Poetry Posts

The Poetry Posts are in all Lane County Schools. They are posters of poems written by Lane County youth.

Lane ESD and YWA hopes schools will not only prominently post the poetry posters, written by school-aged Lane County poets, but will also have a student, teacher or principal read them over the intercom with their companion adult poem and five questions.

The professional writers who teach the after school workshops for YWA choose a student poem and partner it with a published poem on a similar theme. They add questions students and teachers may choose to ask the poems in order to get to know them a little better.

YWA's elementary school writing mentor is Kelly Terwilliger, a poet and storyteller who inspires and intrigues kids throughout Eugene and beyond. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature and is a published poet and children's writer. One of her stories has been made into a picture book and a second is due to be published soon. Other stories have appeared in Spider Magazine, and her poems have appeared in many literary magazines. She has also recently published a collection of poems, and meets regularly with local poets to work on new ones. Kelly works with YWA's In-School and after school Programs, WILCS, and YES!YEA! Days.

YWA's teen writing mentor for fantasy fiction is Nina Kiriki Hoffman. Nina has sold more than two hundred stories and a number of novels. Her works have been finalists for the Nebula, World Fantasy, Mythopoeic, Sturgeon, and Endeavour awards. A STIR OF BONES, a young adult fantasy novel, made the American Library Association list of books for the teen reader, and the New York Public Library list of books for teens. Nina lives in Oregon and has cats. Nina works with YWA's In-School Programs and Teen Outdoor Writing Camp.

YWA’s creative writing mentor for middle & high school students is Carter McKenzie. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including Chain, Fireweed, Raising Our Voices: an anthology of Oregon poets against the war, and Dona Nobis Pacem: Grant Us Peace. She is the author of Naming Departure, a chapbook of poetry published by Traprock Books. In 2007 she and three other poets co-founded the poetry collective Airlie Press, whose titles include Carter’s Out of Refusal. Carter works with YWA's In-School Programs, Outdoor Teen Camp, and WILCS.

You may submit student work to be considered for Poetry Posts by emailing to:
Enjoy!