Stories and poems by The Telling Room's 2019-2020 authors from our newest anthology, SEE BEYOND. Here, a selection of authors read their original pieces in their own voices and give short interviews.

www.tellingroom.org

"Bumbling - Pictures of the Floating World” used with permission in interview tracks

SEE BEYOND

Poems by The Telling Room's authors written over the last 15 years and compiled in our newest anthology, A NEW LAND. Here, a selection of poets read their original pieces in their own voices.

www.tellingroom.org

A NEW LAND

The thirty pieces of poetry and prose in A Season for Building Houses open a window onto today’s immigrant and refugee experience. Along their journeys to new homes in the United States, the teenage writers in this collection explore what it is to belong and to lose, to experience danger and safety, to remember and forget, and to build home after home. We produced this anthology to celebrate our Young Writers & Leaders program which won a 2015 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the White House.

A SEASON FOR BUILDING HOUSES

Stories and poems by The Telling Room's 2018-2019 authors from our newest anthology, SPEAK UP. Here, a selection of authors read their original pieces in their own voices.

www.tellingroom.org

SPEAK UP

The Telling Room's podcast features a behind the scenes look at excellent student stories, interviews with founders, teachers, staff, and students, live stories from our Slant series, and a deeper look at the writing process. 

The Telling Room Podcast

Featured Readings from The Telling Room's 2022 Big Night

From Echoes from the Basement: A Telling Room Anthology
Keeley Furtney — “Arabian Gold”
Miles Wetzel — “Open Your Eyes”
2022 Statewide Writing Contest Winner:
Lily Douglass — “The Monster Under the Bed”

From Footprints: 35 Nature Poems by Maine Writers Ages 6-11 
Elijah DePietro —  “A Walk in the Wild Woods”
Denali Garson — “Tree of Love” 

2022 Founders Prize Winner:
Leigh Ellis — “Squid Season”

From Stepping Stones: Stories & Poems by Maine Writers Ages 6-11
Thalia Bikamba — “Be Yourself”
Mabel Eimicke — “Orange Pineapple Squirrel”

"Be Yourself" By Thalia Bikamba

"Squid Season" By Leigh Ellis (2022 Founders Prize Winner)

"Tree Of Love" By Denali Garson

The Telling Room authors took the idea of "mystery" in every direction. They ask us to consider the new mysteries we wake up to every morning.

Despite all the unknowns, the writers in this book ultimately encourage us to look deeper inside ourselves and our society. Beneath the cacophony of voices- the echoes- you may just hear the clear sound of hope.

"The Snow Dance" by Zoe Hufnagel

"The Sandwich Bandits" by Rosie Traister Wadia

"Lost and Found" by Lida Kanoti

Telling Room documentary campers Anthony and Pi collaborate on a Vox Pop asking people on the streets of Portland, "Who is the most important person in your life?"

Vox Pops "Most Important Person" by Anthony and Pi

"We Were Not Wolves" by Kaitlyn Knight

Abby Shedd Author Interview

Writers from Project Poetry Camp perform their poems from the week. Writers include Anelise Feldman, Chloe Blackstone, Eleanor Damon, Evelyn Gurney, Freya Benham, and Leah Jubulis.

Chloe Blackstone - In Real Life - 8:1:23, 10.44 AM

Anelise Feldman - A Ship, A Story - 8:1:23, 10.42 AM

Writers from July's YWL Camp perform their written works

Vaeh And Elefe - 8:1:23, 11.48 AM

Rosemary David - The First Stage Of My Life - 8:1:23, 11.45 AM

Orguy Toko - The Crossover - 8:1:23, 11.42 AM

Navaeh Patt

Elefe Angle - The Child Of Divorced Parents - 8:1:23, 11.47 AM

Ritha Kawala - I'm Not Perfeclty Fine Yet - 8:1:23, 11.45 AM

Angela Kabisa - 8:1:23, 11.43 AM

Angela And Orguy - A Word Of Advice - 8:1:23, 11.44 AM

YWL Songwriting Workshop

Slant: Longing (Part II)

Slant: Longing (Part I)

Slant: Leaving (Part II)

Slant: Leaving (Part I)

Sampson's Creek by Camila Ciembroniewicz

Inside the Life I Knew by Clautel Buba

Clean Living By Isabelle Burke

Back Cove By Liam Swift

Bass Harbor Light By Mary McColley

"The Presumpscot Baptism Of A Jewish Girl" by Lizzy Lemieux

Swimming Lessons In The Desert By Madeleine Scholz-Lague

Buckets Of Water In Kigali By Rachel Iradukunda

"Inside the Life I Knew" by Clautel Buba

WE CAN ALL JUMP IN PUDDLES By Elahe Seddiqi

CLIMBING BAREFOOT by Fadumo Issack

SPARROWS by Omar Raouf

CAIRO KID by Ibrahim Shkara

STARGAZING By Ahmed Abbas

I STARTED TO EXPLAIN By Richard Akera

"Untranslatable Honeyed Bruises" by Amanda Dettmann

"Thaw" by Madeline Curtis

FROM A FATHER TO A SON By PDG Muhamiriza

Vox pop by summer camp students Rachel and Kate. Summer 2017.

Vox Pop: If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

A mix of personal stories, opinion pieces, fiction, and poetry from 15 students in Richmond Middle School. 
Written & recorded in the Fall of 2018 during a The Telling Room Residency. 

https://www.tellingroom.org/

Gavin Grover - Disc Golf - 11:20:18, 1.27 PM

Amy Kimball, Teaching Artist.  Introduction - 11:27:18, 12.38 PM

Waiting For Someone To Listen by Annie Matthews

Gray And Red by Cameron Jury

Glow by Henry Grohman

My True Voice by Sophie Baskett

Introduction to SPEAK UP

"Bumbling - Pictures of the Floating World” used in interviews

Illuminate by Fiona Akilo Stawarz

My First Voice by Laurel E. Sojourner

Elyse D'Auteuil Interview

Staring Blankly by Elyse D'Auteuil

Maya Faulstich Interview

Give Up by Maya Faulstich

Emily Hollyday is the author of the poem “Cantaloupe,” which she wrote in high school while interning as a young farmer with the organization Cultivating Community. The poem was first published in The Telling Room’s anthology Call I Call You Cheesecake? and reprinted in The Story I Want to Tell, where it was paired with a poem by Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, former Poet Laureate of Portland, Maine. In 2010, Emily received the The Telling Room’s Founders Prize for this poem. “Cantaloupe” is a sestina inspired by Emily’s childhood experiences of being raised Catholic and playing freely in her neighborhood.

In her own words: “For the past five years, I have been a sixth-grade science teacher in New York City. For my master’s thesis, I wrote poems about subtle yet important moments that took place in my classroom.”

"Cantaloupe" by Emily Hollyday

Husna Quinn is the author of the poem “Dressed in Red,” which was originally published in The Telling Room’s anthology Atomic Tangerine. The poem won the 2018 Telling Room Writing Contest and later inspired the Hawaiian composer Michael-Thomas Foumai to write an orchestral piece based on it. In 2019, the Portland Symphony Orchestra performed the piece alongside two other movements also inspired by two poems from The Telling Room’s statewide writing contest. Husna currently attends the University of Pittsburgh.

In her own words: “My poem, concerning marital infidelity, is told from a child’s viewpoint—a perspective not often portrayed in literature. The poem aims to raise awareness on infidelity’s impact on children.”

"Dressed in Red" by Husna Quinn

The Telling Room seeks to empower youth through writing and share their voices with the world. Focused on young writers ages 6 to 18, we use arts literacy programming to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide real audiences for students’ stories. The Telling Room believes that the power of creative expression can transform our communities for the better and prepare our youth for future success.

www.tellingroom.org

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