"You deserved it."

Write a mini-story of at least 300 words that incorporates this quote.  It is due at the end of the period.

April is National Poetry Month

To commemorate National Poetry Month, April 2013, the Raritan Valley Federation of Libraries and the Middlesex Public Library will be sponsoring a Poetry Anthology. Poets whose work is chosen for the Anthology will be invited to read their work at one of the participating library’s Poetry Celebration in April.
Poetry submitted to Middlesex Library will be posted on this website as well.

Participating libraries include:
Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Clarence Dillon Public Library, Dunellen, Franklin Township, Middlesex Public Library, New Brunswick and Raritan Public Library.

Interested persons can call the Reference at 732-356-6602 for more information. The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 15. 
CLICK HERE for the submission form and rules.

Short Story

Start story with: “He/She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled…”

Due at the end of the period on Wednesday. 600 words.

Face - Mr. Kupiec's Class

Your assignment is to go online and find a picture of an adult face that interests you. Study it. Then write a piece, in poetic or narrative form, that describes what experiences have shaped that face. Why does it look the way it does? What has this person gone through? Create a story for the individual and the marks upon their face.
Make sure to copy and paste the link to the picture at the top of your response, as a reference (since you cannot post images into the comment section).
Length - 400 words.
Due - Wednesday

Hint: Search for "portrait," since the word "face" has some issues.

Bucket List

Create a list of all of the things you want to do before you die. No less than 50, but of course there is no maximum number. If you already have a "bucket list," revise it and check off the items you've completed, adding new ones to the list.

Free Write

Please post yesterday's assignment since the blog is now working again. For today, you have a 250 word free write.

"Moving On"

The prompts below are a few suggestions for the theme of "Moving On;" you are free to go off in any direction you like with them. The response will be due at the end of class on Tuesday, and should consists of a minimum of 300 words.

• Look ahead to graduation. How will things change?
• Transition from innocence to "adult life"
• Getting past a previous relationship
• Trying to rise above a negative experience from your past

Past and Present Story

The instructions are to write at least 500 words (between today and tomorrow), starting in the present moment, going back to some moment in the past, and then returning to the present. In this way, both past self and present self are revealed in a very short space. It can be autobiographical or fictional. Due at the end of the period on Friday.

One Syllable Words Story

Write a story of around 100 words using only one-syllable words. Meaningful and powerful writing does not have to contain impressive words; often, writers are too worried about sounding intelligent that they focus too much on "big" words and "big" themes. However, there are times when simple, direct prose has more power.
For example, basic words such as bed, earth, stars, bone, yard, house are all simple words, but they're also rich with emotional potential.

Examples:

The boy sat on the dock and wept.
He cried for the loss of love. A tear in his heart so big it seemed too much to bear.
He glanced up at the fish in the lake and wished to be with them. To be free with them for a few days is all he asked for. To not think about the life he must face. He would not go back to the house. Not back to the home where he knew her. Where her bones would be lain. Not back to the house where his mom had died.


"Dear God," she wrote, "I have been good all my life. I lived in a way I thought you would want. Be it man or beast, I treat all with love. But I ask, is life how it should be? And," she went on, "Why did you leave?" She paused on the next words. "Did you leave me?" she asked in her head, "or did I leave you?" She threw the note and pen to the hard floor and cried. "Who left who? Do I have a soul? Is this life all there is?"
 She feared the truth she knew.

Words, words, words! Breaking the Box

Your assignment is to take the following words, and ONLY the following words, and use the period to create a coherent poem with them. The idea of this assignment is to let your creativity be resourceful enough to overcome incredibly rigid parameters.  It is due at the end of the period.  You can repeat any of the words on the list.

Nymphs
Ceiling
Limousine
Flashed
Leaving
Given
Only
Dedicated
Wish
Swollen
The
If
Night
Cradling
Inspecting
Ferocious
Pardon
Your
Blinds
Then
Faces
And
Dead
Gone
Of
For
With
A
Like
In
To
That
Shadows

Valentine's Day Story

Write a short story with a reference to Valentine's Day in some significant manner. This could be in the form of a love story or an anti-love story, or it could recall any significant events that have taken place on this date, your choice. Due at the end of the period on Friday.
(Mr. Kupiec's Class, the length requirement for the piece is 500 words.  It is due Friday.)

Superhero

"If I were a superhero, I would..."

• You may discuss your powers, your motivation, your backstory or origin
• You may describe a day in the life of you as a superhero
• You may describe if/how you would hide your identity and from who
• You may describe your costume and the reasoning behind it

Due at the end of the period on Monday - 400 words total.