#9 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.

“Blackout poetry” is poetry made by blacking out the words in a text with a permanent marker, leaving behind only a few choice words to make a poem.

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 work is by Victoria Estrada, she created her own poems inspired by "Home" written by Tim Z. Hernandez and published in Natural Takeover of Small Things by University of Arizona Press. Here are Victoria's poems:

Depressed

Beep, Beep, Beep
9:00am
Snooze
Ring, Ring, Ring
Mom
Ignore
Beep, Beep, Beep
12:00pm
Snooze
Ring, Ring, Ring
Work
Ignore
Beep, Beep, Beep
World
Ignore

—Victoria Estrada


Jealously

The feeling of worthlessness.
The feeling of hatred.
The feeling of anger.
The feeling of losing.
The feeling of insecurity.
All because you're selfish.

—Victoria Estrada

Check out her two submissions to Barrio Writers! Thank you for sharing your poems Victoria, keep writing!