From The Plain White Table - a Newtown/Sandy Hook Publication of Community Writing @writingproject @cwpfairfield @fairfieldu

This is a story that makes me proud.

This is a story that tells a powerful tale - that is, some of the best work in our universe takes very little financial investment to help giant dreams possible. Such dreams, however, takes dedication, commitment and excellence of a committed group to bring forth such a wonderful culmination to a vision. Lucky for me, I was in a position to support this possibility.

Yesterday, poet Carol Ann Davis, Dr. Elizabeth Boquet, Lea Attanasio and Newtown/Sandy Hook parents and youth premiered their 2nd round of poetry in a collection called From The Plain White Table. They hosted the Newtown last night and although a sudden storm quickly pushed us indoors, we were greeted by a rainbow at the end of the performance that symbolically represented what everyone was feeling. The kids, the parents, the organizers, and the community were simply amazing. The joy they brought to my heart and soul cannot be measured.

Lucky for me and the 15 teachers in our summer ISI, too, Carol Ann and Beth worked with us on collaborative poetry during their teacher demonstration and workshop. They emphasized the importance of community when writing and the power of language when voices our joined together. Their teaching was wonderfully fluid and effective. All of us in attendance became proud of the poems we created - the catch was, not a one of us could claim single authorship. Instead, we co-authored amazing work as a group...the point of the presentation.

I'm absolutely in love with the colors they chose for this collection and it reminds me of summer, auroras, and watermelon. In truth, the cover is a fading fence and a growing pine tree (which Carol Ann says is a metaphor from the development she's seen in her community, Newtown, over the last year).

CWP-Fairfield and I remain proud to help publish In The Yellowy Green Phase of Spring. I am humbled by my colleagues and their hard work in bringing From the Plain White Table to this event. The writing from pre-middle school kids and those who support them was inspiring -  teachers and their community looking to the power of language to make sense of a sometimes senseless world.

Wow! This is a true collaboration and my hats are off to these two women for making it happen. Fairfield University and the National Writing Project should know that this is who we are together!