Left of Write is hitting the road running with its first workshop schedule this summer, and is proud to be a part of the Summer Youth Camp at the Balaji Temple of Greater Chicago, in Aurora, IL. For more information, shoot me an e-mail at rao.ranjini@yahoo.com and I will be happy to answer your questions.
Arun Toke of Skipping Stones is collaborating with me on a special incentive. He has kindly agreed to review the products of the workshop for possible publishing in his highly acclaimed magazine. “Skipping Stones” is an award-winning children’s resource in multicultural education.
Watch this space for new announcements and schedules!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Left of Write
FunHonee is proud to present Left of Write - creative writing workshops for children in America that aim to foster a healthy awareness on writing as a career by breaking ethnological barriers, and to enable these little voices to be heard loud and clear amid the din of budding multicultural talent the world over.
Left of Write - Snapshots
Stories, where do they start?
Perhaps at the beginning where something was lost, or found!
Stories, where do they end?
In a place that was never discovered, or a nook exclusive to us!
What’s the lure of a story?
It could be a secret that was never told or a tale that must be shared a thousand times over.
Who should be the teller?
A voice from within me, or someone I met ages ago.
Who can join us on this adventure, spinning the wheel of tales?
People from all around - such as the next-door neighbor or the street vagabond, friends or a smart dog, our parents or an uncle almost unheard of, the stranger spotted in the schoolyard, or the girl who helped us all!
What could our stories be about?
About this and that - like issues that bother us or humor that paints our walls, about the mundane or the gross, the puzzles that disturb us or a family lore, about the lack of adventure or the pursuit of a dream, about absolutely anything that is interesting and must be told.
The Workshop:
1) Getting started - giving form and meaning to ideas, emotions, personal experiences, “cultural/ regional” words that resonate with you, your family and friends.
2) Beginning, Middle, End - Outline, Theme, Plot, Problems, Solutions.
3) Dialogues, appearance, disposition - of characters.
4) Solidifying, fine-tuning.
Left of Write invites children (ages five - fifteen) to contribute tales of imagination or anecdotes from real life using some basic support to help put their ideas down on paper.
About Me
I'm a communications professional with over nine years of rich experience writing and editing copy, web content, children’s stories, journalistic features, producing innovative ad campaigns, managing client relationships, and reinforcing media relations activities, in the traditional and online media, advertising, and not-for-profit markets.
In my writing career, I have covered a range of topics over the years, from culture, and children’s literature, to current affairs, and my newfound passions are humor, and expatriate life. Several of my writings can be read in Deccan Herald (a Bangalore newsdaily), The Hindu (India’s national newspaper), and my on-going column, “Chicago Blues,” in the North American edition of the Indian Express.
When I'm not writing my columns, or taking up new freelance projects, I am playing with my toddler, dabbling in arts, experimenting with bakes, and looking for new stories. I have a children’s book in the making and am looking eagerly forward to its receptiveness in the SouthAsian-American readership.
Left of Write - Snapshots
Stories, where do they start?
Perhaps at the beginning where something was lost, or found!
Stories, where do they end?
In a place that was never discovered, or a nook exclusive to us!
What’s the lure of a story?
It could be a secret that was never told or a tale that must be shared a thousand times over.
Who should be the teller?
A voice from within me, or someone I met ages ago.
Who can join us on this adventure, spinning the wheel of tales?
People from all around - such as the next-door neighbor or the street vagabond, friends or a smart dog, our parents or an uncle almost unheard of, the stranger spotted in the schoolyard, or the girl who helped us all!
What could our stories be about?
About this and that - like issues that bother us or humor that paints our walls, about the mundane or the gross, the puzzles that disturb us or a family lore, about the lack of adventure or the pursuit of a dream, about absolutely anything that is interesting and must be told.
The Workshop:
1) Getting started - giving form and meaning to ideas, emotions, personal experiences, “cultural/ regional” words that resonate with you, your family and friends.
2) Beginning, Middle, End - Outline, Theme, Plot, Problems, Solutions.
3) Dialogues, appearance, disposition - of characters.
4) Solidifying, fine-tuning.
Left of Write invites children (ages five - fifteen) to contribute tales of imagination or anecdotes from real life using some basic support to help put their ideas down on paper.
About Me
I'm a communications professional with over nine years of rich experience writing and editing copy, web content, children’s stories, journalistic features, producing innovative ad campaigns, managing client relationships, and reinforcing media relations activities, in the traditional and online media, advertising, and not-for-profit markets.
In my writing career, I have covered a range of topics over the years, from culture, and children’s literature, to current affairs, and my newfound passions are humor, and expatriate life. Several of my writings can be read in Deccan Herald (a Bangalore newsdaily), The Hindu (India’s national newspaper), and my on-going column, “Chicago Blues,” in the North American edition of the Indian Express.
When I'm not writing my columns, or taking up new freelance projects, I am playing with my toddler, dabbling in arts, experimenting with bakes, and looking for new stories. I have a children’s book in the making and am looking eagerly forward to its receptiveness in the SouthAsian-American readership.
Welcome to FunHonee!
The Buzz
In a world where Potter Mania rules the roost, and the ancient art of story telling is deliberately folded into the depths of standardized categories - ancient folklore, or mythology - children across borders are left with little to no choice to make a connect with their rich ethnological heritage. While contemporary literature is slowly and steadily snaking its way through the din of multiculturalism, there are many voices that go unheard, either for the sheer lack of hegemony, support, or conduits; or for the simple reason that many of these writings are typically formulated to ape the much-hyped Western fantasy-fiction genre, or a little too goody or sterilized for the real-world thirst of these young minds.
That’s where we come in. FunHonee is a literary and creative initiative for children that hopes to break multicultural barriers. While we’re still taking our baby steps, and exploring parts of the United States in our current endeavors, we hope to make this a global drive as we move on.
This initiative has primarily been established with the idea to encourage children to bond across borders and build sensitivity and awareness by sharing literature from all over the world, reviewing multicultural stories that they enjoyed and can relate to, and writing effectively from within the precincts of their culture.
Special thanks to:
Shalini Pattabiraman, of Learning Initiatives, and The Talking Gallery, for her invaluable counsel and support in conceptualizing this initiative.
Arun Toke, of Skipping Stones, for his cordial approbation of FunHonee's programs.
In a world where Potter Mania rules the roost, and the ancient art of story telling is deliberately folded into the depths of standardized categories - ancient folklore, or mythology - children across borders are left with little to no choice to make a connect with their rich ethnological heritage. While contemporary literature is slowly and steadily snaking its way through the din of multiculturalism, there are many voices that go unheard, either for the sheer lack of hegemony, support, or conduits; or for the simple reason that many of these writings are typically formulated to ape the much-hyped Western fantasy-fiction genre, or a little too goody or sterilized for the real-world thirst of these young minds.
That’s where we come in. FunHonee is a literary and creative initiative for children that hopes to break multicultural barriers. While we’re still taking our baby steps, and exploring parts of the United States in our current endeavors, we hope to make this a global drive as we move on.
This initiative has primarily been established with the idea to encourage children to bond across borders and build sensitivity and awareness by sharing literature from all over the world, reviewing multicultural stories that they enjoyed and can relate to, and writing effectively from within the precincts of their culture.
Special thanks to:
Shalini Pattabiraman, of Learning Initiatives, and The Talking Gallery, for her invaluable counsel and support in conceptualizing this initiative.
Arun Toke, of Skipping Stones, for his cordial approbation of FunHonee's programs.
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