Press Release - WordStorm 2010

For Immediate Release
San Francisco, April 28, 2010
Media contact: Melissa Hung, 415-252-2546, melissa.hung@sfgov.org

New Books by San Francisco Youth
to be Released at WritersCorps WordStorm

WritersCorps will release seven new publications, including a preview of a new travel book about San Francisco

April 28, 2010 – SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco WritersCorps celebrates the release of new writing at the 2010 WritersCorps WordStorm on Wednesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium of the San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch (100 Larkin at Grove). Thirty WritersCorps students will read from new books published by WritersCorps. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (415) 252-4655.

WritersCorps will release seven new publications, including a preview of a new travel book written by students in the WritersCorps Apprentice Program called “City of Stairways: A Poet’s Field Guide to San Francisco” (WritersCorps Books, June 2010). Altogether, the publications feature more than 500 San Francisco youth who participated in the 2009-10 program. The writers, who range in age from 12 to 22, give readers a glimpse into the world of young people today. Through poetry, prose and photography, they explore the complexities of childhood and adolescence, and express their feelings about the issues that matter most to them: family, identity, love, loss, violence and war, their local and international communities.

WritersCorps, a project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Public Library, is a 16-year-old literary arts program that places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped more than 16,000 youth improve their literacy skills while developing their self-confidence and passion to learn. It is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 and of numerous other National Endowment for the Arts awards.

“WritersCorps exemplifies the best and most meaningful work in arts as a public service,” says Luis R. Cancel, the city’s director of cultural affairs. “These books represent the efforts of young people who have overcome challenges to express themselves in a positive and manner.”

Calendar Listing

WHAT: WritersCorps students read their work from new books. Through poetry, prose and photography, they explore the complexities of childhood and adolescence, and express their feelings about the issues that matter most to them: family, identity, love, loss, violence and war, their local and international communities.

WHEN: May 26, 2010, 6:00-7:00 pm

WHERE: San Francisco Main Public Library
100 Larkin Street

COST: Free

INFORMATION: For more information: 415-252-4655 or visit writerscorps.org

About WritersCorps
WritersCorps, a joint project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and San Francisco Public Library, places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped more than 16,000 youth improve their literacy and increase their desire to learn. WritersCorps publishes award-winning publications and produces local and national events featuring young people. With sites in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and the Bronx, WritersCorps’ vision is to transform and strengthen individuals and communities using the written word.

WritersCorps gratefully acknowledges the support of the San Francisco Public Library, the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council; the Louis R. Lurie Foundation; Elks Lodge No. 169-Mission, and individuals.

About the San Francisco Arts Commission
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. We believe that a creative cultural environment is essential to the City’s well-being. Established by charter in 1932, SFAC programs integrate the arts into all aspects of City life. Programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Arts & Education, Cultural Equity Grants, Public Art, SFAC Gallery, Street Artists Licensing, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth and Community Concert Series. The agency’s core values are committed to the principle that all residents have equal access to arts experiences in all disciplines, that programs are provided comprehensively and evenly throughout the City, and that they are innovative and of the highest quality.