Teachers & Writers Collaborative
Project curriculum is comprised of writing prompts and exercises with the goal of inspiring and generating creative writing material from students throughout New York City. From this imaginative, diverse, massive, multi-faceted, material—an adapted work will emerge called A Poem as Big as the City.
The vision requires the reader to see the POEM mentioned in the title of the project as a “character” in and of itself.
The POEM will be the main character of the work. It will take on all the varied “characteristics” imagined by the student writers. Students across the boroughs will be able to personalize, represent, envision, and thus create the character of the POEM with their creative writing. The POEM will move, bend, and twist throughout any place in New York City imagined by the writers of the project. It will run into a multitude of adventures and reflections, and will thus be expressive of the young writers’ diverse cultural roots, and assorted interpretations of the New York City experience.
Someone sees the New York City skyline from an aerial view and notices something mysterious—something that is at first indiscernible—yes—it is a poem, a poem wrapping itself around the ins and outs of New York City! How did it get to New York City? Where are all the nooks and crannies that a poem as big as the city could cover? Where would it go? What would it have seen? In what language is it written? Is it written in Arabic on 2,000 scrolls of ancient paper? Or is it scribbled in graffiti on a thousand yellow cabs that stretch from the Bronx to Brooklyn? Is it written in rap lyrics that howl rhythmically throughout Washington Heights?
How big is it in its scope, depth, height, and breadth? What stories did it stop and witness while being created? Does it include notable stops, line breaks, and verses that include student reflections on the city’s bridges, monuments, memories, and big moments in history?
All of these questions are answered and painted with the words and experiences of our wide-range of young writers that hail the city as their home. Suddenly, those that see the colossal poem interweaving and coiling itself throughout the city, notice that the POEM, as big as the city, is coming alive with sound and movement. They are able to experience the sounds, soul, and pulse of the New York City experience via the assorted imaginings of all our young writers—young writers who have created a “character” who is as colorful and varied and adventurous as they are. They have imagined and created A Poem as Big as the City!
A Poem as Big as the City is made possible in part through the support of the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Barnes & Noble.
To make a donation in support of A Poem as Big as the City or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at info@twc.org or 212-691-6590.
To bring A Poem as Big as the City to your organization or school, please contact T&W’s program director at workshops@twc.org or 212-691-6590.