By Sammy Tran, Educational Programs Intern
Friday, February 2, marked the release of the chapbook Flour and Eggs: A Team Coming Together. Students, parents, volunteers, and staff gathered at the 826 Valencia’s Writing Lab to celebrate the young writers. It is often said that food brings a community together, and Ms. Shah’s English class of fifteen students put this saying to the test as they literally cooked and wrote poems about food alongside their tutors over the course of the semester.
Flour and Eggs: A Team Coming Together compiles poems about cooking and life, the culmination of seemingly separate parts that come together to make a whole. Some poems are odes to food and small pleasures, while others are true assertions of the pain and intricacies of life. How does jail relate to Skittles? The only way to find out is to read the book.
Every single poem is raw and honest, a glimpse of a thread in the weaves of the students’ lives. Justin S., in his poem “Family,” writes, “My community is filled with ‘GHETTO’ people. / Like my sister, she helps me with my work though. / And tells me to be at school, so my mom will be happy.”
And what better way to celebrate a food-inspired chapbook than by eating and reading? Food was aplenty at the release party, including a plethora of bread, croissants, fruit, and fried chicken. Each member of the audience grabbed a copy of the chapbook, waiting for the main event amidst a network of peers, parents, and 826 Valencia staff. All the attendees were moved as students read their pieces and revealed more about themselves to each other. It was an intimate and heartfelt experience.
A huge thank you to Ms. Shah and our students for their hard work, and to families and volunteers for helping us celebrate. 826 Valencia is proud and honored to have worked with these students at Mission High School. Grab a bite, and this book, and enjoy the meal.