Poetry at Cafe WriteGirl

The WriteGirl Poetry Workshop successfully used a creative atmosphere, encouragement from mentors, and special guest presenters to empower young girls to write different types of poetry. Over 60 teen girls explored the art of crafting poems as they learned about stanzas, rhyming, forms and techniques.

The annual workshop was held at Maker City LA, an up-and-coming space provides local artists with a community-centered environment to express their work.

WriteGirl offered over 80 teen girls a variety of exercises, including sight and sound discovery, which inspired the girls' poems and were used as tools to create a piece that could be performed at the end of the session.

The workshop featured prominent poet and longtime WriteGirl supporter Suzanne Lummis, who recently was awarded the Blue Lynx Prize from Lynx House Press in Washington State. Her collection Open 24 Hours will be published in Fall of 2014.

With Suzanne's guidance, the teenage girls gained an impressive grasp on the art of poetry, and presented their work at "Cafe WriteGirl," a performance portion of the workshop that included comfortable floor seating on pillows and a smooth percussionist.

The annual workshop was sponsored by a generous grant from The Arbonne Charitable Foundation. “The Arbonne Charitable Foundation - funded by the generosity of Arbonne Independent Consultants, Arbonne employees and Arbonne International - was created specifically to help teens develop self confidence, experience positive change and realize their true potential,” said Amy Powers, Arbonne Regional Vice President. “Arbonne and I are grateful to assist in the remarkable work of WriteGirl!”

Thanks to our additional event sponsors the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Maker City LA, Panda Express, and Chronicle Books.