I Am in Such Great Company ; My Friends Are My Estate

Rob Casper, Head of the Poetry and Literature Center at Library of Congress and NSPP Juror hosted the 2013 National Student Poets in the stunning Poetry Room this past September. Poets Dean Young and Matthea Harvey read their poetry and traded collections with the 2013 National Student Poets. Download your copy of the National Student Poets Program chapbook here:http://bit.ly/1775FW5 

(from left: Institute of Museum and Library ServicesDirector Susan Hildreth; President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Director of Program Initiatives Kimber Craine; Matthea Harvey; Sojourner Ahebee; Nathan Cummings; Louis Lafair; Aline Dolinh; Michaela Coplen; Rob Casper; Dean Young and Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Virginia McEnerney).

* Photo- NSPP Facebook Page
* My Friends Are My Estate-Emily Dickinson
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Opportunities for Young Writers: 

A Literary Sailing Adventure for Teens 13-17!
Black Dog Tall Ships --Writers' Week

LOVE TO WRITE? In July 2014, join a one-week literary sailing adventure for 25 teen writers aboard the Black Dog tall ship Shenandoah in the waters between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. Click here to learn more: http://www.merlynspen.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/39543

National Student Poet Sojourner Ahebee and Poet Billy Collins Read Poetry at White House

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a poetry recital in honor of Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif, wife of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the Blue Room of the White House, on Oct. 23, 2013. Poems were read by Billy Collins, an American poet, and myself, Sojourner Ahebee, a student poet.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden host a tea and poetry recital in honor of Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif.

The formidable and popular poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins read some of his poetry for this occasion. 

First Lady Michelle Obama, Student Poet Sojourner Ahebee, and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice-President Joe Biden. This was Sojourner's second visit to the White House.

Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, National Student Poet Sojourner Ahebee, Poet Billy Collins and Olivia Morgan, founder of the National Student Poets Program and PCAH member. 

*Photos- by Amanda Lucidon 

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Opportunities for Young People in the Creative Arts: 
The Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship

Organized as a vehicle to perpetuate Anthony Quinn’s vision for an art conscious society, the Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship Program raises and distributes funds for arts education. The Scholarship Program focuses on the Visual Arts & Design, Performing Arts, Media Arts, and Literary Arts for young adults in high school. Scholarship recipients can apply Foundation funds to any recognized pre-college, summer or after-school arts education program. Funds awarded will be sent directly to the pre-college, summer or after-school arts education program designated by the student. The Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship cannot be used for secondary school or college tuition. 

To learn more, click here:  http://anthonyquinnfoundation.org/scholarship-program/overview/

Sojourner Ahebee's Interview in Winter Tangerine Review

Art is 'The Dark Days Are Done' by Pierre Chaumont.

Sojourner Ahebee: Shedding Infinite Light

Sojourner Ahebee writes poetry that haunts. Her writing explores the dynamic between immigrants and Americans, with the latter painted as blind to the struggles the former endures. Sojourner writes to inform and to wake up the people who pretend that there is no corruption or abuse in the relationship between foreigners and their new homes. She sheds light where most cast darkness, and it has been a pleasure reading her work, and learning more about her artistic process.

To Read the Interview, Click Here:  http://wintertangerine.com/sojourner-abehee-haunting-humble-and-shedding-infinite-light

To purchase issues of Winter Tangerine Review or to subscribe, click here: 
 http://wintertangerine.com/purchase/




*Young Writers Opportunity:  Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has an impressive legacy dating back to 1923. Over the years, the Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers. A noteworthy roster of past winners includes Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and many more.  To learn how to enter, click here: 
http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/how-to-enter/

Photographs of the 2013 National Student Poets in Washington, D.C.

2013 National Student Poets at their  Appointment Ceremony in Washington, D.C. with the wonderful representatives of the sponsoring organizations of the NSPP/ Sept. 2013 

2013 National Student Poets with writer Joyce Carol Oates at the National Book Festival /Sept, 2013

2013 National Student Poets with U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey at an event at the Library of Congress/Sept. 2013

Ted McBride, my uncle, me and Octavia McBride-Ahebee, my mother, while we waited in the Yellow Room of the White House for  the arrival of  Michelle Obama / Sept. 2013

2103 National Student Poets  in the Poetry Room of the Library of Congress/ Sept. 2013

* Photos- David Cummings


Writing Opportunity for Young Writers:  

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop. In addition, the winning poem and the poems of the two runners-up will be published in The Kenyon Review, one of the country’s most widely read literary magazines.  To learn more, click here:  http://www.kenyonreview.org/contests/patricia-grodd/

2013 National Student Poets

First Lady Michelle Obama with the 2013 National Student Poets (from left: Michaela Coplen; Sojourner Ahebee, Nathan Cummings, Louis Lafair, and Aline Dolinh) in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Sept. 20, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson.)

It has been a few months since I last posted.  It is my senior year and there are lots of demands, but I am back.  I wanted to share some great news.  I was selected this year as one of the five National Student Poets.  The other gifted poets include Michaela Coplen, Nathan Cummings, Aline Dolinh and Louis Lafair.  We were received by First Lady Michelle Obama, with our families, in the White House in late September.  Mrs. Obama is the honorary chair of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which is one of the sponsoring organizations of the National Student Poets Program.  To learn more about the program, its other sponsors, and the application process for becoming a National Student Poet, click here:  http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/national-student-poets-program/

                                                                                          

       The National Student Poets Appointment Ceremony in Washington, D.C. . Sept. 2013

The jurors this year were poets  Richard Blanco http://richard-blanco.com/ , Robert Casper( poet and  Head of Poetry and Literature Center, Library of Congress) http://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/author/roca/, Andrea Gibson  http://www.andreagibson.org/,  Kimiko Hahn  http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/1536 , Joy Harjo http://www.joyharjo.com/Home.html , Terrance Hayes  http://terrancehayes.com/ , David Lynn (Editor, Kenyon Review https://www.kenyonreview.org/  , Alice Quinn(  Former Poetry Editor at the New Yorker and currently  Executive Director of the Poetry Society of America  http://www.poetrysociety.org/psa/about/staff/ ) and Rose Styron  (http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2013/02/23/rose-styron-poet-and-nocturnal-reader/E9WAj8dlBdMg6bF29jjyfI/story.html).  

 

The 2013 National Student Poets  at the Library of Congress

I plan, throughout the course of my year of service, as a National Student Poet to not only share with you the incredible opportunities I have had so far and will have, but to also share opportunities for young writers.