Letters to a Young Writer
Anne Waldman writes inspiring and insightful advice to young poets about developing their craft and connection to poetry.
From the Archive
Articles originally published in the print magazine, prior to July 2014
Thinking Outside the Box: Promoting Family Literacy in Prison
FROM THE ARCHIVES: This article originally appeared in Teachers & Writers Magazine, May/June 2006, Volume 37, Issue 5. by Jane Lecroy We have all become familiar with the phrase “thinking outside the box,” used to express creative problem solving, but the expression “thinking outside the classroom” may deserve a place in our lexicon as well. Unique…
The Taste of Happiness
Teaching Students to Describe Emotions in Poetry FROM THE ARCHIVES: This article was originally published in Teachers & Writers Magazine, Winter 2009-2010. By Harriet Riley AS A FIRST-YEAR Writers in the Schools writer/teacher in Houston last fall, I have to admit I felt like I was entering an obstacle course blindfolded. Even though we had…
Hidden Beauty: Using a Poem by Jayne Cortez
FROM THE ARCHIVES: This article originally appeared in Teachers & Writers Magazine Volume 29, Issue 3. By Mark Statman Jayne Cortez wrote a wonderful poem that is challenging and useful for inspiring student writing: Under the Edge of February Under the edge of February in hawk of a throathidden by ravines of sweet oilby temples…
Using Douglass Narrative to Inspire Student Writing
I have found that one of the most successful pieces of literature for motivating students to read and write is the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. It opens up so many issues of adolescence, such as self-esteem, identity, rebellion against unjust authority and laws, individual dignity, and control over one’s life and working conditions.
Teaching Poetry As a Part of Real Life
FROM THE ARCHIVES: This article originally appeared in Teachers & Writers Magazine, Volume 14, Issue 4, page 7. by Naomi Shihab Nye Genre: All Grades: All I became a poet partly because of poetry’s great mystery, and partly because of a second-grade teacher I had who believed poetry was at the center of the universe. I…
Arrival Diaries: Teaching Students to Write Arrival Narratives
The following article was originally published in print by Teachers & Writers Magazine. by Bushra Rehman There was a low rumble as the engine of the plane started. I felt the body of the airplane moving. People looked scared and worried. They all seemed to feel anxious…. There was a deep chill along my spine,…
Visual Poems
FROM THE ARCHIVE: This article originally appeared in Teachers & Writers Magazine on January 14, 2013 by Maya Pindyck Like most people, before I learned to read and write, I taught myself to draw. How easy to pick up a crayon, a magic marker, or a pencil, and make something—anything—on the page (or on the living…
The Sky is the Limit: E.E Cummings in the Classroom
Read this article by Matthew Burgess about teaching E.E Cummings’ poem “The Sky was Candy” to first-grade students.
Ekphrastic Poetry: Entering and Giving Voice to Works of Art
From the Archive: Terry Blackhawk gives a vivid overview of 20th century works of ekphrastic poetry.