Teen Voices book launch culminates year long project

Five Cotter students recently became published poets.

A year-long project spearheaded by Scott Lowery, Ken McCullough and Marcia Ratliff, Teen Voices was a gathering of local high school students from Cotter, Winona High, and the Winona Area Learning Center, who were interested in learning about poetry and sharpening their poetry writing skills.

The group met once a month at Mugby Junction on Huff Street and each month there was a guest poet who would read their own work and give the group an idea, or assignment of sorts, to work on for that month.

” I have enjoyed all the guest poets and their messages. Particularly, the speaker of our first meeting, Ed Bok Lee was the speaker that I enjoyed most. He has inspired me during the meeting. I liked his idea and way to write something, literally just writing our thoughts. Also, Lee and I have talked after the first meeting in Korean since he has spent some of his time at Korea. It was fun, ” said  Cotter freshman Jaehyuk (Peter) Seo.

The students were placed in small groups and assigned a college-aged mentor who they could correspond with over the month to develop their ideas and poems.

“My favorite parts of the program was to write something in a certain amount of time and then share it with the others students and mentors. Also to collaborate with students,” first year Cotter student Fatima Mota said.

“All of the mentors help me to improve my writing in one way or another.  Mr. Lowery not only was helping me to improve my poems, he was also helping with the translations of my poems, since I speak two languages. Changing my poems between my original language Spanish to English was not that simple, but he always was there to make the best changes possible,” Mota added.

“Scott and Ken helped me a lot for my project. They have encouraged and inspired me in writing a poem in English.  They recommended some new ways to write better than I did. We talked about the progress of my poem during a meeting. They also came to school to give suggestions. I truly appreciate all the staff of this project,” Seo concurred.

The culminating event was the publishing of Soundings, a poetry collection taken from their works.  A book launch was held at the Winona Arts Center on Friday, May 6.  Students read one or two of their poems to a packed house and copies of the book were for sale.

Cotter students who participated in the readings were Mota, Seo, and Eduardo Quijada Aguilar.  Seniors Bailey Hansen and Frannie Jones and former student Jason Corn had poems published in the book but did not participate in the reading

Fatima and Eduardo read their poems in both English and Spanish.  Fatima is from Mexico, Eduardo is from El Salvador, and Peter is from Korea, so all three were writing and performing in a second language.

“I really like the cover of the book, but what really I like is that content of the book. All the people that collaborate to write those poems did an awesome job. I have looked at my name in the print plenty of times, and I still think about how I came up with those poems. I never thought to be involved in this kind of events, but to see my name in the book makes me happy, and I like because is something that I can show to my family
back in Mexico,” Mota said.

“I was I little bit nervous before I went to stage. English is my second language, so I was worry the might people cannot understand me. When I went to stage I felt more comfortable and secure, and I think that is because I like to talk. Definitely, I  the evening was full of new and good experiences for me. It was a great opportunity to learn, and I cannot wait for another Teen Voices project.”

 “I am kind of proud of my self that I have achieved one of my goal which is writing a poem in a  foreign language, even though my poem is not perfect.  I have read all the poems from the book, Soundings, and I will not forget the moment that I received the book. When I saw my name on the book and school that I belong to, I could not feel better and be more excited.  I truly appreciate all the Teen Voices staff members, as well as teachers from Cotter who helped me in doing the project,”  said Seo.

“I was kind of nervous right before I presented my poem. I am not confident to present and read something in front of people. But I made it. I rushed during the reading but I did the best I could. The evening, right after the launch event, I felt a feeling of achievement,” Seo said.

After the strong response from participants and audience, the project leaders are considering possibilities for keeping the project going next year.