Teen Poetry Happens For Love and Get In Your Muse Submissions!

How exciting to have TPH @ The Bean happen on Valentine's Day! As you can see from the video, folks got their love words, songs, and art in motion.

We have just one more week to collect submissions for the 3rd edition of The Alexander Muse teen art and literary magazine coming out April 17, 2012. The last day to turn in your poetry, short story prose, art, and photography is Wednesday, February 29, 2012. (Hey! At least this is a Leap Year!)

Photography can be submitted to me digitally at mhager@alexandercountync.gov. If you have used film, you may turn in your print to The Spilled Bean, Alexander Central High School, or to me at the library.

This contest is open to all Alexander County high school students regardless of where you attend school - ACHS, alternative school, area public schools, boarding schools, or home school.

There are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes in each of the 4 categories. Also, 3 Honorable Mentions will be published in each category.

1st prize in art, poetry, and prose - a $25 gift card for Wal-Mart provided by Wal-Mart of Taylorsville.

The 1st prize for photography will be a classic Pentax 35mm SLR camera donated anonymously to The Alexander Muse! (Cool beans! - Thank you, Anonymous!)

2nd prize in all categories - a $15 gift card to The Spilled Bean provided by the Alexander Friends of the Library (Thank you, Friends! You are so good to us.)

3rd prize in all categories - a $5 gift card to The Spilled Bean provided by The Spilled Bean (You are cool without sayin'! - but I said it anyway!)

Shannon at The Spilled Bean will also give our honorable mentions a free scoop of ice cream. Thank you, Shannon and Brandy of The Spilled Bean, for ALL you do!

We, also, have another incredible list of judges for this year. They are:

Art - Ellen Ball, Lindsay Barrick, and John McIver

Poetry - Joseph Bathanti, Tim Peeler, and Adrian Rice

Prose - Joann Crawford, Scott Owens, and Jan Schoeppler

Photography - Janet Cull, Milt Hawes, and Joseph Young

We thank each of our judges for sharing their time and expertise with The Alexander Muse and the Alexander County community!

Students may submit as many items in as many categories as they wish, but may only win in one category. So, give her a go, people! Submit your stuff today!

Mel

Teen Poetry Happens Teens Rap Battle 2012

Next Tuesday, February 14 will be a "loving" TPH @ The Bean. All art, prose, poetry, and photography will revolve around love - OR NOT.

We'll have a good time regardless! Just like last month, which I am finally getting posted today. Sorry about that. With the rearrangement of my area in the library and the Hunger Games Par-Tay planning, I have been slammed!

Enjoy the epic rap battle from January 10th. Sorry the sound quality is rough. My camera tanked on me right in the middle of recording.

Also, a reminder that February 29 is the last day to submit items for the Alexander Muse teen art and literature magazine. We are collecting poetry, prose, art, and photographs from high school teens from Alexander County. This will be the 3rd edition of the magazine and I am excited to see the finished product.

Keep an eye out on Facebook for Hunger Games party info. And also at the Hunger Games Party blog at http://www.hungergamesparty.blogspot.com/ .

Love,
Mel

Festive Teen Poetry Happens Brings Beloved Poem Alive

Teen Poetry Happens at The Bean was a joyous occasion on Tuesday, December 13. We received word that The Spilled Bean owners, Shannon and Brandy Childers, had just added baby Kadee to the family shortly before the meeting. And, we recreated one of the most famous Christmas poems, "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore, through voice, art and photography.

We had a great crowd of 35 or so to join us at The Spilled Bean. The project was a visualization technique where students draw what they hear in the poem.

I believe you will see how much fun we had doing this by watching the video. Hope you enjoy TPH "The Night Before Christmas" and have a blessed holiday season!

Mel

Photography Discussed With Guest, Micah Henry

Teen Poetry Happens @ The Bean added some new members at our November meeting. It's because our publication, The Alexander Muse, has added a new category - Photography. What better way to introduce the element of photography than with one of our community's dedicated photographers, Micah Henry.

Mr. Henry is the managing editor of The Taylorsville Times and also the co-founder (with Janet Cull) of the Brushy Mountain Film Users Group. He provided several great tips for getting the best shot - including the use of light, the rule of thirds, and what works and does not work in backgrounds. I have more of his Photography Tips sheets here at the library if you weren't able to be at the meeting to get one.

We at TPH truly appreciate Mr. Henry's time and expertise that he shared with us. Thanks, Micah!

Remember, we are already collecting entries for The Alexander Muse contest. Teens from Alexander County (whether in public, private, home school, or alternative school) may submit as many works in as many categories they wish. Be aware that students may only win once and in one category.

1st, 2nd and 3rd Place will be awarded in four categories - Art, Poetry, Prose (Short stories), and Photography. There will also be 3 honorable mentions in each category.

Entries can be dropped off at various points at Alexander Central High School or at the Alexander County Library. Entries will be accepted until February 29, 2012.

The 3rd edition of The Alexander Muse will be published in April 2012. The debut event details will be announced at a later date.

So, get creative and get those entries in for The Alexander Muse 2012 edition!

Elsewhere for YAYAs, Photography for TPH at The Bean

The YAYAs have spoken about Elsewhere, the novel by Gabrielle Zevin that was the focus of our November meeting. There was a resounding thumbs up on the book which is told from the point of view of Liz, a teen who is hit by a taxi while riding her bicycle. She dies and ends up in Elsewhere.

YAYAs talked about the well, the binoculars that could see to earth, rivers, a 7 year old ship's captain,the benefits of fishing, doggiespeak, and knocking on pipes. If you want to know about these things, we suggest you read Elsewhere as well. :)

Tuesday, November 8 at 3:30 pm is the next meeting of Teen Poetry Happens at The Bean. Ms. Duncan, Ms. Is, and I are very excited to announce that another "P" has been added to Poetry, Prose, Painting, Pen and Ink, Pencil, and other Printings. Photography! Yes, that's right. Photography will be a new category we will discuss at TPH. It will also be a new category for The Alexander Muse teen art and literature magazine we will publish in the spring.

So bring some photos we can wax poetic about! Micah Henry, our editor of The Taylorsville Times, will also join us at the meeting to give great tips on getting the awesome shot.

Hope to see you soon at the library! Or at a great library function. Such as Sunday, November 6 at 3:00 pm at Reformation Lutheran Church when Tamra Wilson will be talking about her book, Dining With Robert Redford and Other Stories. Should be a wonderful time! Sponsored by our beloved Alexander Friends of the Library, the program is free and open to the public.

Ciao for now!
Mel