Power of Words - Poder de las Palabras Magazine, Issue I

PODER DE LAS PALABRAS

POWER OF WORDS

HIGH TECH HIGH

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

SPRING 2024

POWER OF WORDS PODER DE LAS PALABRAS

HIGH TECH HIGH

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2024

Editors In Chief

Alicia Campbell

Caio Dowd

Dashiell Weaver

Leah Vickery

Section Editors

Maya Kushner

Audrey Montgrain

Xavier Taboada

Alexandra Quintana

Creative Directors

Parker Barr

Jonah Holthaus

Cameron Kruger

Amaya Fox-Williams

Project Co-Designers + Teachers

Lisa Griffin

Nils Ljungquist

Grant Castillo

Contributors

Gina Buono

Yossarian Crow

Josue Estrada

Oliver Figueroa

Isabella Guerrero

Jesse Ibanez

Jayden Joseph

Julia Melchor

Apryl Palacios

Roberto Plascencia

Antonio Simpson

Charlotte Addison Snow

LT Sweet

Arsema Tadesse

Lindsay Torres

Omar Villa

Muska Wahab

Imani Williams

Copyright © 2024 by High Tech High Students All rights reserved.

Editors’ Note

Dear reader,

As students at High Tech High, we came together as a collective in order to create this magazine. Our magazine displays all literary arts and even includes interviews with poetic and musical artists. We spent hours in the room together as editors to create the best display of our peer's work that we possibly could. We wanted to perfectly piece together all the amazing English and Spanish poems, our in-depth interviews, and poetic analysis.

Moreover, as editors, one of our favorite moments while editing had to have been when we put our heads together to smash the challenges that stood before us. One challenge was helping other students turn in their poems and getting all the works together and printed. As a group, we completed and perfected this magazine as leaders.

We hope you all enjoy this magazine as much as we enjoyed creating it!

Sincerely,

Dash, Caio, Leah, and Alicia

“Power of Words” Project Description

Audrey Montgrain

This semester, we have been working to analyze music lyrics and poetry, and to find the writing strategies and creative choices within. Early on, we explored music we love and how it has influenced us across our lives We read many contemporary poets and current research about the impact of poetry on mental and physical health. We witnessed how words have the ability to shape minds and moods, and how powerful messages can be conveyed through poetry, whether set to music or not.

As we began our integrated English and Spanish project, we wrote poems daily and developed our writing skills. We wrote our poems about many topics and used models from other poets, building our own writing craft “toolkits”. We each chose one poem from our collection, gave and received critique, and revised the draft. After final rounds of feedback and revision, we submitted the chosen poem for this magazine

We continued to dive deeply into what it takes to create poems and song lyrics, using poetic devices and figurative language to share a story or message. We each chose a poem or song to analyze, with a focus on identifying literary devices used in the chosen work and claiming their significance and impact, resulting in a literary analysis essay.

As we returned from Spring Break, we completed the final phase of the project. In Spanish class, we developed poems in Spanish for our magazine with a focus on vocabulary and grammar to describe our identities In English, we researched and interviewed artists who write poetry and lyrics for a living, and who shared their writing processes and journeys with this craft in those discussions. These interviews united us, as people who are also working to express ourselves in words. It is fascinating how each medium connects to the mind and soul in its own unique way.

In the end, our team of editors and creative directors assembled the works to create a cohesive final draft– that being our magazine, “The Power of Words'', which we are so proud to present to you.

Descripción del Proyecto, “Poder de las Palabras”

Audrey Montgrain

Este semestre, hemos estado trabajando con y analizando letras musicales y poesía, y para encontrar estrategias de escritura y opciones creativas. Desde el principio, exploramos la música que amamos y cómo nos ha influido a lo largo de nuestras vidas. Leímos a muchos poetas contemporáneos e investigamos sobre el impacto de la poesía en la salud física y mental. Fuimos testigos de cómo las palabras tienen la capacidad de moldear mentes y estados de ánimo, y de cómo se pueden transmitir mensajes poderosos a través de la poesía, ya sea con música o sin ella

Cuando comenzamos nuestro proyecto integrado en inglés y español, escribimos poemas diariamente y desarrollamos nuestras habilidades de escritura. Escribimos nuestros poemas sobre muchos temas y utilizamos modelos de otros poetas, construyendo nuestros propios “kits de herramientas” de escritura Cada uno de nosotros eligió un poema de nuestra colección, dimos y recibimos críticas y revisamos el borrador. Después de rondas finales de retroalimentación y revisión, entregamos el poema elegido para esta revista.

Continuamos profundizando en lo que se necesita para crear poemas y letras de canciones, utilizando recursos poéticos y lenguaje figurado para compartir una historia o mensaje. Cada uno de nosotros eligió un poema o una canción para analizar, enfocándonos en identificar los recursos literarios utilizados en la obra elegida y reivindicar su significado e impacto, lo que resultó en un ensayo de análisis literario

Cuando regresamos de las vacaciones de primavera, completamos la fase final del proyecto. En la clase de español, desarrollamos poemas en español para nuestra revista con un enfoque en vocabulario y gramática para describir nuestras identidades En inglés, investigamos y entrevistamos a artistas que se ganan la vida escribiendo poesía y letras, y que compartieron sus procesos de escritura y sus trayectos con este oficio en esas discusiones. Estas entrevistas nos unieron, como personas que también estamos trabajando para expresarnos con palabras. Es fascinante cómo cada medio se conecta con la mente y el alma de una manera única

Al final, nuestro equipo de editores y directores creativos reunió los trabajos para crear un borrador final coherente: esa es nuestra revista, "El poder de las palabras", que estamos muy orgullosos de presentarles

TABLE OF CONTENTS

English Poems

Parker Barr

Oliver Figueroa

Amaya Fox-Williams

LT Sweet

Dash Weaver

Leah Vickery

Gigi Buono

Jonah Holthaus

Alex Quintana

Alicia Campbell

Audrey Montgrain

Caio Dowd

Isa Guerrero

Jayden Joseph

Omar Villa

Apryl Palacios

Imani Williams

Cameron Kruger

Arsema Tadesse

Antonio Simpson

Charlotte Snow

Roberto Plascencia

Yossarian Crow

Julia Melchor

Lindsay Torres

Amon Ananda Esteva Geminelle Malone

Jason Magabo Perez Krishna Feeney Paola Capó-García

Scales

Crow

Meserve

Pender

English Poetry

Over the course of the Spring 23-24 Semester, we took a deep dive into the creation and meaning of poetry. We looked into how poetry can be transitioned into music and how music and poetry correlate through different poetic devices. We also looked at spoken word and how voice (tone, volume, etc.) plays a role in how a story is told. While doing all of this we practiced writing small poems every day with different poetic devices and eventually, we wrote two poems (one in English and one in Spanish) to share with you!

Dear Cheerleading

Parker Barr

Dear cheerleading, I love you but you're so tiring

Everytime I'm with you I love it, but when I think about you I feel exhausted

You're slowly destroying my body but I could never leave you I love the attention and the lights and the feeling The lights that almost blind my eyes at competitions, the black unfamiliar spring floor, the crowd of people - the music is so loud, but I cant hear it when I step on that stage Everything goes away on that stage

It almost makes up for the bruises and the headaches and almost fainting at practices

I never thought something so beautiful could be so harmful

Almost like the ocean: it's beautiful from afar, but the deeper you're in it the more dangerous it becomes.

Dear cheerleading, I love you but you’re so damaging Bruises all over my body (9 if I count)

Cuts on my hands and down my chest Ankles twisted, but don’t tell, keep going, don’t let them down Lightheaded, close to fainting, but don’t tell, keep going, don’t let them down

Above everything, don’t let your coaches down

My legs are like water as I feel my vision start to blur, the bright gym lights start to dim, or is that just me?

I walk to my beginning spot, one more time, I can feel the blue spring floor below my feet, staring back at myself in the wall length mirror, parents watching through the garage door of the gym

“One more time” if I keep going, I’ll faint

“One more time” I can't stand properly, my legs are like water

“One more time” it's not the last time, its one more time if it’s good enough

Dear cheerleading, I love you, but you're so tiring

FortniteAlways ThereforMe OliverFigueroa

Fortnitealwaysthereforme

Neverleftmyside

Helpedmegetthrougharoughtime 2020pandemicwheneveryonewasinside Iwasjumpingoffthebattlebustoretailrowrotating aroundthemapgettingmats

Readytowinthegameandgetnumber1

Boxingclixforthedubgettinganadrenalrush

Duoingwithgucci-hype-beastandwinningthecashcup

Gettingearningsandmyfirstpaystub Fortnitealwaysthereforme

IamaFortniteplayer Iwonderhowlongit’sgoingtotakemetowinfncsload intothegamewithmyfncspickaxebreakpeopleswood wall

Ihearfootstepsi'mtryingtopopmyministhesmellof freshjuicerunningthroughmynostrilsgivesmea dopaminerush Iseesomeonerushingmyboxpickaxingmywalltries takingmywallphasesintomybox IwanttowintheFortniteworldcup Fortnitealwaysthereforme

Ipretendi’mBughainworldcupfinals

Ifeeltheenergyfromthestandsiheartheroaringfrom thefans

Itouchmykeycaps Iworrythati'mgoingtorunoutofmats Icryifidon'tqualify Fortnitealwaysthereforme

Iunderstandnoteveryonecanbeaworldcupwinner Isayi'mgoingtowin Idreamofgoingpro Itrytokeepapositivemindset Fortnitealwaysthereforme

AmyaFox-Williams

Therain falls, Itgivesmethechills, Constantly,itfalls

Likesnow,likehail, Itfalls,likesinkinginwater, draining.

Itfalls,likespringtimeleafs Itfalls,makingmewanttosleep, Itfallsonyou,

Itfallslikeapowerful waterfall, Notalways,butit'sintense.

Itfalls fromthesky

Nurturingthecrops,theplants, Theflowers, Whyrain?

Whatisit?

UghI’mallsoaked

Whydoyoupourdownsohard, sometimesandsomuch(notalways)?

Itfallsall-day

Makingeverythingmoredifficult Itfallsonme,

IHATEWHEN ITFALLS.

Andyet,whentherainstops, Theairisfreshandclear, Theworldiswashedanew, AndIcan’thelpbut feelahitofcalm, Despitemyfrustrationwiththedownpour.

About The Future

LT Sweet

Dear past me, how's 7th grade? I know your struggling

But you gotta keep going

Your thinking is obstructing you from being your best

And I think you've had enough rest

Dear past me, why didn't you write back?

Hope it's because you picked up the slack

Hope its because your finally working harder

Do me a favor and thank your mother

You don't know it yet

But she comes close to death

Dear past me, Your mother should be doing better now

So it's time to get back to working

In order for you to get to where you wanna go you can't just slack off Your grades are going to go down in a way you can't stop.

Dear past me, welcome to 8th grade a fresh start

Time to keep your grades up and get smart

This year will be especially hard b Dear future me,

I've been doing what you asked My grades are better than ever

And me and my friend are gonna skate all summer

And I haven't been this relaxed in a while

The hot burning sun is out and I find myself skating for miles

The cool breeze rushing past my face while speeding down a hill

The joy and thrill of landing a hard trick or learning a new skill

Dear future me,

I need help

My grades are dropping and I don't know how to stop

Everything is going down hill faster than me on a board

I just wanna quit

But still, I sit within a dark room

Pushing the pain away

With the music in constantly play

I wonder if today’s the day

I wonder if today’s the day my thoughts convey to somewhere else other than my mind Dear future me my thoughts are loud

My heads constantly in the clouds

All I wan’t was for my mom to be proud

Feeling like i'm being drowned in doubt Dear future me i’m begging for your advice

I'm running further and further from our path some help would be nice

Dear future me i'm lost

I've lost count how many times I've been crossed

But the music makes me feel like my life’s on pause

So I tensed to over play one of my favorite songs

It's called how much a dollar cost

Dear future me I'm where you where when u sent me my first letter Grades haven't been better

But I guess you probably knew that trying to give me a whole new door to enter I guess it's about time I stop sending you these messages And instead send them to the next kid whose mind is lost in carelessness.

Dashiell Weaver Dear Mercedes

Dear Mercedes

I’m sorry

I’m sorry I didn’t care enough about you

I’m sorry I treated you like garbage Mercedes I’m sorry

My Dear Mercedes, Driving down the long country roads you and I, the perfect pair I loved you, our love like a gas fire, our love, a perfect gear Always on the same timing, same speed, same track Mercedes I’m sorry

My Dear Mercedes, I never really cared about you, gave you to much wear and tear

Went straight into the storm, thinking you and I could make it through Weather withering the windows and wheels the loud whooshing racket

The fullness of fog and flooding froze my frivolous foolish mind.

Mercedes I’m sorry

My Dear Mercedes, Your tires, tirelessly twirling and turning Your motor not meeting the mandatory maintenance, you a mufflered maniac

You went crazy, the rain too much for your rarely running radiator the roundabout too sharp for your rusty rims running us right of the road Mercedes I’m sorry

My Dear Mercedes

I made it out, not a scratch You however did not match Your doors off the hinges, your mirrors hung by a thread I still think about you while I lie in bed I think about your broken glass, your seats ripped apart Every time you cross my mind the tears start Mercedes I’m sorry

My Dear Mercedes

I’m sorry I left you, I’m sorry I left you for a newer model

It's my fault, we broke up.

Its my fault we’re over Mercedes

Its my fault

Mercedes Benz

I‘m sorry

Theinsideofabananaisamystery

Yelloworwhiteyoucan’tsee Peelbacktheskintoreveal Thetruthofwhatliesbeneaththepeel

Bananas,eitheryelloworwhite

Inaworldwherewedon’tquitefitright Treateddifferentlywhereverwego

Misunderstood,noplacetocallhome

Homeisthefieldsacrossthesea

ButhereIamsittingonthelandsColumbustook Longingforasenseofbelongingtoroam Willweeverfindourplace

Inaworldwherewedon’tquitefittherace Whereismyhome?Whoknows?

Skinyellowbornwhite Bananaiswhatpeoplecallus Notquiteright

Onlyweunderstandthestruggleandpain

Ofnotfittingin Ofbeingseenasplain

Toblueeyesyouareyellowtodarkeyesyouarewhite Shadesofyellow Differencesignored “You’rejustbanana” Notevenknowingthetype

Speakit,theysay,butwordsdon'tconnect Inaworldthatdoesn’tunderstand.

Butofcoursenooneknows Causetheinsideofabananaisamystery

Green Eyes

Gina Buono

My black cat with green eyes

Gives me the purest joy

His fur is like midnight’s sky

While his gaze is sweet and bright

He sits in his own peaceful silence

A comforting presence by my side at all times

He watches over with his kind eyes

With a soothing purr that’s like a lullaby

My black cat with green eyes

Is my cherished companion and protector

A treasure in my life

And a blessing I cherish always.

GinaBuono

Listen to the sound of falling rain, the wind whistling a haunting tune…

As people shall die with no name

and They will be heard across the infinite desert dunes

He emptied his rounds in the unjust war

And was the saving grace for the starving and the poor

Like Sparta’s last stand, he ran into battle

Yet tend to wounds so people could finally settle

He witnessed his friend’s legs get blown up

Then the whole world heard a shout for backup

One of the only ways to make heroes bat an eye

Is to watch your comrades almost die

My Soldier

Jonah Holthaus

While resting with friends he missed his child and wife

Wishing to go back to old his life Soon, he eventually came home because…

he was no longer the soldier he once was

For he is my father, my one and only

And he would never again leave our family

HomefarfromHome(Philippines)

AlexandraM.Quintana

Tricycles honking, hustling and bustling about

Children running to the sari-sari store, their pesos jingling in their pockets

In hopes to buy the little things, tiny trinkets

Banana trees bearing their succulent fruit, standing proud

The air filled with loud laughter from the neighbors, happy sou

My family awaits me, back home in the Philippines.

You call out for me, like a bird in the wind

Only to have remained in America, like a coward Philippines, you are the land of my heritage, my home far from

One day I will come home to you, and let your roads be where I

-Alexandra

Mondoyo Quintana

Gifted

Alicia Campbell

Ten years ago, They called me gifted and talented

Because I knew blue from red And I read until l was blue and waning

Gifted,

Like my mind was a present

Like effort wasn’t present in the face of brilliance

Like I was simply given the words That would carry me for a lifetime

Talented, A star bestowed Converging in my head

In the wake of lead on paper

Where I counted my fingers under the table

Because I was younger than I felt And now I’m older than I feel

Because no gift sells the eyebags And I see stars over textbooks in the dead of night And stars aren't made of talent They’re made of wishes

They do say the truth comes over time

So, ten years later, They called me my name

ATributeToMyMom

AudreyMongrain

Youaremycomfortinaworldfullofthingstofear

WhenIwaslittlethethoughtofyourwarmbodysleepingnearbykeptintrudersout

Witheachnightmare,Irantoyourroom

Withyounexttome,nothingcouldhurtme

Youarehometomenomatterwhereweare

Yourloveisirreplaceable

YoursacrificesformyhappinessaremorethanIcouldeveraskfor

Idon'tknowhowyoudoitall

Youpursueyourpassions

Whilelookingoutformine

Youworkhardatbuildingyourownbusiness

Andstill,eachweekendyoudedicateyourtime

Aswereturnhomelikedrainedvesselsyearningforreplenishment

Youshoweruswithaffection,fillingustothebrim

Nomatterhowemptyyourglassisyoumanagetofillourswithcare

Youarestrong,inspiring,andfulloflove

Iamsoindescribablyproudofyouandinspiredbyyourpassion

Yourhandrestsonmyback

Mybody’sbreathingbeginstobelievethatIamsafeandatease

Besidemesitsasanctuaryofsecurityandcomfort

Myeyelidsbecomeheavy

“Iloveyoutothemoonandback”echoesfromyourmouth

Yourloveformeburnsashotasamillionsuns

Ripplesofcompassionsoarthroughme

Eachboneinmybodytrembleswiththefeelingofassurance

Ifearthedayyourwarminghugsarenotoneroomaway

Whenyourhome-cookedmealsfilledwithlovearenotwhatIeateachnight

Themereideathatyourreassuringvoiceisn'ttheretowraparoundmyresentfulbodyandturnit

relieved

Ifear

Ifear

Ifear

Ifearthedaywecan’tjustsitdownatlongmealsandtalkaboutwhateverisonourminds

Whenthesandybeaches,salt-cakedhair,andsun-kissedsmilesbecomedistantmemories.

YetIknowdespitemyfearswhereevertheworldtakesmeyourlovingwarmthwillremainwithinme

Rain

Caio Dowd

i am the rain

the persistent pitter patter that finds peace when i declare

you are the rain the ever Changing expression snow, ice, fog, clouds warm or cool one and the Same impossible to Tame

we are the rain

the lights flashing and dashing a Fluctuating electric storm of Expression Masked by deception

we are the rain

a force that Fights its mother even each other. if there was an opposite it would be something like butter smooth and rich yet devoid of Temptations tempest.

rain will be rain

the force conscientious to Know the precipitation that fills to grow the thudding that makes poems on the ground the Hazard that builds and drowns. 13

HEARTBREAK

ISABELLAGUERRERO

Iwasonceaskedtodescribethefeelingof beingheartbroken

Itfeelslikedrowningandnoonesaround Itfeelslikenotbeingabletogetenoughairto yourlungs

Irememberthefeelingofmyheadthrobbing likesomeonehadjustswungabattoit

Irememberthesmellofpenniesintoxicating mylungs

Thewaymybodywentnumbfromnot moving

Thewaymyentirechesthurtfromcrying

Redeyesfromtryingtodrythemfromthe tears

Clothesstained

VoicestrainedeveytimeIhadtospeak

Throatdryfromnotdrinking

ThewayeverytimeIthoughtofthema ringingsoundinmyearsgotlouderlike someonehadjustfiredagunbymyface

Makingexcusesfromhermistakes

Thinkingthatwasafairfriendship

Amillionthoughtsgoingthroughtmyhead

ExcusesExcusesExcuse

sThatwasthefirsttimeIrealizedboysaren't theonlythingthatcanbreakyourheartbutbest friendscantoo

Theonepersonyouaresupposedtofeelmost vulnerablewithcanalsoripyourheartoutof yourchest

Theringingringingringinginmyearsgetting louderlouder

Thefeelingofdrowningringinginmyearsgetting louderlouder

Notbeingabletocatchabreak

Pennies

Drowing

Ringing

Louderlouder

Breathewithme

Iwasonceaskedwhatitwasliketobeinlove

ItwasahighIneverwantedtocomedownfrom Itwasafeelingoffreshairinyourlungs

Beingabletobreathagaintheringingstopping

Forgettingthepainforjustasecond

Thefeelingofbeingrefreshedlikeyouhavejust jumpedintoapoolonahotsummerday

Notthinkingoftheaftermath

Butsometimes

Sometimestheloveconsumesyou

Andtheringingsoundcomesbacklouderlouder andintheendyouhavetoquestion

Wasitwasallreallyworthit

The Letters 4 and 6

By Jayden Joseph

Kids

Kids are always expected to be good

G-O-O-D, Thats 4

Why do we have to be GOOD

Why can’t we be OKAY

O-K-A-Y, Thats 4 again

But the thing is adults want us to be the best

B-E-S-T ,Still 4

Why can’t we be enough

E-N-O-U-G-H ,Thats 6

We have to be better

B-E-T-T-E-R

They expect us to be good

E-X-P-E-C-T, That is still 6

What is it with these words of 4 and 6 letters

Why can’t we be ok or enough why do we have to be better or the best

Adults expect to much of us

But it is our true friends that don’t expect these thing of us

They push us when we need it but they are there for us

Adults our parents our teachers push us to much to often

These are 6 words that kids learn to hate

So I ask the adults out there to stop using these words

The good

The okay

The best

The enough

The better

The expect

Remember the 6 letters remember the 4 letters

Remember these words as a kid, Remember these words as an adult

Omar Villa Adrenaline

There’s a poem in soccer field with adrenaline runnin’ through your body

Scoring a goal or saving a goal

Where you run or pass alwayz runnin

Make connection like peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Hitting the net with your powered shot

Slow or fast

There’s a poem being on the field and off the field

Doing everything 100

Whether you’re losing or winning

Knowing there’s alwayz more you can do

Always going never stopping

Being on 10 toes always

Rollin’ with the ball

Fast - like a cheetah

Dream of the future

Apryl Palacios

I dream of the future

I wonder what I will do in my future

I hear others ask “what are your hobbies?” “What do you enjoy doing?”

I see the people around me also unsure about what they want to do in the future

I want to stay close with the people I care about I dream of the future

I pretend I know what i want to do in the future

I feel unsure about the future but I know I will make the right choices

I try to stay positive

I worry I will lose interest in things I currently like I think about the future not going my way I dream of the future

I understand that everything that happens, happens for a reason

I say I am excited for whatever the future holds I dream that I am proud of what I am doing in the future

I hope to accomplish many things

I dream of the future

Spanish Poetry

Durante el último semestre de español, hemos realizado muchos proyectos basados en la escritura / lectura para ayudarnos a desarrollar habilidades de vocabulario y fluidez.

Recientemente, hicimos un simple poema de identidad que pasó por muchos borradores diferentes y fases de revisión antes de completar el producto final. Durante este tiempo añadimos nuevo vocabulario y aprendimos a usar dispositivos poéticos en español. Este fue un nuevo desafío, especialmente para los no hispanohablantes, porque las metáforas, los modismos y otros dispositivos son a menudo culturalmente específicos

Soy Imani

Soy Imani

Imani Williams

Soy de San Diego

Soy hija de Rodrick

Soy la mediana

Soy Imani

Soy Chula Vista

Soy National City

Soy California

Soy Imani

Soy morena

Soy alta

Soy generoso

Soy hablador

Soy Imani

Me pregunto cómo estarán mis viejos amigos

Yo oigo la música

Me siento contento

Me preocupo por mi familia y amigos

Soy Imani

Yo sueño con un nuevo álbum de Frank Ocean

Yo trato de hacer el bien en la escuela

Soy Imani

Me encanta mis amigos

Me importa mis mascotas

SOYYO CameronKruger

Soy Cameron

Soy de San Diego

Soy hijo de Laurence Kruger y Erica Radway

Soy el único

Soy Cameron Soy Americano

Soy Judió

Soy el fotografo

Soy Cameron

Soy flaco

Soy tan perezoso como un perezoso

Soy creativo

Soy decidido

Soy Cameron

Yo estudio

Yo toco música

Yo vivo la vida

Yo quiero inspirar

Soy Cameron

Yo esperanzo de tener éxito

Yo aspiro a crear oportunidades para mí mismo

Soy Cameron

Me encanta el aprendizaje

Yo rechazo la negatividad

Yo valo mis amigos

Tú no puedes comprar mi historia

Soy Cameron

Soy Arsema

Arsema Tadesse

Soy Arsema

Soy de Ethipoia

Soy hija de Mahder y Zelalem

Soy hermana de Aloniab

Soy nieta de mis abuelas y abuelos

Soy la mayor

Soy única

Soy Cristiana

Soy artista marcial

Soy miembro do BSU (Black student union)

Soy única

Soy baja

Soy chica

Soy tan feliz como quokka

Soy tan inteligente como Albert Einstein

Soy única

Me pregunto lo que voy a ser

Yo oigo personas a mi alrededor

Yo quiero la vida

Me siento bien

Me preocupo para el futuro

Yo lloro en voz alta

Yo como

Soy única

Yo entiendo mis amigos

Yo sueño ser rico

Yo trato para ser siempre úntil

Yo deseo tener éxito

Soy única

Me encantan mis familias y amigos

Yo rechazo el aborrecedor

Me importan mis familias y amigos

Tú no puedes comprar mi vida

Soy única

SOY ANTONIO

ANTONIO SIMPSON

SOY ANTONIO

SOY DE BALTIMORE

SOY EL HIJO DE YASMIN

I SOY HIJO DE LOREN

SOY HIJO DE PÉREZ

SOY HERMANO DE SHAWN

SOY NIETO DE BUELA

SOY ANTONIO

SOY EL MÁS JOVEN SOY

PUERTORRIQUEÑO SOY MAK

SOY PACIENTE

SOY RESISTENTE

SOY AMABLE

SOY PEREZOSO

ME PREGUNTO CÓMO CONSIGUEN ESOS AUTOS DE EXHIBICIÓN

EN EL CENTRO COMERCIAL

Soy Yo

Charlotte Snow

SoyCharlotteSnow

SoydeSanDiego

SoyhijadaAlyyCliffSnow

SoyhermanadeJamesyWinterSnow

SoynietadeKathyyMarkRussle

Soylamenor

Soypartedeunequipodefutbol

Soypartedeunainglesia

SoypartedeHTH

Soyfuerte

Soymisojosazuloscuro

Yoriocontodomicuerpo

Yocorreparaelfutbol

Yorompermisnudillos

Yohablarmucho

Yoquieroserduenodeunclub

yoquieroserricoyfeliz

meencanataprobarcosasnuevas

Yorechazoelcoco

Meimportamisamigas

Tunopuedescomprarmitiempo

SoyCharlotteSnow

Soy Roberto

Roberto Plascencia

Soy De San Diego

Soy hijo de Roberto y Violeta

Soy hermano de Ruben

Soy nieto de Ruben

Soy el hijo mayor

Soy Roberto

Soy jugador de tenis

Soy Miembro del equipo de robótica

Soy miembro de mi familia

Soy Roberto

Soy Blanco

Soy persona de cabello café

Soy determinado como Bill Gates

Soy inteligente como mi padre

Soy Roberto

Me pregunto sobre mi futuro

Escucho la musica de mi alrededor

Me siento feliz por mis amigos

Me preocupo por el colegio

Yo lloro cuando me caigo

Me divierto cuando juego tenis

Soy Roberto

Yo Trabajo duro

Mientras sueño en un día volar un avión

Yo trato mi mejor

Mientras deseo un futuro próspero

Soy Roberto

Me encanta viajar

Aunque mi rodilla me rechace

Me importa mi familia

Tu no puedes comprar mi libertad

Porque yo soy Roberto

Soy Yossarian

Yossarian Crow

Soy Yossarian

soy de San Diego

soy el hijo de Rob

soy el hermano de Robertdale

Soy el nieto de Yaya

Soy el segundo hijo

Soy Yossarian

Soy High Tech High

Soy Limón Grove

Soy San Diego

Soy Yossarian

Soy alto

Soy fuerte

Soy autosuficiente

soy realista

Soy melancolía

Soy joven

Soy Yossarian

Yo quiero vivir tanta vida como sea posible

me preocupo sobre comportamientos autodestructivos en mí mismo y en otros

Yo lloro cuando no entiendo tanto como debería

Yo vago por

Soy Yossarian

Yo intento hacer la vida

Deseo crear algo que me sobrevive

Soy Yossarian

me encanta quién está cerca ser amado

Rechazo a aquellos que desean explotar

La Comunidad es importante para mí.

No puedes comprar mi simpatía

Soy Yossarian

Soy Julia

Soy Julia

Soy de San Diego

Soy hija de Belma y Nasser Melchor

Soy hermana de Temoc, Tavo y Johann

Soy Nieta de mi abulo y abuelo

Soy la menor

Soy Julia

Soy mexicana

Soy estudiante de Rosario

Soy parte de club clave

Soy alta

Soy atlética

Soy amable

Soy útil

Soy Julia

Me pregunto donde iré

Yo oigo risa

Yo quiero éxito

Me siento feliz

Me acerca del futuro

Yo lloro por mi futuro

Yo nado

Soy Julia

Yo sueño

Yo entiendo ser exitosa

Yo trato muchas cosas

Yo deseo mis sueños se velven realidad

Soy Julia

Me encanta comer

Yo rechazo la mala energía

Me importa mi famila

Tu no puedes comprar mi actitiud

Soy Julia

SoyMuska

MUSKA WAHAB

Soy Muska

Soy de San Diego

Soy hija de Zari y Idris

Soy hermana de Rania y Sabah

Soy la mediana

Soy Muska

Soy Afghan

Soy parte de Key Club

Soy Musulmán

Soy Muska

Soy de pelo rizada

Soy morena

SoySoycuriosa alegre

Soy Muska

Me pregunto qué caminos tomaré

Yo oigo el viento sonando como un suave susurro

Yo quiero estar más seguro

Me siento cotent en esta momento

Soy Muska

Yo entiendo menos del mundo de lo que quisiera

Yo sueño viajar

Yo trato de hacer un buen trabajo

Yo deseo una vida satisfactoria

Soy Muska

Me encanta el arte

Yo rechazo la ignorancia

Me importa comunidad

Tú no puedes comprar mis principios

Soy Muska

Soy yo Lindsay Torres

Yo soy…

Soy Lindsay Torres

Soy de San Diego

Soy hija de Nohemi y Jose Torres

Soy hermana de Vivian, Wendy y Brandon Torres

Soy Nieta de Miguel y Amelia Torres

Soy la mediana

Soy un Torres

Soy parte una gimnasia

Soy Mexicana

Soy en un grupo de amigos cercanos

Soy un Torres

Soy Torpe

Soy desmemoriada

Soy cansada

Soy divertida

Soy un Torres

Me hundo en mis pensamientos

Huyo de la verdad

Me pregunto cómo va a ser el futuro

Yo escucho los susurros y siento las miradas

Yo quiero mi coche para poder conducir por la playa con mi perro y la brisa

Me siento agotada, estoy cansada

Me preocupo por el futuro y pienso demasiado en las cosas pequeñas

Yo lloro a la dura realidad del mundo

Yo Escucho música y veo mis espectáculos, también hago skate

Soy un Torres

Yo entiendo lo duro que trabajan mis padres, debería apreciarlo más

Yo sueño que mi familia sea verdaderamente feliz

Yo trato de hacer lo mejor que puedo, espero que me vaya bien

Yo decidí ahorrar dinero para comprar un coche

Soy un Torres

Me encanta mi tiempo con Familia, amigos y mi perro

Yo rechazo la falta de respeto

Las cosas que me son queridas son importantes para mí

Tú no puedes comprar mi confianza, te la ganas

Yo soy un Torres

Soy Yo Maya Kushner

Soy Maya Kushner

Soy las playas de Santa Cruz

Soy el puente golden gate

Soy los plaques de hierba de Oakland

Soy el aire de niebla del área de la bahía

Soy la única hija de Shoshana Kushner

Soy sobrina de Naomi Kushner

Soy nieta de Leah Kushner

Soy la tía de Luna Kushner

Soy Maya Kushner

Soy de Perú

Soy hispana

Soy amistosa

Soy corta

Soy elegante

Soy Maya Kushner

Yo oigo a los pájaros chirriar

Yo veo las olas chocar con la arena

Yo huelo el aire saldo

Yo me siento como la brisa fría de San Diego

Soy Maya Kushner

Yo deseo mudarme fuera San Diego

Yo quiero aprender cosas nuevas

Soy Maya Kushner

Me encanta tocar mi guitarra

Yo rechazo obtener una mala calificación amigos y familiares

Tú no puedes comprar mi agradecimien

SoyJesse JesseIbanez

Soy Jesse

Soy de San Diego

Soy hijo de Jesús y Jamie

Soy hermano de Krystal Johan y Joel

Soy nieto de Marce y Hermilo

Soy el mediano

Soy hijo de Jamie y Jesús

Soy un hermano

Soy un hijo

Soy un amigo

Soy Bajo

Soy flaco

Soy inteligente

Soy perezoso

Soy perezoso

Me pregunto buen futuro

Yo oigo amigos

Yo quiero mi famila

Me siento timido

Me preocupo

Yo lloro acera de mi ser

Yo piensa en todo

Yo preocupo sobre mi futuro

Yo entiendo puedo hacer el bien

Yo sueno sobre mi familia

Yo trato enfocar

Yo deseo ir lejos

Yo trato enfocar

Me encanta mi mama

Yo rechazo el odia

Me importa amigos

Tu no puedes comprar mi bienesta

Me encanta mi mama.

Yo Soy... Josue Estrada

Soyjosue

Soysandiego

Soyshelltown

Soylastrincheras

Soyhood

Soycarro

Soyguapo

Soyencantador

Soytaimado

Soystreetball

Soyelbásquetbol

Soyelmatón

Soyfeliz

Soyemocionado

Soyjaven

Soyalto

Soyfuerte

Soyelfútbolamericano

Yo soy xavier

Soy de tijuana

Soy hijo de rocío

Soy el menor

Soy Xavier

Soy de Baja California

Soy mexicano

Soy de san diego

Soy delgado

Soy carismatico

Soy Xavier

Soy feliz

Soy calmado

Soy Xavier

Me pregunto que pasará en el futuro

Yo oigo a mi mama aconsejándome

Yo quiero ser mejor persona

Me siento feliz

Me preocupo por mi familia

Yo lloro por familia perdida

Yo doy mi mejor esfuerzo

Soy Xavier

Yo entiendo todo cuesta esfuerzo

Yo sueño tener un trabajo

Yo trato de ser un mejor hijo

Yo deseo ser mejor estudiante

Soy Xavier

Me encanta jugar videojuegos

Yo rechazo el cambio

Me importa mi familia

Tu no puedes comprar mi generosidad

Soy Xavier

Writer Interviews

While in English class we also prepared to interview some southern California native poets/songwriters. we prepared questions about them personally and about how they create their art. We were able to have many Zoom interviews as well as some in-person meetings. These conversations were very successful; we collected our notes and collaborated to create these articles. We have eleven different and unique articles about these artists’ lives, their writing processes and advice.

AMON THE EMCEE

Maya Fulton, Kayla Fodor, Jose Rivera, Xavier Taboada, Oliver Figueroa

How can you capture the essence of creativity in the realm of hip hop? We were honored to interview Amon the MC of the San Diego group “The Neighborhood Kids” during his visit to our school's campus on April 11, 2024. We were excited to meet him, as we had reviewed some of his previous interviews, watched videos of his performances, and listened to several songs on Spotify. Our group had a plan for hosting and facilitating the interview, and everything went really well. We are so thrilled to share more about this incredibly creative person.

Childhood

Amon is from San Diego. We were curious about where he grew up. and he told us that he grew up in North County Vista, attending high school there as well as in Poway.

Amon talked about being involved in skater culture and how he was exposed to drugs and homelessness on the streets of San Diego and Poway. There was a division based on class in his friend group, and he remembers being aware of that. Amon also talked about his favorite songs growing up and how they changed and encouraged him to look more into music. He had many songs he enjoyed, but his main song was "Breaking the Habit" by Linkin Park, which he first saw on YouTube when he was eight years old. Other favorite songs from his childhood included "Strawberry Fields" by The Beatles, and "Liquid Swords" by GZA from Wu-Tang Clan. Listening to "Liquid Swords" sparked his interest in hip-hop music and made him curious about exploring different genres and types of music beyond what he was familiar with.

Early Writing Memories

Amon said that he started writing poetry in elementary and continued writing. He eventually started creating hip-hop songs, and he's followed his passion for making/writing music ever since.

Amon makes music about stuff that's going on in the world, unlike other artists, who just talk about personal things or things that don't really make things better for others. He's sending a message with his music and trying to get people to realize all the problems going on in this world, and get them to care or do something about it. When we discussed why Amon writes about the topics he does, he shared that we should all “write what you want to listen to.” This is powerful because he is working to create a more positive future for his listeners and himself.

Amon’s Craft

One of the main questions in the topic of “the theme in the writing”, we asked if it was hard for him writing about certain topics. He mentioned it was, and they recently had made a song about human trafficking. He then mentioned it was hard to write due to the crude material it came with. We wondered whether he writes about his personal emotions or feelings; he answered that he does, but only with certain subjects. In the end, his themes in writing tend to stay on the socially conscious side of things, and away from lighter topics.

Amons Writing Process

Writer's block isn't just a lack of writing ability; it's a mental barrier that can stem from feeling unprepared, disinterested, or overly concerned about external opinions. Overcoming it requires self-reflection to identify and address limiting beliefs.

We asked Amon about his experiences with or advice about writer's block. His approach to creating a song begins with establishing a rhythmic foundation, followed by freestyle expression to that rhythm. They then cultivate and expand upon ideas they find resonant, with a focus on identifying the song's hook early in the process. Crafting a song spans a week, typically. Recording takes a few hours, and engineering requires several weeks. Overall, the entire process can extend over several months to a year to create one song. I was stunned that the process was so extended, because I know that the actual writing sometimes is quick, but the development and engineering are more detailed and take a lot of time.

“The Kids Say”

During the interview he described the type of music he creates. He said "Hip-hop, and punk, and we also like to sing indie hip-hop and funk, slow stuff and dancy stuff." Lastly, he mentioned that hip-hop is going to be the root of all his songs but some have elements of other genres of music.

The song "The Kids Say" is about child trafficking. He said that it was very difficult mentally to write this song because the song's content is so confronting, about the horrors of human trafficking and the impacts on youth caught in this trap.

What’s Next For Amon

To conclude, this interview reinforced our understanding that the music industry is a complex workplace. From crafting the music to releasing the album, to playing the shows, everything is a process; either a short one or a long one.

The Neighborhood Kids has one EP, called Every Child Left Behind. When Amon was asked about possible future album releases, he stated that something might come out in the next year, and they’re in the process of releasing singles.

He noted, “making an album is a long process; sometimes your favorite songs will be made years before you even hear them.” In the end, the process takes time. He explained, “producing the song is a long process, and if you’re not specifically skilled to produce you then have to send it to your producer, who edits production in their song.” Overall, Amon and his band are on their way up in

Speakingupwith

ANANDA ESTEVA

AudreyMontgrain,ParkerBarr,Maya Kushner,CaioDowd,andJonahHolthaus

WehadthewonderfulopportunitytointerviewAnandaEsteva,atalentednovelist,poet, teacher,andperformer,viaZoomonApril11,2024.Wewerethrilledtomeetheraswe had immersed ourselves in her work. We read her poems, read articles about her, and even watched her captivating performances. Our group brainstormed and carefully organizedquestionstoaskherduringtheinterviewandwewereverypleasedwiththe outcome. Ananda Esteva's kindness and creativity left a lasting impression on us, and we'reeagertosharemoreabouther.

BeingBicultural-CaioDowd

Tostartourinterview,wewantedtolearn moreaboutAnanda'sbackstory.Weknewshe wasborninChile,butwewantedtoknow whateffectthathadonher.Thequestionswe askedreflectedonourresearchaswe meticulouslychosetoaskquestionsin connectiontotheinfowehad.Weasked Ananda“WeknowyouwereborninChileand cametoSanFrancisco;howhasbeingfrom Chileaffectedyourlife?”Throughour questioning,welearnedthatAnadawasborn inChiletorevolutionaryparents.Shemoved totheUSatagethree,buthasalwayslonged forhercountryofbirth.Asanimmigrant,she facedalotofculturalandenvironmental shiftsashermomwenttocollegeandthey movedaround.

Moreover, we discovered that she embarked onajourneytofindwhoshethoughtmightbe her real dad. The man was a revolutionary fromSouthAmerica,butasshedelveddeeper she ended up being followed by the CIA. We canseeherrevolutionarytiescomeoutinher worksuchasin“ButterflySkin”.Thisseriesof events related to her search for her father shockedusasitdisplayedthemeasurestheUS takestosuppressarevoltagainstthetentacles ofWesterncapitalistimperialism.

FindingtheLoveforPoetry-CaioDowd

Next, we were curious to learn how Ananda developed a connection to writing and if she has always enjoyed it. When we asked how shefirstgotintopoetryandifshehasalways loved it, she responded, “Originally when I waslikealittlekid,ImeanIdidn’tknowhow to write, but I would dictate things to people and they would write things for me here and there. Then I kind of fell out of it until high school.ThenIstartedwritingpoetryreallyin high school and I joined our school's literary magazine and whatnot.” Through Ananda's response,wefoundthatshewasnotalwaysas invested in writing as she is now but has always been interested in sharing her ideas andcreative.

Thisdiscoveryofherconnectiontowritinggave waytotherapidgrowthofherskills.Incollege, shetookmoreandmorewritingclassesand grewherskillsuntilshebecametheskilledand publishedwritersheistoday.

WritingMaterialandGrowth-Audrey Montgrain

AfterlearningaboutAnanda’shistorywith writing,wewerecurioustolearnabouthowshe woulddescribehercurrentwritingthemes,and howtheyhavechangedovertime.Wenoticed thatalotofherwritingisverypersonaland reflectsonbeingapartofmanydifferent cultures.Whenweaskedhowshewould describethethemesinherwritingandhowher themeshaveexpandedsinceshefirststarted writing,

“When we have pain we will do anything to cover that pain up even if it’s sloppy”

sheshared,“Ireallylikedsciencefiction, actually-thatwasmygenrethatIlikedthen becauseIwantedtoescapemylife.Ilivedina neighborhoodthathadalotofviolence.Ididn't wanttobewhereIwas;Iwasstuckwithmy family.Theywerefightingallthetime.”What Anandaistalkingabouthereisthatoriginally shewasreallyintowritingsciencefiction.She talkedtousabouthowsheusedherwritingto escapeherlifebeforecollege.Shedidn'twantto bearoundalltheneighborhoodviolenceandher familyfightingallthetime.Shelovedscience fictionbecauseitbroughthertoadifferent place.

Laterintheinterview,sheshared,“Afterbeing with[poetandprofessor]JuneJordan,

shehelpedmeunderstandthatthepersonalcan bepolitical,ethnographiclens-likeyourwords matter...Thatinspiredus(andme)tostartto writeformyownexperience.”Fromwhatshe sharedherewelearnedthatherwritingstyle tookaturnincollegefromherworkwithJune Jordan’sPoetryforthePeopleprojectatUC Berkeley.HerworkwithJuneJordanhelpedher understandthatpersonalwritingcanbepolitical andthatherwordsandexperiencesmatter.That inspiredhertostarttowriteforherown experiencewhichshehascontinuedtodotothis day.

Ananda’sWritingProcess-MayaKushner

Beyondherwritingthemes,wewantedtolearn whatAnanda'sactualwritingprocesslookslike. Weaskedthequestion,“Doyouwritefor deadlinesoronlywhenyoufeelinspiredto? Whatdoesyourpoemwritingprocesslooklike?” Fromthis,welearnedthatAnandaEstevahasa dynamicrelationshipwithherwritingprocess. Switchingbetweenwritinginjournals,to computers,tosafespacesathome,allthewayto cornersincafes.ThroughoutAnanda'scareeras awriter,shehasdiscoveredthatsettingaside timetowrite-evenifsheisn'tfullymotivatedto -actuallyincreaseshercreativity.

Shefindsthatwritingforprolongedperiodsof timecanmakeherstressedoutwhichiswhyshe preferstogetallofherideasdownona computerratherthaninajournal(although everyonceinawhileshewillsettlebackdownto classicpenandpaper).

“ButterflySkin”-JonahHolthaus

AfterwelearnedwhatAnanda’swritingprocess was,wethenaskedhowsheappliesitintooneof herpoems.Duringtheinterviewweaskedthe questions,“Welovedyourpoem“ButterflySkin”. Whilereadingitwedebatediftherewasan actualtattooorifitwasametaphorforyour relative'sfeelings.Isthetattooliteral, metaphorical,orboth?”Additionally,wealso wantedtoknowthecontextbehindthepoem “ButterflySkin”andwhatinspiredhertowrite it.WefoundoutthatAnandathoughtthather dadmightbe,themaincharacterin“Butterfly skin”,butsheofficiallytoldpeopleitwaswritten aboutheruncleforprivacyreasons.Thenwe askedaboutaspecificpartinthepoemwhenit talksaboutatattoo.Thesmudgedbutterfly tattoowasarealthingthatherdadhadbutit wasalsoametaphoricaltermthatAnanda explainedverywellinthisquote:“Ifwehave painwewilldoanythingtocoverthatupevenif itissloppy''.Finally,weaskedwhatinspiredher towritethispoemandwereadthatshewas

inspiredbyherdadandhowlovinghe seemedeventhoughhewasgoingthrougha lotofterriblethings.

What’sNextForAnanda-ParkerBarr

Lastly,wewantedtoknowwhatwasnextfor Ananda.AnandaEtevas'bookThe WanderingsofChelaCoatlicue:Touring Califaztlanoriginallywastwiceaslongasthe versionthatwaspublished.Becauseher storywassolongherpublisherthoughtit wouldbeagoodideatocutitinhalfandonly releasethefirsthalf.Thiswasdefinitelyhard forherbecauseshedidn'tgettoreleasehalf ofthewritingsheworkedsohardon,butit wastherightdecision.Ananda'spublisher toldherthatthestorywasgoodbutthere wastoomuchgoingonandneededtobesplit inhalf.Anandaiscurrentlyworkingtowrite thebeginningforthesecondhalfandturn thatsecondhalfintohernextbook.Ananda explainsthattheprocessiseasierbecauseso muchofitisalreadywritten.Bothofher booksarechoose-your-own-adventure stories.Thesecondstorywasoriginally meanttobethesecondending.Nowsheis gettingtheopportunitytoturnthatsecond endingintoawholeotherbook.

https://anandaesteva.wordpress.com @anandaesteva

BREAKING BOUNDARIES: GEMINELLE

Rennon Lyons , Isa Guerrero , Amaya Fox-Williams, Imani Williams, Ivey Billups, and Michael Moura

Geminelle Rollins Malone was born and raised in Southeast San Diego, in the Paradise Hills neighborhood. She currently lives and makes music in Los Angeles, California, Geminelle uses her music as a medium to share positive affirmations for herself and her listeners. Over her career, Geminelle has released two albums, Mantra Loops Volumes I and II. these projects are full of messages that remind us all to love ourselves, and that we are enough. As a new parent to a baby boy, Geminelle and her husband and executive, Dominic Malone, are creative partners in every aspect of their lives. We had an almost hour-long interview with Geminele where we discussed many topics relating to growing up and her life as a musician. We had been researching and exploring her website and music leading up to the interview. You can find her on Instagram at @geminelle or on all streaming music apps under the name Geminelle.

Background Information

Geminelle says her childhood was amazing. Her dad was a scientist and her mom was a stay-at-home mom. Some of her childhood memories were doing science experiments with her dad. She lived in a neighborhood with a lot of kids. She used to do track; surprisingly, that's how she got into singing! When her mom found out she could sing, she signed her up to sing the national anthem at her track meets. She grew up listening to Lauryn Hill and Bilalilal who were some of her inspirations, Outcast, and Goapele were artists that she and her brother would listen to, and Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were artists she aspired to be like, and would always sing their music.

When she and her mom realized that she had the gift of singing, her mom supported her and pushed her to start singing more. She says her favorite part of being a singer is writing music and getting to tell stories through music. She believes music is very powerful and that it can heal people. She wants to use her voice as a tool to teach people lessons through her songs and make an impact on the world.

She has her master's degree. She went to UC Riverside for her bachelor's degree in liberal studies education, and USC for graduate school where she studied postsecondary administration and student development. Her brother was a really big supporter of her, he would introduce her to new artists and tell her his favorite songs and they would sing those and also sit down and write music together. Those were some of her core memories. Now her husband is her biggest supporter. He is someone who will encourage her to write but also sits in on her studio sessions to make sure her music is the best it can be and pushes her to her limit. Her mom is also one of her biggest supports and knows that she never has to worry if there will be anyone to support her.

First Writing Memories

Geminelle started writing at a young age and her mom was there to support her. So we wanted to know if she had another specific supporter while growing up and now in her life that pushed her to start writing music. Geminelle talked about her brother being a big supporter who introduced her to favorite songwriters and analyzed lyrics with her. That was a core memory from growing up. Now, her husband not only encourages Geminelle to write music but also actively participates in her studio sessions, ensuring the quality of her music. Geminelle’s mom is still a major supporter too, even though it can be tough for parents of artists. She's grateful for their support. Geminelle has a lot of supporters in her life and people who have always been there for her.

We also asked if she could tell us about her relationship with writing as a student, compared to her relationship with writing music now. Did you enjoy writing essays, research papers, etc.? She talked about how she loved writing English essays! It was one of her favorite subjects.

Spreading Positivity

She tries to get listeners to sing along with her to say positive messages to make it come true. She expresses that in the past she wrote sad songs about how she was feeling. She later realized that the things she is singing will come true and she changed her music themes to be more positive.

She shared, “I believe that music has the power to heal people; I think that music can really teach lessons, and so I sing because I really want to make an impact on the world through positive music and positive storytelling and to use my voice as a tool to help people overcome challenges and teach lessons on how to grow and expand and be better humans.” It’s inspiring not only to me but to other people to aim for more positive messages - not only in music but in real life. The messages in music can affect people, whether they notice the affect or not.

She wrote about musicians using music for activism and storytelling in grad school. When she writes music now, she connects it to how she used essays to tell stories. She makes sure her songs have a clear structure, a skill she learned from Writing essays in college and high school. Creative writing has improved her storytelling by showing instead of telling directly. She likes being creative with her songwriting. Geminelle provided insightful responses to our questions about her work and experiences. She shared valuable perspectives on her artistic process and inspirations, offering a deeper understanding of her creative journey.

Inspiration

In our interview, Geminelle elaborated on the sources of her inspiration, stating that she finds motivation in the works of other authors and the desire to make a difference in the world. She also mentioned that her songwriting process can vary, with some songs coming to her quickly as a “spur of the moment” sort of thing, while others require more time and effort. Furthermore, Geminelle opened up about the struggles of being a small artist, sharing that financial difficulties can be a significant challenge. Despite these obstacles, Geminelle remains dedicated to her craft and continues to create music that resonates with her audience.

Milky Way

We listened to Geminelle’s song “Milky Way” as a group, and we noticed a lot of uses of figurative language. I specifically noticed a lot of repetition and was curious as to what it meant. My question was, why did she choose to repeat the line “We’re going up up up up and away we go” and what does it signify? She talked about how the song “Milky Way” is one of her favorite songs she has ever written because she wrote it while she and her husband were at a kind of roadblock. They were living in New York and life just wasn't going their way. They got kicked out of the place they were living and they couldn't qualify for another place. She wrote it as a kind of visualization of where she saw herself in the future and where she wanted to be. I think this is a beautiful song and now that she is past that point she can listen back to that song and realize that everything she visualized came true.

What’s Next?

I always talk about how I haven’t had the chance to properly push a project. Each time I’ve released an EP, life has thrown me a curve ball that stops me from being able to promote and tour my projects. I finally have the space to really dive into Mantra Loops Vol. 2 and give it my all, so that’s what I’m doing. I have a few ideas for future projects, but I’ll be committing to Mantra Loops for the remainder of 2024 at the minimum. One project I’d like to produce next is a project that’ll highlight every song I’ve written about my partner after knowing him for 23 years. I’ve written songs about him since I was a teenager and they are some of my favorite songs. My plan is to compile all of those love songs into one live audio recording, “Acoustic Love Letters”. I don’t know when I’ll record it, but that’ll be my next project.

SanDiego’s PoetLaureate

BACKGROUND

WeaskedJasonwhathecouldtellusifhis parent’sinfluencedhiswritingcareer.Hesaid no because his parents don’t really speak Englishsotheydidn’treallyhelphim.Wethen askedifhecouldtellusmoreaboutwherehe grewupandwhathischildhoodwaslike.He saidhewasborninDetroitbutwasmoving west throughout his childhood eventually endingupinOceanside.Hetoldusthatthe languagesandculturesthathisparentsbring reallyinspiresthewayhewrites.

Jason Magabo Perez

AntonioSimpson,AlexQuintana,DashiellWeaver, HadassahAvila,CharlotteSnow,BlueSwepston

WehadtheprivilegeofinterviewingJasonMagaboPerez,theSanDiegopoetlaureate, duringhisvirtualpresenceonaZoomcallonApril18,2024.Eagerlyanticipatingthe opportunitytoengagewithhim,wehadthoroughlyresearchedhispreviousinterviews, watchedhisperformances,anddelvedintohisliteraryworks.Withameticulously crafted plan for conducting the interview, our group hosted and facilitated the conversationwithJason.Itprovedtobeanenrichingexperience,andwearethrilledto sharemoreaboutthiscreativeindividual.

EARLY WRITING MEMORIES

Beforetheinterviewweresearchedhischildhood,andlearnedhisparentswere Filipinoimmigrantsandwouldtalkindifferentlanguages.Weaskedhimifhis exposureatayoungagetomanydifferentlanguagesimpactedhispoetryasan adult.Heansweredbytellingushowwitnessinghisparentscommunicateinso manydifferentwayswiththepeoplearoundthem,whetheritbetheircousins, thepeopleattheFilipinomarket,ortheirco-workersinspiresalotofthewayhe writes.HethengoesontosaythatwhileheprimarilywritesusingtheEnglish language,heusesthetechniquesofotherlanguages.Thewaythatheunderstands sounds,howsyllablescometogether,andthewayherecognizesmusicfrom languagedoesn’tcomefromEnglish,itcomesfromthebeautyofthewordshis parentsspeak.

“I Ask About What Falls Away”

OurarticleofmainfocuswasJasonPerez’spoem“IAskAboutWhatFallsAway.” Throughoutthepiece,heuseshisinspirationfromFilipinoandMexicanfarmers andcolonialismtopaintthepictureoftheirhumbleandsorrowfulexperiencetothe readers.Weaskedaboutthespecificlines:“Whosehandswashthissky?Whodrains thissunagainstworry?Whosemightyachemakeshistory?” Perezstates:“Ithink maybethatpartofthechallengeinthoselineswastobestowthehigherpower, whateverthat higherpowermeant, sortofadeeperworld,changingsortofforce withintheworker. So,reallywantingtorecognizethepowerwithineveryday people.”Perezusesotherworldlyandimaginativeimagerythroughoutthispoem, makinghismeaningandwordsmostmeaningful.

Writing Process

JasonMagaboPerez,theSanDiegopoetlaureate,sharedinsightsintohis intentionalapproachtohiswritingprocess.Heemphasized,"Writingapoem isn’taboutputtingwordsonapage,it'saboutmeandeverythingIhaveto bringonthatwritingtable.Everysinglefeeling,everyhistoricalmomentor reflectionthatI’mthinkingabout."Perez'sprocessinvolvesactivelyengaging withhissurroundings,asheexplained,"WhenIcometothewritingprocess, I’mmuchmoreattentivetomysurroundings,thethingsIhear,see,andfeel."

Perez'swritingisdeeplyintertwinedwithhislivedexperiencesandcommunity concerns.Hestated,"IwritefrommyownlivedexperiencebutIalsowrite aboutthingsthatmattertomeandmycommunity."Hiscreativeprocessis dynamicandinclusive,describedasa"processofcollage”.Heelaborated,"I havedifferentprocesses.IfIfeellikeIcanwriteI’lljustdoit.Ontheotherhand, it'smuchmorecalculated.There'spatterns,games,andexercisesthatIput myselfthrough.OftenIdobothandputittogether."

Jasonrejectsthenotionofwriter'sblock,asserting,"Idon'tbelieveinwriter's block.Ifwe’reblockedit'sbecausewearepreoccupiedwiththemyththatwe havetosaysomethingimportant."ForPerez,poetryandliteratureencompassa spectrumofemotionsandexperiences.Heremarked,"Ibelievepoetryand literatureisaspacewherewecanbeseriousandsilly,failandsucceed.Itcanbe as complex as life." Throughout our conversation, Jason emphasized the importanceofcommunicationandpurposeinhiswriting,ensuringthateach poemservesasavehicleforexpressionandconnection.

Recurring Themes

Duringourinterview,weaskedJasonaboutthemesinhispoem“IAskAbout What Falls Away” The main ones we focused on were nostalgia and confusion/curiosity.Jasonsaidhewrotethispoemintheheatofthepandemic hewasinvitedtowriteinresponsetoanexhibitionaboutFilipinofarm workers.hetoldusabouthowafilmmakersenthimfootageoffarmworkers andhowhehadthatinmindinthecontextof COVID.“ourcommunities weredevastedbythisthingandinparticularlymarginalizedcommunities”he says.Laterhementionsthathewasthinkingaboutthatandhowweasasociety think about this stuff that matters. Because profit doesn't matter safety, liberation,socialjustice,anddignityinourcommunitiesarewhatmatters.he saysallofthishelpedhimfocusonthecoreconcernsinhislatestbook.Wealso askedhimhowheconnectspersonallywiththethemesofhispoems.Hesaid hewritespoetryfromlivedexperience.Hesaid,“Writingisaspaceformeto connect,writingisaspaceformeformetoarriveatsomesortofselfunderstanding”.Hetellsusit'saplaceforhimtoexpresshisloveandjoyforhis community.hetalksabouthowhetriestoconnectthereaderandwriterinhis writing pieces. he tells us how writing and poetry are where he goes to understandhisloveandcommitmenttohiscommunities.Jasonsayswritingis alwaysanintimatebutcollaborativeexperience.

Accomplishments

JasonMagaboPerezhasdonealotwithhisroleof San Diego’s Poet Laureate. He recently launched his public engagementproject,the“SanDiegoPoetryFutures2024” whichhasamainfocusonyouthoutreach.Jasonhadbeen goingfrommiddleandhighschoolsallacrossSanDiego discussingpoetryandtryingtoengagestudentsinwriting.

JasonMagaboPerezhasalsobeenlinkingupwithpublic library’stodofamilyfriendlychalkingeventswherehemeets upwiththecommunityandwritespoemsonthesidewalksas hediscussespoetryandliteraturewiththepeoplewhocome out.OnApril20thheattendedanAsianAmericanPoet meetupatHazardCenterinMissionValley.Theeventheld livepoetryreadingsandworkshopsthatdoveintothewriting processandthemesoftheseinfluentialAsianAmericanPoets. LastlyJasonMagaboPerezwillattendafilmscreeningon AprilthirtiethattheCityHeightsLibrary.Thescreeningisto celebratethelifeofAudreLorde,theAfricanAmerican, Queer,FeministPoetandtorecognizeherwork.Theacting PoetLaureateforSanDiegohashadalotonhisplatebut, JasonMagaboPerezhasflourishedinhishighlyhonoredrole.

KrishnaFeeney:GoingWithTheFlow

Julia Melchor, Sofia Suffle, Matias Udrys, Timell Richardson, Ethan Williams

What is it like to write songs? To find out, we Interviewed singer and songwriter Krishna Feeney on April 11, 2024. We were excited to meet her, as we had reviewed some of her previous songs, watched videos of her videos and learned some things about her life. Our group had a plan for hosting and facilitating the interview, and everything went really well. We are so thrilled to share more about this incredibly creative person.

Moving And Finding Music:

Krishna moved in her teenage years, starting with living in San Jose and moving on to Albuquerque, New Mexico when she was fourteen and stayed through her high school years. Her music has involved her family and friends. For example, she dedicated one of her songs to her deceased friend. An article has quoted about her, “Her original material draws deeply on her personal experiences and the rich American folk tradition. Her voice is unique, raw, and soulful.” We were also struck by her vulnerability in her words.

She said that she felt accomplished when she wrote her second album. She was so surprised that she came this far, even with more than 20+ songs released. Although she started writing around the age of 15 or 16, Krishna didn't really have any specific inspiration or reason to start writing; she really liked music and wanted to write about it.

Krishna started to write her first song at the age of 17; even though she didn't feel accomplished in her writing and in her music at that time, she kept trying and pushing through to keep making music. She is now working on her second album, to be released in May 2024. She has two kids and also has a full-time job, with performing and singing on the side.

Writing Process:

In our recent discussion with Krishna, this amazing songwriter, we dove into her approach to music. It turns out that music isn't just a hobby for her; it's a passion. When she creates music, she starts by humming a melody and then focuses on finding the perfect rhythm before diving into creating her lyrics. I found it interesting that Krishna doesn't rely on any specific rituals or habits during her writing process. She simply needs to be in a quiet and private environment to let her creativity flow. It was very inspiring to see how she brings her music and ideas to life. She was adamant that she does not consider herself a poet, but rather a songwriter, as she said she needs a melody in order to write.

Song Connection:

We asked whether she dedicated any of her songs to anyone because we wanted to know if she had a stronger connection with any specific song. Also, to know if it's dedicated to someone or because she just likes the flow.

When asked the question what songs she has a strong connection with, she realized she has personal connections with most of her new songs, but also shared that she has learned to never judge any of her songs. The reason why she learned this is because sometimes she makes songs she thinks are bad, but other people think are good. So, over time, she learns to like the songs she didn't like before. On the new album, she really likes the song “Oceans Will Rise,” even though it's one of her old ones and has the most meaning because it’s like a lullaby.

Album process:

Krishna just finished a really huge project, her new album called Dreams; she’s been working on it for a year and a half. She doesn’t know what her next project will be after that because her process is that she writes more songs than she releases, so she has many unreleased songs. For example, when she works on an album, she picks 10 to 15 songs that she’s written since the last album. It’s not that the unpicked songs aren’t worthy, it's about what fits best in the moment to make the next album. We were able to get advanced access to some of the new songs, and can’t wait to hear the album! Krishna’s music can be heard on all streaming platforms, and her website is https://www.krishnafeeney.com/.

PAOLA CAPÓGARCÍA

POET,WRITER,TEACHER

JACKSYN STUTZ, METZLI-CITLALCOATL GUERRERO, QUENTIN TALLET, MIREYA BRITO, EITHAN DE LARA CARILLO, DAMIAN VERDUGO

Our group interviewed teacher, poet, and book writer Paola Capó-García. She came to our school on April 12, 2024. We were anxious to get our questions answered and get to meet this person we’ve been doing all this research on. We wanted to know about her experience as a teacher and a poet. Our group was both surprised and pleased with her answers, as we were gaining insightintobothherlifeandcreativeprocess.

Being a Teacher

In our research, we found out that Paola was a teacher at High-Tech High. We asked our interviewee Paola if her experiences teaching at High-Tech High have affected her writing.Shesaidshehasbeenateacherforagoodamountof time. She said that her experiences with teaching have actually made her writing harder. She then said that being a teacherhasmadeitsoshestopswritingherself.Ithoughtthis was interesting as I had thought that being a teacher would havehelpedyourwritingprocess.

Writing About the Past

We asked the question “In many of your poems, We’ve noticedthatyouwriteaboutyourpastexperiences,sohowdo you feel when you're writing these?”. She went into depth on how writing about her experiences helped her overcome the lingering negative feelings. The main theme in her poem “Yellow” is about her experiences when she was growing up. Shepurposelyusesvaguetermstoexaggeratehowwhenshe was young nothing made sense. She explains how writing about her past experiences and feelings helps her overcome them and won't ever write about them again almost like she's “burying” them in her writing. She believes it could help other people with the same experiences see a different perspective andhelpthemheal.

Poem In Which I Can’t Use Vowels

She started the poem as she does any other, one lineatatime.Althoughshecouldn’trecallerasing any lines she was able to arrive by rearranging and adjusting them to go along with her own rhythm.

She likes to end the poem in something that seemsverypossibleorimpossiblehencewhyshe endedthepoemon“PoeminwhichIcan’tmove”.

What’s next?

Paola is currently working on parts/pieces of writing to put on her future book. The book coming out would be her second one coming out. She’s hoping to make it a hybrid text, meaning it would have some essay type of writing and poetries. Paola wants to mix both essay and poetry type of writing to keep the readers intrigued. She likes to keep the audience interested and wants them to read more of her own.

RicScales SanDiegoEmcee

WeinterviewedSanDiegoMCRicScales, whenhecametoourschoolcampuson April11,2024.Intheleaduptotheinterview, we combed through previous interviews learningeverythingwecould.Buttoknow anartist,youhavetoknowtheirwork,and soweperusedthroughhismusiclibrary to discover what makes Scales, Scales. Through this research we crafted a comprehensiveinterviewthatwouldfillin theblanksonRicScales.We’resoexcited tosharemoreaboutthistalentedartist.

Scale’s Backround - Ashton

RicScaleswasbornintoamilitaryfamily that moved around a lot. While growing up,heoftenlistenedtovinyl,andthus,his love for music began. When Ric started high school in New Orleans, he heard other students freestyling and could not help but be amazed by the music they couldmake.HethenmovedtoHonolulu, wherehemasteredtheartoffreestyling, graduatedhighschool,andthrivedinthe rap scene. After high school, Scales moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, and then,around2004,movedtoSanDiegoto pursue his music career with a group calledtheLiveShowbasedinEscondido. SincemovingtoSan

Diego,Richasspreadhisnameacrossthecityandhugely boosted his popularity. Scales started attending a rap competitioncalled“Battlebot”attheCasbaharound2016 andwonmostbattlesforfiveyearsstraightwhichhelped buildhisfanbase.Scaleshasalsocreatedaduorapgroup called18ScaleswithhisfriendChuckMoon,andtogether, theyhavecreatedsomeofScales'smostpopularmusic. RicScalesisnowworkingwiththepopularreggaeband Boostersonhisnextbigproject.

First Writing Memories - Roberto

Growing up, Ric’s parents had a large vinyl collection, beingbigmusicloversthemselves.Onedayhisfatherlet him use the record player, and once he hit play on ‘Characters’byStevieWonderheimmediatelybecamean R&B fan, an interest that he sustained throughout his childhood.Movingintohighschoolthough,thesesounds brought him into Hip Hop through their samples of the music he grew up on. Attending High School in New OrleanshequicklyfoundaHipHopsceneinthecornerof thecafeteriaduringlunchtime.Evenifhedidntstartasthe best this was essential to his development as a rapper. Never one to back down from a challenge, he locked himselfinhisroomoverthesummerduringhismoveto Honolulu and improved at rhyming and rapping. Newfound skills in hand, he found new friends in Hawaii and they soon began to do rap battles at small venues with friends. Eventually through these skills his career broughthimtoSanDiego.

Ashton Burris, Roberto Plascencia, Diego Robles, Eddie Locano, Muska Wahab, Omar Villa

Roberto Plascencia, Ashton Burriss, Diego Robles, Eddie Francis Locano, Muska Wahab, Omar Villa

How Ric Stays Original - Muska

Fromourresearch,welearnedthatRicScalesbelievesa strengthofhismusicishisoriginality.Toexpandonthat, we questioned him on his process of achieving that result in his songs. He shared that while he takes inspirationfromthoseheadmires,hepreferstomakehis workassomethinghelikesbestratherthanwhatothers will.ThisishowRickeepshismusicoriginal.Heputsaspin onthingstomakethemhisownandusesuniquebeats andcadencestofitwhatfeelsgoodtohim.Thisisquite noticeableinhissongsandyoucandefinitelyappreciate thetechniquesheusestomakeitso.Inaddition,hislyrics are distinctly original because he writes about his own experiences, and since those are unique his raps becomeuniqueinturn.Thesequalitiesinhislyricsand melodiesproducenovelmusicthatconnectstohimina genuine,personalway.

Ric’s Writing Process - Eddie

RicScales'writingisuniqueashepreferstofreestyle, creating his lyrics live. We asked him his reason for this,towhichheresponded that it was a cool experiencehavingtocome upwithyourownlyricslive and having to impress the crowd. He talked about how he would sometimes asktheaudienceforwords which he would then incorporateintohislyricsin thefreestyle.Inaddition,he hasstatedthathislyricsis him doing what feels good for him. Ric had started freestylinginhighschool,whenheencounteredagroup ofkidsfreestyling.Intrigued,hejoinedin.Thus,begana starttohiscareer.WhenweaskedRicScalesifheprefers workingsoloorcollaboratingandworkingasaduo,he admittedtopreferringworkingwithotherpeople.Ricsays that he prefers to work in a group rather than solo because he likes to expand his music and he likes to matchtheenergyofthepersonthatheisworkingwith. AnexampleofRicworkingwithsomeonewaswhenhe workedwithChuckMoon,aproducerwhomadebeats. Ric and Chuck would meet up 1-2 Times a week to record,whereChuckproducedthebeats,andRicwrote

lyrics to them. He describes that he does not follow the trend of rap/freestyle being very misogynistic, drug-influential, and havingaverycrueltypeofwordusage,he prefers using beats he finds with friends andrappingaboutthingsorthoughtsthat inspirehim.

“Fade Nasty Did It” - Diego

In his song “Fade Nasty Did It", Scales wrotealineabouttearinghismeniscus anditmadeuscuriousaboutthestory behind that. One of our groupmates shared that he had torn his meniscus, explaining, “I never even knew what a meniscuswas.Iwascurious,everytime - people were like ‘What happened?’ Nobody knew what a meniscus was.” Ricsharedthathewastryingtoemu-

-lateBustaRhymes,oneofhis favorite artists. He shared, “I was trying to emulate his style…to come in and say something that made people be like - what?” My reaction was that this story gave us insightintohowhethinksand writes. He has a lot of inspirationfromotherartistshe respects.

Whats Next? - Omar

Ric Scales is a rapper who traveled fromeasttowestcoastlearningmusic from two different sides of the country. Coming up first as a freestylist in his teensandthendoingsolostoduetand groups as he grew older. He really shows his true colors in his music and rapsaboutwhatfeelsgoodtohimand what he's gone through. Although he didn't give us the full scoop, he did say he’s staying true to himself while working with reggae band ‘Boosters’ to createnewandexcitingfusionsounds.

Rob Crow: Songwriter, Musician

Yossarian Crow, Xave Gullans, Haley Copans, Jayden Joseph

Early Life and Inspiration

Rob Crow is known for being a San Diego artist, but was actually born in New Jersey. He went back and forth from San Diego to Jersey because of his stepfather's job. He says he has no real “main inspiration”, and that everyone has the idea of “I like that! I want to do that!” when it comes to music. When asked more about inspiration, he talks about how making actual art is not profitable, with algorithms always showing you artists and music that make someone else money. He states that a large majority of music is complete garbage, but every genre has something to say so it’s worthwhile to look for it.

Crow’s First Writing Memories

When we asked when he wrote his first song, he told us about a song he made when he was around six, that went “duhduhduhduhdinosaur”. He says he made this song on his porch while playing three strings on a random guitar someone handed him. He then spoke about when he made his first good song. He was around 19 before writing a full set of music of what he now says is “garbage”. However, he couldn’t be that happy with writing one good song out of all of his first ones.

Themes in Writer’s Writing

When talking about the themes in his writing, Rob Crow explained that his music can vary. He told us how he often pinballs around several different themes in order to find the inner theme. He further explained how sometimes he goes for a more carefree approach in his writing, comparing this method to “hitting things with rocks to see how far it explodes.”

When asked about current themes in his writing Crow answers that he’s been really into the theme of instant gratification and catharsis, and exploring how to have a cathartic experience without it being at the expense of someone else. He finishes off with an explanation about how music can make you feel and its relation to the theme of catharsis. his music can vary.

Writing Process

Crow explained his songwriting process to us. Describing how each song can vary, he shared that there isn’t a formula to each song. Some of the songs he makes take less time to write, but other times he will have said half a song just sitting around for months before it finally “clicks.”

Crow also shared a unique way he writes some of his songs, and how he will create characters and proceed to write from the perspective of the character. He then clarifies that these songs still have a bit of him in them and they are still a character.

What’s Next?

As some of our group members listen to his music, we were curious to ask Rob Crow what he’s doing in the future, or any upcoming present projects. He answered that he was currently working to release a B-side compilation for his band Pinback (B-side recordings are extras or are specifically made for the B-side album). Another project of his band is: Pinback setting up a performance in Las Vegas this October at the Las Vegas Best Friends Forever festival.

“Grey Machine”

Rob Crow wrote the song “Grey Machine” with his partner Zach Smith under the band known as Pinback. Both of their writing styles are very different. They wrote this song without discussing or understanding what either was writing about because Rob Crow likes to ask questions in his art, while Zach is about going or coming from somewhere.

The start of the song is about property and the strange idea of someone saying they “own something.” Rob shared his comments about how everybody just has to agree and how they use ownership to feel in control and safe. Rob Crow also connects it to his real life, explaining that some people are paid just to sit on someone's property and how strange the idea of him getting paid just to make music that he’s been enjoying making for the past ten years.

After they had written the first half, the song was just lying around with no purpose, so they chose to change it and decided to think . “Let's just get weird with it” was their view of the second half of the song, with them trying to finish the song deciding to make it about bending time to their will.

Rob Crow as Lord Phallus

SUSIE MESERVE:

Alicia

Campbell, Leah Vickery,

Cameron Kruger, Yandell Johnson, Arsema Tadesse, Cameron King Chanthala

We interviewed poet Susie Meserve. To prepare for her interview, we researched about her and her poems before we held a Zoom meeting on April 10th, 2024 We were excited to meet her,, and everything went really well We are so thrilled to share more about this incredibly creative person. She shared personal details about herself and her life, but also described aspects of her poetry and writing prov She has written and published poems and essays such as Steps to Get Over, How I Silenced That Voice in My Head, and My Fertility Envy.

EARLYLIFE Interviews

InspiringWriter

Susie talks about how living in different areas has influenced her writing “My work is influenced by what I see outside and the landscape and stuff like that ” She was born outside of Boston, Massachusetts which was different from the Bay Area where she moved to. To her what she saw around her influenced the way she wrote or what she wrote about We also see our environment being the same in a way We all have different ways of writing, talking, dressing, etc, which are influenced by where we are and how we grew up. When Susie brought that up, it made us wonder how we all are influenced because of our environment

Susie Meserve talks about how she got into poetry after her teacher influenced her “I was in college and I had a good teacher who introduced me to contemporary poetry and I got very excited.” Susie is also a contemporary poet which was what she was interested in at first. This shows that positive influences from those around you, can open up new experiences and opportunities

Lastly, Susie says that she many interests aside from poetry. “I write poetry but I also have written a memoir and I’m writing a novel right now ” She used to sing because she had a great voice, she still writes poetry and she even wrote novels. When we asked Meserve what other careers she could’ve pursued instead of poetry, she talked about how she had many interests growing up, so she could have gone in many ways

FIRSTWRITINGMEMORIES

In the interview, Susie shared about growing up a musician, and coming from a music background. When asked about her transition towards focusing on poetry, she talked about how she was naturally gifted in music, and how poetry “attracted her in a different way ” However, Susie explained she had to work a bit harder with poetry than she had to with music, and that she couldn’t find a connection between the two for a long time Currently, she connects them in the fact that they are both creative arts that she participates in, and share similar qualities. Now, she states that she is more motivated to work with music, such as things like playing guitar and songwriting

When asked about her first experiences with poetry, she shared that she started with poetry in high school. Meserve also spoke about a poet that she read named E E Cummings, and how he writes in a way that “grabs at the heart of the reader” by using different literary devices She talks about how this work inspires her because it was so different from any other poetry she had read, and how because of this poet, she discovered that poetry “offered more possibilities” than what was inherently visible It is insightful in the fact that she talks about E.E. Cummings’ writing style, how it inspired her, and how his writing reached out to the reader on a personal level In terms of her poetry, something that could have greatly influenced her writing is the places that she was living at the time.

THEMESINWRITING

When asked about how growing up in New England has influenced her writing, Susie spoke passionately about how her writing style is heavily influenced by the landscape and what’s happening right outside of her door. Specifically speaking about her home in New England, Susie said, “I think that one big thing is that, you know, rural New England anyway, where I wrote a lot of that book, in the fall, you just get these incredible colors all the time, right?”

However, in Berkeley, Susie says that there’s a notable difference in the seasons between the two cities. “Here we get them (the incredible colors of the changing seasons), like in Berkeley we get them a little bit, and they tend to come later like after Thanksgiving Sometimes the trees change, but in New England, there’s a period of time, where you can’t miss, you know, the leaves are just coming down and the air is crisp and all that.” The differences between seasons on opposite coasts were fascinating to learn about

WRITINGSTYLE

During this segment of the interview, we were able to learn about Susie’s writing style and her process and making of the poem She personally prefers starting poems with daily prompts Being prompted makes you ponder on topics that you may not have thought of otherwise Having that daily time to write reinforces her to practice writing and putting her thoughts onto paper Something she said that has stuck with me is, “It’s really important to just show up and see what happens, every day if you can. ” This can go with occurrences other than poem writing, and she has put that effort into showing up every day. She has taught us that even if it's just one sentence or one step it is important to be consistent in your work.

We have asked Susie about her experience in writer’s block and what her process for navigating the block and inspiring herself again is For her, writer's block is hard and is not something she likes But again it's all about showing up and compromising When overwhelmed, she has taken breaks from them, knowing what you need and responding to those needs are also very important, she states Even when “nothing is happening,” she has still tried to reinforce the habit by setting her alarm early and maybe reading or journaling. Taking frequent breaks is a method Susie uses to enforce that habit of daily writing.

From this interview, we have learned so many new techniques and ways of writing a poem Hence the process of writing can differ from person to person, being able to ask Susie to see how she navigates through creative writing has helped us grow our knowledge on the process of writing. We are looking forward to using this knowledge in our creative piece making process as well

“STEPSTOGETOVER”

In our research, we found many interesting poems by Susie One that caught our eye was, “Steps To Get Over” It is featured in her book, “Little Prayers” The title of the poem was very eye-catching, and when we took a look at the poem We were amazed by the wordplay and imagery When we asked Susie about what influenced her during the writing process of making her poem, “Steps To Get Over”. She explains that she was inspired by another poem made by Matthea Harvey. She continues to say that “poets and artists steal things all the time. Steal ideas, steal lines.”. During her writing process with “Steps To Get Over,” she took a line from Matthea Harvey and included it into “Steps To Get Over” since it fits well with the poem

WHAT’SNEXT?

Susie shared a lot about her music along with her poems and novels She mentioned something about how she felt she had a natural talent for singing from a young age and it naturally came to her as she grew As far as her poem writing goes, she said she was inspired to write at a young age and wrote her first “piece” in 4th grade, it was called “Breeze ” She was inspired to write it because of other poets she read When she was younger, she wanted to being a performer in the musical Starlight Express. Susie seems to have a thing for anything to do with art whether its performing, singing, writing, etc. She has a very good structure which makes it satisfying to read. We look forward to checking out some more of her amazing work

Thomas Pender

Stevie Martin, Jesse Ibanez, Josue Estrada, Apryl Palacio, Jonathan Quezada

Our Interview

We interviewed poet Thomas Henderson on April 16 through a video meeting. We read some of his pieces before the interview and were looking forward to getting to know him and his poetry. We could ask questions, hear some of his poetry, and learn about his process. We are excited to share what we learned about him.

Love for Poetry

We asked Thomas about his writing process and where he gets his ideas to continue writing. He said the first thing he does is let thoughts come to his mind. He claims that being outside in nature helps him develop new poetry. He also said that all his writing concerns his love for everything around him. Thomas mentioned that as a poet, he thinks in poetry. This gave us a new perspective on poets and their mindset as we have never heard of someone thinking solely in their craft.

“Speed, Momentum,Velocity”

Before our interview, we found out more about his writing by reading and researching his poems. This got us curious about his writing process. The first question we asked was, “Where do you get all of your ideas for writing.” He explained to us that he goes outside and lets all of his ideas flow into him. We then asked him about his thinking process. He responded by saying that he lets nature guide his mindset when writing poems and uses outdoor influences to guide his writing. We wondered about the topics, themes, and genres that he likes to write about the most and how he implements these topics into your future poems. Thomas again replied that he likes writing about nature and the world around him. He said that he grew up around poets and uses the early influence of his childhood, alongside nature to influence his poems.

Themes In Writer’s Writing

During our research, we discovered he writes a lot about self-care and respect. He told us that all of his poems were meant to spread positivity and bring peace to the readers. The themes of nature and joy were put there intentionally to make his community better.

verde THE CRYSTAL OF THE VALLEY

Analiz Mendoza Castro

Elias Gustamante

Savion Stech

LT Sweet

Gina Buono

INTRODUCTION

We interviewed hip-hop artist and songwriter Verenice, also known as Verde. We were excited to interview her, as we had watched her previous interviews, watched videos of her performances, and listened to multiple of her songs on Spotify. This interview was very interesting and we will share more info about this creative artist.

MEXICAN IN SAN DIEGO

Tolearnmoreaboutherbackgroundinfo,weaskedwhattypeof music was popular where she grew up. She responded by saying that her parents are Mexican so she grew up listening to a lot of Latino music. She stated that she wasn't introduced to hip hop until later in college when that type of music was being played aroundthem.

In our research, we also found out that she lives in San Diego. We asked how living in San Diego influenced who she is. She told us that she grew up in Spring Valley which is a secluded place and didn't live the normal city life of San Diego like others might have. She shared that growing up in Spring Valley impacted who she is today.

EXPERIENCE AS A SOPHOMORE

When talking about her writing memories we wanted to see what her experience was when she was in 10th grade. She mentioned that she was very shy and didn't know what she wanted to do, but she had a creative sense. She wasn't even into musicwhenshewasasophomore.

When watching her podcast with Step Off she mentioned that her parents hated hip hop. When asked about that, she mentioned that she felt the need to prove to her parents that this was what she wanted to do and what she wanted her career to be.

After she was in the hip-hop industry for a while her parents started to accept that hip-hop is a great form of music, it's what theirdaughterwantedtodoandsheismakingacareeroutofit.

WORLD CONFLICT

One project Verde wants to work on is a song about the Israel/Palestine conflict. ‘“It’s a genocide,” she said when asked about it. To make a song about the issue would get more people to think about it and give it though, this is exactly Verde’s goal whenever she writes any song about social injustice.One example of a song she wrote about an injustice is the song titles “And the Kids Say,” in this song she writes about the Jeffery EpsteincaseandhowChildrenweretraffickedforyears. She made it clear that children are “The most oppressed people,”

SPEAKING OUT

She spoke about how she connects with her writingandwalkedusthroughherwritingprocess. The questions that led to these responses were “Can you give us an example of your writing process?” and “When writing do you connect with what you write? and if so how do you connect with it?”. The first question sparked a conversation in which she explained that when she’s in the studio trying to rap over a beat she does a thing called scatting

Thisiswhatmusiciansusetofigureouttheflow of their rap. Verde thinks of it as a puzzle with making the syllables match and also making sure thatthebeatmatcheswiththemessage.Rappingis something complex and isn’t as easy as it sounds when you're trying to make something impactful. The Neighborhood Kids music has a very oldschool feel to it; it's very unlike the rap music we have nowadays, which is something else she mentions in this interview. The next question that was discussed was “When writing do you connect with what you write, and if so how do you connect withit?”.Verdetalkedabouthowsheconnectswith her music because she tries to speak out against police brutality, immigration laws, and the injustice POC go through. She spoke about how she enjoys being able to be a voice for people who can’t afford to speak out against the injustices they face.

POETICDEVICES

Excerpts of student literary analysis essays about favorite songs and poems

Leah Vickery & Maya Kushner, Editors

Whenshesays,“You'reaflashbackinfilm,reelontheone screeninmytown,”Ithinkshesaysthistoshowthatshe onlyseeshiminflashbacks,memories,andinfilms.Ithink whenshesays“ontheonescreeninmytown”shekinda sayshowmaybetheirbreakupwaskindadisplayedallover town,howeveryoneknewthattheybrokeupandwhathad happened.Ialsothinkit'shersafespace,theplaceshegoes whensheneedscomfortandreassurancewhenshefeels lost,alone,andjustunsureofherselfbuthewastheone personwhowouldcalmherdown.Butbecausetheyareno longertogethernowallshecandoisreplaytheflashbacks inherhead,andthinkofwhatshecould'vedonedifferently

TaylorSwift: “ThisisMeTrying”

IsabellaGuerrero

compassionGeorgeMichaelexplainseconomicdisparityandthelackof inoursocietieswithmetaphors.Onesectionstarts bytalkingabouthowtheroleofGodinoursocietyhaschanged withthediscrepanciesandtheindifferencefeltbypeople.“The richdeclarethemselvespoor/Andmostofusarenotsure/If stoppedwehavetoomuchbutwe’lltakeourchances/‘CauseGod’s must’vekeepingscore/Iguesssomewherealongtheway/He children/letusallouttoplay/TurnedHisbackandallGod’s Creptoutthebackdoor”(9-16).Here,Michael examinestheideaofGodinourworldandusesametaphorto children”explainhowwe’vegone‘astray’.Hecallspeople“God’s andwithametaphor,hesaysthatwhengivena chancebyHimtogoonourown,wesnuckawaylikeachild disconnectionmightsneakawayfromaparent.Thissymbolizesa fromourhumanityandmoralsinexchangefor materialwealth.Healsospeaksonhowtherichactbecauseof this.Hesaysthey“declarethemselvespoor”,whichmaybe reducingtheirattemptatpreventingresentmentfromthepoorand guiltwithinthemselves.Theninlines10-12,hesays theyaren’tsureiftheyhavetoomuch,andsincetheworldhas justsnuckawayfromGodandthereisnoonetokeeptrack,they’ll keeponand“taketheirchances”.-

GeorgeMichael:“PrayingForTime” MuskaWahab

ALLUSION

DeLaRochaintegratesallusioninto“KnowYourEnemy”toreference government-basedhierarchicalsystemsofoppression.Rochastates “Somethingmustbedone,aboutabadgewithagun”(line18).Thissymbolic ideaofabadgeandagunthatRochaiscriticizingalludestothepoliceforce. GivenTherepeatingideaof“KnowYourEnemy”,Rochaisdefiningthepolice forceastheenemybecauseofhowtheyhavebeenatoolofthestatewhichisa bodyfortheoppressionofoneclasstowardsanother.Theterm“badge” referenceshowpoliceareapartofahierarchicalpositioninsociety.This outlookonthepolicestemsfromtheprivilegespoliceholdandtheir“us- against-them”mentality.Furthermore the“gun”isspokenoftopotentiallyreferencethebrutalitypoliceofficersuse( typicallyagainstminoritiesoflowersocialclasses).Thepoliceforceon averageannuallykills600+peopleandadditionallyinjures250,000others duringpoliceinteractions(policeepi.uic.edu).Furthermore“Blackmales comprise6.1 percentofthetotalU.S.populationbut24.9percentofallpersonskilledbylaw enforcement”.(policeepi.uic.edu)Thiscommonuseofdiscriminantlethal forcecanbeattributedtothetheoryofhierarchypreviouslydiscussed.Given thecontext,it’sclearthattheallusionwithinthequoteiscallingforthe abolitionofthe policeforcebecauseofthehierarchytheypossessasanarmofthecapitalist state.Rochaadditionallystates“Stillinaroomwithoutaview”(line10). ThroughthisconceptofaroomRochaisalludingtotheideaoftheAmerican bubbleandthelackofviewalludestohowourbubblecamouflagesthe internationalstruggle.Moreover,thestruggleisaproductofthosewho orchestratethebubble.Thisissignificantbecauseaswehaveseen,Rochais callingforusto“knowyourenemy”andthispieceofdoubleallusionleadsus toquestionwhoorchestratesthisbizarreandinhumanscenario."

CaioDowd

RageAgainsttheMachine:“KnowYourEnemy”

GabrielleTasfayealsousesimageryinherpoemwhich helpsusvisualizewhatsheistalkingabout.Inoneofher quotes,shetalksabouthowdreamedofhavingagood futureinTigray.“I’llhaveanicebighousedesignedbymy ownhandsinMekele.Itstandsonmyancestralland.”

MekeleisthecapitalcityofTigrayandaswellasoneofthe historicalplacesthere.Mekeleisahappyplaceforpeoplein Tigrayaswellaspeoplewhohavelefttheircountry.So manypeopleindifferentcountrieshavedreamsofbuilding ahomeintheirhometownforthemselvesandtheir families.Asshewassayingthisinherpoem,itmademe realizethatwearenotthatmuchdifferentandbothwantto makeadifferenceforourcountry.

GabrielleTesfaye:“Warmth” ArsemaTadesse

IMAGERY

ALLUSION

OliverQuelleChris:Guns Figueroa

QuelleChrisusesalotofimagerytogethislistenersto picturewhat'shappeninginthelyrics.Inthefirstverse youQuelleChrisdescribesdifferentpeopleshootinggunswho don'texpecttodoso.Quellechriswrites,“Grannykeep hisaloadedfour-fiverightinsidetheglovebox/Brandonshot learnedfirstkeystone'forehecouldspellhislastname/Junior toloadfromUncleCharlieatthecardgame/Kellylitherschooluplikeit's4thofJuly”(lines2-8).-

WhenJ.Coleraps,"andbabygirlyou'reastar,don'tlet'emtellyouyou'renot",he usesthesimileofastartosaythatthewomanisanamazingandvaluableperson,and herworthismorethansheknows.Hesayssheshouldn'tletothersputherdown.

J.Cole “CrookedSmile”

AlexandraQuintana

DashKendrickLamar:“KeishasSong(HerPain)” Weaver

KendrickLamarusesallusionthroughouthissongtocompare Keisha'slifetohistoricalfigures.LamaralludestomultipleAfrican verse.Americanhistoricalandiconicfigures,thefirstbeingintheinitial “7carsstarthonkin',ShestartsrunninglikeFLo-Jo”(16-17).In thesetwolines,LamaralludestothelateFlorenceGriffith-Joyner fast(Flo-Jo),thefastestwomanofalltime,statingthatKeishaworking islikeatrackstarquicklysprinting.

IMAGERY

Angeloualsousesimagery,todescribehowshestandsup.The firstexampleIfoundinterestingisinthethirdstanza,whereMaya states,

“Justlikethemoons

and

thesuns, /Withthecertaintyoftides,/Just likehopesspringinghigh,/StillI’ll rise”(9-12).

Thisformofimagerysetsthemoodofthepoemasoneofhopeand certainty.Throughoutthepoemsheusesnatureasasourceof imageryshecomparesherselftonature.Angelousays,

‘’Outofthehutsofhistory’sshame Irise Upfromapastthat’srootedinpain Irise I'mablackocean,leapingandwide WellingandswellingIbearinthetide.’’(2934).

Maya

AmayaFox-Williams

Angeloumakesusimagineahugeblack-huedoceanthatfillsthe horizon,withwavesthatseemtoleapuppowerfullyfromits surface,wouldlook.Bycomparingherselftonature,she formulatesclearimagerythroughoutthepoem,givingthereadera sortofmovietoplayintheirheads.

Angelou:“AndStillIRise”

"Finally,awritingtoolthatTaylorSwiftusesisrhymeinthissong,whenshe wonderswhatitwouldbeliketobeamantreatedwithmorerespect.Her rhymesmakealighttonedespiteherdeeperanalysisofsocietyandnorms. Swiftsays:What'sitliketobragaboutrakingindollarsandgettingbitches andmodelsandit’sallgoodifyou'rebad andit'sokayifyou'remad(37-41).WhatSwiftistryingtosayintheselinesis most“successful”menbragabouttheirmoneyandthegirlsthattheyget alongtheway,butifsheweretoeverbragslightlyabouttheamountof moneyshemadeshewouldbe“aterribleperson”.Shegoesontochallenge socialnormsaroundbraggingandwealth,valuedbymenbutquestionedor mockedwhenearnedbyfamouswomen.

Swiftcontinues,saying,“IfIwas outflashingmydollars/I'dbeabitchnotaballer,theypaintmeouttobebad /soit'sokaythatI'mmad”(42-45).ThislineispowerfulbecauseSwiftis sayingthatherimagebecomessobadnomatterwhatshedoesandsheis donelettingthatgettoher.Swiftexpressesherangerinthelinewhichisthe firsttimeinthesongsheshowsmorerealemotiontothefactshe’snotokay withbeingtreatedlessthan.Sheisusingrhymeasawaytocomparehowshe wouldbeperceivedandhowamanwouldbeperceivedforthesamething."

TaylorSwift:“TheMan“

ParkerBarr

HYPERBOLE

RHYME

Lamar’smentalimageofthepolicebecomessomuch moreobviouseverytimehechoosestoexaggeratetheir controllingnature.Hechants,“ButwhatamI'posedtodo whentheblinkin'ofredandblueFlashfromthetopof yourroofandyourdoghastosaywoof”(39-30).People don'tliketobetoldwhattodoingeneral,thisfeelingis expandedinthehood,especiallywiththeunderlying resentmenttowardsthelaw.It’salmostasifyouwere beingconsideredananimal.Kendrickblowsthisupusing thepolice’stightcontroloftheirdogsasananimalistic comparisonofthepeople.Subtlyitalsohintsatthedeep mistrustofthepoliceinthehood,wheretheywant nothingmorethancontroloverthepeople,nottruly wantingtoserveandhelpthecommunity.Masterfully, Kendrickknowswhenandwheretoexaggeratetocarry hispointacross,andhispassiontofixthesystemicissues withthepolicebringsoutthistalent.

-KendrickLamar:“MaadCity” RobertoPlascencia

WhenJ.Coleraps:"Andbabygirlyou'rea star,don'tlet'emtellyouyou'renot",he usesthesimileofastartosaythatthe womanisanamazingandvaluable person,andherworthismorethanshe knows.Hesayssheshouldn'tletothers putherdown.

SIMILE

J.Cole: “CrookedSmile”AlexQuintana

RHYME

Inadditiontousingrepetitionand metaphorsKendrickuseshisskillof slantrhyme.Heusesslantrhymesto communicatehisemotion.These examplesusedaretowardstheendthe song,Kendrickisnowreflectingonhis actionsandisnowfullyworkingon himself.Heexpressesgreatemotion anddepth.Oneexampleofslantrhyme thatheusesis“Baby,Ijusthadababy, youknowsheneedme/workin’on myself,thecounselingisnoteasy” (Stanza6,lines5-6).Intheselineshe's reflectingonthestrugglesand pressuresofbeingafather.He understandsheneedstobethereforhis childandistryinghisbesttobetter himself.Hencethenextline“working onmyself,thecounselingisnoteasy.” Thislinesignifieshisdedicationtoself improvement.Thisalbumopensup aboutKendricksstrugglesandmental health. Byincludingthelineabout counselingheisnormalizingbettering yourmentalhealthinordertogrowand helpotherpeople.

KendrickLamar:“Mirror”

RobertoPlascencia

PODER DE LAS PALABRAS

POWER OF WORDS

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2024