Pair Reading Pieces Submission Deadline

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SUBMISSION?
Selection: Everyone will be selected! The Reading Committee will divide pieces into two categories: half for the Winter Reading in January; half for the Girls Write Now Day reading in March.  We will NOT be judging pieces--we will simply be dividing according to content and tone. Again, everyone will be selected for one of the readings.
Notification: We will not be able to let you know at which event you will be reading until mid January, so you should be prepared to read at either one.
Reading/Performance: When reading, you and your mentor/mentee stand at the microphone and read or perform your piece(s) together.
Rehearsal: Practice the performance techniques you learned from Parker at the December 13th workshop.  There are also tips in your handbook. You should rehearse at home by yourself and at your pair sessions before the reading. There will be a required warm-up one hour before the reading.
Attendance: All mentors & mentees must attend both readings. You will be reading at one and supporting your peers at the other.

WHEN ARE THE READINGS?
The Winter Reading is on SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2009, 5-7 PM at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, 64th St @ Central Park West.  Mark your calendars!! Mentors and mentees must arrive no later than 3:30 PM. The Girls Write Now Day Reading is in March 2009--date and location TBA. Mentees and Mentors should invite all family and friends to both readings! This is your chance to share your work and to support the Girls Write Now community.

WHERE CAN WE FIND MORE WRITING IDEAS & EXAMPLES?
See below, check out the Girls Write Now YouTube Channel, or stop by the GWN office to see copies of last year’s reading pieces!

SAMPLES OF LAST YEAR’S PAIR INTROS…. (Full list downloadable below)
*We began these pieces at the Girls Write Now memoir workshop on the theme of Breasts, and in writing them, we realized that despite the decades separating our experiences there was no difference in our feelings.
*Both of us often write stories or poems about women who are lonely and strong. We decided to build off that theme for this project. Clio began by writing a poem about a strong, lonely woman, and Erika continued her poem, building a story around her character and using similar phrases.
*Initially, we decided to create memoirs for the reading connected by a season--winter. But in the end, the pieces that developed were connected by a much richer theme: teenagers taking risks -- both good and bad.
*We pieced together this story from our one page memoir about being authentic, a moment that changed our lives, and the fiction prompt where two characters meet in a setting.  It is a compilation of all the work we have done throughout the season, like a mixed tape of our experiences.
*We wrote the same story from two different points of view, merged them into a single story, and found tremendous satisfaction as two distinct characters blossomed within the confines of one shared storyline.