Want to share your poetry with New Orleans through the magic of pizza???
The Pizza Poetry Project celebrates National Poetry Month and the power of New Orleans youth voices by publishing poems on pizza boxes on Pizza Poetry Day – this year, on April 29th. The best poems from grade bands 1-3, 4-8, and 9-12th will be selected as Pizza Poet Laureates*. Students will receive a certificate and be celebrated at our Pizza Poetry Party!
To have your poem featured on a pizza box you must:
1. Be between the ages of 6 and 18.
2. Email your poem to pizzapoetry@826neworleans.org by 5pm March 31st. We accept poems typed in the body of the email, or attached as Word or Google docs. No PDFs please.
3. Include your Name, Age, and School. Please also include your poem’s title if there is one. Any poems without a title will be printed with “Untitled.”
4. Attach the consent to print form signed by you, or your parent if you are under 18 years old.
Questions? Email pizzapoetry@826neworleans.org
*Only students who attend Orleans Parish Public Schools are eligible to be selected as Poet Laureates.
I am an Alumni Fellow of Lede New Orleans and the opportunity was posted in one of our monthly emails. I read up on 826 New Orleans and 826 National and became so fascinated, and knew I had no choice but to apply for the position. Luckily, I think I made a great impression.
What are you most excited about as our new Development and Communications Manager?
I am most excited to learn more about 826 as a whole and to get to know the amazing team at 826 New Orleans. I am also excited to see firsthand how some of the amazing work is created by powerful youth!
What was your favorite book as a kid, and why?
The Wonder Worm Wars by Margie Palatini. I’m not exactly sure why it was my favorite, but I do remember how it was hilarious and I would read it over and over and over. I’ve replaced it at least five times since elementary school.
What are you up to outside of your work with us?
Outside of 826 New Orleans, i’m a high school youth leader with YoungLife on the Westbank, and a dog mom to a very energetic one-year-old chihuahua, Dr. Cuba. I also enjoy cooking and baking when I have the time and ingredients.
If you were a ghost for a day, where would you most like to haunt?
If I was a ghost for a day, I would immediately go to haunt all the museums I can to see if there are other ghosts around. Maybe I’ll run into Mona Lisa, a nice Pharoah, or even Van Gogh. I think ghosts can teleport so I could make it happen.
The 826 New Orleans team is excited to welcome and introduce our new Writers’ Room Manager, Lisa O’Neill. Read more about her below!
First & Last Name: Lisa O’Neill Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Job Title: Writers’ Room Manager Hometown: New Orleans
What brought you to 826 New Orleans?
A lifelong love of writing, especially writing in community. I became familiar with the 826 organization while I was living in San Francisco, where it was founded. Since then, I’ve grown to understand the powerful work 826 chapters do to encourage and amplify youth voices. Upon my return home to New Orleans, I was seeking a role where I could use my skills as a writer and educator alongside my passions for storytelling and working with young writers—and here it was, the perfect fit!
What are you most excited for as our new WR Manager?
Having worked with 826 New Orleans on the “Me in this Moment” project in the spring, I’ve gotten the chance to know some of our inspiring young writers, team members, and community collaborators. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn about and from our community of young writers. I’m really excited to discover what has been done with writer rooms in fellow 826 chapters and to dream, vision, and tailor a writers room that will serve the needs of New Orleans students. I’m enthused to come in at the very beginning and be part of co-creating a supportive, creative environment for young people to engage with their imagination, express themselves, and tell their stories.
What was your favorite book as a kid, and why?
I was a voracious reader as a kid and Scholastic book fair days were a dream come true. Two books I remember really sticking with me are Where the Red Fern Grows and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Where the Red Fern Grows is the first book I remember bringing me to tears while I was reading—I had grown so fond of the main character and his dogs and could really feel the connection between them. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry allowed me to see through the perspective of the main character Cassie, who was about the same age as me and living in nearby Mississippi, although in a different era; Cassie and her family were targeted because they were Black and as a White kid, my eyes were opened to many of the harsh realities of racism. As a kid, I deeply appreciated books that felt like they were being real with me about the nature of the world—both the beauty and the hard edges—and I still appreciate books that do this.
What are you up to outside of your work with us?
I love all things words—reading, writing, storytelling of all kinds. My other big love is music. I sing, songwrite, and play guitar, harmonica, and banjo. Harmonizing on front porches is my favorite thing. During the pandemic, I have dispelled the lifelong myth that I can’t grow things and have fallen in love with gardening and taking care of my forest of houseplants.
If you were a ghost for a day, where would you most like to haunt?
I would haunt the river. And when I wanted a change of scenery, I might drop by some of my favorite local bookstores, the Community Book Center and Baldwin & Co, and the Latter library which was the branch I went to every Sunday as a kid.
BIO
Lisa O’Neill is writer and storyteller whose work explores art, culture, politics, social justice issues, and our relationship to place. A native New Orleanian, Lisa returned in 2020 after time spent in the desert where she received her MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Arizona and taught writing in the English Department for a decade.
She has worked as a full-time freelance writer; designed and taught in-person and online community writing workshops; and led writing classes as a teaching artist in K-12 classrooms including inside juvenile detention. Lisa hosts and produces The MATRIARCHITECTS, a podcast which highlights change-makers who are building a culture that respects, values, and celebrates women. Her writing has appeared in Bitch Media, Diagram, defunct, Edible Baja Arizona, Everyday Feminism, The Feminist Wire, GOOD, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, Salon, Shondaland, Talk Poverty, and The Washington Post. Lisa is also a singer/songwriter and loves playing music on porches, witnessing the sky at twilight, and watching the Golden Girls.
This month we are delighted to share an interview with Me In This Moment volunteer, Lisa!
Where are you from?
I was born in Louisville KY and then lived in Illinois, New York, Ohio, Wyoming, Washington, and Texas before moving to New Orleans when I was 27.
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
You know, I am not sure how I found 826. I might have found you on Volunteer Match. I am always looking for a way to work with students. It looked interesting and it turned out to be even better than I expected. A good pandemic volunteer job.
What keeps you coming back?
I love hearing people’s stories. They are beautiful, sad, heartbreaking, funny, uplifting, and sometimes frightening. And I love watching the stories develop and grow. I feel like I know so much about all the writers even though we have only met through words on the internet.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans?
I used to be a geologist and also a technical writer and editor. So, I am a pretty good editor. But, the last part of my career, I was a science teacher. You have to be able to be a good observer as a scientist. And, you need to be able to accurately explain those observations. My studends had to work hard on those skills. So, who knew, turns out that creative writing has a lot in common being a scientist. And I love to read. That is a huge help.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
I live on a mini-farm in Abita Springs and we have dogs, cats, donkeys, chickens bees and gardens. All that keeps me kind of too busy. I sometimes teach classes on textile arts. I am an embroidery nerd. And, when it isn’t raining and or unbearably humid (covers too much time), I like to bike, hike, kayak. I read and cook. I miss my two sons who leave in San Antonio and Los Angeles. Under normal times, I try and visit them as often as I can.
Favorite book/ author?
Oh, that is so hard! I will tell you the book I’ve loved the most that I read lately. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. And, Jane Austen is the author that I can read over and over again. I like many different genres: YA, science fiction, historical fiction, mysteries. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction. Weird for a scientist!
This month we are delighted to share an interview with Me In This Moment volunteer, Laurel!
Where are you from?
Chicagoland.
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
I have been a big fan of 826 New Orleans since the beginning. When I fiI heard about 826 from a Best American Nonrequired Reading book. The organization sounded so incredible—I wished I’d had that when I was a kid (well, I wish I’d liked writing when I was a kid, but that’s a whole other thing). When I heard there was an 826 NOLA, I immediately filled out a volunteer application. I had some free time that I wanted to use on something that mattered, and storytelling really matters.
What keeps you coming back?
I know how transformative writing can be. I fell in love with writing in large part because I was lucky enough to work with so many encouraging writers and instructors. I want that for everyone. Also, 826 New Orleans has the best people always doing amazing projects with the greatest students.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans?
I have a background in Literary Studies, which contrary to popular belief, does occasionally come in handy 🙂
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
Reading, writing, or running.
Favorite book/ author?
My favorite book is usually whatever I’m currently reading. I love Anne Carson, Lydia Davis, and Diane Williams.
The 826 team is excited to welcome and introduce our new Director of Programs, Andrea Fullington. Andrea brings with her a passion for supporting educators and youth, as well as a love of the Goosebumps series (well represented in The Haunting Supply Company). Read more about her below!
First & Last Name: Andrea Fullington Pronouns: She | Her Job Title: Program Director Hometown: All around Southern California
What brought you to 826 New Orleans?
I was looking for a space to work with young people outside of schools, but in a space that still focused on their education and personal growth. When I found 826, I was really excited about the quality of the publications, the ways they have managed to preserve and amplify student voices, and the alignment of our goals and vision for New Orleans’ students. It was a very natural fit.
What are you most excited for as our new Program Director?
I’m excited to see all the programs in action! There are so many ways 826 is doing phenomenal work with young people. I want to make sure that we are getting to as many students as possible in as many schools as possible! Kyley has done a tremendous job with this work, so I’m thrilled to be standing on her shoulders to keep building transformative programs.
What was your favorite book as a kid, and why?
I was (and still am) obsessed with books so I have a few faves! I read a lot of Goosebumps and Fear Street stories as a child. I really loved Go Ask Alice. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was also pretty formative for me. There used to be a series called “Love Stories” in the 90s that was awful and sappy, but teenager me devoured them whole lol.
What are you up to outside of your work with us?
I do a lot of work to support Black educators in the city. I work with other local orgs, and also run a project called Black Teacher Griot that aims to amplify the voices of Black classroom teachers. Other than that, I read, binge entirely too many series, and play fight with my puppy, Luna, a lot.
If you were a ghost for a day, where would you most like to haunt?
My house! I recently became a homeowner and I’m so excited about how I can use this land in service to the New Orleans community. I think it would be really cool to haunt it after I’m not here anymore. OR… I’d go to the future and haunt a flying car! I mean, can you imagine… Every time someone hops in their supersweet flying Tesla to run an errand, there I am, appearing in the passenger seat like, “Where we going, friend?!?” It would be hilarious!
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Andrea is a life-long educator for liberation and a proud community servant. Originally hailing from the sunny shores and deserts of California, she has been in New Orleans since 2015. For over 13 years, she taught Humanities to high school students with stops in Boston, Colorado, and Philly before venturing into the slower pace of the swamp. Her work outside of the classroom focuses on education organizing, supporting Black teachers, and using writing as a tool for personal and collective healing. She is adamant about working with community organizations that tackle social issues and create spaces for marginalized folks, so she’s thrilled to join the team at 826 New Orleans. An avid fan of stories, you can catch her falling into her latest book, overanalyzing binge options, or reworking her Top 5 summertime music and films lists.
This month we are delighted to share an interview with Kimberlee who gave lovely feedback to students for our Me In This Moment project.
Where are you from?
I am originally from Upstate New York and I have bounced around Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ireland. I have lived in New Orleans for the last 12 years, and this is the longest I have stayed put in my entire life!
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
I have been a big fan of 826 New Orleans since the beginning. When I first heard about their youth writing programs and creative publishing projects I knew I needed to learn more. I started reading and sharing books from the 826 New Orleans collection with my kids. We loved the Pizza Poetry Project’s book Is it tasty, does it go to your soul?, the spooky stories collection Something Ain’t Right, and third graders’ advice on overhauling public spaces in Courageous, Eccentric, Diverse: New Monuments for New Orleans. Watching my kids connect with stories from these amazing young writers has been really fun!
What keeps you coming back?
During the pandemic I volunteered to help with the “Me in this Moment” project. Students from across New Orleans wrote about big moments in their lives and I was one of the volunteers behind the scenes cheering on their writing process and sprinkling feedback in the margins. It was a fun and easy way to support young writers throughout this challenging year. I have so much admiration for all the students that shared their stories and I can’t wait to read the published book!
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans?
I have a background in education and I’m used to collaborating with students on research and writing projects. I wrote a lot as a kid and I can still remember how much I anticipated and valued comments and red ink from my teachers. As a volunteer, I do my best to offer up encouragement and constructive feedback to young writers because I know how much it matters.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
I am a scientist who is learning to make more time for writing. This year I published some essays and wrote a chapter for a forthcoming book on teaching and learning through the pandemic. I love spending time with my family, biking around New Orleans, baking, and puttering in my garden.
Favorite book/ author?
One of my favorite reads from this year was Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass about Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. My kids and I also loved Jason Reynold’s Track Series and we’re big fans of Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu!
We’re celebrating the release of seven books and hundreds of young authors!
Writing on The Wall | Something Inside Me | I Heard A Voice Echo |That’s When Time Froze | Don’t Open This Book Unless You Like Joy | Make Plain Paper Beautiful | Unicorns and the Forces of Evil Escape to New Orleans
The Broadside • 600 N. Broad • June 12, 2021 • 10 AM – 12 PM
You MUST reserve tickets to attend. The event is outside, and social distancing will be practiced. You can reserve tickets here.
Make Plain Paper Beautiful is the 2021 Pizza Poetry Anthology. This year released online, it features sweet, funny, and thought-provoking poems written by young people from all over New Orleans. The gorgeous cover was created by MILAGROS.
This month we are delighted to share an interview with Erin who has been incredibly helpful for our In School projects
Where are you from?
I am from New Jersey, the ‘Garden State’.
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
When I taught 4th grade, the students wanted to write about the Zombie Apocalypse. A colleague shared info on ‘Big Class’ (826 New Orleans was called at the time). The students and 826 worked together to publish two books all about haunted real estate and zombies in New Orleans.
What keeps you coming back?
It has become clear how impactful spoken and written words are, I’m encouraged to help bring students’ words to readers. The 826 projects have all been inspiring and incredibly fun. My favorites have been: ‘We the Almighty’, spine poems and collages inspired by the 1619 Project, and the student-friendly curriculum for Unfathomable Cities, A New Orleans Atlas.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans?
I have a deep curiosity for what inspires people and my passion runs deep. I try to take care and show students and groups I work with gentle enthusiasm for thoughts and processes.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
You can find me riding my bike around New Orleans. The city is a museum and I am always on the tour.
Favorite book/ author?
This is a tough one! A few authors who I believe capture feminine psyche and friendship adeptly: Magda Szabó, Elena Ferrante, Kiley Reid, Carmen Machado.
Favorite snack?
I call it a ‘trash snack’, Chicken salad on a pretzel chip.
Favorite thing about New Orleans?
There’s a lot to love about New Orleans and for me, those appreciative feelings are conjured up in moments: a wave from a colorful porch, paddling on the bayou, roaming the dusty Jazz Fest fairgrounds encountering music from all over the world, crawfish, getting drenched in an infamous rainstorm, Indians, steamy, slow summer days with a snowball antidote, Who Dat culture, an anhinga drying its wings on a City Park stump, cypress knees…
There’s truth to the phrase, ‘I know what it means to miss New Orleans.’
