Min Jung Son, Love Me Not, Grade 12, Age 19
Gold Medal, American Visions Award, 2013

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of this special day we would like to share some poems from past Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners. We hope you enjoy these beautiful words and find the inspiration to write your own poem today!

Letter from Orfeo to his Lover. Guisa, Cuba. 1959.

They say the snake has eyes of glass,
that trees of royal ebony shudder to life and hum
morbid tales, but I know better. I know the serpent’s
fangs. I know that black bark breaks under bullets
when compañeros (Borrachos, sin vergüenza) stoop
under boredom. I know the sap-stained edge
of the machete’s blade. I know the stench of mud,
bubbling beneath boots, when we sink and steep
in it after the crazed chirping of máquina guns
and the tremulous roars of bombas break the air.
The revolution rattles on and drags my scarred limbs with it. Read More

Tisha Antique. Science of Love. Grade 12, Age 17. 2012 Gold Medal. Tisha’s drawing portrays the thoughts of a person who is trying to find the logic in love. Through her art, she wants to remind everyone to cherish the intangible, and to just go with it! Listen to Tisha discuss her work here.

Happy Valentine’s Day! February’s Writing of the Month comes from Jordan Myers, Age 18, of Alexandria, VA. Jordan admits to being a science geek and tries to make sense of love in his Gold Medal-winning Humor piece by developing a theory to explain the dating process. Learn about his journey below and listen to him discuss his work here!

Abstract
Dating is confusing to those unfamiliar with its rules and regulations. The strange signals that are used by both sides, the inevitable miscommunications that occur, and the discouraging awkwardness that permeates the environment, all conspire to make this vital component of life so difficult to obtain. It appears that each gender has a dissimilar set of standards and perceptions in which they operate, which only serve to maximize confusion. Read More

Michelle Kwak. Love Stoned Flow. Grade 12, Age 17. 2011 Gold Medal, Mixed Media.

Today, in recognition of Valentine’s Day, we’re featuring a few love-themed poems from last year’s National Award winners to make your hearts melt!
Enjoy!

.

Mason Jars
Sophia Dillon, Age 15
2011 Gold Medalist

Peggy collects beautiful things in mason jars
like crow claws and relief and
a ringlet of her neighbor’s hair.
She hoards them under her bunk bed,
stuffed back behind the folds of her duvet.

Read More