Writers in the Schools + the Menil Collection 2 WRITING at the MENIL

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WRITING AT THE MENIL writers in the schools + the menil collection 2 WRITING AT THE MENIL

Writing at the Menil is a 26-year collaboration between Writers in the Schools (WITS) and the Menil Collection. What began as the singular vision of Mrs. Dominique de Menil in 1989 has blossomed into a nationally-acclaimed, innovative use of art to inspire creative writing.

Both institutions approach art in a similar manner: personally, intuitively, and spiritually. The Menil opens its door freely and beckons its visitors to come in and engage with the art. There are no explanatory placards on the walls or audio tours. There are no quotations from the artist or commentary from a renowned curator to push you to look at a particular art work in a particular Copyright © 2015 Writers in the Schools (WITS). All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of way. Instead you enjoy the freedom of movement and revel in the this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, sanctity of your own thoughts. In a similar way, WITS approaches mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. Writers in the Schools, the art of writing as a personal journey. Students are asked to tell 1523 West Main Street, Houston, Texas 77006. their own stories and create personal connections to the art. WITS writers serve as year-long guides for these young people as they sojourn through the writing process. A visit to the Menil Collection witshouston.org remains the most inspired stop on their travels. TABLE OF CONTENTS The Perfect View, Caleb ...... 8 Colors, Crawford ...... 8 At the Menil, Jacob ...... 1 Ode to a Book, Layla ...... 8 Infinity, Mari ...... 3 Where I’m From, Audrey ...... 9 The Rusty Statue, Bryant ...... 3 Poesía de arte | Poetry of Art, Brithany ...... 10 Black, Kennedy ...... 3 Dark Meadow, Michelle ...... 11 Mi alma | My Soul, Raul ...... 4 Wishes, Maya ...... 12 The Picture Speaks for Itself, Hamza ...... 5 Gold, Jack ...... 13 The Picasso Experiment, Dejaree ...... 6 Friendly Picture, Clara ...... 13 We are Built Gray, Atticus ...... 7 Tree of Knowledge, Nicholas ...... 14 Suddenly in front of me was a piece of bread. I jumped up and snagged the white bite. It was soggy and lumpy as it stuck to my giant tooth. Zing! I was pulled out of the water, hooked to a fishing line. The line carried me to the shore. My heart pounded against my chest. Out of water, I couldn’t breathe! I flopped on the ground gasping for air. In my head, I am a boy, but my body is a fish. Who would have thought? “I caught a fish or something,” said the little girl. It was my sister, Grace. She pulled me in and yanked the hook out of my mouth. “Hi, it’s me!” I said. She dropped me real quick. “Ouch! That hurt!” She looked at me flopping on the ground. “Put me back in the water, Grace!” She picked me up and tossed me into the pond. Boy, I said to myself. I can breathe now! At the Menil I was relieved to be back in the murky green pond. I looked up and saw Grace towering over me. She had a funny look on her face. I am not going to tell you this one. Suddenly a hand from out of the sky reached into the water. Oh no! Here we go All right, fine. I’ll tell you. It all started at the Menil. I walked into the third room, again. although I’d been warned not to. But what you need to know is, when you tell me The hand grabbed me, but I slipped away. It slammed through the water, and this not to do something, I have to do it. time I was hoisted out. So, yes, I walked into the room. Walking closer to the paintings, I felt a tingling sen- I felt that tingling sensation again. My fins became hands! I was back to my old sation in-side. Suddenly I was sucked in! self! I had fallen into a murky green pond. I didn’t feel the same: I was a fish! I could My rescuer? The guard at the Menil, who didn’t seem at all surprised by my trans- breathe underwater. I flapped my fins. My skin was gray with an orange spot. I am formation. I guess this is an everyday thing. not really sure how I got the orange spot, let alone became a fish with a snaggle “Go catch your bus before it leaves,” he said, winking. tooth hanging over my front lip. I wonder what will happen next time I go to the Menil? I was funny looking! I had one problem: I was tiny and a tasty snack for a frog. I heard frogs croaking above me so I headed down stream. I wanted lunch, but I didn’t want to be someone’s snack. by Jacob, 3rd grade

1 2 The Rusty Statue I SAW MY SOUL Anger is a rusty statue WHEN I WAS IN A in a high traffic area You’re so stressed the business the people all around Black MUSEUM CALLED the tension all the difficulties I hear tap shoes it makes you want to run dancing in the wind. Mi alma MENIL. and scream And a black crayon scribbling away. Infinity but you can’t; you’re stuck But something else that is Mi alma es como un doble corazón que siempre está despierto por la noche, dropping a light. And durante el día mi alma se ve como una roca. I come from infinity. black dogs and cats Mi alma se siente suave como un rico plátano. I feel confused around infinity, The crowds surround you the frustration builds pawing and scratching away. Mi alma sabe como una sonrisa pegada a un dulce. but when I’m around infinity, I hear fish swimming Mi alma se escucha como una bebé llorando gua, gua, gua. I feel it’s like lions and there you stand a smile frozen away in the deep Yo vi a mi alma cuando estaba en un museo que se llama Menil growling at me. of sea-midnight. allí vi un cuadro todo negro, pero al observar bien, pude ver una sonrisa. The light traps me with it. on your metal face I hear hair bows The way it takes me, as the brown rot unraveling themselves. I get a shiver down my spine. begins to show And the black clasping My Soul The light bounces off the mirrors of bad luck. And nail polish and blinds you. falling and shattering. My soul is like a double heart always awake at night, during the day it looks like a rock. While it spins, by Bryant, 7th grade And old fashioned movies My soul feels soft like a rich banana. time passes. replaced by color. Black My soul tastes like a smile glue to a candy. It will not return, is a lonely and sad color My soul sounds like a baby crying gua, gua, gua. it’s the end. of the past. I saw my soul when I was in a museum called Menil, there I saw a painting all black, but when I observed it better, I could see a smile. by Mari, 3rd grade by Kennedy, 3rd grade by Raul, 4th grade

3 4 The Picture Speaks for Itself The Picasso Experiment The things that have happened Her eyes look like blue dots Where I was where I stood where I ate The background is yellow and white They have changed from fire to blood She seems happy To crying moms in the street to yelling children for their lost Sitting in her chair, she imagines a possible solution Brother or sister to a girl who went searching in the rubble Her face is made of colorful numbers Of her bombed house for anything In the background, I see a blue ocean, an easy painting To schools overfilling with people and disease Her mouth looks like scissors Where the rebellion your poison-filled media calls a terrorist just want their Her hair is delicate people to have freedom The green dress makes me think of water Why was this constitution written for freedom but whose freedom Her purple hands hold a green leaf, an onion Everyone that’s not white for everyone but Muslims The flower reminds me of my arm Not in my name will you kill my people with our taxes She stands on a giant potato Help your own people that need the money The woman looks at me strangely Not an act of terrorism you call self defense I think she wants to dance The Palestinians are driving what we call Her body moves like the river A struggle bus but what they call an average day She quietly rests in the living room So let’s redefine freedom and self defense The woman has a long black hair And help the people whose loved ones died I can see her cry They were innocent, they painted a picture She enjoys baking pies With their own blood When she wakes up, she will write a poem A picture of what their own future could have been Her thoughts make her tired I would write more but their picture I believe she is an artist Speaks for itself If I was a painter, I would paint her. If you can’t see it, It says help by Dejaree, 7th grade by Hamza, 10th grade

5 6 We are Built Gray Colors We are built gray today. Gray as the night sky. Orange is as serious as Many hard times face your dreams. But keep being stuck on an island with no tools. moving forward, don’t let your spirit down. Peach is as royal as a queen Times may face you when you want to give protected by a guard in a castle. up. You feel like you’re in a cell. But Pink is new like a new road that is clean. Ode to a Book keep your spirit high, never let it down. Green is as ugly as an ogre or a witch Move ahead, accomplish your dreams come that has scum under his toes. Book, you are so special. true. You may be the loneliest person, but keep your spirit high. Indigo is as scary as You are old like my For a journey, climb the highest mountain. a nightmare with monsters. precious grandmother. Go till the edge. Listen for The Perfect View Violet is as fierce as a boxer You have been used so much birds at sunset. At your hardest times, nature who is playing in the championship. that you’re almost falling apart. will guide you. Start your dream that The sky Red is as embarrassing as Book, I see you in the library you want. Open yourself wide to earth. Gray a kid who did something wrong standing strong. But not too much so and everyone is laughing. When I open you, flip, flip, flip by Atticus, 2nd grade ‘Tis not gloomy but relaxed as my imagination turns on. The wind by Crawford, 3rd grade As I open you, Light your smell is like a piney wood day. For I feel it’s softly tugging at my paper Your fragrance reminds me of But even if I let it go the paper wouldn’t my grandmother’s perfume. Move far. When I touch you, The sun’s light shines dimly you are as smooth as the wind Through the clouds on a hot day. The deep green grass catches Your pages are crisp and worn out. My eye with its simple beauty. You make my imagination come alive Just the perfect view. and I see pictures in my mind. by Caleb, 7th grade by Layla, 4th grade

7 8 Where I’m From I am from paint brushes, from paint and canvases. I am from the bright green grass. I am from the roses of silk, the bushes of thorns. I am from Chinese New Year and the artistic, from Emilie and Kim and Otto. I am from the talkative and weird. From “Interesting” and “Grow up.” I am from hymnals and Bibles. I’m from China, rice from the fields and ducks in the pond. From the silly, the weird, and the short. I am from books and albums in boxes which hold memories so clear that are special Poesía de arte Poetry of Art for my family and for all who are here. No hay nada como dibujar porque puedes There is nothing like drawing because you can crear cosas que nadie haya visto create things that no one has seen by Audrey, 5th grade porque uno se olvida de lo malo because one forgets the bad y puedes hacer a la gente feliz. and you can make people happy. Siento el sonido de los colores y la pintura deslizandose. I feel the sound of the colors and the paint slipping. El marcador alineando el dibujo The marker aligning the drawing I am from the me recuerda el día que mi mamá tomó una revista reminds me of the day my mom took a magazine y la cortó en pedazos. and cut it into pieces. Hoy me gustaría hacer dibujos de animales, flores, Today I would like to make drawings of animals, flowers, roses of silk, the ríos, parques, caballos y cosas nuevas. rivers, parks, horses, and new things. Imagino que cuando sea grande voy a ser una pintora perfecta. I imagine that when I grow up, I will be a perfect painter. Mis manos me ayudan a copiar mi sombra; My hands help me copy my shadow; después regalo los dibujos a las personas; afterwards, I give my drawings to the people; bushes of thorns. las flores se las doy a mi mamá. the flowers to my mom. by Brithany, 4th grade

9 10 Dark Meadow She was in the dark meadow. She saw a beautiful big brown wolf with shiny, silky fur. She saw its shining brown eyes as they twinkled in the moonlight. She neared it from the corner of the beautiful meadow it was in. She saw its eyes full of worry when she neared it by thee second. She sat across from the beautiful yet sacred creature. She closed her eyes for a moment. Seconds later she felt a presence and warm breath in her face. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the creature, curiosity full in its big brown eyes. The wind blew through her, whispering a name. Wishes I wish we had WITS every Friday. by Michelle, 8th grade I wish Spanish was every Thursday. I wish we had Vietnamese class every Wednesday. I wish I had infinity dollars in my bank account. I wish I had a credit card with unlimited money on it. I wish there was a pool as big as the ocean which means it has no beginning and no middle. I wish everyone followed all the signs, even the sign that said, “Eat Your Hat,” or “Knock Heads,” or “Go Three Spaces Back.” I wish everyone has a happily ever after. by Maya, 2nd grade

11 12 Gold Tree of Knowledge Gold shines like the sun and shimmers like water. Gold pops like popcorn and slithers like waves. Gold flows like lava and seeps like blood. Gold skitters like the slick black legs of a miniscule spider lurking in the shadows and gold wriggles like a worm. Gold flashes like lightning and rumbles like thunder. Fear is a rope on a branch Gold unfolds like the answer to a riddle. Slavery is a bird in a cage Knowledge is a leaf on a tree by Jack, 4th grade Power is a flood in the desert Knowledge is the leaf on a branch. Each leaf contains something important to know. A thirteen year old tree with 10 branches and 800 leaves. The roots collect what we are learning and stores them in leaves as memories. Friendly Picture When you forget your knowledge, leaves turn brown and fall to the ground. While I was not looking, I fell into a picture. It was full of arrows, blotches, and swirls coming for me. If you learn more, leaves grow and turn green. But they were very friendly. They were looking for a new leader, and they picked me. The swirls were The color is bright like a star. like music. The arrows were like birds tweeting. The blotches were like music notes. It was like a music band. I was the boss of the music. I heard the blotches telling everyone what notes to do. The arrows were driving the space alien ship. The arrows shot me out of the picture. by Nicholas, 7th grade by Clara, 2nd grade

13 14 WITS Schools + pARTNERS IKEA ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS KASHMERE GARDENS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATTUCKS MIDDLE SCHOOL KETELSEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THANK YOU AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL KIPP LIBERATION The Menil Collection BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL KIPP SHARPSTOWN Josef Helfenstein, Director of the Menil Collection BENAVIDEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LAURA INGALLS WILDER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Karl Kilian, Director of Public Programs BRIARGROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOOSCAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Jean Ellis, Chief Advancement Officer BROWNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LYONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Menil Collection Staff and Museum Guards BRUCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MARSHALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CARVER HIGH SCHOOL MEADOW WOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITS Generous Supporters CLIFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL MECA HOUSTON HOUSTON ENDOWMENT INC. THE JOE BARNHART FOUNDATION CONDIT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OAK FOREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOUTH SPEAKS BRIGHT SKY PRESS CRISTO REY JELEMENTARY SCHOOL UIT COLLEGE POE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THE BROWN FOUNDATION, INC. ALBERT AND ETHEL HERZSTEIN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION CULLEN MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL OF HOUSTON THE MENIL COLLECTION EDWARD AND HELEN OPPENHEIMER FOUNDATION DEADY MIDDLE SCHOOL REVERE MIDDLE SCHOOL NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS THE PERIWINKLE FOUNDATION DISCOVERY GREEN PARK RIZZUTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE KINDER MORGAN FOUNDATION DUCHESNE ACADEMY SAINT ANNE CATHOLIC SCHOOL COPY.COM LESLIE AND SHANNON SASSER FAMILY FUND EASTWOOD ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL SAINT LAURENCE CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHELL STELLUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC FALCON PASS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SAINT MICHAEL CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS WELLS FARGO FIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCIETY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS THE SIMMONS FOUNDATION BP FOUNDATION, INC. FONVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KROGER IKEA GARDEN OAKS MONTESORI SCHOOL ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL THE POWELL FOUNDATION KPFT GRADY MIDDLE SCHOOL T. H. ROGERS SCHOOL THE CLAYTON FUND, INC. KUHF HOUSTON PUBLIC RADIO HAMILTON MIDDLE SCHOOL THE REGIS SCHOOL BBVA COMPASS EXXONMOBIL FOUNDATION HARMONY SCHOOL OF SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL TRAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GEORGE AND MARY JOSEPHINE HAMMAN FOUNDATION DISCOVERY GREEN WITH SUPPORT FROM THE SALNERS FOUNDATION HOUSTON GRAND OPERA VERITAS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY H-E-B TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS THE ROBERT & PEARL WALLIS KNOX FOUNDATION HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WHARTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRAVELERS FOUNDATION MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING THROUGH THE ARTS HUNTERS CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOUNG AUDIENCES OF HOUSTON

There is nothing like drawing because you can create things that no one has seen. by Brithany, 4th grade

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