Poetry Is Alive and Well

      Judging by the many excellent submissions I've received for possible inclusion in my upcoming anthology, poetry is alive and well in the nation's classrooms.
      Here's an example by eighteen-year-old Kristen Dawn Wilson, a student at Allen County Scottsville High School, Scottsville, Kentucky. Kristen's teacher is Lisa Logsdon. The photograph is by Julia Stein, a recent graduate of Blake High School, Silver Spring, Maryland. Julia's teacher is Kerri Blankenship.

Destroying the Walls

I was trapped there.
Trapped in the nothingness.
Trapped behind the walls
that were built to guard my heart.
I was my own prisoner,
ignoring my own screams,
lost in a fictional land,
trapped in disillusioning dreams.
Last night I awoke
from the fire in my soul,
and each thought fed the flame.
The walls had to go.
With my bare hands.
with my healing heart,
with this new anger,
I tore those damn walls apart.
Now I feel.
Now I weep.
Now I scream.
Now I run.
Now I fly.
Now I escape,
ridding myself of both
sorrow and hate.

        At this writing I've received 103 submissions for possible inclusion in my upcoming anthology, Reflections. If you and/or your students would like to submit work, contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com with the words Poetry Guidelines in the subject line of your e-mail. Please don't submit work without having read the guidelines. The deadline for submissions is 10/30/10.

Write What You See

Although my publishing house, Cottonwood Press, has been sold to Prufrock Press, the book is still available at www.amazon.com, elsewhere on the Internet, and in bookstores everywhere. What's more, you can ask your school or public librarian to order it for you.

        Write What You See is a collection of photographs and writing prompts for the classroom. The book presents 99 black and white photographs accompanied by a wide variety of writing prompts to motivate students. In the book I provide not only my own suggestions for using photography in the classroom, but also ideas from real teachers across the country who have used photography successfully to inspire writing. At just $24.95, Write What You See includes a CD-ROM. Order today!

Nature As Seen by a Young Boy

        Here are a poem and photo I received for possible inclusion in my upcoming anthology, Reflections: 99 Photos and Poems To Inspire Writing. I added the quotation by John Keats. The poem is by nine-year-old Erick Moore, a student at Muhlenberg South Elementary School, Beechmont, Kentucky. Angela Todd is Erick’s teacher. The photo is by sixteen-year-old Taylor Dennhy. Taylor is a student at Horizon High School, Scottsdale, Arizona.

       It’s easy to see that you can use the quotation, poem, and photo together to inspire class discussion that leads to writing assignments. But that’s not all. You could use just the quotation, the poem, or the image individually to motivate your students. Or you could use any combination of two of the items for the same purpose.

       Feel free to download the poem, photo, and quotation for use in your classroom. If you do, I’d be delighted to read samples of the results. You can contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com.

 “The poetry of the earth is never dead.”  John Keats

                            

In the Wild I See

In the wild I see, I see a great blue sky hanging over  me.

With clouds as white as snow, at night I see a soft glow.

In the wild I see, I see cute little birds singing to me.

With beautiful songs they sing with glee.

In the wild I see, I see a fawn and its mother dancing around a tree.

With gentle grace so lovely.

In the wild I see, I see……….Nature

                              

                                                         Erick Moore

Write What You See

Write What You See by Hank Kellner (Cottonwood Press, 2009) is a collection of photographs and writing prompts for the classroom. Written by a successful photographer and former teacher of English, this book presents 99 black and white photographs accompanied by a wide variety of writing prompts to motivate students. The author gives his own suggestions for using photography and also shares ideas from real teachers across the country who have successfully used photography in the teaching of writing. Includes a CD-Rom. $24.95. Available from the publisher, at bookstores, and on the Internet.

A Challenge for Your Students

Three Photos with Quotations    

         This week I'm presenting three photos, each of which is accompanied by a quotation. Click on any image to enlarge it. Each combination of a quotation and an an image is designed to inspire students to create some form of writing. I invite you to use these prompts to inspire your students to create poems or other forms of writing.
        You can easily download one or more of the images from this blog, but if you have problems doing so, please contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com and I'll send them to you. Please cite "Photo Request" in the subject line of your e-mail, as well as the number that appears in the appropriate quotation.
        Although I'm primarily interested in discovering poems for my upcoming anthology, Reflections, I'd love to read any works your students create. When you send samples of student writing to me at the  address shown above, please cite "Student Writing" in the subject line of your e-mail.

Clouds, Sunset, Intolerance

44 Clouds  "You must not blame me if I talk to the clouds."  Henry David Thoreau



  

29 Sunset  "If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot see the beauty of the sunset."            Jiddu Krishnamurti



  
27 Intolerance "I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate."                                                  Booker T. Washington




 

Write What You See

Write What You See by Hank Kellner (Cottonwood Press, 2009) is a collection of photographs and writing prompts for the classroom. Written by a successful photographer and former teacher of English, this book presents 99 black and white photographs accompanied by a wide variety or writing prompts to motivate students. The author gives his own suggestions for using photography and also shares ideas from real teachers across the country who have successfully used photography in the teaching of writing. Includes a CD-Rom. $24.95. Available from the publisher, at bookstores, and on the Internet.




  




  

A Brief but Powerful Poem

The Absence of Color

Does sadness have a color?
Muted blue perhaps tinged with gray.
White layered throughout like Morbier cheese?
No! Black is beautiful,
As are gold, brown, and green.
They indicate life.
Sadness equals absence
of light and color and warmth.
Arctic white, then, yes.
That's the color of sadness.
                    Cynthia Staples

        Thank you, Cynthia, for submitting "The Absence of Color" for inclusion in my upcoming anthology, Reflections. Either alone or in company with the accompanying photo, this poem offers almost endless possibilities for discussion that will inspire students to express themselves in writing.
        Here are just a few examples of questions that will challenge students. (1) What responses  does the question in the first line of the poem trigger? (2) What does the poet imply when she writes that white is the color of sadness? (3) Is it possible for emotions to be expressed as colors? If so, what are those emotions? (4) What feelings do you experience after reading the poem? (5) Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Stephen Crane, William Shakespeare, and many other authors have used color imagery extensively in their writings. Discuss the use of color imagery in a work by any author of your choice. (6) Write a character description or other brief work in which you use color imagery. (7) Other than sadness, what emotions could the color white trigger?
        Cynthia Staples is a writer/photographer based in Massachusetts. To see more of her work, visit  wordsandimagesbycynthia.wordpress.com.

Work on Reflections Continues

        Once again I'd like to thank everyone who submitted work for possible inclusion in my upcoming anthology of poems and photographs by students, teachers, and others. If you would like to receive guidelines for submission, please contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com. I'm especially interested in receiving poems and/or photos by students of any age. I'll be reading submissions until the end of October, but I'd appreciate those that arrive before then.
        Because Reflections will contain more than one hundred poems, I'm interested in receiving as many submissions as possible from which to choose. Luckily, a few of my colleagues have offered to help me make the final decisions.

Write What You See

W

 Write What You See by Hank Kellner (Cottonwood Press, 2009) is a collection of photographs and writing prompts for the classroom. Written by a successful photographer and former teacher of English, this book presents 99 black and white photographs accompanied by a wide variety of writing prompts to motivate students. The author gives his own suggestions for using photography in the classroom and also shares ideas from real teachers across the country who have successfully used photography in the teaching of writing. Includes a CD-Rom. $24.95. Available from the publisher, at bookstores everywhere, and on the Internet.

Brevity Is the Soul of Wit

        "Brevity is the soul of wit." So said Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Of course, Polonius' advice to his son Laertes was anything but brief. But that doesn't negate the truth inherent in his words.
         Here are two brief poems I received for possible inclusion in my current project, an anthology of poems accompanied by photographs. The working title for this collection is Reflections.
         If you would like to learn more about  Reflections, please contact me at hankpix(at)gmail(dot)com.
        The first piece is by Cynthia Lee Katona, a retired professor of English and nationally known freelance photographer-writer. The author of several books, Katona is currently developing a collection of haiku for publication. Visit her website at www.photomerchant.com.

           The Identity Dilemma

                                                                Burka

                                                        Woman in Burka
                                                        Hands her license to a cop.
                                                        Does the picture match?

                       A Brief Poem about Hate

           The second poem is by Timothy San Pedro, a Ph.D candidate who works with student teachers at Arizona State University. As with the combination shown above, this photo-poem combination speaks for itself and is a powerful incentive that can lead to spirited discussion and different kinds of writing assignments.

                                              
                                                      The Mathematics of Hate

                                                      Hate,
                                                      When matched with more hate,
                                                      Does not cancel out.
                                                      It only doubles. 

A Word about Copyright

        Please feel free to use the words and images shown in this blog in your classroom, but note that they are protected under the copyright law and may not be used for any other purpose.

Use This Book To Inspire Writing in the Classroom

Hank Kellner's Write What You See (Cottonwood Press, 2009) is a collection of photographs and writing prompts designed to inspire your students. The book presents 99 black and white photographs accompanied by a wide variety of writing prompts. Kellner gives his own suggestions for using photography in the classroom and also shares ideas from real teachers across the country who have successfully used photography in the teaching of writing. Includes a CD-ROM. $24.95. Available from the publisher, at bookstores, at Amazon, and everywhere books are sold. Ask your school or public librarian to order it.

Poetry Is Alive and Well in the Classroom

         I've been delighted by the responses I've received to my call for poems by students and teachers. Reflections (working title) will be a unique anthology because it will feature poems accompanied by photographs. This powerful combination of written words and graphic images never fails to stimulate viewers' imaginations.         

        Teachers will find that Reflections will help to trigger lively class discussions that can lead to interesting writing assignments. If you would like more information about Reflections, please contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com with the word "Guidelines" in the subject line.        

         Here's one of the poems I received for this project. Its author is Kym Sheehan, Secondary Literacy Specialist, Port Charlotte Public Schools, Port Charlotte, Florida. Kim is also the creator of the accompanying image. I added the quotation.

"I stood on the bridge at midnight/As the clocks were striking the hour."                                                Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  

The Bridge

We named it The Singing Bridge.

Its small expanse connected and divided us.

It spanned the creek

That led to the marina and to sleepy coastal towns.

It's been silver, gray, and green.

Today its layers of paint are speckled with rust.

The rivets that hold it together

Are surrounded by starbursts of burnt sienna.

Oh, but it still sings!

When we drive across the fine-tuned 

Metal floor, it serenades us.

As we bounce, it hums louder and louder.

Then SMACK! We hit the pavement.

Once across the bridge,

A quick left and we park by the docks.

The odor of brackish water fills our nostrils.

We ignore the "Live Lobsters"  sign

And trudge down the bank to the water's edge.

High tide--no boat traffic.

Water glistens on top; but a closer look

Reveals only darkness below.

A soft wind pushes the water

To meet the underside of the bridge

As it sings while travelers

Drive to and fro to make the music.

Photo Essays Tell Stories        

In a review of Write What You See in VOICES OF YOUTH ADVOCATE, Joyce Doyle wrote "Possibly the most helpful feature is a special section in the back of the book where high school and college teachers share how they have helped to inspire creative writing through the use of photos."
        Here's an example that tells how you can use photo essays to trigger your students' imaginations.      “Photo essays tell stories with pictures in ways that words cannot,” writes Kathy Miller, a teacher consultant at the Prairie Lands Writing Project. In one of her photo-related writing exercises, Miller directs her students at West Platte High School, Weston, Missouri to select three photo essays from the Internet, study them, and analyze them in terms of written responses to such questions as (1) Do the photos in the essays stand alone? (2) How much narration supports the photos? (3) How does the narration complement or support the photos? (4) What are your responses to the essays? In another exercise, Miller uses Brian Lanker’s I Dream a World as a source of photos of African-American women. “I direct students to select a photo, study it, and relate how the woman in the photo they chose is like them or different from them,” she concludes.

More about Write What You See 

         Hank Kellner is the author of Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing. Published by Cottonwood Press, Write What You See includes a supplementary CD with photos.
         Here's what Valerie A. Reimers, Professor of English, Southwestern Okalhoma State University said about  Write What You See. "This delightful collection of photographs and accompanying writing prompts offers a smorgasbord for imagination and critical thinking."
        Write What You See is available at the publisher, at bookstores and on the Internet at www.amazon.com. Ask your school or local librarian to order it.          

Inspiration from Photos and Poems

   

Look Beyond the Ocean

          You can always use photos without text to inspire writing, and you can always use text without photos for the same purpose. But when you combine the two, you present a powerful combination of words and images that never fails to encourage students to write. And when you add a relevant quotation, it gets even better. Here's one example.

"As for the future, your task is not to forsee it, but to enable it."

                                                        Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Look Beyond the Ocean

Alone, I face the sea

As waves rush toward the shore

Carrying messages unheard.

What will they say,

Those silent thoughts,

When at last

They whisper to the sand

On which I wait?

“The world awaits,” they cry.

“Look beyond the ocean,

Past the clouds

And out beyond the sky

Where you will find yourself.”

                                          Elizabeth Guybo

        For an anthology due out next year I'm on the lookout for poems by students, teachers, and others. This anthology will be unique because it will combine poems and photos. For more information and guidelines for submission, contact me at hankpix(at)gmail(dot)com  with the word Poetry in the subject line.
        Photo courtesy Megan McCarty. Megan is a graduate of  The University of Central Florida. Visit her blog at meganerdruns.com

Comic Strips, Cartoons, and Working Lunches

          There seems to be no end to the ways in which you can use photos to inspire writing. Here's one example. Mary Lee Meyer is a teacher consultant at the Prairie Lands Writing Project. See http://writingwithtechnology.edublogs.org for examples of some of the activities she demonstrates at her writing workshops for teachers. Contact Mary Lee at lucki13(at)grm(dot)net for more information.

         In one activity, Meyer suggests using comic strips or political cartoons from newspapers and magazines to inspire student writing. “Scan an image into Microsoft Paint™ or another photo editing program and erase the words in the bubbles,” she writes. “Then print copies and ask the students to discuss the cartoon or comic strip in small group settings.” Meyer points out that this exercise helps students develop writing assignments that use dialogue          In another activity, Meyer asked workshop participants to take a working lunch during which they recorded at least five digital photos that they thought they could use in a writing assignment. “This was a two-day class,” she writes, “during which participants were required, among other things, to use one of their images appropriately in a written piece.”  This assignment could easily be completed with students at any level in just one day if the students are directed to come to class with photos they had already taken.

 Another Pitch for Write What You See
 

          Hank Kellner is the author of Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing. Published by Cottonwood Press, Write What You See includes a supplementary CD with photos. Available at the publisher, at bookstores and on the Internet at www.amazon.com. Ask your school or local librarian to order it.