The Finish Line

9^th graders at Community Health Academy of the Heights (CHAH) began working with author Paul Griffin through Behind the Book more than three months ago.  The students read Mr. Griffin’s Ten Mile River and later wrote their own pieces that Behind the Book compiled into an anthology titled Masquerade of Minds.  This rainy afternoon, Behind the Book staff and supporters joined teachers and students from CHAH at Random House headquarters to celebrate the release of their anthology.  Gathering in the L’Amour room with a beautiful view of Manhattan, the group chose to arrange their chairs in a circle to enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere.  After each person introduced themselves, a student presented Mr. Griffin with a copy of the long-awaited anthology.  Teacher Michael Hirsch then read the book’s preface – which he had written – aloud, describing the creative journey that his class and Mr. Griffin embarked on together when they began their program with Behind the Book back in March.

Teacher Michael Hirsch reads the preface of "Masquerade of Minds"

After Mr. Griffin and several CHAH staff members spoke about the process, the students had the opportunity to flip through Masquerade of Minds and admire the polished final product of their efforts.  Two students read their pieces aloud, growing more confident as they went on, and the group then discussed the subject matter and inspiration behind the writing.  Both pieces discussed issues such as rape and teen suicide, and the students’ honest take gave a realistic voice to their young characters.  Mr. Griffin encouraged the students to keep writing no matter what profession they choose, and even said that he would consider passing on their future writing to his agent!

One budding writer reads his work aloud

The group mingled and discussed their feelings about the program, now that they are able to look back from the finish line.  One young writer said that he enjoyed learning about the different jobs that are necessary in producing a book, including the role of the writer and publisher.  He also shared that he wrote more naturally and discovered a genuine voice while participating in this program.  Other students said that their favorite part of the program was meeting Mr. Griffin, and that he surprised them with his charisma.

Author Paul Griffin and CHAH students

Random House had generously donated copies of Julia Alvarez’s Before We Were Free and Matt de la Peña’s Mexican WhiteBoy, which the students picked up on their way out.  Mr. Hirsch pointed out that by reading these books over the summer, the students can advise CHAH and Behind the Book on which texts they find appealing to their age group, and perhaps these books will be used for future literacy programs at their school.  This fall, Behind the Book will continue working with this group of students and will start collaborating with the incoming 9^th grade at CHAH.  Each year, we will add on another grade until every student at the school is working with Behind the Book.

A student looks at books donated by Random House

The leftover copies of Before We Were Free and Mexican WhiteBoy will likely be lining the shelves of CHAH’s library in the fall.  For now, here’s to a summer full of good books!

A Comic is like a Box of Chocolates: You Never Know What You’re Going to Get…

Last Friday, a fourth grade class at PS 376 in Bushwick met with author/illustrator Alexander Stadler for the second of two workshops.  Mr. Stadler is the author of the Julian Rodriguez graphic novel series, which the students had read previously.  The class was openly excited to see Mr. Stadler and had their work from the last visit – drawings of characters they had created – at the ready.  Mr. Stadler began by drawing a comic strip about Dracula on the class’s Smart Board.  The students suggested the plot, and Mr. Stadler illustrated while demonstrating the many perspectives that can be used in each panel of a comic strip: there can be close ups of a character, a split panel indicating two different perspectives at the same time, and illustrations from a distance that show the entire scene.

Alexander Stadler demonstrates the many different perspectives that can be used in a comic strip

Using the analogy of a Valentine’s Day box of chocolate, Mr. Stadler encouraged the students to use panels of different shapes and sizes.  He pointed out that if every chocolate was exactly the same flavor and had the same appearance, the consumer would get bored quickly.  However, having various kinds of candy throughout the box keeps the consumer guessing and eager for the next bite.  Mr. Stadler showed the class that a comic is not so different from a box of chocolates: panels can be triangular, circular, small, or large.  This doesn’t just keep the reader engaged – it is also more fun for the illustrator!

A student watches Alex Stadler's demonstration

After this lesson, Mr. Stadler asked students to share some of the characters they had come up with, as well as the character’s nemesis and goals.  One child’s example was a boy called Brian: his enemies were his parents and his goal was to obtain a certain video game despite his parents’ opposition.  In fact, it was quite common for a character’s nemesis to be their parents!  Mr. Stadler then passed out blank comic strips and gave the students plenty of time to fill in the panels with the stories they had written about their characters.

A student prepares to fill in her blank comic strip

Using Sharpie and colored pencil, the students worked quietly and diligently on their comic strips.  Mr. Stadler stopped the class occasionally to give tips about technique or giving texture to drawings using only black and white.  As the class finished their work, Mr. Stadler made his way around the room, signing books and complimenting each child’s work – whether praising them for the colors they had chosen to use or their decision to divide a panel into smaller frames to give themselves more room, he gave each child his full attention.  The finished comic strips told elaborate tales of characters ranging from space dogs to princesses, and the students had clearly taken Mr. Stadler’s advice about using a variety of panels into account: the class had created a deliciously unique assortment of chocolate.

A Night with John Leguizamo

On Tuesday night, supporters of Behind the Book spent the evening at the Lyceum Theater to see Ghetto Klown with John Leguizamo.  Guests included board members, BtheB teachers and staff.  After mingling outside the theater and picking up tickets and Behind the Book bookmarks, theatergoers moved inside and enjoyed the performance, followed by a talk-back with the star himself.

John Leguizamo’s one-man show was a combination of razor sharp wit and raw, emotional honesty.  During the two-hour performance, he described his humble beginnings in Queens, his family struggles, and his lifelong passion for performance.  Leguizamo had the audience laughing uproariously from the moment he danced his way across the stage, though the show also included somber moments in which he recounted periods of personal struggle and inner turmoil.

After the show, the Behind the Book crowd moved closer to the stage and prepared to meet John Leguizamo.  Prior to the talk-back, founder and executive director Jo Umans spoke about the importance of literacy programs amidst today’s school budget cuts.  Leguizamo then came onstage and courteously answered audience questions, including inquiries regarding his favorite books as a young person.  Leguizamo admitted that he was not a book lover as a middle school student, primarily because he felt he could not relate to much of the subject matter and many of the characters in the literature available to him.  This is an issue that Behind the Book takes into consideration when choosing a book for a specific class: the relevance of a story and the degree to which a particular group of students can relate to the characters.

Despite his early aversion to book reading, Leguizamo said that certain plays – such as “Long Day’s Journey into Night” and “Death of a Salesman” – have changed his life.  In the show, Leguizamo said that after an early acting teacher gave him a pile of plays to read, he devoured them immediately.  He also spoke about how writing is a cathartic process for him and some of his finest work (and one-man shows!) originated during periods of depression.

The night was a huge success and there were clear connections between the subject matter of the show and elements of Behind the Book’s mission: the importance of young people discovering a branch of literature that appeals to them in particular (whether that means plays or novels) and the knowledge that any child can become successful if they are following their passion and are armed with dedication and a good sense of humor.