This sestina is another piece written in our Writing and Publishing Apprentices class for high school students. Enjoy Zoe’s sestina!
I am fascinated by the shadows of our fingers
Beautiful when they differ but when they match – electric
Your hands waved goodbye and caught tears when you cried
Your fairytale had taken a stormy twist
But looking back for that second
Made you believe in fate
8 Each year we have a dinner to honor our new scholarship recipients. Each year we meet six totally inspiring young people about to embark on a new chapter of their lives, and we’re so happy that we can help make college possible for them with a $15,000 scholarship. During the dinner, students get to hear first-year advice from Dave Eggers and previous years’ scholars, meet the families who fund scholarships, and receive their awards. If you’re in the mood for some inspiration, read more about these students who have shown a dedication to their futures and to their educations.
2pavorst asked: To everyone who makes 826 Valencia the beautiful place that it is, thank you. Thank you so much for doing what you do. And I thank you for following my own little blog here on tumblr. It's lovely. I hope you have a beautiful day today. Love, Nani.
Thanks so much, Nani!
We love the requests for more student writing! Here’s an article by Agu Turienzo from the Valencia Bay-farer, Issue 46. The Bay-farer is the only 826 Valencia in-house newspaper written by students ages 8 through 13 with the help of tutors. It’s been a favorite publication since its inception in 2002, and we’re pretty sure you’ll enjoy this.
Meet Sourdough Sam
Have you ever heard of Sourdough Sam? You might know him as Sam, Sammy, Samster, Samiester, Samarama or Number 49. Well, I am writing this article because I want to tell you about Sourdough Sam, the San Francisco 49er mascot.
Did you see Sam at the Super Bowl? Because at least one 49er fan didn’t.
Student writing: we have it in spades. Here’s a story from our Writing and Publishing Apprentices workshop offered to San Francisco high school students. During this workshop, students are paired with a tutor as they work on their own creative writing projects. Enjoy!
He kept his door permanently closed, because he was afraid if someone got a glimpse of his room they would demand that he clean it. Clothes were strewn in a circle on the floor around a half-empty laundry basket, and a pile of CDs was spread out next to his bed. Papers littered the carpet under his desk. Three mugs of cold coffee, each with little more than one sip left, were lined up on his bookshelf, which was filled with battered paperbacks with authors who went by their first initials. He sat cross-legged on his unmade bed, headphones over his ears, fingers flicking the trackpad of his laptop. Posters for bands with strange names and dramatic album covers lined the off-white walls that sported scuff marks in various colours. Draped over the headboard of his bed was a wrinkled button-down shirt and a pair of slacks. In the corner was a beat-up camouflage-patterned backpack. The wooden slats of his shutters were blanketed in a layer of dust illuminated by the sunlight that filtered in through the windows.
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It’s the start of summer, and while the office/writing center looks pretty weird right now—we’re doing some repairs to the space—everyone is in high spirits! The thrill of a really fun Luncheon with Francis Ford Coppola, Thao Nguyen, and truly talented students still hasn’t worn off, and summer programs are just around the corner.
The Pirate Supply Store is closed during the renovations, but you can still shop on the webstore. Plus, a note to the wise: If you’ve had your eye on something at our Pirate Store, but don’t see it on the website, email piratestore@826valencia.org, and they might be able to fulfill the order, anyway.
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While cleaning out the back closet, we found a door. And the door was actually a portal to a secret garden called “Paxton’s Gate.”
Our Pirate Supply Store is closed until mid-July while we do some repairs to the space. But you can still visit our webstore for your seafaring needs, and look forward to our reopening later this summer!
Thank you to all the guests at our Annual Spring Luncheon with Francis Ford Coppola and Thao Nguyen today! We raised a lot of money and had a good time while we were at it! (photo posted by @mcs3000 on twitter)
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