Alexandra Wilder joins WritersCorps this month as our new program associate. Alexandra is the former managing director of the 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center in New York and a Toronto native. Everyone give her a warm Bay Area welcome!

What drew you to work for WritersCorps?
Working at WritersCorps really unites my two loves, which are creative writing and community service — to be a part of an organization that promotes the teaching of creative writing and that has such a vital impact on young people is truly an honor and a dream come true.

Where are you from? What drew you to San Francisco?
I was born and raised in Toronto, and moved to New York to pursue an MFA in poetry at Sarah Lawrence. I lived in Brooklyn for eight years. I love New York City — it’s such a mecca of culture and the arts, particularly of literature — but I’ve been an East Coast gal all my life, and found myself very drawn to San Francisco after first visiting two years ago. San Francisco has such a great arts and culture scene (and amazing restaurants!), with an added laid back feel that was really appealing to me. San Francisco gives the impression of being both an urban center and a small town at the same time — with proximity to such beautiful natural landscapes — that was really irresistible to me.

Do you have a writing routine?
I don’t have a set writing routine at the moment. All those people who say you should force yourself to write a little every day are right! Right now, I tend to write only when “inspiration strikes,” but I’m hoping to get into a routine once I’m settled in here. Other than having a routine, I find taking writing classes or meeting with a writing group to be extremely helpful. It’s great to get feedback from people you trust and to build a community of writers.

OK, this might be a tough question: Who is your favorite poet?
My very favorite contemporary poet is Kay Ryan. Her poems are such tiny gems; you have to read each of them about 10 times at least to get everything out of them. She has fun with words and sounds, and there’s an amazing balance struck of simultaneous lightness and solemnity to them. I was lucky enough to meet her through my work at the 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center, and she’s an amazing person — so funny and warm. In addition to poetry, and recently serving as Poet Laureate, she has dedicated herself to teaching and has taught remedial English as an adjunct professor at the Bay Area’s College of Marin for 33 years. Read her poem “Blandeur” here.

What are you reading right now?
I read mostly fiction and poetry, and right now I’ve just started reading “The Little Friend,” a novel by Donna Tartt. I recently read “The Secret History,” her other novel, and was blown away by the level of detail in terms of character development. Tartt takes about 10 years to work on a book and it really shows — when work has gone through a lengthy revision process and attention has been given to every sentence, you can feel it. Her work has really made me think about publishing culture today, and how authors are often pressured to produce books as quickly as possible, to keep the “promotion machine” going. I admire Tartt for taking the time to produce work with such care and attention to detail.

We’re halfway through the school year, but it’s never too late to get acquainted with the teachers who are the face and spirit of WritersCorps. Meet Roseli Ilano, who works with students at Mission High School.

What inspired you to work with WritersCorps and what is your background as both a teacher and a writer?
I love writing and I love working with young people so it was a perfect fit. I was inspired to join the WritersCorps team because the program embodies the three areas I am most passionate about developing personally and professionally: empowering young people, sharing the power of storytelling, and building meaningful and transferable skills for the next generation of writers.

What has been one of the most formative creative experiences of your life?
One of the most influential moments in my life was when I took time off from college and lived in the Philippines for 5 months. I was inspired by learning more about my family’s roots, and inspired by the country’s spirit of cultural work. There is a long legacy of artists who use theater, literature, film, and painting to shift political consciousness and build awareness about the country’s social issues. It made me reconsider the power and responsibility of art.

What do you like best about working with students at Mission High School?
My favorite part about teaching at Mission High is witnessing my students step out of their comfort zones to take risks. Whether it means sharing a poem out loud for the first time in front of a large group, or writing about a subject that is personal, I love watching students use their writing as a tool to grow.

Currently, what do you find inspires your writing practice?
I write about everyday people doing extraordinary things, so I am most inspired by strangers and people I come across in my day-to-day life. Yesterday I struck up a conversation with the crossing guard I pass every day and he had such an incredible story. He has been helping children cross the street at the same intersection for 15 years, and now that the school is closing down, he is going to lose his job.

Now that the school year is starting up again, you’ll have a chance to get more acquainted with our teachers. Meet our second year teacher, Anhvu Buchanan, who will be teaching at the Juvenile Justice Center and Excelsior Branch Library for the 2011-2012 academic year.

What has been your favorite experience as a Teaching Artist with WritersCorps?
My favorite experience as a Teaching Artist with WritersCorps is definitely last spring’s WritersCorps event WordStorm. It was wonderful being surrounded by all the amazing participants of WritersCorps. I loved hearing the wonderful work they wrote during the school year, and the books that each site published were extraordinary and beautiful.

Would you say that your teaching style is similar to your writing style?
I would say that my writing style is very similar to my teaching style. As a writer, I’m not afraid to take risks and try different things on the page and with words. I feel as though I’m the same way in the classroom. I don’t mind being creative and different when it comes to creating my lessons.

Who or what have been your most inspirational teachers?
I’ve had two inspirational teachers in my life that I will never forget. The first was my psychology professor at Virginia Tech, Joseph Germana. He was the kind of teacher that I thought only existed in movies. The kind of teacher that would stand on top of the desk and rip up the textbook right in front of you. He didn’t have a computer and used a typewriter for everything. He had never used the Internet. He didn’t believe in grades and once, for another class, made them climb up a tree and yell out the grade they thought they deserved. But what was inspiring about him was his ability to think outside the box. He created engaging and thought-provoking lessons that I still to this day will never forget. Another inspirational teacher for me was Truong Tran at SFSU. He was inspiring in the sense that he went above and beyond for his students. He not only cared about how well you did in the classroom but how you did in life as well. I’ve never met anyone who looked out for their students the way Truong Tran does.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I am reading “The Savage Detectives” by Roberto Bolano and “Say So” by Dora Malech.

What’s your advice to young writers seeking to branch out and become more serious with their craft?
Read, read, and then read some more. The more you read, the better a writer you will become. Not only will it help build your vocabulary, but it can inspire you and introduce you to many different writing styles and voices. Secondly, I think it’s important to find a support system. Find a small group or community of other writers that you can get together with once every few weeks to share the work you’ve written and give you some feedback or ideas to expand your writing. WritersCorps has an amazing Apprentice Program that is perfect for any young writer in San Francisco who wants to become a part of a community of serious young writers.

Meet Minna Dubin, one of the latest additions to WritersCorps’s staff of dedicated teaching artists. This year, Minna is teaching at both Hilltop School and the San Francisco Main Public Library. We asked Minna about teaching, writing, her hobbies, and her advice to young writers.

Name: Minna Dubin

Age: 29

Hometown: Philadelphia

Her favorite thing about teaching for WritersCorps: “I love the diversity of youth I get to work with. I am teaching youth ages 14-22, from all over San Francisco, from many different high schools and colleges. Some speak almost no English, some can write beautiful descriptions that blow my mind. All of them have great stories to tell.”

How she deals with writer’s block:  “I talk to my friends about not being able to write. Usually, through the conversations about what inspires me and excites me, I have an ‘a-ha’ moment and can begin again. Another thing I do is attend a literary event, because more often than not, something that’s read will inspire me to stop moaning and groaning and start typing. ”

What she likes to do when she isn’t teaching or writing:  “I love watching good movies, cooking big pots of hearty food, reading novels of people with messed-up lives, biking to the ocean and back, talking on the phone with my long-distance friends.”

What she is currently reading:  “‘Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America,’ by Murray Dubin and Dan R. Biddle (Yes, Murray Dubin’s my dad). A lot of it is about free blacks, race relations, and the struggle for rights in Philly during slavery times. Learning the stories that cradle the city in which I’ve spent most of my life inspires and feeds my writing, which is about the racial nuances that inform(ed) my experiences growing up.”

The best advice anyone has ever given her about writing:  ” ‘Honor newborn writing. Treat it with care and respect so it can grow.’ From Caryn Mirriam Goldberg, Poet Laureate of Kansas.”

Her advice to aspiring young writers: “Tell your story. Fearlessly. The world is waiting. And you never know when your story is the one it’s been waiting for.”

Photo of Neelanjana Banerjee by Angelika Gomez

Here’s a great interview with WritersCorps teaching artist Neelanjana Banerjee over at ABCDlady, a magazine for South Asian American women. This is Neelanjana’s first year in WritersCorps and she’ll be teaching at Ida B. Wells High School and Log Cabin Ranch.

She’s also performing at 8:40 tonight at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco’s Mission District. She and fellow poet Summi Kaipa will be doing some neo-benshi. (What’s that you say? It’s movie telling — live narrating and voice over of films playing on screen.) Sounds like fun! More info about tonight’s performance (which is part of the Third I Film Festival) here.