Students pen their summer stories for ‘Write in the Middle’

Twenty-eight middle school students were celebrated at the launch of “Write in the Middle, Summer Camp Reflections,” a new book featuring their works. The book is compiled of 58 stories and poems written by the students during the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation’s Write in the Middle Creative Writing Summer Camp.

Sara Wilson, LRJF executive director, welcomed the campers, their families, the camp teachers and presenters, and LRJF board members to the book launch, held at the Pole Barn of the historic Laura (Riding) Jackson cracker style home.

“We have a lot of people who helped make this camp happen, including people who made financial donations to help support it,” said Wilson, referencing grants provided by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and Quail Valley Charities, and camp scholarship donations from individuals.

Wilson also praised their summer intern, Brianna Cimoch, in absentia as she had returned to college at the University of Wisconsin. Wilson said Cimoch assisted with the camps, the editing of the book and, as an unexpected surprise, designed the artwork for the cover.

There were three one-week camps led by Heidi Sutherland, a teacher at Storm Grove Middle School, and Jill Goddard, a teacher at St. Helen’s Catholic School.

Sutherland explained that the students were taken to various places around town and were tasked with writing about their experiences through stories or poetry.

History was brought alive with Elliott Jones taking them to the Brackett Library to view prehistoric animal bones – some of Vero’s earliest settlers; Michael Godown provided insight into family history and genealogy; and Gary Gustin played Civil War-based music on a banjo and told stories about that era.

There were also visits to the Vero Beach Art Club Gallery and the Citrus Museum at the Heritage Center, and volunteers from Indian River Clay taught the campers how to make pinch pots, such as those used by native tribes.

“So it was a variety of different things. It was really cool,” Sutherland said.

After campers chose which of their stories they might like published, Sutherland, Goddard and Cimoch selected the final entries.

Kerrigen Powell, a seventh-grade student at St. Helen’s, said she enjoyed the camp a lot.

“I didn’t like poetry, but then I came here, started writing poetry and I thought it was really nice,” said Powell.

She noted that she had previously written some stories after not liking the endings of some of the television shows she’d watched. “So I went and wrote another ending, or I wrote a continuation on a bunch of different shows,” said Powell.

The campers all went home with a copy of the new book, and the pottery they created.

“And you’re getting a pen and a pencil. Because of course, we’re writers, so you have to have those things. I want you to know there’s another reason you need the pen. A lot of times when authors have what this is, a book launch party, that’s a pretty big deal,” said Wilson.

She explained that they were each given a pen so that people could get their autograph, and that the pencil was special as well.

“It has a seed where the eraser goes, so you’ll be able to plant it and have a flower or a plant to remember the camp.”

Wilson said that while the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation currently has seven writing groups, they are all for adults. There are also workshops for teens.

“But usually for middle school students, we only have the summer camp. We’re interested to see if there’s enough middle schoolers who are interested in a writing group,” said Wilson.

Wilson said that any students, or adults for that matter, interested in joining or creating a writing group should get in touch with her.

For more information, visit LauraRidingJackson.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis