Giving Thanks

The Tupelo Press Teen Writing Center Staff gives thanks to all those organizations who support us, provide meeting space, welcome our students with artists and programs,  donated to our fundraiser (not one business we asked, declined to help),  or offered help in the future.  This list is growing by leaps and bounds!   [slideshow_deploy id=’306′] […]

Virginia Festival of the Book Hosts Two Teen Panels in 2014!

  An enormous thanks to Sarah McGuire,  creative writing teacher at Western Albemarle High School, for her work in coordinating with the Virginia Festival of the Book committee to produce two panels for teens on Pub Day in 2014.  The First Pages panel will allow teens a chance to submit a first page for review […]

How to condense a story – The Spoken Word!

Browning Porter has been writing poetry since he can remember, and long been involved in the literary culture of Charlottesville,  attending first UVA,  and then the Warren Wilson low residency MFA program.  Finding himself gravitating to a more direct connection between writer and audience, Browning spoke about his love of  storytelling and of the rewards […]

What a very special event!

Sunday afternoon’s fundraiser was a heartwarming experience.  We enjoyed an amazing performance by Travis Grice from Western Albemarle High School, and his band.   The set list held everyone’s attention and the energy of the band was infectious!  I understand that Travis has a second engagement coming up, and we are not surprised! We were […]

Illuminations in the UVA Special Collections Library

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” ― Anne Frank Molly Swartzburg, curator of The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library of the University of Virginia, hosted a group of students from the Teen Writing Center last Thursday.  She had a little help from Thomas, of course, as he […]

First Annual Fundraiser – November 17th at CitySpace!

The Teen Writing Center will host our first Fundraising Night  on November 17th at Cityspace, 100 5th St NE, Charlottesville, from 4 to 6PM. Tickets are $25, and may be purchased at the door.  All tickets will be entered into a raffle for four hand-letterpressed posters at the end of the evening.  Catered hors d’oeuvres and a […]

University of Virginia Special Collections Library Visit November 7th

In 2006 a previously unpublished poem by Robert Frost was discovered in the  Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA, creating quite a stir in the community. Many universities have a special collections library, and all are extraordinary treasures in their community (and who knows what you might find within)! On November 7th, at […]

Virginia Arts of the Book Center – Teen Posters!

Our intrepid students came back to the Virginia Arts of the Book Center a second, and yet a third night,  to design and print their own posters. We used a thick, soft, Arches paper so that each poster would clearly show the impression of the type, along with the ink. Each student brought a short […]

Writing – Art or Language Practice?

As the founders of the Teen Writing Center (TWC) explored what resources exist in the area,  we talked to local high school teachers across the county. Every teacher was excited to have some support for their young writers. Most high school English classes are workhorses,   core curriculum driven by standardized testing,  designed to expose students […]