Where Am I? Sitka Story Lab Student Anthology
The Island Institute's Sitka Story Lab program released this new book of Southeast Alaskan student writing in May 2016. Called Where Am I?: Stories of Strange Landscapes, Wrong Turns, and New Worlds, the anthology features fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and zany creative experiments that convey the disorientation and the discovery that young people experience, from being in the wilderness to simply growing up. The young writers come from Sitka, Hoonah, Haines, Wrangell, and Skagway, and are as young as nine years old and as old as eighteen. "The writing ranges from fantastic and playful to emotionally moving and dark," said Story Lab Coordinator Sarah Swong. "I'm impressed at how creative and varied these writings are, and at how open students were to feedback and improving their work." The project offered students the chance to write a piece for publication and to hone their writing with an editor.
The Island Institute's Sitka Story Lab program released this new book of Southeast Alaskan student writing in May 2016.
Called Where Am I?: Stories of Strange Landscapes, Wrong Turns, and New Worlds, the anthology features fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and zany creative experiments that convey the disorientation and the discovery that young people experience, from being in the wilderness to simply growing up. The young writers come from Sitka, Hoonah, Haines, Wrangell, and Skagway, and are as young as nine years old and as old as eighteen.
"The writing ranges from fantastic and playful to emotionally moving and dark," said Story Lab Coordinator Sarah Swong. "I'm impressed at how creative and varied these writings are, and at how open students were to feedback and improving their work."
The project offered students the chance to write a piece for publication and to hone their writing with an editor.
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HANNAH THOMAS<br />
some shred of dignity.<br />
I had to take one more look. And then I spotted a glint. My sword!<br />
It lay on the ground, below the beast hurtling up towards me. I<br />
backed up to the edge, and I jumped, latching onto Mardon’s armor<br />
and ripping him off the wall. We tumbled, and when we landed my<br />
breath was gone and my body was shaken through, but I was still<br />
alive.<br />
When I realized I was lying on top of Mardon, I tried to run. But<br />
he grabbed my tail.. I scrambled and scraped and bit down as hard<br />
as I could, but every time I managed to break free his monstrous<br />
paw would be back restraining me.<br />
“Give up, Martin. You don’t have it in you,” he rose, placed his<br />
lower paw on my chest, “You’re a cowering wimp, pathetic. You’re<br />
just like your father.” He was trying to rile me up, but I knew better.<br />
My father was an honorable mouse; brave to the last second.<br />
“Let’s hope so.” I wrapped my tail around his leg and pulled back.<br />
He flew into the air and I rolled out just in time. I galloped to my<br />
sword and latched onto the handle. He ran at me like a crazed<br />
animal – eye glowing white, foam dripping from the corners of his<br />
mouth, and a snarl like the devil himself.<br />
I waited until he was close enough to smell. Then I swung up the<br />
sword, which caught the chain of his necklace and ripped it off.<br />
The pendant went flying into the air, and I reached to catch it. . My<br />
enemy was stunned, shaking his head.<br />
“How did you fool me? I should have seen the second part of your<br />
plan.” He seemed groggy from being separated from the pendant<br />
after so long.<br />
“I didn’t have a second part. Sometimes the best plan is to just wing<br />
Southeast Alaska <strong>Student</strong> <strong>Anthology</strong><br />
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