Fiction that Matters

The letter that opened author Richard Wright’s FBI file in 1942 for his work “Twelve Million Black Voices”.

penamerican:

PEN Launches Interactive Timeline to press for release of new Honorary Member Enoh Meyomesse.

Click here to learn the story of Enoh Meyomesse and take action.

Grandmother Power!

penamerican:

Paola Gianturco’s book Grandmother Power, a moving collection of essays and photographs from powerHouse Books, profiles grandmother activists from 15 countries on five continents around the world who are agitating for change and for the rights of their grandchildren. Below is an excerpt from the chapter entitled “Justice: Argentina.”

Argentine grandmothers began searching for their grandchildren as soon as they learned the youngsters had been stolen by the military, an event that set the agenda for the rest of their lives.At the beginning, their investigations were greeted with silence. The public was too afraid to acknowledge that between 1976 and 1983 the junta “disappeared” 30,000 people, forcing them into secret detention camps where they were tortured for information, then murdered.Explaining the government’s strategy to eliminate leftist dissent, General Iberico Saint-Jean promised,“First we will kill all the subversives, then we will kill their collaborators, then their sympathizers, then those who remain indifferent and finally, we will kill the weak.”

The “Disappeared,” as they are called, ranged from innocents to intellectuals to guerrillas many were blue-collar workers and students.

thelifeguardlibrarian:

So it’s Dave Eggers’ birthday and my favorite Dave Eggers thing of all the Dave Eggers things are the 826 centers, dedicated to providing creative and expository writing and tutoring resources to underserve kids in communities around the US.

Some of my best memories working with kids were workshops we had with 826CHI. Their volunteers and staff are super creative, fun, and engaging. They could get even the surliest dude laughing and writing.

If you’re looking for programming opportunities at your school or library, I can’t recommend 826 highly enough. Check out the list to see if they’re in a city near you. Oh, and also, each center is supported by a fun store front, so you can just drop in and give them some money, too.

PS—click through here for 826CHI’s online writing gallery because there’s just nothing in the world like a six year old telling stories.

wwborders:

Looking for some great book recommendations?

Check out Words Without Borders’ staff picks!

Writers get ready. PEN Haiti's house of literature has opened!

penamerican:

Named in honor of Georges Anglade, an ethnographer and academic who died in the January 2010 earthquake, the sprawling, mountainside facility is swiftly becoming a hub for youth education and international exchanges after opening in August 2012. 

2013 Goi Peace UNESCO Essay Competition on Culture for writers under 25

Theme

The Power of Culture to Create a Better Future

Organizer

The Goi Peace Foundation and UNESCO

Prizes

The following awards will be given in the Children’s category and Youth category respectively:

• 1st Prize: Certificate and prize of 100,000 Yen (approx. US$1,140 as of January 2013)… 1 entrant
• 2nd Prize: Certificate and prize of 50,000 Yen (approx. US$570 as of January 2013)… 2 entrants
• 3rd Prize:  Certificate and gift… 5 entrants
• Honorable Mention: Certificate and gift… 25 entrants

* 1st prize winners will be invited to the award ceremony in Tokyo, Japan scheduled for November 2013. (Travel expenses will be covered by the organizers.)

* Additional awards (Recognition for Effort, Best School Award, School Incentive Award) will be given if applicable.

Deadline

30 June, 2013.

sexantus:

caribbeancivilisation:

La Citadelle, Haiti 

The massive stone structure was built by up to 20,000 workers between 1805 and 1820 as part of a system of fortifications designed to keep the newly-independent nation of Haiti safe from French incursions.

comin from where i’m from…

(via freshmouthgoddess)

kbkonnected:

Digital Vaults is one resource you won’t want to miss.

This is an amazing site for anything about U.S.History.  The ability for teachers and students to create their own collections using items from the National Archives makes for endless learning opportunities in the classroom. Teachers and students can then create posters and movies with their collection. Click on “create” at bottom of screen to begin using this tool.  Amazing site with wonderful educational opportunities for students to create professional looking presentations.

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From the Site: “The National Archives new “Digital Vaults” exhibit delivers an online experience that is unlike any other. With a database of some 1,200 documents, photographs, drawings, maps, and other materials and a keywording system that visually links records, the Digital Vaults enables visitors to customize their exhibit experience and to create posters, movies, and games that can be shared by e-mail. Each record in Digital Vaults is also linked to the National Archives’ Archival Research Catalog (ARC), so visitors who want to know more can take the first steps toward a research journey into the National Archives.

The site has a special interactive resources section for educators and students. Teachers can get great ideas on lesson plans using reproducible primary sources, find information on teaching activities correlated to National Teaching Standards, and engage in a variety of professional development programs - on-site or online. Students can explore the depth and diversity of the holdings of the National Archives for their own school projects, gear up for National History Day, or even pick up a virtual pen and sign the Declaration of Independence!”