Why We Keep Writing - by Cristeta Boarini, Program Director
Cristeta in the “before times”
On March 28 at 12:55 p.m., I found myself adjusting and readjusting my laptop camera so that the angle was just so. My husband had taken our barky dog out for a walk—a long walk, I insisted—and I was fiddling with every pen and Post-It note in reach as I counted down the minutes.
One week prior, our newly formed Young Authors’ Council (YAC) was supposed to be on a field trip to the Minnesota State Capitol. It was one of the first of many cancellations. Instead of a clipboard full of permission slips, I had check-in questions. Instead of a lesson plan on democracy and journalism, we were going to keep it light with “Would You Rather?” and MadLibs. Instead of passing around bag lunches on a bus, I was waiting for 10 teenagers to arrive on a video call that was never part of what they signed up for.
Most of these kids did not know each other. They go to different schools, and range from grades 6-11. We had only met twice in person before COVID-19. How could we even begin to hope that students with full loads of classes, with kid siblings, spotty internet connections, and all the fear and anxiety that we adults have would want to spend their precious free time writing?
And yet, six students arrived on the video call that day, and over the following weeks we eventually heard from all 10 of them. And to my deep and grateful surprise, almost all of them are writing.
It’s not just our YAC either. Writers’ Room students from South High respond to writing prompts over text. In our After-School Writing Lab, over Zoom, we use the whiteboard feature to play hangman, while the chat is full of sweet stories about bears and princesses. The Young Authors’ Book Project is forging ahead as students have crafted their bios and are voting on a book title all during distance learning. And our mythical Captain has even cajoled 5th graders into writing him a new story during our first ever Storytelling & Bookmaking Field Trip over Zoom.
Somehow our students have come together to write. It is no coincidence that the activity that unites and inspires us is writing. Unlike our aimless scrolling through Netflix or Instagram, writing has a clear purpose. Whether we are documenting this historical moment, penning a letter to friends new, old, or yet unknown, or escaping the COVID reality, writing takes us somewhere even when we’re all stuck inside. We can articulate to ourselves—or to wider audiences—what we feel, what we mean, why we matter. That experience becomes even more magical, more enriching when it can be done in the company of friends, including tutors, volunteers, and teachers.
But don’t take my word for it. Here’s a new poem by Aniah, grade 10:
“Why I Write”
I write because it’s my escape from reality
I write because it clears my head from the bad thoughts
I write because I can say what I want without being judged
Writing is a way for me to get my feelings out without having to annoy someone with them. It gives me closure I need when I overthink about things I shouldn't be.
I write because it’s fun
I write because it passes the time
I write because I can be as creative as I want
Writing is something I have fun with and it's where my creativity shines. I would like to say that I write in a unique way and I express myself in my writing differently. Sometimes when I write I talk to Gichi Manidoo and ask him for things. I'm grateful I live this life and I have the opportunity to be Anishinaabe.