Press Release - WritersCorps 2009 Literary Festival

For Immediate Release
San Francisco, May 11, 2009
Media Contact: Melissa Hung, 415-252-2546 or 415-252-4655, melissa.hung@sfgov.org

New Books by San Francisco Youth to be Released
at WritersCorps Literary Festival

May 11, 2009 –  SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco WritersCorps, recently awarded a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, will celebrate the release of new writing at the 2009 WritersCorps Literary Festival. The festival is Wednesday, May 20 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at the San Francisco Main Public Library’s Koret Auditorium. A reception will follow in the Latino/Hispanic Community Room. Thirty WritersCorps students will read from new books published by WritersCorps. The event is free and open to the public.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, WritersCorps will release three new books and a set of poetry postcards. Together, they feature more than 300 San Francisco youth who participated in the 2008-09 program. The writers, ranging in age from 12 to 22 years, give readers a rare glimpse into the world of young people today. Through poetry, prose and photography, they explore the complexities of childhood and adolescence, and express their deepest feelings about the issues that matter most to them: family, identity, love, loss, violence, war, and their local and international communities.

“San Franciscans should be very proud of every page of these books, because it represents the effort of young minds that were focused on expressing themselves in a positive manner,” says Luis R. Cancel, the city’s director of cultural affairs.

WritersCorps was recently named a semifinalist in the Coming Up Taller Awards. Since its inception in 1994, WritersCorps has helped more than 15,000 youth. “WritersCorps is making a difference in the lives of so many of our most vulnerable San Francisco youth,” says Luis Herrera, the city librarian.

Calendar Listing

WritersCorps Literary Festival
May 20, 6 to 7 pm
San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin St
Free
It’s a WritersCorps extravaganza as students from all over the city come together to perform in this annual celebration. Expect powerful performances, new publications by WritersCorps students, and an ice cream reception.

A special screening of  the film “This Place Called Poetry” by Katharine Gin begins at 5:30 pm for those who arrive early. The reading begins at 6. Reception begins at 7.

For more information: 415-252-4655, writerscorps.org

More Upcoming WritersCorps Events

WritersCorps at Bay Area Writing Project
May 27, 5 pm
Nomad Café
6500 Shattuck Ave, Oakland
Free
WritersCorps teachers are the featured guest readers at the Bay Area Writing Project’s monthly reading series. Mahru Elahi, Cindy Je, Aracely Gonzalez, and Kim Nelson read from “Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds” the new City Lights anthology featuring WritersCorps teachers.

Poetry Pairings
June 5, 7 pm
826 Valencia
826 Valencia St, San Francisco
Free
WritersCorps students, paired with their teachers, read together in this all-ages event. Co-sponsored by 826 Valencia and Intersection for the Arts. Performing are Gloria Yamato, Michelle Matz, Jime Salcedo-Malo, Alison Seevak, Toussaint Haki, and their students.

Write Like a Giant
June 16, 7:15 pm
AT&T Park
Ticket to game required
Poetry and baseball together at last! WritersCorps is the featured community partner at this game as the Giants take on the L.A. Angels. Our students will read at home plate at the start of the game.

WritersCorps at the Queer Arts Festival
June 23, 7:30 pm
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market St, San Francisco
$12 to $20 sliding scale
Stephen Beachy, Dani Montgomery, marcos ramírez, Elissa Perry, and Aja Duncan read their work and share insights about teaching for WritersCorps through community settings like Larkin Street and Brava.

About WritersCorps
WritersCorps, a project of the San Francisco Arts Commission, places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped more than 15,000 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.org

WritersCorps gratefully acknowledges the support of the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund; the Walter and Elise Haas Fund; the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association; the Department of Juvenile Probation; the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families; the National Endowment for the Arts, Working Assets 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 Summer in the City 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.