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.          

Summer Storms and Las Vegas

             Stormy Weather

           Cynthia Staples' poem "Summer Storms" appeared in Dead Mule of Southern Literature. We've paired it with a photo and reproduced it here to illustrate, once again, how powerful a photo-poem combination can be when it comes to inspiring writing.
           To see more of  Cynthia's photos and inspirational comments, visit her interesting and exciting blog at wordsandimagesbycynthia.wordpress.com. Other work by Cynthia has appeared  in African Voices, Creativity Portal, and the Seattle Times.   


Summer Storms

I miss summer storms,

Deafening noise, blinding light.

You know—the ones with rolling thunder,

Trailing white lightning in their wake,

Sheets of rain falling like milk from the sky.

We were trembling children.

As we peered past drawn curtains,

The storm seemed unending,

But then poof! Like magic it would stop

Leaving silence in the air.

Darkness would part for the sun. Birds sang.

All that remained of the storm

Was puddles and leaves strewn across

The front porch. We’d step outside

Into a golden light as though

God had scrubbed the world clean

Just for us.

We would play until sun set

And lightning bugs came out

To dance with the stars.

And Then There's, uh, Las Vegas

                           

Las Vegas

O Las Vegas, you tawdry queen in old sequins and greasy spangles,

A boiling cauldron of iniquity.

A devil’s den of sin and vice.

Vegas, that dark electric empire.

That dream within a dream.

A thousand white candles of hope burning and singing to that old devil moon.

Uniquely American, the beauty of Las Vegas-

The swing and swank of neon, fast cars, and hot sex.

Eternal promise, hope and hype-

O glittering golden dream.

                                                                                                     Molly Anderson-Childers' "Las Vegas" seduces us in a voice that's different from that of Staples' "Summer Storms." Rich in imagery, it speaks of "sin and vice," of "greasy spangles," of "hope and hype."

        Although this photo-poem combination wouldn't be appropriate for younger students, it would certainly inspire upper level students and adults.

      What's more, you could easily use the storm photo or the Vegas photo without the accompanying poems to inspire writing.

      Thanks to Molly Anderson-Childers for "Las Vegas." Molly is a freelance writer, photographer, artist, and creativity consultant. You can see more of her work at creativity-portal, ediblesanjuanmountains, addictivefiction.blogspot.com, and stealingplums.blogspot.com

Call for Poetry

           I'd been teaching  for just a few years when Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle was published back in the 1960s. Consisting of a collection of poems accompanied by photos, Reflections became a favorite not only with the general public, but also with teachers of English. As I recall, it went through many editions before going out of print.

          What a great idea, I thought at the time. Now, more than forty years later, I still feel the same way. That's why I've decided to create another poetry-photo combination. But this time, instead of using poetry by well-known poets, I'd like to use poems by students, their teachers, and other adults.

         If you're interested in learning more about this exciting project, please contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com. Finally, if you don't have photos, we can provide them..

Buy My Book  

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.                                                            Here's what Darien Public Library teen volunteer Katie Farren wrote about Write What You See. "Do you ever have trouble writing stories for your English class or on your own? Well Write What You See is packed with 99 intriguing photos, writing prompts, and key words that will surely motivate you to write stories that will blow people away. The ideas and stories these pictures can help you come up with are endless. You'll never have trouble writing again!"       

The Man in the Green Shirt

         You really must click on this photo by Minneapolis-based photographer Michael A. Shapiro to enlarge it. That's when you'll experience the full impact of this powerful image. A former writing instructor, Shapiro is the well-known creator of photographic images who has completed and exhibited five major projects since 2000; published the book Paris; is finishing the final edit for his next book, American Fair; and is working full time on another project. You can see more of his excellent images at his website www.michaelashapiro.com.

           I doubt if you'd  find a student anywhere in the the world who won't respond to this photo in one way or another.That's why I suggest that simply showing the image to young writers without comment will trigger many different poems, essays, character sketches, recollections, and more.

           Alternatively, you could show the photo accompanied by several key words designed to inspire writing. For example: shirt, mood, eyes, pensive, or many others. Ask the students to describe, in writing, what comes to mind when they match the words to the photo.

          But if you thrive on class discussion, you could challenge your students with such questions as: (1) What do you think this young man is looking at? (2) If you were to meet him, what would you discuss? (3) Why is the subject of the photo alone? (4) What is he thinking?

How Some Master Teachers  Use Photographs To Inspire Writing

             In a review of Write What You See in Voices of Youth Advocate, August, 2009, Joyce Doyle wrote: "Possibly the most helpful feature is a special section in the back of the book where high school and college teachers show how they have helped to inspire creative writing through the use of photos." Here are two examples.

     At the University of Mississippi Writing Project, Co-Director of Special Programs Allison Movitz’s students use their own photographs to spark various kinds of writings. The students also incorporate their photos into multi-genre presentations and portfolios.  “Most recently,” writes Movitz, “we’ve used Microsoft’s Photostory™, a digital camera, and a microphone to recreate a ‘who done it’ from a mock trial in speech/debate classes.”

     Mary Birky is an English teacher at the Papillion-LaVista High School, Papillion, Nebraska; a Nebraska Writing Project Advisory Board member, and a contributor to a forthcoming book on place-conscious education. Birky uses student-generated photos to stimulate writing assignments based on the content of the photos, the mood of the photos, and the imagery of the photos. “I tell my students to ‘paint the photographs with words,’” she writes, before she asks them to create free verse poetry based on the photos they have selected.”

    Justin Van Kleeck’s very successful writing activity with students he tutors involves a seagull that simply can’t get enough Doritos. A former adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Piedmont Community College, Van Kleeck shows his students a video of a seagull that steals a bag of Doritos from a store in Scotland every day. In the first part of his assignment, he directs the students to become the thieving seagull and write process papers in which they tell their fellow seagulls how to steal, open, and eat the Doritos. In the second part of the assignment, he tells the students to write from the point of view of a shopkeeper who, in a creative, non-violent way, is telling other shopkeepers how to prevent the seagull from stealing Doritos. “The key to the exercises,” writes Van Kleeck, “is for students to use the process approach while also using their imaginations.”

    

Call for Submissions

 

    Do you have a photo-related writing activity you’ve used successfully in the classroom? Would you like to share that activity with other teachers at many levels nationwide? If so, I’d love to hear from you.    Please send approximately 100 words describing your activity to me at hankpix(at)gmail(dot)com as a WORD attachment to your e-mail. Don’t forget to include your name, title, school or college, city, state, and a brief statement granting permission to use your submission in my articles. Thank you.

 Don't Miss This Chance To Purchase Write What You See at a 34% Discount

           Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing sells for $24.95. But through September 1, 2010 you'll pay just $16.47 when you order directly from the publisher at www.cottonwoodpress.com/index.php/writing/write-what-you-see-99-photos-to-inspire-writing/detailed-product-flyer.html/. That'll save you a whopping 34%.

        Here's how to receive your discount. Just enter coupon code HPIXWS when you order online. Your discount will be entered automatically when you check out. The $8.48 discount applies only to orders that include Write What You See.

       You can also phone in your order at 1-800-864-4297 and mention the code HPIXWS to receive the discount. Don't delay. Order today!

Who is Katie Farren?

 Henry Stindt at the Museum

        When Virginia-based writer-photographer Dan Mouer visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with his wife Robin and lifelong friend Henry Stindt, an artist-photographer who has spent decades teaching painting and photography, he waited for the perfect moment to capture this image.

        "As we sat down for our lunch break in the museum's cafe," writes Mouer, "we began talking about the exhibit we had just come from. The light behind Henry made a halo around his long gray hair. I simply waited for a time when his face relaxed as he was listening to Robin. The light and the intensity of his expression made the shot."  To see more of Mouer's photographic art,  please visit http://picasaweb.google.com/danmouer. To see a larger view of this photo, please click on it.
        Mouer's image invites a myriad of comments that are sure to inspire writing. Students will readily respond to such questions as: (1) What does the expression on the man's face tell you? (2) Who or what is the man looking at? (3) What is his profession or occupation? (4) What is he thinking? (5) Does he have a family? (6) What are his political affiliations.
       Alternatively, you could list several key words related to the photo and use them to trigger responses. A few examples are pensive, intense, surprised, distrustful.
         Finally, you could simply show the photo to your students while you encourage them to use their imaginations to create either expository or creative writing. The possibilities are endless.

 How Some Master Teachers  Use Photographs

             In a review of Write What You See in Voices of Youth Advocate, August, 2009, Joyce Doyle wrote: "Possibly the most helpful feature is a special section in the back of the book where high school and college teachers show how they have helped to inspire creative writing through the use of photos." Here are two examples.

           After having students respond to several photos in terms of the five senses, Lehigh Valley Writing Project Co-Director Kristy M. Weidner-Gonzalez has the students write short poems in which each line reveals one of the senses. Then the students take a walking tour of the school and surrounding neighborhood during which they photograph their favorite places. Using the images they produced, the students revisit the idea of senses as they write about what they had experienced when they created the photos. “The second time around has much more meaning for the students,” writes Weidner-Gonzalez, “because the places they photographed were much more personal and held certain memories for them.”

          As a teacherconsultant for the Illinois State Writing Project and an English teacher at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Ann Cox uses photos to teach characterization. After giving her students a magazine photo of a person, she asks them to write a character sketch of the person. Then she provides a scenario and directs the students to describe how their characters would react and why. Finally, students share their writing with the class and discuss their motivation.  

Who Is Katie Farren?

        Katie Farren is a teen volunteer at the Darien Public Library, Darien, Connecticut. Here's what she wrote about Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing by Hank Kellner.

        Do you ever have trouble writing stories for your English class or on your own? Well Write What You See is packed with 99 intriguing photos, writing prompts and key-words that will surely motivate you to write stories that will blow people away. The ideas and stories these pictures can help you come up with are endless. You'll never have trouble writing again!

Don't Miss This Chance To Purchase Write What You See at a 34% Discount

           Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing sells for $24.95. But through September 1, 2010 you'll pay just $16.47 when you order directly from the publisher at www.cottonwoodpress.com/index.php/writing/write-what-you-see-99-photos-to-inspire-writing/detailed-product-flyer.html/. That'll save you a whopping 34%.

        Here's how to receive your discount. Just enter coupon code HPIXWS when you order online. Your discount will be entered automatically when you check out. The $8.48 discount applies only to orders that include Write What You See.

       You can also phone in your order at 1-800-864-4297 and mention the code HPIXWS to receive the discount. Don't delay. Order today!

Coming Soon

Guest Blog by Molly Anderson-Childres

The Man in the Green Shirt by Michael Shapiro

 Student Photo Contest by Stephanie Susan Smith

Summer Storms by Cynthia Staples 

  

Irises Blooming in the Garden of Dreams

Stories Are Like Irises

         "Irises wait underground for spring," writes Molly Anderson-Childers. "Even if you're impatient for them to bloom, it doesn't matter. Irises will only bloom when they're good and ready--so, too, with stories. It's important to show students the entire process of writing, and to teach them to find joy in every step of the way.

        "Ask each student to keep a writer's notebook," she continues. "This tool functions as a sort of catch-all for ideas and inspiration, and is designed to help students explore each step in the writing process from brainstorming to character and plot development in an organic way.
        "What's in my writer's notebook? Bits of poems; random scribblings; lists of character and place names; photos; sketches and collages; notes; bios; and character interviews to help with character development.
        "Also, lists of plot twists; resources; inspirational quotations and photos to get my mind moving when I'm stuck in the muck; lists of randomly beautiful words like googoplex, tintinnabulation; blank pages for ideas and brainstorming, and writing prompts."
         Anderson-Childers notes, also, that each student will need a notebook or binder for this project. "Every page should have different activities designed to fuel  young writers' imaginations," she continues. "By using these pages frequently and consistently, they'll develop the habit of recording ideas for future use.
        "Students can add photos or other forms of visual art to their notebooks. You can encourage them to add their own photos, images, and artwork to inspire them in their writing."
        When asked what advice she would give to young writers, she responded with, "Writing will lead you through the darkness, and shine a light on the truth your heart fears to recognize. Writing is a path, a road to follow, a sacred journey of the heart."
        Molly Anderson-Childers is a freelance writer, photographer, artist, and creativity consultant. Her work has appeared in Images, Edible San Juan Mountains, New Witch, Southwest Colorado Arts Perspective, The Durango Telegraph, and The Four Corners Business Journal. You can find her work online at www.creativity-portal.com, www.ediblesanjuanmountains.com, and www.thepaganarts.com. Anderson-Childers also publishes two inspirational blogs, www.addictivefiction.blogspot.com, and www.stealingplums.blogspot.com. To connect with her send an email to stealingplums(at)yahoo(dot)com.

How Joann Garbarini Uses Photos in the Classroom

In a review of  Write What You See in Voices of Youth Advocate, August, 2009, Joyce Doyle wrote: "Possibly the most helpful feature is a special section in the back of the book where high school and college teachers show how they have helped to inspire creative writing through the use of photos." Here's one example.
        At  Irvine High School, Irvine,California, English teacher Joann Garbarini shows her students photographs of different towns and asks them to pick one they would like to write about. She then instructs them to imagine what the town they chose is like.
        "They must include descriptions of ethnicities, social class, jobs, relationships between neighbors, the education system, the town's history, and anything else they can surmise from the photograph," she writes. To conclude the exercise, Garbarini directs the students to write about their own town and compare and contrast it to their imaginary town.
        If you would like to share a favorite photo-writing activity, please contact me at hankpix(at)gmail(dot) com.

Don't Miss This Chance To Purchase Write What You See at a 34% Discount

        Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing sells for $24.95. But through September 1, 2010 you'll pay just $16.47 when you order directly from the publisher at www.cottonwoodpress.com/index.php/writing/write-what-you-see-99-photos-to-inspire-writing/detailed-product-flyer.html/. That'll save you a whopping 34%!

        Here's how to receive your discount. just enter the coupon code HPIXWS when you order online. Your discount will be entered automatically when you check out. The $8.48 discount applies only to orders that include Write What You See.

        You can also phone in the order at 1-800-864-4297 and mention the coupon code HPIXWS to receive the discount.

         Don't delay. Order today!

Coming Soon! 

Artist-Photographer Henry Stindt by Dan Mouer

The Man in the Green Shirt by Michael A. Shapiro

Student Photography Contest by Stephanie Smith Ph.D

The Road Not Taken...And More

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..."

        Although Paul Stubbs' photo doesn't portray the two roads cited in Robert Frost's well-known poem "The Road Not Taken,"  it certainly does trigger similar responses.
        Bordered by a lone tree and a collection of greenery, more than a dozen stone steps wind upward until they seem to end in the darkness. What will a visitor to the scene find at the end of the steps? A cave? A meadow? A forest populated by trees that have grown for many years?
        What is the mood engendered by the contrast between the light and dark areas of the photograph? What would you be thinking as you climb the steps? Would you be fearful? Unconcerned? Would you be eager to discover what you'll discover at the top of the stairs? Or would you decide to turn back rather than to continue into the unknown?
        These are but a few of the questions that can help to stimulate creative writing, whether it be in or out of the classroom. There's no doubt that this photo and others like it can easily inspire writers of all ages to create not only personal responses, but also poems, short stories, or essays.
        Many thanks to Paul Stubbs, a North Carolina based photographer and member of Carolina's Nature Photographers Association. Stubbs' specialty is landscapes, nature, and wildlife. "When I saw the steps," he writes, "I thought they would make an interesting image. I looked at the stone the steps were made of and wondered how old they were. I wondered what it would have been like to be at the steps many years ago."
        To see more of Stubbs' work, visit www.cnpa.org and search for Paul Stubbs at "Member Galleries." You'll also find Stubbs' photographs by searching for Paul Stubbs at www.betterphoto.com. And if you'd like to see a black and white version of the photo shown above, contact me at hankpix (at) gmail (dot) com.

   How Other Teachers Use Photos To Inspire Writing

          In a review of  Write What You See in Voices of Youth Advocate, August, 2009, Joyce Doyle wrote: "Possibly the most helpful feature is a special section in the back of the book where high school and college teachers show how they have helped to inspire creative writing through the use of photos."
         Here's an example from the book. Justin Van Kleeck's very successful writing activity with students he tutors involves showing them a photo of a baby macaque and a pigeon who had "adopted" each other as friends.
       "I ask my students to freewrite after showing them the photo and giving them information about the background story  of how the animals came together, "he writes. A former adjunct assistant professor of English at Piedmont Virginia Community College, Van Kleeck  then allows his students to write about "...anything in the picture that interests them, from how different species can get along so easily while humans cannot, to the human behaviors that stress animals, such as poaching."
        He also shows his students a video of a seagull that steals a bag of Doritos from a store in Scotland every day. In the first part of the assignment, he directs the students to write a process paper in which they instruct their fellow students how to steal, open and eat the Doritos. 
        In the second part of the assignment, he tells the students to write from the point of view of a shopkeeper who is telling other shopkeepers how to prevent the seagull from stealing Doritos in a creative, nonviolent way. "The key to the exercise," concludes Van Kleeck, " is for students to utilize the process approach while also employing their imaginations. They should be encouraged to create easy to follow, step-by-step instructions without skimping on style."
        For more interesting ways to use photos to inspire writing, read my series of ten articles on photo writing at www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/kellner. And to discover what Gavin Tachibana wrote about using photos to inspire writing, visit the National Writing Project at www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3125.

Don't Miss This Chance To Purchase Write What You See at a 34% Discount

        Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing sells for $24.95. But through September 1, 2010 you'll pay just $16.47 when you order directly from the publisher at www.cottonwoodpress.com/index.php/writing/write-what-you-see-99-photos-to-inspire-writing/detailed-product-flyer.html/. That'll save you a whopping 34%.

        Here's how to receive your discount. Just enter coupon code HPIXWS when you order online. Your discount will be entered automatically when you check out. The $8.48 discount applies only to orders that include Write What You See.

       You can also phone in your order at 1-800-864-4297 and mention the code HPIXWS to receive the discount. Don't delay. Order today!

Use These Photos in Your Classroom

        To discover a sampling of color and black and white photos you can  use in your classroom, visit photobucket.com/hankpix. Click on "All Albums" to see the photos. Right click on any photo to download it.

  Coming Soon

Irises in a Garden of Dreams by Molly Anderson-Childers

Student Photo Contest by Stephanie Smith Ph.D

The Bucket and the Flag

And much, much more!

Babies, Teen Authors, and More

  Lullaby and Good Night

        Some people believe that junior and senior high school boys wouldn't be interested in writing about babies. But that's not true. In fact, there's nothing like a baby to turn even the most macho member of a high school or junior high school football team into a bowl of pudding.
       What's more, girls won't fail to respond enthusiastically to these two little cuties from Cynthia Staples' blog, wordsandimagesbycynthia.wordpress.com.
         The possibilities for using these two photos and others like them to inspire writing at any level are limitless. If, for example, babies could speak, what would these two infants say to each other if they were to meet? How would they respond to people, places, and things? How would their environments affect their lives? What will their lives be like as they mature?
           After viewing the photos, some students may want  to comment on and write about the problems one or both of these babies will encounter as they grow up. Others will be inspired to reflect on the problems of teenage pregnancy. Still others will want to write about the birth of a sibling and how that birth affected them.
            If you or any of your students follow up on this topic--or any other for that matter--I'd love to hear from you. I'd be very interested in publishing samples of photo-inspired writing on this electronic page.
         

Here's More About Publishing Student Writing

          I was delighted when Cynthia Staples (above) alerted me to a teen magazine that publishes writing by teenagers. Teen Voices covers a multitude of topics including  bullying, sex trafficking, online do's and dont's, writing college essays, and more. This magazine even  invites teenagers to serve as editors!

           Best of all, Teen Voices provides opportunities for teenagers to see their writing in print while reaching a nationwide audience. "If you're a girl between the ages of 13 and 19," writes editor Jessica Moore, "you can submit your writing and artwork for publication in Teen Voices! If you are changing the world in some way, we also want to hear your story for our Girls in Action feature."

          For more information, visit http://www.teenvoices.com/.

What If...?

     What if the sky suddenly turned black during the daytime? Would the people inside this building respond calmly, or would they panic? What if aliens were directing a powerful death ray at the structure? Could enemy forces have released a gas that poisons the air and threatens to kill everyone?
       In the photo shown at the right we see a negative image of a girl wearing glasses in which something is reflected. Students will want to speculate as to what the reflected images are.What's more, they'll be eager comment on the expression on the girl's face, and they'll want to explain what she might look like as a positive image. What color is her hair? Is she screaming or laughing? Does the negative image lead to a discussion of dreams?
       For greater impact, click on the images to enlarge them. And to see more images you can use in your classroom for free, visit photobucket.com/hankpix
       By the way, you'll find  more photographs and ideas in my ten-part series on using photos to inspire writing when you visit creativity-portal.com/prompts/kellner/.

       Finally, if you have photo-related writing activities you'd like to share, please contact me at hankpix(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Coming Soon 

Guest Blog by Molly Childers

Enigmatic Photo by Paul Stubbs

Student Photo Contest by Stephanie Smith, PhD