You all remember Kevin Huo, the amazing 5th grader who won 1st Place in our “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!” Contest – 4th-5th Grade Category. Well now Kevin has done it again. He just returned from Washington DC  where he received the River of Words Environmental Art & Poetry “One Square Block” Grand Prize Award.

“Our goal is to help children become informed, engaged and inspired citizens of the places they live,” added River of Words co-founder and executive director, Pamela Michael. River of Words (ROW) is a Berkeley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting literacy, creative expression and community awareness of our most critical environmental concern: water. It was co-founded by U.S. Poet Laureate (1995-1997) Robert Hass and writer Pamela Michael to help young people make a personal and lasting connection to the environment.

Kevin’s Entry, Birds Over the Bay depicts birds, inspired by the artist’s memories of seeing ducks in his yard and birds flying over the sea near his CA home.  You can’t help but smile when you see Kevin’s artwork. He uses vibrant colors and captures nature in such an inspiring and mature way. This is just one of many awards Kevin has one for his artwork. And he’’s only 11 years old! Click here to read our interview with Kevin, which was published in January.

Birds Over the Bay

For the Grand Prize Award, Kevin received a trip to the River of Words Environmental Art & Poetry Award, Ceremony, where he attended a luncheon and public reading at US Capitol -  The Library of Congress – on June 30, 2010 The ceremony was emceed by River of Words co-founder, former US Poet Laureate,  Robert Hass, recent winner of the both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry.

After the ceremony, Kevin visited and met with California Senator Barbara Boxer in the Capitol, Washington DC, where he presented his 2010 One Square Block grand prize & 2010 River of Words Watershed Art & Poetry winning art work to Senator Boxer.

Kevin and his parents got to meet CA Senator Barbara Boxer following the awards ceremony

Kevin is not just an artist, but a true environmentalist.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who is looking forward to Kevin’s next artistic masterpiece.

Congratulations Kevin!

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PORTRAIT OF A LADY LEAVING CAMELOT
by Virginia Alanis

Becky and Her Friends
Rolando Hinojosa
Arte Público Press, 1990

Born in Mercedes, Texas, Rolando Hinojosa knows the Texas-Mexican border and writes intimate accounts of its townspeople. In Becky and Her Friends, Becky Escobar, a prominent heiress, decides to divorce her politician husband and the reverberations from the fallout are felt by the entire community. Rolando Hinojosa uses the frame of a listener who travels through The Valley collecting information from witnesses and informants. The cumulative effect of his interviews gives him new insight into what it means to be human.

Becky and Her Friends goes into overdrive and spares no one; what ensues is a cacophony of monologues by well-meaning opinionated characters. Everyone has something to say in The Valley. The witnesses and informants take sides and make compelling cases regarding Becky’s decision. Becky is judged, not unlike Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a fascinating woman who has captivated the public. This is a chronicle of a political marriage with a glance at the social life in The Valley.

Becky is, in effect, a local celebrity and the townspeople have inquiring minds and strong opinions. Take a listen to one of the opinion givers:

But like I said, Becky was just too much woman for Ira Escobar. And if they lasted as long as they did—I mean, if she put up with that jackass as long as she did, it was due to that eternal stupidity, that so-called tradition. And here’s another truth: Becky’s mother, yes, my cousin Elvira Navarrete, kept that marriage going.

Despite thirty-five-year-old Becky’s privileged upbringing and her many accomplishments as a mother and respected businesswoman, she faces many challenges within the society she lives in. At various points in her life Becky is criticized: (1) for going to college and wanting to make more of herself than just becoming a grade school teacher; (2) for becoming a working woman and wanting to earn a living; (3) for divorcing, a crime against the Catholic church, her husband, children, family, and the community; (4) for remarrying, and to add insult to injury, her second husband is considered a nobody compared to her first husband, a county commissioner; (5) for giving up the charitable clubs to earn a living, and therefore losing her social standing in The Valley.

Becky will not be deterred and she emerges as a modern woman who forges a life for herself despite the gossip. Most important of all, she ceases to care what society thinks and allows happiness to enter her life.

Rolando Hinojosa is one of America’s best kept secrets. Mr. Hinojosa made his literary debut in 1973 and has published over ten books in his thirty-six year writing career. His body of work includes: The Valley (1973, 1983), Klail City (1976, 1987), Fair Gentlemen of Belken County (1981), Rites and Witnesses (1982), Dear Rafe (1985), Partners in Crime (1985), Korean Love Songs (1987), Becky and Her Friends (1990), Useless Servants (1993).

If you’re looking for an illuminated literary road off the beaten path, be one of the first to discover Rolando Hinojosa’s world as he ventures into the domestic fiction territory of Henry James and Edith Wharton. Those who are in-the-know are already aware of him due to his critical acclaim but I think it is high time for the floodgates to open and for Mr. Hinojosa to breakthrough and enjoy wide readership.

Virginia Alanis is a contemporary American writer of Mexican descent, born in Allende, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and raised in Dallas, Texas since the age of five. She has spent most of her life in Dallas, Texas,
where she attended Southern Methodist University and majored in English Literature earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002 and a Master of Arts degree in 2004. She is at work on her first novel on the romanticizing of the American Dream from the perspective of Mexican-Americans who have lived in the U.S. for generations and Mexican immigrants who must navigate between the cultural values of their birthplace and their adopted home.

RIVER OF WORDS

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SHORT MOVIE ABOUT RIVER OF WORDS

Each year, Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book, in affiliation with The Library of Congress, conducts River of Words (ROW), a free international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of WATERSHEDS. The contest is designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live, and to express, through poetry and art, what they discover.

The contest is open to any child in the world, from 5-19 years of age. Older students must have not yet completed high school. There is no charge to enter.

Students may enter on their own, or as part of a group (classroom, Girl Scout troop, 4-H, etc.). All entrants receive acknowledgment in the form of a Watershed Explorer certificate. State-level judging is done by Colorado writers and artists, and winners are recognized each spring in Denver at our Student Literary Awards.

About 100 poems and artworks from both US and international entries are selected as finalists each year. Poetry submissions are judged by River of Words co-founders Robert Hass, who served as US Poet Laureate from 1995-1997, and writer Pamela Michael. Art entries are judged by children's book writer and illustrator, Thacher Hurd. All winners receive ribbons, books and/or art supplies, t-shirts and other prizes. Eight Grand Prize winners—four in poetry and four in art, in four different age categories—are chosen from the US entries.

Category I — Kindergarten-Grade 2
Category II — Grades 3-6
Category III — Grades 7-9
Category IV — Grades 10-12

Winners are announced each April at a gala event at the San Francisco Library. The Grand Prize and International winners win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC to attend the ROW Award Ceremony at The Library of Congress.

Contest entry deadline is December 1, 2009.

Click here for complete contest guidelines, entry forms and the free Poetry of Rivers curriculum authored by award-winning Colorado poet Kathryn Winograd.


LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE
Each year, Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book, in affiliation with the Library of Congress and in partnership with Target stores, presents Letters About Literature (LAL) a national reading and writing competition for readers in grades 4 through 12. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre-- fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves.

There are three competition levels:
Level I - grades 4 through 6
Level II - grades 7 and 8
Level III - grades 9 - 12

Winners, announced in the spring of each year, receive cash awards at the national and state levels. State winners are recognized in Denver at a Student Literary Awards ceremony.

In addition to prizes for children, LAL is also awarding thousands of dollars in library grants as a way to promote literacy and reader response among all young readers. The national winners themselves help to select the libraries that will receive the grants.

Visit the website for guidelines and required entry coupon, plus take some time to explore the free lesson plans and winning letters from past years. Each year more than 55,000 young people from across the country enter LAL and what they write to authors is amazing!

Deadline for entry is December 12, 2009.

Click here for new guidelines and required entry coupon.


MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR JEFFREY NICKELSON

The sudden passing of Jeffrey Nickelson was a shock and a blow to Colorado's cultural life. The Board of Directors of El Centro Su Teatro released a statement that said, in part:

Su Teatro’s kinship with Shadow Theatre goes back many years, and includes performances of Sweet Corner Symphony at El Centro Su Teatro and Bless Me, Ultima at Shadow Theatre. We have appreciated our special relationship, knowing that the commonalities that we have as sister organizations gave us a bond that was deep and important. We always looked forward to interacting with Shadow’s audiences and knew that our audiences loved their work.

There are so many of our supporters that also attend Shadow Theatre, it is clear that Shadow serves the entire metropolitan community. The work that Jeffrey Nickelson did to cultivate and nurture an appetite for African American theater has made Shadow an artistic jewel.

We are deeply saddened by Shadow’s loss, and want you to know that we share in the loss. We want to publicly express that Jeffrey Nickelson’s death is a tragedy for the Latino community as well. His alliance with Su Teatro was based on his desire to bring our two communities closer together.

Click here to read more about this man. Here's the notice about his memorial services:

September 5, 2009, Jeffrey Nickelson passed away at the age of 53. Jeffrey was a devoted father, an extraordinary performer, an inspiring friend, and all around phenomenal man. He was the Founder of Shadow Theater Company and has affected thousands of people in the community. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. It is requested that no one wears black and to dress in vibrant colors as we will be celebrating his life just as his wishes were. Floral tributes may be sent to his beautiful daughter ShaShauna Staton, 907 S. Yampa Street #201, Aurora, CO 80017. Donations can be made to the Jeffrey Nickelson Memorial Fund and sent to 18963 E. 58th Avenue, Denver, CO 80249.

The Shadow Theatre, 1468 Dayton Street, Aurora, CO Saturday, September 12, 2009 10:00am

Please contact Tim Johnson on behalf of The Jeffrey Nickelson Fund to make contributions or bring them to the memorial.


Later.

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Claire, my third-grader niece, is in love with books. "Classics!" she says, when you ask her what she likes. "The Cricket in Times Square!" she declares, a recent favorite. Books that have survived, that have been loved, that are time tested and therefore true. She reads them to herself; she invites others to read to her; she recounts the tales in loving detail (then breaks into an all-out rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas").

Talking with Claire takes me back. To Heidi and Pippi Longstockings. To Harriet the Spy, The Secret Garden, Doctor Doolittle, and Black Beauty. It floods me with the desire to fill her library with more books to love—with classic classics or with books, newly written, that feel timeless. So far I've bought her the following for Christmas: River of Words, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Penderwicks, and From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. (Along with necklace, for she's as pretty as can be.)

I wonder what you might suggest.

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The innovative in-school writing program for children, Poetry Inside Out (PIO), developed by San Francisco’s Center for the Art of Translation, is the first creative writing program for kids in which translation plays an essential part. Sixth-grader and Poetry Inside Out student Maggie Gallagher won the 2008 Grand Prize (grades 4-6) in the prestigious national River of Words contest for environmental poetry and art. Her poem, “To Speak with the Dead” was selected by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Haas. She accepted her award in May at the Library of Congress.

The Berkeley, CA-based River of Words contest attracts more than 10,000 entrants nationally and internationally. The program also awards young artists; winners, chosen by children’s book illustrator and writer Thatcher Hurd, can be viewed at an online gallery .

River of Words: Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things, edited by Pamela Michael (founder of River of Words) with an introduction by Robert Haas, was published in 2008 by Milkweed Editions; it features winning poetry and art from the contest over the years.

The Center for the Art of Translation also sponsors the Literary Translation Project, which helps “to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of diverse communities by bringing world literature—both contemporary and classic—to new audiences.” Two Lines is their annual anthology of new English translations of poetry and fiction from more than 50 languages and countries. Their World Library project, begun in 2007, produces an annual anthology focusing on one region, language or tradition.

Three other Poetry Inside Out students were finalists this year in the River of Words contest. PaperTigers celebrates these two wonderful San Francisco Bay Area organizations for their inspired work with children and their support of multicultural writing for all ages.

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I honestly had a love/hate relationship with this book. Ok, maybe hate is too strong of a word, especially since I didn't hate anything about it, I actually rather liked it, however there were definitely parts where I was somewhat disappointed as to where the story was leading and how it's main character was acting. I suppose that is a part of a lot of books (I should know that by now, eh?), I guess just fell in love with the beginning of the story and wasn't quite as in love when the book ended. Still an enjoyable read and one I know young girls will like.

Charlotte Kandel has created a story around a timeless life lesson: be careful what you wish for. 13 year old Daphne was dropped off at an orphanage right after she was born and grew up wondering what it would be like to have a family. She also grew up being in love with ballet and dancing and wished for a day when she had the time to practice and the money to take lessons. When a mysterious package arrives anonymously in the mail for her, containing a book about ballet and a scarlet pair of stockings, Daphne is perplexed, but intrigued, especially when she discovers that the stockings are magic.

When she wears the stockings, magical things happen to her. She begins to be great at ballet and most importantly, is adopted by a wonderful family right there in London. She is able to begin taking dancing lessons and life seems to be great, until greed gets ahold of Daphne. The stockings change Daphne, making her want more and more out of life until it doesn't matter anymore who she hurts in the process. She leaves her family to study ballet far away and actually begins to make it rather big in the ballet world, landing a great role, though leaves her family in the dark the entire time. She becomes selfish, arrogant, and pompous. When Daphne realizes she no longer likes herself or the life she now has, making her wonder just where the real Daphne went. She must overcome the power of the stockings to return to who she once was and who she really wants to be.

This really is an enjoyable book and I think young girls will really enjoy Daphne's story. The jacket is absolutely beautiful with swirly pink letters and gold foil, instantly making me want to pick it up. The direction I first thought it would go is not how the story ended up, leaving me a tad bit disappointed. I didn't like how wicked Daphne became, though I know it was to show just how much a material possession, especially one with magic, could rule a young girl's life. I do recommend this book to others, especially girls between about 8 and 12 and will be purchasing it for the library. I know it won't stay on the shelves long, just as much as I know I would like to see more from Charlotte Kandel!

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