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

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!

The Alexander Muse 2011 Has Arrived!

Hi All!

What a joyful celebration on Tuesday, April 19 at The Spilled Bean when we introduced the 2011 edition of The Alexander Muse! Over 100 folks joined us with delicious snacks provided by the Alexander Friends of the Library and rocking music by Band of Music (thanks for stepping in, guys!) and local favorite, Below Freezing.

The poetry, prose, and art pieces were stunning this year! Ms. Duncan, Ms. Is, and I are so proud of the teens who contributed to the work. You guys rock!

We thank the judges who gave of their time to help determine the winners. Judges for this year’s magazine were: For art - Martha Burgin, Bud Caywood, and Kate Worm; for prose - Joyce Hostetter, Tim Peeler, and Gary Bebber.

Poetry judges were North Carolina Poet Laureate, Cathy Smith Bowers, Nancy Posey, Ann Chandonnet, and Doris Stephens. There were 28 prose entries, 54 art entries, and 64 poems that were judged.

Winners in the art category were: 1st Place and the cover page, Dallas Perry with “Landscape”; 2nd Place and the back cover, Rebecca Chapman with “Element in Time”; 3rd Place and the title page, Christina St. Clair with “Brighten Up”. Honorable Mentions in art were Carolina Arias, Kristin Collins, Louis Miller, William Vannoy, and Hunter Wiseman.

In the poetry category, winners were: 1st Place, Christy Vaughn with “Does Rain Free-Fall?”; 2nd Place, John Harriman with “Burning Buildings”; and 3rd Place, Erica Burley with “the fly on the trash”. Honorable Mentions in poetry were Abigail Keller, Harlee Korte, India McWhorter, Ashleigh Reid, and Adonna Smith.

Those who placed in the prose category were: 1st Place, “Eerie Setting” by Josh Bowman; 2nd Place, “Prose of Captain Acid” by Alan-Michael Bresch; and 3rd Place, “Unearthly Visitors” by Jordan Cruz. Honorable mentions in the prose category were Kandace Allen, Chace Carswell, Devin Mitchell, Justin Owenby, and Brittany Sullivan.

1st Place winners received a $25 gift card provided by Wal-Mart of Taylorsville. 2nd place winners received a $15 gift card for The Spilled Bean provided by the Alexander Friends of the Library. A $5 gift card for The Spilled Bean was provided for the 3rd Place winners by The Spilled Bean.

Honorable Mentions received a free scoop of ice cream provided by The Spilled Bean. The Alexander Muse wishes to thank these organizations that provided prizes. And a special thank you goes to the Alexander Friends of the Library for sponsoring this year's publication!

Also, thank you Tim Panza and The Spilled Bean for hosting us all year. Thanks to The Taylorsville Times as well for doing a great job printing The Alexander Muse!

We will have a May TPH - our final meeting of the year :( - on May 10 at 3:30 pm at The Spilled Bean. Hope everyone can make it.

Have a blessed Easter!

Mel

It Only Takes A Minute!

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday was the final official Teen Poetry Happens @ The Bean meeting for the 2010-2011 school year. We will, of course, have our huge Alexander Muse celebration on April 19 at The Spilled Bean! TPH folks will be there, but we won't do any art or poetry activities for the party.

For our final activity, we created minute poetry - a form embraced by North Carolina Poet Laureate, Cathy Smith Bowers. Ms. Bowers has a lovely tome, A Book of Minutes, from which I read to the teens. Then, we got down to business and created some minute poems.

The rule for minute poetry is to have 3 stanzas. In each stanza you have an 8 syllable line, then a 4 syllable line, another 4 syllable line, and a final 4 syllable line. This 8-4-4-4 stanza can have a rhyme scheme as well, but it is not necessary.

Check out these fine minutes!


Charisma
Confidence is a precious gift
Magnetic selves
Having a voice
Moving a crowd

Sometimes it is better this way
Wall flowers bloom
Hanging silence
I cannot choose

I can't help the personal traits
There is no choice
I like it now
I hate it then
by Christina


Me In Your Head
Hiding in your closet smiling
Holding a knife
With rainbow clothes
What am I, huh?

Giggling while you are sleeping
Creeping the door
To watch you sleep
Not knowing me

When you wake up and I'm not there
Wondering why
I wasn't there
It's in your head
By Pa Jai, Xeng and Karla


Who We Are
In the depths of time we perceive
always too far
always too close
always afraid

Looking for our person to change
To perfect it
To complete it
To control it

While oblivious to the truth
We are the now
We are the present
We are future
by Josh




This was a combined art and minute poem by Rebecca. Click to enlarge it.

Great job guys!

Tomorrow is Judgment Day for The Alexander Muse! I am so excited about the panel we have on board. Cathy Smith Bowers will be one of the judges for the poetry category. What an honor to have our NC Poet Laureate be a part of the process.

There were 63 poems entered, 28 prose entries, and 54 art entries. We will announce the winners on April 19 at The Spilled Bean. The public is welcome to join us! More details will be forthcoming.

Have a great day!

Mel

TPH Welcomes Local Artist/Poet Bud Caywood

A great group of approximately 40 folks joined TPH @ The Bean on Tuesday, February 8 at, of course, The Spilled Bean! We welcomed a local favorite - Bud Caywood - to the meeting where he worked with the teens on Blackout Poetry.

It's a really neat form of poetry rooted in the Bohemian era. You take a printed page from a magazine and use only the words desired. You black out the rest of the words.

Here was my "creation"

One Voice
Bitten. Drawn to the company of music.
Charm and sense dovetail
On the gentle curve of a warped plan.

Someone else wrote:

Institution focused on all aspects
From politics to diverse cultures
Experience the permanent home of art
An exhibition that brings together
both private and public

Another:

World so mysterious
Full of meaning very romantic
Embraces the surroundings
Passion for romance and spirit
Guide unique sense of style
In life and work.
Help you into your surroundings
Strive in design
Combine thinking of rich colors, textures,
Uncompromising quality

Another:

Color speaks a universal language
Harmoniously saturated
Elegantly possesses it
Hues, tools
Clear

This is an excellent technique for those who have a hard time adding words to a blank page. Blackout poetry works in reverse and gives you the words from which to select.

Mr. Caywood will be one of our artists judging the Alexander Muse art contest. Remember, the last day to submit poetry, prose or art works is March 1! Enter, enter, enter as many items as you want!

Have a great day!
Mel

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

TPH @ The Bean sends a musical wish! Check out this video on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_h6EsRw6gk

I'm getting back at it with programming starting tomorrow with regular preschool storytimes and YAYA. The calendar should be on the children's library website by the end of the day.

May rich blessings shower upon you in 2011! Come see me at the library!

Mel

A FIGMENT of Your Imagination!

Hi All!

The Youth Services Consultant for the NC State Library, Lori Special, sent this link today from the NY Times about a website called Figment. Figment allows teens to read, create and share fiction and poetry from their computers or cell phones. And it's free!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/books/06figment.html?_r=2&ref=books

If you get into this, let me know if you like the site! Something like this has gone gangbusters in Japan.

The actual website is http://figment.com/

Ciao for now!

Mel

Autumn/Winter Comes Knockin' at TPH

The Long Storm
By Josh Simon

In the beginning of winter
With the air no longer warm
A lonely black bird perched in a single tree
Preparing to weather the coming storm

The snow blew furiously
Expanding across the open field
Like a monster devouring the landscape
With no sign it would yield

But once the wind subsided
The bird left its perch in flight
The once brown and gray land
Now covered in sparkling crystal white.


Hi All!

Isn't Josh Simon's poem and drawing great? He was one of approximately 40 people drawing, waxing poetic, or both yesterday at TPH @ The Bean. Our project this month combined art and poetry in a poetic form known as ekphrastic poetry. The theme was autumn and/or winter. Connor St. Clair and Caleb Queen did neat drawings combining both fall and winter. See if you get it.

Many did not get finished, but I'll be glad to add them on if you can get them to me.

Following is a sampling of some of the submissions. If the ink was too light, the scanner wouldn't pick it up. Bear down on there, artists!

Next TPH will be Tuesday, December 14 at 3:30. We will have former TPH graduate, Joey Webb, work with us on song lyrics. Be sure to bring your axe (guitar), trumpet, flute, keyboard -whatever you've got - to create a song.

Ciao for now!

Mel

Halloween Haikus at TPH

Hi All!

I love when our TPH teens get creative and they were awesome for Halloween haikus at the October meeting on the 12th! Hate I missed it! At least we can see the result of an obviously freaky good time.

Halloween Haikus

Ev’ry October
On a dark and scary night
Children come to play

Halloween is here
We play Halloween games too
Our sisters scare us

The wicked witch laughed
At all the children that passed
The kids cried in fear

Stairs creek and rattle
All around the house I see
Ghosts flying around

Creepy scary things
Deep in the darkness of night
I cower in fear

Mirror looking back
A reflection you show me
My ghostly image

Really, really weird
That mask is very scarrry
Hope it goes away

Roses are red
Gummy bears want to eat you
Violets are blue

What’s deadly and cute?
The lazer kitten, of course.
Ends you with its lazer beams!

The haunted fridge ate -
Ate everything in sight
Rff rff num num num

Zombies awaken
They slaughter, eat, and kill us
So don’t scream and hide

Spirits roaming earth
Ready to eat human flesh
Don’t look behind you!

Gory massacre
With a chainsaw in my hands
I’ll express myself

Translucent, fluid
But not tangible or real
They are illusions

Bloody fulfillment
Warm sense of accomplishment
It’s the only way

Minty round candy
Bloody red filled in my mouth
Off to sleep you go!

By TPH @ The Bean Teens
October 12, 2010

Artist/Poets and YAYAs Are Off and Running!

Hey All,

Did you know Mel is short for Melissa? And that Melissa is from the Greek for "honeybee"? Well, dahlings, I have been acting like one lately! Have mercy, it has been busy - but very fruitful.

See the awesome compilation of couplets the savvy teens from TPH @ The Bean created at our first meeting of the year. We had 31 teens come! Yeah!

Teens and Coffee Beans

Leave hesitation at bay
Today is your golden day

Away to high school at 7 am
After which, I look forward to The Spilled Bean and Tim 

Teens and coffee beans - shake, rattle and roll
Getting creative is good for the soul

Reading and writing, we choose what to do
Apple fritters come out and we shout “Woo hoo!”

Music is playing, people talking loud
We fall into silence and all gather round

Branches and lights - on the ceiling
Chill, cool, and peaceful are the feeling

Dragon, tree, angel fish
A heart to start to make a wish

Twinkies are yellow
TPH teens are smooth and mellow

As we sit at the Bean
We begin to dream of things unseen

From the darkest corner of my heart
The memories seem to fall apart.

My mind is blank, no thought at all
I need to write before my head hits the wall!

Move your pencil with your imagination
Draw a picture of your creation


Watch it bloom into a marvelous sight
Put your deepest feelings into the spotlight

A brilliant vision, a great idea
Our minds sprout - like a chia

I’m on a roll, out of control
Someone stop me before I blow!

Statue plunder for my sake
Sleep tonight’s a formidable mistake

Poetry shows our innermost thoughts
Things in the past we have fought

Many ideas our minds bring full
Gives us a thought so colorful

The warriors of light must walk their path
To vanquish the foes of sin and wrath

The dark and stormy blade draws nigh
It bursts through the cloud and into the sky

TPH caffeine, creativity and fun
Love when it starts, hate when it’s done
TPH @ The Bean Teens
September 14, 2010

YAYA had its first meeting as well on September 7. It looks like we will have a great group there! Our first read is Comfort, the sequel to BLUE by Joyce Hostetter.

We are very excited as the Alexander Friends of the Library will be hosting an author's reception for Mrs. Hostetter on Sunday, October 24 at 3 pm at Reformation Lutheran Church. It will be free to the public. Many of the students in the county have been reading BLUE and I hope to have great discussion that day from everyone!

Remember, YAYA meetings are on the first Tuesdays of the month at 3:30 pm. TPH meetings are on the second Tuesdays at 3:30 pm. Hope to see you at one or both!!

Mel

Get Your Motor Running...

Ahhh! School begins next week and things will be returning back to normal at the library. Summer reading has past (with great numbers which I will proudly blog about at a later time) and so it is time to get storytimes and Teen Times up and running.

We begin next Tuesday, August 24 here at the main library with a WELCOME BACK preschool storytime at 10 am. There will also be one on Friday morning, August 27 at 10 am.

But teens! Dates are finalized for YAYA and Teen Poetry Happens @ The Bean (TPH). YAYA meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month at 3:30 pm at the main library. The first meeting will be on September 7. This young adult book club is for the reader who cannot put a book down, who will read when he/she should be sleeping or doing homework. You know who you are! Come join us!

TPH @ The Bean will begin September 14 at 3:30 pm at guess where? - The Spilled Bean! Meetings will be held every 2nd Tuesday of the month. This group of creative high school students loves poetry, prose writing and art. We do neat projects each time. Musicians share lyrics and songs. All within the delicious atomosphere of the Bean.

So put us on your calendar! Hope to see you soon!

Mel