Writers’ Day: Authors, Awards, and a New HIE

Each spring, NCS brings authors to the campus to discuss the craft of writing, and also honors student writing in a special assembly. Writers’ Day 2014, held Tuesday, April 22, was capped by the release of the latest edition of the student literary magazine, Half in Earnest (HIE).

Authors Share Insights about their Craft
In the morning, students heard readings and presentations by three notable authors: Jennifer Miller, A. X. Ahmad, and E. Lockhart

Miller, author of the much-acclaimed novel, The Year of the Gadfly, spoke about how her experience as a journalist helps her work in fiction.   “Journalism forces you to go out in the world, and to put yourself in environments you wouldn’t otherwise be in,” she said. She also noted that journalism has helped her write concisely and to create realistic dialogue.

Ahmad, who was an architect before becoming a writer of mysteries, compared writer’s block to the experience of being lost. “Now I’m used to being lost, disoriented, frustrated. And then suddenly a solution comes…you have to have the confidence and understanding that you can get lost, and you can get back to civilization, when you’re writing.” Ahmad also compared writing to carpentry, where a piece may start rough, then be shaped and refined.

Lockhart spoke about finding the sources of writing in the things that anger or preoccupy you: “if you are writing something, it needs a driving force behind it.” She traced how her own high school experience at two radically different schools has provided fuel for her own books, such as The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, which NCS 7th-grade students read this year.

Awards Announced at the 2014 Writers’ Day Assembly, April 22, 2014

In the afternoon, NCS Middle and Upper School students attended the traditional Writers’ Day Assembly, where student literary awards were announced and the newest issue of HIE was unveiled. The cover and interior graphics of HIE 2014 reflect the senior class theme: Timeless.

Tuckerman Prize (Middle School)
Mallory Moore ‘18
 
Hyde Prize (Upper School)
Winners: Sigrid Johannes ’14 and Lily McGrail ‘17
Finalists: Olivia Jia ’15, Abby Weymouth ’16, Michelle Zhu ’17
 
Writers’ Prizes
Middle School: Eliza Costello ‘18
Grade 9: Alexa Perlmutter ‘17
Grade 10: Carla Griffiths ‘16
Grade 11: Mia Scala ‘15
Grade 12: Alexa McMahon ’05 Writers’ Day Award: Sigrid Johannes ‘14
 
Other Honors and Awards
 
Koch Fellows: Maddie Cross ’15 and  Talley Snow ‘15
 
McMahon Fellow: Celeste Pallone ‘15
 
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Nominee: Semira Brown ‘15
 
National Society of Arts and Letters Certificate for Literature: Olivia Jia ‘15
 
National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: Honorable Mention for Ayleen Cameron ’19 for her portfolio of poems.
 
Parkmont Poetry Festival: Winner: Jaquelin “Jackie” Weymouth ‘17 for “GROANups”
 
Letters about Literature sponsored by the Library of Congress: Diane Hla ’16, DC first place winner for age group for second year in a row.   (Note: all of the Letters about Literature honorees will be mentioned in a separate article.)
 
Editorial Staff of Half in Earnest (HIE) 2014:
 
Editors in Chief
Louise DiMarco ‘14
Annie Graham ‘14
 
Copy Editor
Priya Millward ‘15
 
Contributing Editors
Elizabeth Wiggins ‘16
Molly Cox ‘15
Maddie Cross ’15
Caroline Gibson ‘16
Amelia Hannes ‘15
Raphaelle Hupez ‘17
Olivia Jia ‘15
Claire Keller ‘15
Caroline Lempres ‘14
Ally Lorico ‘17
Julia Messick ‘16
Maeve Murphy ‘17
Kelsi Okun ‘16
Jennifer Owens ‘16
Celeste Pallone ‘15
Tessa Porter ‘16
Sophia Robinson ‘16
Astrid Westfelt ‘16
 
Middle School Editors
Micaela Leroux Burch ‘18
Anna May Mott ‘18
Phoebe Suh ‘18
Inna Tinchev ‘18
 
Faculty Sponsors
Page Contreras-Gould
Geoffrey Schramm
Jane Simchak
 
Back
    • The HIE editors in chief with two of their three faculty advisors.

    • Student writers are honored with, no surprise, books!

    • Author Jennifer Miller reads from her work.

    • Students ask about the writing process.

    • English Dept. Chair Tony Speranza and author A. X. Ahmad.

    • Head Librarian Kathleen Craver, YA author E. Lockhart, and Assistant Librarian Kelly Dickinson.

    • Hot off the press -- show me your HIEs!

    • The HIE cover reflects this year's senior theme: "Timeless."