tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:49:12 +0000http://writopialab.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)Blogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-6864637200966445574Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:36:00 +00002009-12-19T22:04:07.617-08:00In celebration of a semester of writing, Writopia writers trekked through the snow to be inducted into Writopia Lab's Wall of Fame! After pizza and cheer, award-winning ghost story writer and mystery Author Chris Grabenstein, shared legends of West 81st Street, and some tips on how to help us scare our readers.And everyone ate pizza. And talked loudly. And wrote scary stories. And here is the http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/12/ghost-story-writing-party-writopia-wall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-428152451502928583Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:37:00 +00002009-12-04T07:11:06.223-08:00Thanks to a generous grant via Scholastic from Amazon, Writopia Lab will host a special workshop in Washington, DC to help any interested young writers develop and submit their work to the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing competition.The workshop will take place on December 12th, from 2 PM to 5 PM at Woodrow Wilson High School, two blocks from the Tenleytown-AU metro stop on the Red Line.http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/12/amazoncom-helps-writopia-reach-out-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-4394110091417355598Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:19:00 +00002009-11-25T18:34:03.852-08:00Thanksgiving's Legal Guardian AngelA Memoir by Julie Byrnes, age 14 Last Thanksgiving, my 8th grade teacher asked us to make a paper tree for the holiday that contained all the things we were thankful for. Everyone in this class wrote down "family," referring to two loving, reliable people, biologically related to them. I have always longed for this type of bond. Moved from one guardian to thehttp://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/11/14-year-old-reflects-on-her.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-7617583420858794401Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:55:00 +00002009-11-13T20:24:42.468-08:00Come Hear the Award-Winning Writers and Rising Stars of Writopia Lab Read their Original Work!When: Friday, November 20th at 5pmWhere: Barnes & Noble, West Village, 396 Avenue of the Americas at 8th StreetWho:Kily Wong, 15Abby Savitch-Lew, 17Sam Levine, 17Ena Lee, 14Julie Byrnes, 14Luca Milstein, 12Jonathan Evans, 12 Also Reading: Writopia's Published Six-Word MemoiristsSeveral Writopia teens http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-friday-november-20th-at-5pm-where.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-3286647928483135383Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +00002009-10-23T08:38:40.144-07:00Congratulations: Visala Alagappan (14), Carmel Bendit-Shtull (12), Noa Bendit-Shtull (17) Louis Evans (18), Lily Gellman (15), Dan Ross (16), Ena Selmanovic (14), Rachel Sobelsohn (14), Yael Weisenfeld (17), Lena Beckenstein (16), and Jessica Zalph (15)!Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser, the editors of the New York Times Best-Seller, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/10/writopia-writers-published.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-967430765999163934Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:22:00 +00002009-10-21T19:04:41.097-07:00In previous years, our writers had until early January to submit their pieces. This year, the deadline has been moved forward a few weeks, meaning that you'll have to finish your pieces before winter break.Writopia teachers are committed to working with all passionate Writopia writers. (Writers must be in 7th-12th grades to submit.) Please e-mail me to set up private sessions as soon as possible!http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/10/scholastic-awards-deadline-moved-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-8420499341382702098Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:18:00 +00002009-09-26T20:06:02.395-07:00The following blurb appears this week in Publishers Weekly! Yay, Courtney!Thinking ‘Positive’On the other side of the river, the launch party for author Courtney Sheinmel’s new novel, Positively (S&S, Sept.), was also held last Sunday, at Books of Wonder in Manhattan. Positively tells the story of Emmy, an HIV-positive 13-year-old who has just lost her mother to AIDS; Sheinmel is donating a http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/09/courtney-and-writopia-in-publishers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-988367137162188121Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:50:00 +00002009-09-10T08:40:11.306-07:00We had a wonderful summer of workshopping and are gearing up for the fall. Some important, exciting news:Fall ScheduleThe Fall Workshop schedule is posted online. Workshops begin Monday, September 21st!! Kids join throughout the semester but register soon to make sure there is a spot for your child!New ConveniencesYou can register and pay for workshops online! If you haven't ever mailed up a http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/09/writopia-lab-now-with-more-convenience.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-961045739022903946Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:52:00 +00002009-08-29T19:56:16.520-07:00And here is the rest of it.. And here is the rest of it.http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-2009-comes-to-end.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-299022745349390882Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:49:00 +00002009-08-06T04:01:38.367-07:00Writopia Lab will be running a three-hour intensive workshop this Saturday,August 8th from 12:30pm-3:30pm and an open mic from 3:30pm-4:30pm at Morningside Heights Public Library at 113th Street and Broadway !This event is free and open to the public! Come write and read with us!Please email Jeremy@WritopiaLab.org to RSVP or for more information.http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/08/thia-saturday-writopia-hosts-open-mic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-4370792933748367795Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:39:00 +00002009-07-21T20:31:35.137-07:00Last week, in celebration of three kids--Gabi Hoberman, Gaby Font, and Nick Hornedo--who came respectively from Georgia, Texas, and Indiana to workshop with us, we held a special summer reading at Writopia 550! All of their workshop peers were also invited to read excerpts from their pieces to an audience of friends and family. Congratulations to all who participated in workshops, and especially http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrating-writopia-out-of-towners.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-3751141631590434796Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:59:00 +00002009-07-11T10:47:49.405-07:00As we complete our fifth week of intensive summer workshopping, we are thrilled to report that the following summer workshoppers met their goals, each authoring an original short story or memoir with a beginning, middle, and, yes, (drum roll), an actual end. And the stories were wonderful and varied, each reflecting the writers' unique sensibility--some were whimsical and hilarious, others dark http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/07/summer-writers-meet-writing-goals.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-226817291443191323Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:24:00 +00002009-07-02T11:34:02.367-07:00To read this fabulous piece, click on the image of the article to the left. Congratulations Kathy!And here is the rest of it.http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/07/dc-in-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-5507091602403846796Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:24:00 +00002009-06-25T09:33:12.564-07:00I am thrilled to announce that my husband, Jeremy Wallace-Segall, has joined the Writopia team! He has served the nonprofit community for over a decade, and had been sharing his technology and organizational expertise with Writopia during evening and weekend hours over the past two years. Thankfully, we will be able to benefit from his knowledge more fully now.Jeremy's education and non-profit http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/06/welcome-jeremy-wallace-segall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-5848042767402309423Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:47:00 +00002009-06-20T05:22:29.113-07:00After almost a year of playwriting, Serena Alagappan, 11, and Jane Herz, 11, were awarded the great honor of seeing their plays come to life on stage last Thursday at the 2009 Write a Play! award ceremony. Stephen Sondheim's Young Playwrights Inc awards their top contestants with certificates and staged readings (by real actors!) each year. The most satisfying part: the audience laughed and criedhttp://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-new-award-winning-playwrights-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-697686400718822922Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:21:00 +00002009-06-11T19:08:05.087-07:00On Thursday, June 4th, 2009, Writopia writers, Noa Bendit-Shtull, Sarah Dash, Louis Evans, Emma Goldberg, Ana Henry, Alice Markham-Cantor, Angelica Modabber, Eunju Namkung, Ena Selmanovic, Rachel Sobelsohn, Rebecca Shubert, Rebecca Teich, Kal Victor, and Isis Yoon went to Carnegie Hall where they were bestowed National Silver and Gold Medals from the 2009 Scholastic Awards for their exceptional http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/06/scholastic-national-award-ceremony-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-560806233440918400Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:35:00 +00002009-06-02T06:54:38.890-07:00Last Moments of Spring Workshopping... Here comes summer....http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/06/last-hours-sundays-teen-workshop-4-6.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-5722761121608307296Sun, 31 May 2009 16:10:00 +00002009-05-31T09:49:22.968-07:00Serena Alagappan, 11, and Jane Herz, 10, are two of the three winners of Stephen Sondheim's Young Playwrights' city-wide, 2009 "Write a Play Contest" (elementary school division)!! Please help Serena and Jane celebrate by reading Serena's poetic play, "Finding the Moon," and Jane's off-the-wall play, "Pure Bobness," below.Finding The MoonA play in one act bySerena AlagappanCharacters:N: Narrator http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/05/writopias-jane-and-serena-new-award.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-7881540959510525935Fri, 29 May 2009 13:41:00 +00002009-05-29T06:49:23.970-07:00What was your favorite part of the workshop?Jennifer: writing and reading other people's writing.Zack: The cookies. And getting to hear everyone's stories for free!Maya: the writing and finishing my story!Kaya: Sharing with everyone.Zeba: Hearing everyone's different crazy story!: . And here is the rest of it.http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/05/last-day-of-thursdays-spring-workshop.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-773774686302055682Wed, 27 May 2009 21:16:00 +00002009-05-27T14:19:49.117-07:00Rebecca: What was your favorite thing about workshop this semester?Olivia: The group stories, the funny moments, the laughing...Katey: Brainstorming ideas for my story with the group.Emily: Sharing my stories with other people... and not feeling like my story sucks so bad after wards! And here is the rest of it.http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/05/reflections-on-last-day-of-wednesdays.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-997761279078705334Tue, 26 May 2009 23:29:00 +00002009-05-26T17:26:07.306-07:00From a discussion on the last day of the Tuesday Spring Workshop:Rebecca: What was your favorite part of the workshop experience?Rachel CS: I shared my writing for the first time with people, and hardly ever had the urge to run eleven flights downstairs passed the friendly doorman and out of the building. Isis: I FINALLY managed to finish a piece, get to read other people's awesome writing, and http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/05/tuesdays-workshop-last-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-2956345370843683344Fri, 08 May 2009 02:28:00 +00002009-05-07T20:06:58.904-07:00Spencer Fox, 15, wrote a hilarious short story at Writopia this past fall, won a 2009 Scholastic regional gold key for it, and read it aloud at The Strand book store last night. It was so much fun to hear an audience of a few hundred enjoy his work. Please help Spencer celebrate by reading his prose:Marcus’s MidpointYou could barely see Marcus's head from below his metal shopping cart, however http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/05/congrats-spencer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-8623944738398269490Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:37:00 +00002009-04-25T17:13:11.007-07:00Sandy Vingoe, 13, completed his first year at Writopia with a short story and an award-winning screenplay under his belt! Please help Sandy celebrate his first regional gold key by reading his screenplay:Crime NewsA Screenplay by Sandy Vingoe 1. INT. NEW YORK POST OFFICE-MIDNIGHT A MASKED MAN is wearing a dark track suit. He moves around the office taking papers from desks and drawers. After http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/04/crime-news-screenplay-by-sandy-vingoe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-8547639683856766295Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:23:00 +00002009-04-21T20:29:10.396-07:00gold keyQuis?Louis EvansScholasticLouis Evans, 17, has been a regular at Writopia, dazzling us all with his daring, complex fiction and with his astute, thoughtful critiques for almost a year. Louis was one of 3000 seniors nationwide to submit a portfolio of his writing to the Scholastic Awards this year--and of that admirable group of young people, he was one of the 52 recognized with national honors. Congrats to Louis for http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/04/congratulations-louis-evans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andrea)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126653203377608122.post-4116179053077648117Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:07:00 +00002009-04-21T20:30:20.431-07:00Writopia Lab's in-house playwright, Dan Kitrosser, co-wrote and produced a children's musical that won much wonderful media attention this week. Check out Dan's Time Out Kids review and his NY1 spot after the jump!! http://writopialab.blogspot.com/2009/04/writopias-dan-on-ny1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Segall)0