The Festival Experience

After months of planning, hours of preparation, and weeks of promotion, the 2013 Literary Arts Festival proved to be an event that will be remembered and cherished by many. It was my first time volunteering for this event and it may not be my last. I enjoy the concept of the Literary Arts Festival because it gives students and staff a reason to be excited about literature, and it’s an outlet for great creativity. I have to applaud Damaris for winning the award for best short story, which also happened to be her Essay #1 for our class. This made me feel like our Intro To Fiction class was represented well. The festival had some touching moments that had me put many things into perspective. It’s a shame that I can’t remember the names of all those that received special honors, but based on the anecdotes expressed by their fellow workers I realized that it was indeed a labor of love by those who believed in it. .Along with being inspired by hearing all the award winning writers recite their pieces, and being entertained by the lively first performance of the City Tech band, I learned a lot about the history of this festival and those who made it possible for it to exist.I began to see and appreciate the festival for more than it is on the surface, although the surface is indeed very appealing. We had the privilege of hearing from Katie Dellamaggiore who directed the documentary “Brooklyn Castle”, Pobo Efekoro who appears in the film. This was my favorite part of the festival considering that these talents came to be in the same room with college students and faculty in Brooklyn to share their wisdom, stories, and relevant encouragement. There was so much to draw from this night of wonder and showcase of applied talents. Volunteering really made me feel like I became a part of history to have my name documented as a participant. I’m looking forward to being a part of the next one, which I honestly wish was happening tomorrow.

Queen “We Will Rock You” (Literary Arts Festival)

In a night filled with learning, laughter and music the 2013 Literary Arts Festival happened on Thursday April, 18 and it was a night that I will definitely remember for years to come. We got to hear some amazing pieces of literature that really were thought evoking.  I am very proud to say I knew two of the winners one from a previous class and the second is our classes own Damaris to her I would like to say congratulations. Her piece was thoughtful and really is something I would buy for my kindle. It was actually the story we had to re imagine for essay one in class. By far however the night was stolen by our guests of honor the director of “Brooklyn Castle” Katie Dellamaggiore and one of the students featured in the film Pobo Efekoro. We got to hear Ms Dellamaggorie’s thought process as she came across the students and how it rocketed into the wonderful movie/documentary it is today. However really and truly Mr. Efekoro stole the night with his clever innuendos and subtle wordplay he had us all captivated as he spun a tale about struggle and necessities. The realities of stopping and realizing that the little things in life truly mean the most. In his case it was his schools Chess Club a place where he could go and just fit in a place to just be himself. Without realizing it this young man at the tender age of 16 is a leader and mentor to a new generation of students who are now filling shoes he once walked in. He appears to be older than he looks and when he speaks it is with a wisdom that comes with time and experience. I learned so much and was so inspired that I for the entire night I wrote down lines and ideas for writing stories and poems. Inspiration was exuded in abundance from everyone there the atmosphere was lively and the people were amazing. At the end we got to mingle with professors and students, guests and friends just learning from each other and reflecting on what we had just experienced.