The Cabin Idaho

A Center for Readers & Writers

Summer Writing Camp Poem Sampler, June 2017

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Camps are here and young writers are sweeping the tops of our heads right off with the amazing work they’re sharing with us. Here are two.

MIDNIGHT BIRD
Kaisa
Grade 7, Summer Writing Camps

Birds are freaks of day old night
Their migration a traditional dance
Barefooted arabesques of summer
Their feathers mosaics of grey, iron, and sun.
Eagles are heartbreakers, queens, ninjas
Taking the last apocalypse of tomorrow as
A broken promise, a message, a song
“Listen
you are a black sheep,
your friends are poets.”
Midnight shines with
A perfect, magnetic, musical scream
Everything has thrones,
Has substance, is lonely
The backlash of darkness
Is a diamond.
You are a fool
To believe in glitter
In nothing
In snobs and nerds
In magic and in stone.

 

WHO I AM
by Myra, Grade 3, Summer Writing Camps

I am a golden eagle soaring into the clear sky.
I am a gray wolf sheltered from the rain.
I am a rattlesnake slithering up a vine.
I am a spider monkey swinging from branch to branch.
I am a black cat awake at night.
I am a mouse crawling quietly like the wind.
I am as curious as a fawn.
I am as hardworking as a beaver.
I am as free as a butterfly.
I am the world
as it is lifting me
from the ground.

 

Wildlife Words at the World Center for Birds of Prey

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Science and the humanities share the goal of helping humans understand our place in the natural world. At the World Center for Birds of Prey, learn from scientists about important birds of prey conservation projects and then strike out with your Cabin teaching-writer to transform your new knowledge into wildlife-inspired poems and short stories. Birds of Prey camp will take place this year Tuesday, July 18th through Saturday, July 22nd.

Foci for Student Learning:

  • Engaging with research and scientific ways of understanding the natural world to find inspiration to write creatively
  • Reflective journaling to process nature and science learning
  • Analyze nature/environmental creative texts to learn about craft
  • Writing, thinking, and talking about conservation/environment and the role of writing in encouraging and defining these concepts
  • Learn to use place as more than a backdrop
  • Producing nature and science inspired poems and stories
  • Reflecting on the artist’s role in questions of our natural environment and conservation
  • Responding to what works in one another’s work
  • Offering constructive critique for peer’s work towards revision
  • Revising for publication

Essential Questions Students Will Investigate:

  • What is the role of an artist in communicating honestly about the natural world?
  • How do we bridge arts and sciences? How does writing do that?
  • Can writers work on ideas related to conservation? The natural world?
  • How do we use nature as inspiration?
  • How do we write about physical experience?
  • What is nature?

 

2016 Excerpts from our World Center for Birds of Prey campers

CALIFORNIA CONDORS
Sebastian Wampler
Grade 6, Boise

Their wings like
a redwood tree
as large as a giant
as loud as a
roaring, tumbling waterfall
hooked beak like the
sharpest rock
talons as strong
as diamonds
eyes so strong
they can see for miles
as invulnerable as they might seem
their life is like a twig about to be
stepped on.

 

ROBIN VERSES OWL
Reese Burak
Grade 4, Boise

Oh no! Danger danger danger! It’s . . . it’s . . . it’s an owl. It’s going to eat us and our babies with his sharp talons and beak. Fly over here. Let’s mob that owl. It’s going to eat my babies. It’s going to eat my babies. No, it’s going to eat my babies. I bet you don’t even have a nest. I have a nest. 3-2-1 kill it! Oh no. It got away. Oh no? That’s good.

 

DREAMS OF OWLS
Jane McKeon
Grade 4, Boise

Owls dream about mice scurrying through a field.
Owls dream of attacking birds.
Owls dream of sleeping while day.
Owls dream of winning a Bob dance challenge.
Owls dream of soaring through the sky looking for yummy mice.
Owls dream of having chicks and raising them to be strong and healthy.
Owls dream of all their territory enclosed by chicks hatching.
Sometimes owls dream of evil.
They dream of drinking their wonderful water.
Owls mostly like to dream of other animals.

 

OWL NIGHTMARE
Heron Rohweder
Grade 4, Boise

One night
Flying like a floating cloud
Soaring, then suddenly,
Could it be?
A million mice roaming under me.
They are all so juicy
With flavor galore.
I think I’ll eat some
And save some to store.
Problem coming.
Snowy the messenger:
Letter for me,
And guess what? I had to see
Bob the kestrel flying above me.
He soared down
And said,
“I challenge you to a dance competition.”
“You’re on.”
I wiggled and giggled
Then suddenly I moved my head.
Oh no! Bob won instead.

 

MY DREAM AS A KESTREL
Ginger Wampler
Grade 4, Boise

I woke up this morning, and I was an American kestrel. I was so confused. Where am I? Where are my arms? Where are my legs? I’m in a large room. I can’t understand myself. What am I saying? I go to my brother’s room to see if he is a bird. He is. We both go downstairs. And then go outside. We try flying but we cannot figure out how it works. We finally get it. We are soaring above the ground. It is so amazing. All the flowers and just everything. I realize that people do not know how it feels to have wings. I see something on the ground. It is a mouse. I stay still in the air. I dive . . . and grab it with my talons. It’s dying. Blood is rushing out of it. I land and eat it. Then I wake up. I’m in my bed. And I’m a human.

Meet the Intern – Fall Edition!

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Hi everyone! My name is Lianne and I’ll be joining The Cabin this fall semester as one of the interns. I’m so excited to be working with such a great organization who loves to read and write as much as I do. I was first introduced to The Cabin from an email looking for teaching assistants to volunteer at The Cabin’s Summer Youth Writing Camps. I was really sad after TA-ing my last writing camp group and wanted to do more.

So now I’m here and am very excited to be working with The Cabin again. The first Cabin event I ever went to was when George Saunders lectured at The Egyptian theatre and I absolutely loved it! I thought it was amazing for an organization to spread their love of writing and reading to the public and encourage them to unleash their creativity. This fall, I am looking forward to getting to know The Cabin community more and gain a better insight on how a non-profit works. So far, there is way more to a business than I thought and how much time it takes to organize/stay on top of things.

Outside of The Cabin, I am a full-time student athlete at Boise State University- majoring in English with Teaching Emphasis. I also am a gymnast on the Boise State Gymnastics team where I will be going into my third year. Ultimately, I want to become an Elementary School Teacher. I am from a small town called Shrewsbury in Massachusetts. Most importantly, I hope to gain business skills, experience, and connections after my internship. Hope to see you stop by at the front desk!

Meet the Interns: Part 4!

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Hey there! My name is Alice and I’m joining The Cabin this summer as one of the interns. Though I’m back in Idahome for the summer, I’m actually going to school at Knox College in Illinois, where I’m studying Creative Writing and Linguistics. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, much encouraged by my grandma (a teacher) and her sister (a book-lover working at Powell’s city of books).

My first introduction to The Cabin was by taking one of their writing camps myself when I was younger, which made me fall in love with the place right away. I came back last summer as a teaching assistant for the writing camps, then again this summer as an intern. In the past few years I’ve attended a few events at The Cabin as well as several poetry slams and open mics around the city, but I’ve always just watched and listened. This summer, I vowed to really get involved with the arts, and becoming an intern at The Cabin seemed like a great way to do it. Between the cozy log cabin feel and the energy of various writers buzzing about, I am so excited to see more of what goes on behind the scenes at this small literary arts nonprofit. There’s nothing better than being surrounded by people who share the same love of writing as you.

From all my different experiences at The Cabin, my days here have ranged from writing poems in the rose gardens, to lying on the front lawn listening to a third grader tell me a story, to (anxiously) answering phones and filling out spreadsheets. It’s exciting to be a part of something like this, and it’s always amusing to see how people react when I tell them where I’m working. We have something like that? They ask me. In Boise? It’s so nice to have such a vibrant and growing arts community in the Boise area, and I’m so glad to be involved. Yet, I know this is barely the beginning: it’s only my second day here as an intern, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me.

Alice Intern

Meet the Interns: Part 3!

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Tucked away in the forest, under the canopy of trees, a shelter from the heat of the summer sun welcomes you. Inside, surrounded by the knotted pine and smell of wood, the hustle and bustle of the imagination comes to life. Ideas scurry around your mind like a squirrel gathering inspiration and planting the seeds in your brain, soon to grow into an elaborate story in full bloom. Its fruit tastes of fantastic and magical characters, its leaves the worlds in which they roam, and the roots stretch deep down to your heart. This fun is shared by many and has been making the forest burst with new and exciting tales of heroes and friendship.

Although, the fun has not been shared by everyone, at least not yet. Boredom and laziness like weeds choke out and try to destroy the trees and flowers. Their thorns poke and grab at the mind distracting from the fun with monotonous and repetitious routine. The only way to eradicate this invasion is the power of creativity. This is our call to arms, come help us fight against the dull and mundane. Come and create, bring new life to our world by creating new worlds and characters who can teach and inspire others.

This is what it is like to be a part of the Cabin. It truly is an amazing place for creating and inspiring writers of all ages and bringing them together. My name is Alison Cole and I am a Creative Writing English major at Boise State University on my way out of my senior year and into a future full of hope. With this opportunity to intern at the Cabin I will be able to put my degree, and my passion, to good use and help young writers learn about reading and writing as well as work on my own illustrated children’s book.

I look forward to seeing all of you in the fight against the dull routine of everyday life and creating an alliance with the adventurous and thrilling journey that is writing.

Upcoming Events

Mon 24

The Workshop AM: Poetry Grades 10-12

July 24 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Cabin
Mon 24

Word Play AM 2017 Grades 3-4

July 24 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Cabin
Mon 24

One Acts AM 2017 Grades 5-8

July 24 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Cabin
Mon 24

Songwriter AM 2017 at Boise Rock School Grades 6 and up

July 24 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Boise Rock School

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The Cabin | 801 S Capitol Blvd. Boise, ID 83702 | (208) 331-8000