February Newsletter
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Montblanc
Don't you (or someone you know) need a new, fancy, lovely pen? Montblanc has a stunning collection of pens and jewelry called the "Bespoke" collection. Until March 7th, Montblanc will donate 10% of purchases to WriteGirl if you mention WriteGirl at the time of purchase at the Beverly Center location.
Montblanc and Departures magazine recently honored Margaret Elisabeth Hyde for her longtime support of WriteGirl. We are so grateful to Margaret, Departures and Montblanc!
Please help us spread the word, and share this news with your network of pen lovers!
History Inspires Poetry
WriteGirl teens gathered for an illuminating and ethereal poetry workshop at the Japanese American National Museum last month. Amidst preserved suitcases, musical instruments, and other artifacts from WWII Japanese internment camps, WriteGirl teens delved into their own personal experiences, nudged along by writing prompts and supportive mentors. Esteemed guest poet Suzanne Lummis challenged teens to use just the right metaphor, image, or turn of phrase. At the end of the day, girls shared their poems, and WriteGirl mentor Allison Minami shared the story of her own family’s internment.
Art + Mentors = Inspired Poetry
The Museum of Contemporary Art welcomed dozens of WriteGirl teens and volunteers on January 24th for a second lively poetry workshop. Girls and their mentors wandered through the Andy Warhol Shadows exhibit, mouths agape and pencils hovering. Before too long, girls’ pencils were moving at a fast clip, lines of poetry flowing freely. Guest poets Marlys West, Elisabeth Houston, Darby Price and Karineh Mahdessian shared their work and wisdom. Our girls shared their own poems filled with sharp imagery and powerful messages. As WriteGirl teen Marina so beautifully noted in her poem, “We are not monochrome."
WriteGirl Represented at the 2015 Women's Leadership Luncheon, Hosted by Mayor Eric Garcetti
WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor was invited to attend the 2015 Women’s Leadership Luncheon hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The Mayor, First Lady, and the Getty House Foundation Board of Directors welcomed 250 young women and women leaders from all over Los Angeles to the Getty House. Women leaders, including Keren, interacted with the young women to teach them networking skills and allow them to connect with professionals in various careers. Several WriteGirl teens participated in the event as well! "Our WriteGirls are raising their voices and participating in their communities in ways that continue to surprise me. I thought I would be the only WriteGirl member there, but I was thrilled to be surrounded by a dozen WriteGirl teens at this annual Women's Leadership event," said Keren Taylor.
LOL
WriteGirl is super excited to announce a Comedy Writing Workshop on March 28th in partnership with the Actors' Gang Theater! This brand new workshop will set a high bar for all future comedy workshops. The event's all-star planning team includes writer and creator of Fox's New Girl, Liz Meriwether, along with screenwriter Clare Sera (Blended), and other superstar special guests. This team of very funny women will teach our teen girls how to craft a comedic scene and elicit guffaws from any audience. (Please contact WriteGirl if you would like to observe this special workshop and see WriteGirl in action! Call Carly Woodworth at 213-253-2655.)
SAVE THE DATE - April 25th
Mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE for the annual "Lights, Camera, WriteGirl!" event on the evening of Saturday, April 25th at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. At this red carpet event, prominent actors will perform selected scenes and monologues written earlier that day by WriteGirl teens. The evening will include commentary by notable screenwriters, a silent auction, delectable food/drinks, and surprise special guests. You don't want to miss this event!
To all our supporters - THANK YOU!
We are successful in large part due to the contributions from our community! We would like to thank Unique Space for hosting our Editing Workshop, Heath & Lejeune and Olive Garden for donating food for our girls, and the Japanese American National Museum and MOCA for hosting our January poetry workshops!
"Always listen to your intuition when writing. If there is something that you love in your work, defend it with all your might." – a WriteGirl mentee
