This piece is the last in a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.
This is how you should look on the first day of school. This is how you should look every day afterwards. This is how you dress to fit in, this is how you dress to make a statement. Don’t do your hair like that. Wear it like this to fit in. Don’t bring your lunch to school, and never buy the school’s burgers. Eat outside if you are too good for the rest, eat inside if you’re outgoing or popular. Eat inside, but not at a table, to show everyone that no one likes you.
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This piece is one of a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.
This is how you indent. This is how you make a period. This is how you capatilise the first word of a sentence. This is how you make a run on sentence that just seems to go on and on without end that contains one too many ideas. This is how you count the word you’ve written so far, 1-2-3-64. This is how you get yelled at for writing your paper at the last second. This is how you erase. This is how you form a correct sentence. This is not. You make a fantastic descriptive sentence, with descriptive words and inteli welll written structure. This is not. And this is how you end a paper.
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This piece is one of a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.
This is the third of three short pieces by Steven Tatum that we will be running this week.
Always try your best, don’t give up, don’t make the coaches mad, listen to everything, do it for yourself, don’t let the team down, run as fast as you can, don’t make excuses, don’t look down on yourself, don’t think too highly of yourself, don’t get nervous, don’t look at the people watching you, be proud, try harder, set your goals, run with posture, get in front of the person, breathe correctly, don’t screw up …
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This piece is one of a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.
This is the second of three short pieces by Steven Tatum that we will be running this week.
Get to the side of the court faster! Dribble the ball first! Tie your shoe! Shoot the ball! Pass it! Why did you shoot, when you could pass it for a closer shoot! Get enough water! Do a lay-up! Don’t shoot threes! Sit-down! Get-up! Don’t shoot! Don’t trip! Don’t give up! Give up the threes! Don’t dribble, pass!
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This piece is one of a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.
This is the first of three short pieces by Steven Tatum that we will be running this week.
Make your bed, clean your closet, vacuum up the paper, straight out your clothes, don’t put your stuff under your bed. There are so many things you do to get your room clean. Make your bed. So many things you have to do or don’t.
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
To keep hope alive
You have to thrive and strive
And to never leave your pride
Always to keep it by your side
To never close your eyes
To forever open your mind
To leave love behind
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
I promise you my heart and soul
I swear by god above
I will be the only one
I promise you, my love
I promise happiness, commitment
And a love forever true
To give you joy and laughter
And keep my love all shiny and new
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
If I can’t make myself happy … then when will I find happiness? Drug affiliation isn’t the answer because it brings you up 40 times over and down 60 times under. It’s two steps forward and three steps back. Artificial, degrading, and happiness. So if I can’t pull myself out of anger with will, then how will I show people that I don’t mean what I say when I’m in that mood?
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
Loss of sanity, of mind of thought or just loss of self. Those eyes with thorns piercing me. They wonder every time why do I look like that?
I’ll tell you the truth; I’ll be honest with you. At night when I lay down to go to sleep, I think and dream about my funeral. Who will be there and who won’t? When Depression and Failure finally take me to that point where I can’t take it anymore. The point when I close my thorny eyes and just let the pain stop. In the front row I see two people, no one else.
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
Totalitarian designed punishments inflicted my constant hasty attitude; Ready to defend myself verbally at all times. Not just another textbook teenager; But someone who honestly deserved better. Patience, my heart beats violently, bruising my insides as I wait for their arrival. My wardens in a prison of relentless demands and consequences. Stuck stupidly staring out my window for the slightest glimpse of headlights to appear. So many thoughts and bad “What if’s” run through my mind, I’m so tired the pain could see through my eyes.
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
I look around the crowded room
Seeing the products of many lives
Many are poor, wealthy, happy, sad,
And some are husbands and wives
But one thing they all have in common
Which joins them, and sets the par
Is their existence in this empty life
And their desire to reach the stars
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
Yes! Black is the color of my skin
And if you want to really want to be a friend
How come you can’t look within
My heart, my soul, and my mind
You’ll never feel me so never mind
I feel like just because I’m not white
I can’t be right
Constantly being stopped at night
When all I was doing was reaching for my flashlight
Oh no imma have to put up a fight
I think all colors are a beautiful sight
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
I wake up in the morning,
To the ringing of my alarm screaming straight at me
In rage I strike the noise but then tilt my head to see
My mom is making sounds that I cannot recognize
“I can’t wake up,” I say, but surely that’s a lie
I slept really late last night to study for a test
Leave me alone right now all I really need is rest
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
I came home and ran up to my room. I shoved may face into my soft white pillow and soaked it with tears. I can’t believe she’s gone. Everything happened so fast. She was just here. I just kissed her goodbye. I just talked to her on the phone. I just said I love you. You’re gone and you’re never coming back. It was another day today. My life was happy and fulfilled. I’ll give everything I have to have you back. Just come back. You were my best friend. You are my best friend. Why did you do this to me??!!
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This piece originally ran in Read This!, a literary magazine written and edited by high school students from San Lorenzo High School, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. This issue of Read This! was designed at 826 Valencia with the help of our tutors and volunteers.
My love, my soul mate
The one I dare not hate
I have the key; you are the lock
I think about you nonstop
I carry your life on my shoulders
You are my rock; my boulder
Even though you cause me pain in my prime
You’ll still always be mine
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