What We Want To Tell You…
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Past Midnight
By Isbelia Paniagua
Ah, complete and total darkness
Quite comforting, to be stranded in the dark
It’s so quiet
The music makes it even more seductive
In the darkness I think and dream
Although, I usually come back to the harsh reality
Of the cold, gray, unfeeling
And mind-numbing mesh of unorganized events
we call life
The reality of loneliness and stress
Of Hate and Love
Of Discord and Chaos
and
Of Peace and Order
Oh
And let’s not forget
The universal struggle between Good and Evil
Without that conflict the fabric of existence will unravel and cease to be
And of all these things the darkness comforts
The darkness which is associated with all things evil
The monsters under your bed and in your closet only come out at night
Yes, Dracula and his hellish minions are all powerful after sunset . . .
But my darkness is different
Mine is of utter tranquility
In the darkness I am able to relax
I think of all those I Love and of all those I despise
I dream about True Love, and about my Freedom
I dream about My Future
In the darkness I hope to God I don’t become my parents
I hope my heart doesn’t die
Only in the darkness do I have time for myself
Time to breathe, think, read and write without interruption
In the darkness I break rules
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Beginnings
by Magna M. Diaz, Bilingual Librarian,
The greatest gift a teacher can have is to have students who are eager to learn. There is nothing better than to see the spark of interest and the desire to know more. I have seen this in the eyes of my Teen Writers.
When the author, Judith Kristen, called me in June of 2004, I remember wondering if I wanted to have a program so early in September of the following school year. I took a chance and booked the author. It has been one of the best decisions I ever made. Judith Kristen came in September and talked about her book “The Purple Hat Gang” and immediately connected with the students. There was magic in the air the first day of the program.
Judy then offered to have a one day workshop with my students and I opened the workshop to those interested in serious writing. Sixteen students came and sat and listened and shared their writing with the author and each other. Sixteen students found a connection to one another and became friends. The students who chose to participate in the workshop were from 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. They included boys and girls and their cultural background was incredibly diverse. Half of this original group graduated in June of 2005.
In September of that same year, the Teen Writers group entered a new phase. Judy came back and gave another talk to our students. This time she included her second book “Olivia Twist...a quest for the glass half-full.” The teen writers not only greeted her warmly, but they asked for even more of her time. Judy saw such eagerness and so much desire in these young writers that she sat with me and we talked about preparing a lesson plan that would focus on their writing, culminating in a published book of their written work.
The students included in "What We Want To Tell You" have worked very hard going through the process of writing, editing, and reviewing of their work. They also sat and listened to their peers go through the entire process and they have come back for more! I am proud to say that this book is a result of all their efforts and struggles as apprentice writers.
The magic of all of this is that Judy graduated from
And, the most incredible part of all of this is that Judy has done it all for free. Her payment is to see our students triumph in their first steps to becoming writers of the future.
Magna M. Diaz
About the Author
Sixteen students have broken the barriers of conformity to show that Philadelphia high schools are not devoid of creative individuals who strive to achieve success!
These students: Melina Garcia, Edwin Mattola, Isbelia Paniagua, Sana Raddad, Lena Abdeljaber, Kameele Rivera, Craig Aguilar,Caitlin Costanzo, Kimberly Cothran, Enndy DelRosario, Adrienne Diehl, Alex Hill, Anthony Moll, Christina Perez, Destine Pierce and Chaunnique Thomas, are The Teen Writers Guild of Frankford High School.
Some of these Guild members are advanced students, while others have few or no advanced classes. All are from diverse cultures and upbringing, and yet they have bonded in a way most would have thought impossible.
"What We Want to Tell You..." contains some amazing works--gritty, wholesome, heartbreaking, dramatic, fantasy, cultural... Stories and poetry as diverse as the members themselves.
This illuminating project demonstrates how, when given the right tools and adequate attention, anyone can reach their full potential. The Guild also combats the association of Philadelphia public schools with high dropout rates and deficiency in the academic assets.
And, furthermore, all proceeds from the sales of "What We Want to Tell You" will be donated to the Frankford High School library as a gift from the Guild to fund the purchases of books and other academic necessities for future Frankford High School Students and Guild members!