POET LAUREATES

Inspiring the next generation of poets, one sliceatatime

826New Orleansispartofthe larger 826National nonprofitwhich workswithchildrenand youngadultsincommunities across thecountrytofostercreativewriting skills.826 New Orleansrecentlyheldits annual“PizzaPoetry” contest, in coordination with local pizzashops This week we arepublishingtheir six“PizzaPoetLaureates,”aswellaswriterLiamPierce’s Q&Aabout thegroup with itsExecutive Director AshleyDaniels-Halland ManagerofCommunity Engagement &StrategicPartnerships EmilyStarr.A full transcriptofthe interviewis availableonour site,gambitweekly.com

What does826 New Orleans do?

ASHLEY DANIELS-HALL: We amplify studentvoices across the city throughprint as apartofthe largest youthwriting networkin thecountry:826 National. We do it by hostingcreativewriting workshops, and programming that ultimately leads to publication and studentauthorship. Luckily,since we don’t have the same assessmentparameters as aschool, we gettobring thejoy of writingtokidsages3-18, to let them live in this fullyfreeand creativespace.Ultimately, we want to introduce them to allforms of expression,allowingthese children to grow up to be emotionally well.Tobecomeadultswho have an artistic outlet,tofeel free,empowered.

What’sPizza Poetryabout?

EMILYSTARR: We used to be alocal programcalledBig Class, whofirst launched PizzaPoetryin

2014 to celebrateNational Poetry Month. We startinJanuary, when NOCCAstudentsdrive to schools and setupworkshopsinschools They generated 400poems, butweprinted 3,000poems to sticker on to pizzaboxes from localpizza placesacrossthe city includingPizza Delicious, Reginelli’s,Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza, G’sPizza andMidwayPizza for deliveryand pickup on April 28th

Poetryiskinda having amoment rightnow.Why and whydokids interface with it so well?

DANIELS-HALL: Emily and Iweretalking aboutthisand we agreed that poetryisthis accessible literary genrewhere you’re allowedtobeimperfect. It canlook anyway and canspeak to anything.Poetryallowsyou to feel heardand be seen at the same time. Giventhe pandemic and Hurricane Ida, that’s somethingthatweall needright now. Especially here.

Anyspecial moments from your PizzaPoetry celebration on April28?

DANIELS-HALL: It washuge. We had around 75 people funnelingthrough ourcenter. One 8-year-old student’s grandmother came from St.Louis forit. Thegirl wouldn’tget on stage,but she read her poem to herfour-yearold brother,who wastransfixed Thegrandmother told me,“I can’tbelieve it.Henormally hates reading. Butseeingher read;he wantstoreadnow.” They ended up purchasing five booksfrom ourhaunted supplystore —each 826locationhas athemedstore —and picked outsix morebooks from ourdonationspile.

STARR: IwalkedintoMidway Pizzatodropoff poems andthey allstarted clapping. They said it wastheir favorite side work of the year:readingall thepoems and stickeringthem to pizzaboxes. We offeredtohave volunteers come in and do allthe stickering and no one took us up on it.One employeesaiditwas her favorite dayofthe year.

So what’s next for826 NewOrleans?

STARR: In thefall, we’relaunchinga newprogram with Tulane’s creative writing department to makea book. Tulane students aregoingtodevisethe concept foraclass of 826students,build awriting collection,copyedit, design, andultimatelypublishand throwaparty forthe book that we allmadetogether.We’ll work withseveral differentclassrooms acrossthe city of NewOrleans, bringing thesecollege students into classrooms to mentorthese students on abook project.

Beginning

William Xi

12TH GRADE, THE WILLOW SCHOOL

I don’t know what it was like, seeing the small, blue plus sign in her hands.

You were in France, a foreign land, away from your family, friends, language, home I can imagine your feelings of awe and dread as you realized you could never return with me alive.

I don’t know where your courage came from to lead us to a new world. To take everything you cherished and leave it behind all for me.

You hardly spoke English as you boarded the boat I imagine the sky was cloudy, just like our future was in that moment

Though I will never understand everything you have done, I know more of your story now, how you brought us here and raised us from poverty and gave us, me, a beginning.