#2 Barrio Writers Workshop at KIPP Austin

Before the holiday break, BW Founder Sarah Rafael García taught 1-class period workshops at KIPP in Austin, Texas. She was hosted by an empowering high school teacher (and poet) whose goal was to influence her students through creative writing—Yay for Ms. Minde!

For the next few weeks we will be featuring Ms. Minde's students on our blog! During the workshops the youth read, wrote and shared as a community (60 mins: 20-reading, 20-writing, 20-sharing). They read and discussed works by Tim Z. Hernandez, Jasminne Mendez, Rene S. Perez II and Barrio Writer Jesse Castillo!

After reading, they were asked to respond to a writer by doing "blackout poetry" or writing their own poem/story in similar style as the writers read in the workshop.

In a response piece, you analyze the writing, but you also include your personal impression. Sometimes it's just something the writing made you think about, a small connection to the words, images and theme.

After writing, all the students were offered the opportunity to share their work and receive feedback from their peers. They were also invited to share on our blog!


Today's piece is by Cecy Ontiveros, she created her own response to an excerpt from Seeing Off The Johns written by Rene S. Perez II and published by Cinco Punto Press. Seeing Off The Johns is about how youth in a small town in Texas deal with grief after losing two popular students from their school. Here's Cecy's response piece:

I see him running,
running up and down
the streets,
afraid,
afraid of what could happen if he stayed,
I loose him,
I don't see him anymore,
Where did he go?
Oh, now I see him.

It's too late, he's there, the car's coming
I scream, there's nothing I can do
he's gone, he's truly gone,
he looks at me one last time, cries, and closes his eyes.
It's all gone in one moment.

—Cecy Ontiveros

Check out her submission to Barrio Writers! Thank you for sharing Cecy!