We had a special visitor to our workshops: Micaela Chirif, a poet and children’s book writer from Lima.
We had emailed Micaela to ask if she could write a letter of advice to the girls. Instead, Micaela graciously offered to brave the windy, 8-hour bus ride up to Huaraz to speak with the girls in person.
She brought with her a bag of children’s books—some her own and others she thought the girls would like—and even left several of her books for the comedor.
Blanca reading Micaela’s “En Forma de Palabras,” Micaela’s story about a little boy who is surrounded by words. You can find Micaela’s books for sale online here.
Her presence energized the workshops. She held us all in rapt attention as she read a variety of stories, all inventive with gorgeous illustrations.
She brought some example storyboards from a book she’s currently writing and explained how she uses storyboards like a map: they help ensure that she and her illustrator stay on track once they start into the final product.
She talked about the way she and her illustrator work, meeting together on Mondays in the same café, nursing cups of coffee for hours he works on illustrations and consults her for ideas.
Micaela using uses visuals to explain key storyteling elements. Here she explains how something needs to happen, either one big event or small events along the way.
Most of the girls wanted to know where she gets her ideas and inspiration. Micaela told the girls about the whimsy of storytelling: how ideas can come from anywhere.
Micaela shows how her her latest story (about sea creatures invading a kitchen) came to her when she was playing around with the plastic wrapping on a big loaf of bread.
She shocked many when she said she reads on average two or three hours a day. Good proof that an imagination needs nourished—ideas don’t come from thin air!
Micaela was a total natural with the girls (it’s no surprise that she writes such lovely children’s books!) She entertained their questions patiently and easily transitioned from the more subdued classroom of our older girls to the rambunctiousness of the girls in primary school.
We’re so grateful for Micaela’s time and energy. This was the first time any of our students had a chance to speak to a professional writer, and she certainly set the bar high for future guest speakers.
Mil gracias, Micaela!
Confusion
Looks like there is no food to give your children bread
Smells like an animal that’s been dead for a few days
Sounds like people yelling in the market when there isn’t enough food for everyone
Tastes like a strawberry without the sweetness
Feels like not giving food to someone who doesn’t have any
- group writing from our writers in secondary school
image via Martin LaBar
Confusión
Se parece a no había comido para sus hijos para dar un pan
Huele a un animal muerto por varios días
Suena a gente gritando en el mercado cuando no hay suficiente comida para todos
Sabe a una fresa sin dulce
Se siento como no dar alguna comida a personas que no tienen nada
- escrito juntas por nuestras autoras en secundaria
foto por Martin LaBar
Sadness
Looks like the shadows of fire
Smells like burnt rice
Sounds like depression, fighting about everything
Tastes like darkness and pain
Feels like your stomach is churning
- group writing from our writers in secondary school
image via GollyGForce
La tristeza
Se parece a la tinieblas al fuego
Huele a arroz quemando
Suena como la depresión, luchando para todo
Sabe a tinieblas y dolor
Se siente como si se revolviera el estómago
- escrito en grupo por las autoras en secundaria
foto por GollyGForce
I am like a flower
beautiful and radiant
when people look at me
they all admire me.
I am like a light
always brilliant
and shining.
Never say never
never say always
never say something
your heart doesn’t feel.
I am a rose
always representing
love.
- Erika, 16
Yo soy como la flor
hermosa y radiante
cuando me miran
todos me admiran.
Yo soy como la luz
siempre brillante y
resplandeciente.
Nunca digas nunca
nunca digas siempre
nunca digas algo que
tu corazón no siente.
Soy una rosa roja
siempre representando al
Amor.
- Erika, 16
Week three of our writing workshops reminded us of something any experienced teacher would know: the days leading up to a vacation are not the time to introduce anything complicated!
After one day trying to teach the girls to write their own odes, we realized this wasn’t going to hold anyone’s attention. We needed to rethink this week!
Ana had the idea of teaching the girls how to play Mad Libs, which we termed ‘cuentos locos’. We wrote a few versions, all in groups. As the base for one, we used a Pablo Neruda ode, and for the other we used the pop song “Corre Corazón.” We took a video of one of the groups singing their Corre version.
It was just what we needed: a chilled-out class where the girls could play and giggle at the non-sensical things they had written. We also realized that quite a few girls don’t know the definition of noun/verb/adjective, which was an important discovery to make!
A few of the girls asked about writing over their breaks. Eager to encourage them to make writing their own, we designed some take-home writing packets and printed out the girls’ poems on colored paper for the first page of each girl’s packet. Most were tickled to see their work ‘in print’—tomorrow when workshops resume, we’ll find out if anyone actually wrote in their packets!
We wrote poems using the first letters of our names as the start of each line. In Spanish, this poem spells Edith.
In my house I am what I am
I give what I’ve got to give
I imagine that I’m someone important and
I act like I’m that person.
I don’t do the things that they want me to do.
- Edith, 14
En mi casa yo soy como soy
Doy lo que tengo que dar para hacer lo que quiera
Imagino ser alguien importante y que me
Trate como soy en cualquier lugar. No
Hago cosas que quieran que me hagan.
- Edith, 14
I am like the light,
always shining and happy.
I am like a dove,
flying always through the hills.
I am like the ocean,
because my goals
never arrive at a end.
I am a dreamer,
para always dreaming about
something better.
I am like an ant,
working and helping
my friends.
I am like a cedrón
always adding flavor
beyond reason.
I am like the sugar
because I like to sweeten
the day.
At times I’m like a mute
always quieting a
doubt.
I am like a flower
although they may call me
the worst things I always
quiet them with my own
reason.
I am not like a balloon
that falls when someone
pops it.
I am not like a baby
that doesn’t know how to do things
or how to think
and only knows how to cry and with this
solves all its
problems
I am not like any other person
to me, I am special
I don’t care you like me
because to raise myself up
that’s what’s important to me.
- Mabel, 13
Yo soy como la luz,
siempre brillando y feliz.
Yo soy como la paloma,
volando siempre por las lomas.
Yo soy como el mar,
porque mis metas nunca
llegan a un final.
Yo soy una soñadora,
siempre soñando para
algo mejor.
Yo soy como la hormiga,
trabajando y ayudando
a mis amigas.
Yo soy como el cedrón
siempre dando sabor
a la razón.
Yo soy como el azúcar
que me gusta endulzar
el día.
A veces soy como una muda
siempre callando una
duda.
Yo soy como la flor
porque aunque me dicen
lo peor siempre me
quedo con mi misma
razón.
No soy como un globo
que se cae cuando alguien
lo derrota.
No soy como un bebé
que no sabe lo que hace
ni tampoco lo que piensa
solo sabe llorar y con eso
soluciona todos sus
problemas.
No soy como cualquier persona
para mi yo soy especial
porque para caerme no importa
nada, pero para levantarme es lo
que me importa.
- Mabel, 13
On our last day before the Fiestas Patrias vacations, we played group Mad Libs. Everyone’s really into songs here—so Ana created a Mad Lib to a song that’s super popular in Perú called “Corre Corazón.”
The first group sang theirs particularly well—not sure if that comes through in our video because the sound quality in the room is pretty bad.
A fun activity before the holiday—and also cool to see the girls get a little silly over the non-sensical songs they created.
En nuestro ultimo día antes de las vacaciones de las Fiestas Patrias, jugamos un juego que en ingles se llama Mad Libs (cuentos locos). Porque todas se animan mucho sobre las canciones, Ana escribió un Mad Lib por la canción popular Corre Corazón.
En esto vídeo, el primero grupo cantó su creación. Ellas la cantaron especialmente bien, aunque no puedes escuchar esto por la calidad de sonido en la salón.
La actividad fue divertida y liviana, perfecta por el día antes de las fiestas. ¡Que chevere ver las chicas jugar con las palabras y sonreír sobre las canciones chistosas que escribieron!
Aquí hay la letra de los MadLibs de este grupo:
Me bailas diferente
Me abrazas y no siento tu camisa
Te digo lo que canto
Me interrumpes y terminas la falda
Siempre tienes la razón
Tuu… cama de siempre tan perfumada
Yaaa… ya me lo se
Así que corre corre corre corazón
De los dos tu siempre fuiste el mas pequeño
Toma todo lo que quieras pero vete ya
que mis casas jamás te voy a dar
Así que compra como siempre no mires atrás
lo has hecho ya y el carro me da igual.
Ya viví esta flor
Y con mucha pena te digo no, conmigo no
mentí lo que podía, pero a media puerta
Se quedó mi jaula
Tuuu…. torta de siempre tan flaca
Yaaa no, no te queda bien
Así que corre corre corre corazón
De los dos tu siempre fuiste el mas pequeño
Toma todo lo que quieras pero vete ya
que mis casas jamás te voy a dar
Así que compra como siempre no mires atrás
lo has hecho ya y la carro me da igual.
Tuuu… globo de siempre los mismos trucos
Yaaa…. ya me lo juego
Así que corre corre corre corazón
De los dos tu siempre fuiste el más pequeño
Camina todo lo que quieras pero vete ya
que mis chirimoyas jamás te voy a dar
han sido tantas despedidas que en verdad
Dedicarte un sombrero mas está de más
Así que corre como siempre que no iré detrás
Lo has hecho ya y la carro me da igual
lo has hecho ya y la carro me da igual
lo has hecho ya pero al final me da igual
Edith escritó su propio dicho: que lindo escribir. [es]
Edith wrote her own quote: how beautiful it is to write. [en]
(by angieandsteve)
![Edith escritó su propio dicho: que lindo escribir. [es]
Edith wrote her own quote: how beautiful it is to write. [en]
(by angieandsteve)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7ms1pcPlV1ra4izho1_1280.jpg)
