10 May Stock Photo Story // Writing Prompt
Find a stock photo that you find strange or entertaining, then write a story explaining it.
03 May Experiencing the World Through the Unexpected: Macro-Microscopic Lenses // Writing Prompt
As a way to archive the many writing prompts we use at the Just Buffalo Writing Center, we are going to more frequently post writing prompts created by young writers, teaching artists, and others. This prompt takes inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina. In particular, think about the scene in Alice in Wonderland when Alice shrinks and then grows very large. Notice her transformation of perspective, how she is forced to look at the world in a different way, abruptly!
06 Apr Announcing the 2021 Civil Writes Project Support Recipients
We are thrilled to announce the nine artists, organizations, and community groups receiving a total of $15,000 to support events aligned with this year's Civil Writes Project, celebrating Black writers and seeking pathways toward justice through the literary arts.
29 Mar “Girls” by Fiona Stewart
"Families hide their ghosts." In this short story by 2020 Just Buffalo Writing Center Youth Fellow Fiona Stewart, a family's unspoken truths come to haunt teenager Jesse Kim as she hides a truth of her own.
19 Mar Eat This Poem: Q&A with teaching artist Albert Albonado
Teaching artist Albert Abonado sets the table for an exploration of food as rich material for poems in Eat This Poem on March 20. Albert took the time to chat with us ahead of the workshop about the uses of food in favorite poems & movies; the themes of his poetry collection, JAW; and sustaining a sense of community in Zoom world.
08 Mar Youth Ambassador Emma reads at Women’s History Month kickoff event
JBWC Youth Ambassador Emma DeRose was invited to share her poem "a letter to sensitive girls" at Erie County's Women's History Month kickoff celebration on March 3, hosted by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
01 Feb Call for Young Writers: Water in the Desert
Call for Young Writers Calling all young poets, storytellers, songwriters, and citizens (ages 12-19)! What brings you relief—if even for a moment—during these difficult times? Whether in the form of a poem, spoken word piece, speech, essay, or original song, Ujima Company, Just Buffalo Writing Center, and Squeaky Wheel invite you to take part in Water in the Desert, a multimedia exploration of the concept of “hope in a time of despair.”
10 Dec Our America by Zanaya Hussain
"Buffalo is often called the 'City of Good Neighbors' because it is a city that's home to a large refugee and immigrant population. As Buffalonians we pride ourselves on this flourishing diversity. But with xenophobia and hate crimes on the rise, sometimes the message behind being a 'City of Good Neighbors' is forgotten. Through this summer fellowship at the Just Buffalo Writing Center I interviewed three different immigrants who call America home, and offer readers a snapshot of their lives. My hope is that by sharing these narratives, we can learn how each of our experiences intertwine and that human empathy ties people from all varying backgrounds together. These profiles act as a response to the question, 'What makes being the “City of Good Neighbors” so wonderful?'"
14 Aug 5 QUESTIONS WITH POET HANNAH NATHANSON
Posted at 09:00h
in Hannah Nathanson
We were thrilled to spend time catching up with poet & JBWC alum Hannah Nathanson, who recently released her first chapbook, Alternative Universes, with Bone & Ink Press. (Hooray, Hannah!) Hannah graduated from City Honors in 2018; she now studies English, global culture, and creative writing at Binghamton University. She will also be leading a workshop at as a teaching artist at JBWC—later this month, on geography and ghosts.
31 Jul “Where better than a dinosaur graveyard to read poems about exes?”: Q&A with poet Rachelle Toarmino
Posted at 08:30h
in Rachelle Toarmino
Poet, founding editor-in-chief of Peach Mag, and Just Buffalo teaching artist Rachelle Toarmino is author of the poetry collection That Ex, recently published by Big Lucks Books. Rachelle took the time to chat with us about That Ex, the experience of releasing a book during a pandemic, and the creative ways she’s connecting with readers despite it all—like hosting Buffalo’s first-ever drive-in poetry reading to launch That Ex on Friday, Aug. 7.