WRITING CAMP Connecting language of poetry and music

By VANESSA SCHUTZ
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- What do in-line skating, a love affair, a fall on a cactus plant and groundhogs compared to humans have in common?
They were all picked Thursday to be topics of renga poems as part of the third annual five-day writing camp that took place this week at Youngstown State University.
Renga is a Japanese poetry form that consists of a haiku and its reply. Steve Reese, a YSU professor, poet and musician, hoped that more than 60 area teachers and students participating in this year's camp would find what voice means in poetry and song by developing their own rengas.
"I was trying to show how connected the language of poetry and the language of music is," Reese said. "I wanted them to think about their own voices in writing with the kind of ear that we usually bring to music."
Organizers of the "Writing Home: Finding Community Voices" writing camp hoped that students and teachers would form a group that could explore self, voice and the community.
Local speakers
Throughout the week, students heard from local storyteller Regina Reese and visited local landmarks, including the Butler Institute of American Art and Mill Creek Park.
At the Butler, students were asked to select a piece of art to which they could connect their own life and shared their thoughts with the class.
Mahoning County Career and Technical Center teacher Terry Billock of Poland could relate to the 1902 piece "Mrs. Knowles and Her Children" by John Singer Sargent. The painting depicts Mrs. Knowles reading to her two children, an activity once familiar to Billock and her own two children.
Fellows Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek Park provided students and teachers with an opportunity to unwind and clear their thoughts.
The students appreciated the visit as a chance to enjoy the sunny weather and find inspiration through the sounds of nature.
Outside the box
"It was nice getting to be outside and lie in the grass," Kim Mason, a Canfield High School junior, said.
Her friend Allison Dercoli, also a junior at Canfield, agreed, adding that the atmosphere set the right tone for creativity.
"I think we're doing more things outside the classroom for poetry because you are getting more of an atmosphere when you are away from the stresses of the classroom," Dercoli said.
The purpose of the camp was to encourage further exploration of writing.
"It's about the kids and getting the kids to write other genres," third-year participant Billock said. "We want them to write, to find their voice and not be afraid to write."
The camp participants will hold a celebration among themselves in July, when they will be presented with a literary anthology containing pictures and works selected from this year's camp.
The camp is funded by Ohio Writing Improvement for Success, created by the Ohio Board of Regents. The project is coordinated by Kevin Ball and Terry Benton, both of the YSU English Department.
vschutz@vindy.com