays and Mr. Hogrefe today, i felt like i was watching a comedy and then a tradgedy (kind of...).Both of them had amazing stories to tell and i thought it was really cool how it wasn't only english teachers writing. everyone has something to write about. I also just wanted to say that it was the coolest thing ever to see almost the entire auditorium stay to watch Mr. Hogrefe's entire video even though it played past the 2:45 bell. I know how much students love to get out of the school as fast as they can, but almost everyone stayed and all of those people stood and clapped for him at the end. And of course, i had to see Fanboys.
I waited until today to do my final comment because first period I saw Mark Iverson. I went to great extents to get out of my first period spanish class (Donald can attest) because I am a huge HUGE fan of Iverson.
I have been watching Dorm Life for a year now, and it is my favorite show. Better than The Office, better than America's Best Dance Crew, these five minute webisodes make my life. I actually had no idea that one of the writers was a Fremd grad, and when I found out he was coming to Writer's Week I, in terms, flipped out.
I got to meet him and speak with him about my undying adoration, and he was one of the funniest men I have ever met. Overall, it was a win.
Wow! After Thursday's Writer's Week I felt emotionally drained yet fulfilled at the same time. Mr. Hays piece was SO FUNNY! And yes, I confirm that Donald was laughing out loud because I was sitting next to him nearly peeing my pants(which for those who know me isn't that big of a deal, but nonetheless I almost did). My favorite line was the last when he named his favorite student's name: "Giiiiiiiiiiiiiz" (yes I have 13 i's). That must have been an incredible experience and it was so interesting to learn of some of the cultural differences from Mr. Hays speech. Then Mr. Hoegrefe completely put me in awe. His strength was astounding and inspiring. What a miracle, and what bravery for him to share those very intimate moments in his life.
Mr. Hayes brightened up my day on Thursday, but not just from the funny and awkward situations he described. I always heard about misinterpretations of other people's cultures while in a different country, but I didn't expect Mr. Hayes to discuss one of those misinterpretations while talking about his first day of teaching in China. What I really liked about Mr. Hayes's piece is how he spoke so casually when talking about his experiences. His speaking didn't sound rehearsed, so it was easy to follow.
I had a really good time on Thursday during writers week. I especially liked Mr. Hayes's recount of his time in China. It sounds like the Chinese students he was working with have a great sense of humor, based on their English names. It was cool of Mr. Hayes to let them pick such ridiculous words as their names. I think I would have a good time working with those kids.
I absolutly loved Chuck Perkins and his band on Friday. It was a great way to end Writers Week. I laughed so hard at his impersonation of new hip-hop artists. Especially when he grabbed himself and then thanked "his savior." That was hilarious. It was awesome to see the audience get really into it too. The Mardi Gras Indians really riled up the crowd, especially with the screaming.
I must admit that Ricky's poem was one of my favorite pieces I've heard at Writer's Week since freshman year.
FINALLY my junior year I got to see Mary Fons!I really respect her for facing her illness with such courage. It was refreshing to hear her humorous perspective of dealing with conflict and accepting life's unexpected twists. Mr. Hogrefe's account of his battle with cancer gave a true look into his struggle and strength.
Daphne Willis, as always, was fantastic.Who knew Writer Week woudl iclude a neon feathered clad Indian man frolicking on stage, but Chuck Perkins was an eclectic and enjoyable addition to Writers Week.
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