In January, poets Mercedes Lucero and Alex Kimball Williams began an eight-week writing intensive with 7th grade students from Liberty Central Middle School. Presenting a curriculum of verse poetry novels, 180 students were prompted to respond by creating their own poetry.

These submissions will be shared at the 2019 Annual Poetry Fair on Sunday, April 21st, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Final student work has taken many forms, from personal zines and spoken word to redacted text poems and a compiled group chapbook. A published version of this multi-artist compendium will be available for sale at the event, and individual poetry and art objects on display in an informal gallery setting.

Mercedes Lucero and Alex Kimball Williams will be introducing students readers to present spoken word works from 3:45 to 4:15. We are thrilled to have USD 497 students participate alongside statewide and nationally renowned authors including Elizabeth Schultz, Denise Low- Weso, Arlin Buyert, Kevin Rabas, Greg Field, Simone Savannah, Brian Daldorph, Antonio Sanchez-Dey, Taylor Stucky, Huascar Medina, Korbin Jones, Maryfrances Wagner, Annette Billings, Duane Johnson, Shaq Tom, Diane Wahto, Gary Lechliter, Tatyana Younger, Dan Pohl, Julie Unruh, Jermaine Thompson, Robert Dean, Beth Gulley, Roy Stucky, and Ronda Miller.

Visit our previous post, for more information about the 2019 Zinn Writers in Residence project scope (and recommended reading!) and attend the 2019 Annual Poetry Fair to meet our students and residents!