WRITING SAMPLES

Playground Pals
Individual Portrait
Spanish Exchange Students Come to Somersworth
The Wizard of Oz comes to Hilltop School
Looking for the non in non-fiction: an excerpt from an essay on intimate journalism

Playground Pals

She gets off the swing, this five-year-old who belongs to me, and gazes thoughtfully at the people who just joined us on the playground. It's another little blond girl and a man. They're walking hand-in-hand, smiling and squinting in the sun. Hannah hoists up her saggy-kneed red tights and saunters over to them.
          "What's your name?" she asks the girl.
          “Chloe. What’s yours?”
          “Hannah. And that’s my mom and sister Maddie and my dog, he’s a puppy and his name is Kodi well his real name is Kodiak Bear but we call him Kodi for short and he’s a boxer.” Chloe looks us all over while I hold back the exuberant pup who is lunging forward, ready to lick this new, small human. “Is that your dad?” Hannah asks. Chloe nods.
          “Wanna go on the slide?”
          “Sure,” Hannah responds and they run off.
They spend fifteen minutes running and jumping, climbing and sliding – alternating between the slides and the monkey bars. The red of Hannah’s tights becomes blurred with the green of her shirt and blue denim skirt as she weaves this way and that with her new friend. Soon I can't tell which blond head is which. Their cheeks are getting pinker and pinker, as their hair dampens and sticks to their foreheads. All too soon it’s time to get back to the world of errands, laundry and chores.
          “Hannah! Time to go!” I call. “Say bye to Chloe, ok?”
          "Ok mom!" They hug tightly. Then Chloe runs over to her dad, takes something small and green from his hand, and runs back to Hannah. She gives the object to my child. As we walk home Hannah opens her hand and shows it to me. It's a green foam cutout of Chuck E. Cheese. She clenches her fingers around it again.
          "I'm going to keep this close to my heart," she says. "Chloe is my best friend." 

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Individual portrait

Anna Houde furrows her brow in thought. Perched in her recliner, jeans-clad legs crossed, the hem of one pant leg rolling itself up, she has one foot planted on the floor and uses it to rock the chair back and forth.  "I really don't have a hobby," she says, almost apologetically. "I've never really had one. I just don't have a lot of time."
Together with husband Don she has raised four sons and become deeply rooted in her community – by working with the PTA, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and her church, among others – all in addition to her paying job.

"If you want things to be better, be involved," she states simply. "Don't whine, be part of the solution." With Thomas (23, graduating from UNH), Matt (20, serving in Iraq), and twins Peter and Brian (19, UNH sophomores) all grown up, Anna's current focus is the Somersworth Main Street Program...

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Spanish Exchange Students Come to Somersworth

It's 8:10 am. The teenagers have bathing suits and towels in their bags, in hopes of a pool party later, but a downpour is imminent. It's humid and dark outside, and through the window we can see a sprinkler redundantly at work.

The twelve students are sitting around a cluster of desks in one of the high school classrooms, looking somewhat confused. It seems that they have conflicting information (thanks to the group member who invited them) as to when the proposed party will end – and when their host families should pick them up. Their U.S. coordinator, Carol Downes, deals with the issue and moves on to the next item on the agenda.

The group (ten girls and two boys) are from Barcelona, Spain, in Somersworth for a four-week stay to learn about American culture, improve their English, and increase their knowledge of our world. Many of them have been on similar exchanges before – to other European countries – but they are glad to be in the U.S. for one major reason. This is apparently the only program where the host families are not reimbursed. "So here, the families do it because they really want to have us," says a petite brunette named Laia. "Not because they want the money."

In a time when we, as a nation, are often seen as arrogant and domineering in the arena of world politics – especially in Europe, it's heartening to hear this. And while the students gain so much from their time here, the benefits to the host families are immeasurable.

"I like it because we learn something new, we eat new foods, learn bits of their language. We get to tour them around the state – and I get to go too!" says ten-year old Hannah, who has a student living in her house.

"It's like having an older sister who's really nice to you," adds her younger (birth) sister, Maddie. And these connections with our surrogate Spanish children can potentially last a lifetime. It's refreshing and enriching – and both sides can gain the best from one another. The students bring youth and energy, new ideas and perspectives into our lives… and expand our recipe repertoire.

“It is a new experience every single time,” says Downes. “It’s just such a wonderful thing to connect with other parts of the world that I may never get to see, and learn new things that I may not otherwise be able to learn. What we get from these kids you won’t find in any travel book.” Ultimately though, boiled down to its simplest, it’s just tremendous fun. “I really love it.”

Having the students here also really forces us to explore our own surroundings more closely. Not only are we the tour guides, but in many cases we get to be the tourists too. It's all too easy to get so consumed in our daily grind of work, chores, school and other responsibilities that we don't get out to experience all the riches of the region. So while my family has Laura with us, we have plans to run down to Massachusetts and visit all the witches of Salem and the winged creatures at the Butterfly Place in Westford. We'll be going north to Burlington, Vermont, and across the border to Montreal and its magic. Without this motivation catalyst, we might spend most of our summer sitting on our butts sipping iced-tea on the porch. Ok, that’s probably not really true, but it could be!

Then there are all the excursions planned by the program itself. Destinations include Boston, a Portland Sea Dogs game, Canobie Lake Park, and a highly anticipated overnight jaunt to New York City. Hosting a student is also a ticket to playing tourist on the cheap, as families are invited to join the students on all these trips.

When asked about the differences between their home environment and this one, many of the students comment that the strength of the community-spirit, the phenomenon of neighbors dropping-in and the constant line of people through our houses is new to them. And they like it.

They talk about differences in their school day (closer to one of our work-days, typically going from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and how, unlike here, teens do not typically hold down jobs – instead they focus on school and then university before entering the employment ranks.

Perhaps the greatest culture shock facing these students is the dependence we have on our vehicles. "You don't have freedom of movement," says the group's Spanish escort, Neus Gonzalez. "You feel more isolated because you have to depend on someone taking you." While it's impossible to compare a small town like Somersworth with a booming metropolis like Barcelona – the students say that even their rural communities have intricate pubic transportation networks.

In accomodating the students and answering their questions about our customs and way of life… we come to examine and ask questions of ourselves and glean a new perspective of our world.

“You come to reflect on yourself, and ask am I doing things the best possible way? Is there an alternate way to doing them?” says Zuzana Kaiserova.

“My kids pick up habits from these kids that they never get rid of,” adds Downes. “It’s an effort at the beginning of this program to be able to communicate cleary, so it teaches lifelong skills. It also opens up their hearts to other people, teaches them about diversity, and they become more accepting of others with differences.”

And what of the students' own expectations? Of this trip as a whole and of their host families specifically?

"Treat us as a member of the family," says one young woman, who tells a story of not being permitted to help carry bags of groceries. "I don't want to be treated as a guest," she says. "I want to help."

This is perhaps hard for the families, even more so for those hosting for the first time. We want these students to have a rich experience, rather than have memories of doing chores. Especially when they tell us of another difference between their experiences with some of the European programs, and this one. Several of them recount that they were treated more like au-pairs than exchange students – being left to babysit their host-families' children and expected to take on a considerable amount of housework.

They’ll be with us a few more weeks, and there will be plenty of additional opportunities to reflect on their experiences here. For the moment though, since the skies are apparently going to open up any moment and they’ve discovered that it’s Cristina’s birthday tomorrow, they’re plotting how they might get to the mall for a little shopping.

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The Wizard of Oz comes to Hilltop School

Sitting on Hilltop School's front lawn, swatting at the mosquitoes that seem to get bigger and meaner each year, parents chatted while children ran around like mad – weaving in and out between blankets and chairs, narrowly missing toes and anything else not carefully tucked away. Some brought coolers of treats, others had stopped for take-out on their way up. The smell of steakbombs, fried chicken and pizza mingled with the unmistakeable scents of approaching summer and bug spray. A few unconventionally dressed young people (a long-braided girl in a checkered pinafore; a lion, tin man and a green-faced witch; a scarecrow, a "good witch" and what looked very much like a farmer in paint-splattered overalls), also milled about, graciously posing for photographs, answering questions and enduring much tugging of their clothes. Strains of jazz added to the festive air and as the noise grew, so did the crowd's excitement and anticipation.

All were gathered here for the Arts Rochester Teen Acting Company's rendition of "Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz." Hilltop students have been studying the classic tale throughout the year and this performance, made possible by a grant from the Somersworth Festival Association and billed as an "interactive celebration of literacy," offered the audience something unique: a chance to be part of the production. Perhaps it was because the performance had been postponed from the previous night, due to stormy weather, but the acting company had somehow "forgotten" to bring the Munchkins along -- much to the present children's delight. When director Kate Kirkwood asked if they'd be willing to play the little people, a veritable roar of agreement preceded much jumping up and down.

After Kirkwood led the attending children in a practice run of clapping, laughing and being quiet, the play began. Glinda was cranky and frustrated, losing her temper twice in the first five minutes. The scarecrow required restuffing several times. Toto needed to be carried, the lion sought help catching its tail, and a rolling meadow needed something to provide shelter and security to the travelling group of friends on their way to the Emerald City.  Hilltoppers met the challenge brilliantly – they were munchkins, trees, snowflakes, rain and more. They were engaged and enthused to the very end – even helping transform the shabby farmer into a grand wizard with a sorcerer's hat and new, respectable spectacles.

Hilltop students got to talk with Kate Kirkwood and some of the actors much more intimately over the next two days, through a series of workshops with each class. These "Artist in Residency" sessions showed students how performance art is not only a source of entertainment, but also teaches valuable skills applicable in the real world.

"Who has a job standing up and speaking in front of lots of people?" Kirkwood asked Mrs. Brennick's first graders. "Ooh ooh teacher!" yelled one little boy. "Operator," offered another. "They all have to speak clearly, don’t they," continued Kirkwood, and led them in a fun diction exercise, followed by some rather energetic physical acting.

Responsible for bringing Arts Rochester to the school, were Hilltop teachers Charlene Jerard, Joan Ferland and Jen Upton. The three submitted a proposal to the Somersworth Festival Association (SFA) and were awarded funding for the project. One of the conditions of the grant is that Hilltop staff will present a Wizard of Oz "Imagination Station" at the Somersworth International Children's festival in June. There, activity kits containing student-made puppets, bookmarks, masks and much more, will be given to festival-goers.

Now in it's 24th year, the SFA, through fundraising, corporate and individual donations, supports activities and events such as the Kids Koncert series, the Children's Festival and an annual scholarship for a graduating high school senior going on to college – preferably into the Arts.

The Wizard of Oz was selected for study because of it's correlation to Hilltop's theme of being safe, respectful and responsible, said Diane Brown - Hilltop secretary and SFA board member.

"It relates to the curriculum, integrates reading and writing, oral language and written skills, character and citizenship," added Jerard. And the Arts Rochester Teen Acting Company  (whose actors are auditioned youngsters ranging in age from 10 – 17) was selected to bring the play to life for their enthusiasm, flexibility and youth. "These are local, young people, they relate to the kids. They are wonderful!"

"The idea of community, getting families together, raises everyone's spirits," Jerard said of the project, which has capitalized on Hilltop's small size and neighborhood connections. "We're a school of 150 kids, we can all get together on the front lawn," she continued. "This is the first time Hilltop has attempted picnic theater and I hope we can do it again!"

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Excerpt from Looking for the non in non-fiction, an essay on intimate journalism

…There are many fictional tales which move us deeply, stirring intense emotions in us even though we know the characters aren't real and the events are made up. There seems to be nothing a writer can invent which won't give us cause to say, "sure, that could happen, it probably did happen to someone." When we are presented with a tale about real people, about actual events and places, we are moved even more deeply because we know that somewhere this character was in pain, or struggling to overcome great obstacles, or that he or she succeeded beyond all expectations. But if we learn that we were deceived, that the writer misled or blatantly lied to us by fabricating elements, we feel betrayed, foolish, reluctant to trust that writer again.

When Norman Sims noted that "today's literary journalists clearly understand the difference between facts and falsehood," he should have added that a certain percentage of them choose to ignore this distinction. Literary journalism has struggled as a genre for good reason. Just as traditional (news) journalism seeks to distinguish itself from supermarket tabloid sensationalism, so it seems that literary journalists feel the need to distance themselves from the embellishers and truth-strokers.

"It's an antiseptic idea that you can't present a set of facts in an interesting way without tainting them," notes Tracy Kidder. "As a reader, I react differently to literary journalism than to short stories or standard reporting. Knowing this really happened changes my attitude while reading. Should I discover that a piece… was made up… my disappointment would ruin whatever effect it had created as literature."
         

Serena thrived in this museum of her former self. She had a wardrobe that consisted mostly of shortie nightgowns and peignoirs. They revealed her still-shapely legs and discreetly swathed her upper half in clouds of feathers and silk chiffon. She dyed her hair flaming red and painted her fingernails and toenails dark green. She bullied and she wheedled; she railed and she purred. She drawled and cussed and carried on. For emphasis, she threw objects across the room – pillows, drinks, even Lulu the poodle.

~ from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt

What a marvelous character sketch! But how much of this description fits the true Serena? Were her legs really still shapely? Perhaps they were, but perhaps they were riddled with varicose veins, Jello-like cellulite quivering with each step. Perhaps Berendt changed their true appearance to save the real Serena's pride… or to play to her ego. As readers we question Berendt's words, because by his own admission he has taken "certain storytelling liberties" and altered characters' descriptions. Is this one of those areas of enacted liberties? Did Serena truly look as Tammy Faye Bakker-esque as she sounds… or was that just for emphasis, to color Berendt's tale?

Quite often, the actual facts of a story are not conducive to a flowing, page-turning, well-plotted yarn. Characters may be dowdy or taciturn, occurrences frustrating – a whole slew of things can prevent the tale from unfolding as the author would prefer. But by not adhering to the facts, however well a book is written, however colorful the characters or shocking the dialogue, this free admission of fictionalizing certain aspects is disturbing. It may appear unworthy of debate – after all, does it really matter whether the writer tells us someone's hair has been bleached blond if it's only been moderately highlighted? Do small details like this really affect the essence of the story? If characters are the sum of their parts, then it follows that by changing some of those parts a writer has changed our perception of that character to something that is not accurate. Embellishing facts and details also makes us ask why the writer felt the need to embroider as well as make us suspicious of other changes he or she has chosen to keep hidden…

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Hilltop School Volunteer Breakfast

April 7th was a sunlit Wednesday morning, the interminable raw winds and rain of the last few days finally gone, and breakfast was being served - a venerable buffet of muffins, fresh fruit salad, a variety of coffee cakes, bagels and more. It could have been a Sunday brunch at the Sheraton, except for the inescapable problem of my navy plastic chair accomodating only three-quarters of my rear-end and the table barely capping my knees. This was breakfast Hilltop School style, in the pale-blue-walled library.

Karen Cofferen, the School to Home Coordinator for Hilltop, planned this morning as a thank you to the school's volunteers, whose involvement ranges from  helping carve pumpkins in October to chaperoning field trips; from spearing new fundraising ventures to helping in individual classrooms. Looking around the room at the twenty or so people munching and chatting, Principal Johanna Gwinn worried that the number of volunteers had fallen. "Oh no," said Cofferen. "I think more people have to work, so numbers at this breakfast are down. But we have over 50 volunteers." In a school of only 150, that number is startling. What is it about Hilltop that attracts such a level of volunteer involvement?

"I think adults feel comfortable with the school," said Gwinn, who plans to nominate Hilltop school for the NH Partners in Education Blue Ribbon Award – which gives recognition to schools with an active volunteer base.

"It's a small family environment," said one parent.

"Hilltop has a great sense of community," said another. Yet another thought perhaps the other schools in the district are too big – Maplewood included. And the kids love seeing the varied faces of the volunteers, people who aren't on staff. All the better when it's someone close to them.  

"It keeps me connected with the place where my kids spend most of their time," noted Carol Downes, who has one son in the fourth grade and another at the high school. "It also makes my kids feel good that I want to participate in their day."

"If you're involved, they'll be involved," added Shannon Adrien, who has a daughter in second grade and a pre-schooler who thinks she's already a Hilltopper.

Setting an example for the children is noble enough, but volunteers get tangible rewards themselves. "In the long run it enriches all the kids' lives. But it enriches my life too," said Mary Desjarlais, parent and secretary of the PTA.

We ate and talked, hob-knobbed and circulated… and then Gwinn introduced Cofferen, who really needed none, and thanked her for all her work and dedication. Cofferen in turn thanked all the volunteers collectively then individually, by calling them up to the front of the room where she was standing, in-between the waist-high bookshelves.

"I've been practising the hard names all night. I hope I get them all right," she laughed. Had she screwed up monumentally though, I don't think anyone in the room would have taken issue with her. Cofferen's own enthusiasm and dedication ensures that the volunteer base at Hilltop is as strong as it is.

"She really works hard, makes contact with people, asks them for help. That is a huge part of it," said Gwinn.

"Yeah, why not put you to work, right?" joked Cofferen.

Cofferen presented each volunteer with a certificate of recognition and a small gift, wrapped tightly in a scarlet paper gift bag. Inside -  a brass key chain in the shape of an apple, a polished red on one side and inscribed with "Hilltop School Volunteer, 2003 – 2004" on the reverse. Then she drew names for additional "door" prizes. Certificates to Dunkin Donuts, an Easter treat donated by Lindt Chocolates.

"It helps if your daughter is the manager," laughed Cofferen, who puts other family members to work as well. Her son-in-law, Wallace Adam, was also in attendance and recognized for designing this year's I Read 100 Books t-shirt. And nine-month-old Aubrey Nash, resplendent in her fuzzy pink, one-piece sleeper was recognized as the youngest volunteer. As familiar a face at Hilltop as her mother Michelle, "…she works hard! She supervises the popcorn"  and has many other important functions, Cofferen declared. For her part Aubrey looked quite pleased with her new bunny, which was almost as big as her.

The inscription above the Hilltop's front doors may read "Dedicated to Citizenship," but the community's devotion to its neighborhood school is immeasurable. Personally, I have a lot of fun - whatever task I'm assigned - but this simple and touching acknowledgement put an even bigger smile on my face; one that lasted all day.