Monday, March 31, 2008

Spring Classes Begin Next Week

It is hard to believe that today is the last day of March. Spring weather may soon be around the corner. (Fingers crossed!)

We hope that you have received your Spring brochure, and are ready to sign up for one of our exciting Spring classes. The season begins next Monday, April 7th, so be sure to sign up and reserve your space today. Remember, scholarships are always available!

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call (859.254.4175) or send us an email.

~warmly~
Katherine

Friday, March 28, 2008

Leatha Kendrick Book Release Event

Carnegie Center writers and friends,
Please join us tonight for Leatha Kendrick's reading and reception celebrating the release of her book, Second Opinion.

TONIGHT
Friday, March 28th
6:30-8 pm
Come celebrate with Leatha. We hope to see you there!

~warmly~
Katherine

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Another Writing Contest: Attention All Writers


Announcing the Second Annual Next Great Writers Competition!

A new call for manuscripts---here's the details:

  • Writers should submit manuscripts of fiction or nonfiction prose (up to 12 double-spaced pages) or poetry (up to 5 poems).
  • There is a $10 fee per entry, payable to the Carnegie Center.
  • Entries should include a cover sheet complete with writer’s name, address, e-mail address, and phone number; names should NOT appear on the manuscript itself.
  • Deadline for submitting an entry is SATURDAY, MAY 17. Entries must be postmarked or received by that date.
  • Winning authors and those selected to read will be notified by June 1.
  • The Carnegie Center’s Next Great Writers Reading will take place Friday, June 20 at 7:30 pm.
  • The cash prize is $150 for first place and $100 for second.
  • Up to 12 writers will be invited to read.

Send entries to:
The Next Great Writers Competition

The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning

251 West Second Street

Lexington, KY 40507


Happy Writing and Good Luck!


~warmly~

Katherine

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Men's Book Group Meeting


Please join us tomorrow for the Men's Book Discussion Group --with Special Author Appearance!

Thursday, March 27
7:00-8:30 pm
FREE


This month's book is Sue Mundy: A Novel of the Civil War, by former Kentucky poet laureate Richard Taylor. The book has been called "powerful," "exciting," "engaging" historical fiction. Join us for a lively discussion, led by writer-in-residence Neil Chethik, on Thurs., March 27, 7-8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to men of all ages. We have just confirmed that author Richard Taylor will join us for the discussion!

For more information, contact Neil at nchet@aol.com, or call 859-254-4175

~warmly~
Katherine

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Calling all Young Writers


The Carnegie Center is excited to announce a call for manuscripts for our
Young People's Poetry Contest (K-12 grade)
in celebration of National Young People's Poetry Week (April 14-18)



Details:

Students in kindergarten though 12th grade should
submit a poem on the topic of the student’s choice.
ONE ENTRY PER STUDENT, PLEASE.
Participation is FREE!

A cash prize of $25 will be awarded to the winners of
* elementary category
*middle/high school category

Please include a cover sheet with student’s name,
age, grade, school, parent/guardian’s name,
and parent/guardian’s phone number.
Students’ names should NOT appear on poems.
Winners will be notified MAY 12, as we kick off
NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK: MAY 12-16

Please contact us if you would like more information or if you have any questions.

Happy Writing!

~warmly~
Katherine

Monday, March 24, 2008

4th Annual Carnegie Center 5K Run/Walk

Announcing the Carnegie Center's 5 K Run/Walk Event

Saturday, April 5th

6:30 pm

UK Coldstream Research Campus


Along with the University of Kentucky Honors Program and the UK Student Government Association, the Carnegie Center is invites you to participate in the Fourth Annual Carnegie Center 5K Run/Walk for Literacy. More information and registration forms on our website.

We hope that you can join us!

~warmly~

Katherine


Friday, March 21, 2008

Remeber to Register

I'm glad to be back on the blog after a short absence!

Just a reminder that Monday will start Spring Registrations. There are plenty of new classes, as well as old-favorites.

Thanks for your patience as we finalized our new registration database. We hope that it will make registering for classes a breeze.

We can't wait to hear from you!

Happy Friday!

~warmly~
Katherine

Monday, March 17, 2008

Registration for Carnegie Center Classes Begins Next Monday

Registration for Spring Carnegie Center Classes begins Monday, March 24.

Check out our brochure on the web or coming soon to a mailbox near you! If you would like to join our mailing list, please contact us. You'll receive a schedule of our classes 4 times per year.

Classes will start beginning the week of April 7th. We'll be offering some new classes and plenty of old favorites. Feel free to give us a call to find out information on your favorite class (859.254.4175).

Important Info to Remember regarding registration:

  • You may register via phone, in person or email.
  • Your registration is complete upon payment. We accept payment by cash, check, or credit card, except for American Express.
  • Scholarships are available for all classes. Please inquire if you are interested.
  • Classes can no longer be prorated because we must honor our commitment to pay instructors. Special allowances will be made for new students who did not know about the start of classes.
  • A $10 processing fee will be applied to any refunds made after the start of class.
  • All language class textbooks (except for classes taught by Elise Mandel) can be purchased at the front desk. Elise will sell her own textbooks on the first day of class. Feel free to call and inquire about prices. Most books can be used for multiple sessions.

We can't wait to start such an exciting season!

~warmly~
Katherine

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Announcement: Summer Tutoring Sign Ups May 1st

Announcing the 2008 Summer Tutoring Program
A tutoring pair meeting in the NEW Family Resource Center.

Signing Up:
Registration for summer tutoring will begin May 1!
You are welcome to all or stop by to reserve your spot beginning at that date.

Program Details:
• Students will work with a tutor in small groups (2-3 students per tutor), for one hour, one time per week. Students seeking additional instruction time are encouraged to sign up for our other FREE programs.
• Cost: $10 for the summer; scholarships are available
• Parents should register students for one of the slots available (see page 5).

We hope this helps you plan for the summer. Feel free to call (859.254.4175) or email for more information. (Becky Plas, Tutoring Coordinator, Americorps VISTA)

~warmly~
Katherine

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

This Thursday: the Eclectic Living Room


Thursday, 3/13 is the next installement of the Eclectic Living Room series, an informal, but lively discussion of New Books by Great Writers authors.

Her Work:
Leatha Kendrick will lead the discussion of Marie Bradby's, Some Friend. This FREE event will begin at 5:30 pm. The group will meet in the Carnegie Center's lobby on the couches.

Marie Bradby Her Self: Award-winning author Marie Bradby switched from a career as a full-time journalist to writing for children after the birth of her son. Even though her days as a journalist are behind her, she uses her sharp investigative skills as she interviews people and researches archives to fill in crucial details and bring her characters to life in her historical fiction. She has given presentations at schools, writing workshops and literature conferences all over the country. She has been a staff writer for National Geographic Magazine and for the Providence Journal, the Lexington Herald-Leader, and the Louisville Courier-Journal newspapers. Her books for children include the notable Some Friend, published in paperback in January 2007.

Meet Marie:
We hope that you will also be able to attend our New Books by Great Writer's event the following Thursday (3/20). Marie will be here for a FREE reading and signing of her book, which will be on sale at the Carnegie Center. There will not be an accompanying workshop for this particular NBGW event.

Book these upcoming dates in your calendar. You won't want to miss these events! It's a great way to spend a Thursday night.

~warmly~
Katherine

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Leatha Kendrick Book Party


The Carnegie Center is excited to announce a reading and reception to celebrate the release of Leatha Kendrick's book, Second Opinion. Leatha is a longtime friend and instructor of the Carnegie Center, and we wish her such continued success!

READING AND RECEPTION

WHEN: Friday, March 28, 2008
6:30pm – 8pm

WHERE: Carnegie Center
251 West Second Street
Lexington, Kentucky
Jesse Stuart Room

Please join Leatha for this exciting event!

~warmly~
Katherine

Monday, March 10, 2008

Sign up for Camp Carnegie

Camp Carnegie is a three-week program (6 half day camps) for rising 6th through 8th graders. These camps aim to encourage and foster students excitement and dedication to education by exposing them to career opportunities in a variety of fields. All camps are taught by instructors with field experience in the camp topic. Participation is limited to 25 students, so be sure to sign up early!

Here are the camps for this year:

Mon.-Fri. July 7-11, 8:30-12:30 PM
FROM JAZZ TO HIP HOP: EXPLORING DANCE, RHYTHM & SONG


Did you know that the popular music and dances we enjoy today have their roots in African drum rhythms and dances? Come and find out this summer. Explore different African based dances from Stepping to the Charleston and more. Kick up your heels and get down! Taught by Aminata Cairo.

Mon.-Fri. July 7-11, 1:00-5:00 PM
WHAT'S YOUR STORY?: A WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS

If you like to write, this is the camp for you! We'll explore creative
writing in all its forms and draw on the world around us to turn ideas,
dreams, images, memories, and secrets into stories, poems, memoirs, and
more. Bring a pen, paper, and your wildest imagination. Taught by Sarah Combs.

Mon.-Fri. July 14-18, 8:30-12:30 PM
SPEAK UP

Always getting in trouble for talking too much? Have you dreamed of being a news anchor, speech writer, weatherperson, and lawyer? This is your chance to shine! Join us for a week long exploration of communication and gain the polish and self-confidence to work with any audience. We’ll work with local personalities, get tips from the pros, and help you develop your skills behind the mike. If you’re not a natural, don’t worry, we’ll work on writing, speaking, improvisation, poise and confidence. Taught by Johanna Truesdell.

Mon.-Fri. July 14-18, 1:00-5:00 PM
GRAPHIC DESIGN

Are you an artist, a techie, or a fashion guru? From glossy magazines to do- it yourself t-shirts, graphic design is all around us. Our camp will focus on exploring the fast-paced graphic design industry, including drawing basics, color theory, and layout. You’ll get to try your hand with projects like stencil, t-shirt, and magazine design, and learn about all the career possibilities linked to design. Taught by Andrew Owens.

Mon.-Fri. July 21-25, 8:30-12:30 PM
SLAM ON IT!: POETRY FOR THE PAGE, POETRY FOR THE STAGE

This week we'll focus on two very important aspects of writing and speaking our work. We'll be creating images using our five senses /and /learn how to write and perform spoken word poems such as the Rant! The images we create using the world around us and how we perceive it using touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight will make us better writers. Communicating the images we achieve to an audience is just as important as writing them, so we'll be viewing professionals, performance poets and attempting to recreate their power in our own way! Taught by Bianca Spriggs

Mon.-Fri. July 21-25, 1:00-5:00 PM
YOUR MEDIA, YOUR MESSAGE

Wish the cafeteria would change their lunch? Want to help clean up your neighborhood or change the laws in your community? Like real journalists, we’ll spend a week learning about using photography, video, and the web, to make youth voices and issues heard, and like professional advocates you’ll mount a campaign to get that information out to the public. Taught by Aaron Hutson.


Students can sign up for any or all camps. Cost is $50 per camp. Scholarships are available for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch (cost $15 per camp). Lunch will be provided for all day campers. Call today to sign up your student (859.254.4175) or send us an email.

Summer is just around the corner!

~warmly~
Katherine

Friday, March 7, 2008

Congratulations to K. Bruce Florence: 11th Annual Legacies Winner

I wanted to take a moment to recognize this year's Legacies winner, K. Bruce Florence.

In her own words...

Bruce Hill Florence is wife, mother, grandmother, college administrator, church elder, board member, community volunteer. She loves to cook and burns only about half what she puts on the stove, reads everything including the shampoo bottles lining the tub, was reared in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, is passionate about trees, mountains, pups with cold noses, the seashore and education. She is attempting in her writing to record those incidents about her family that will soon be lost if she does not. There is no earth shaking history involved only a glimpse of how one family and the neighbors in a tiny settlement in Kentucky moved through their time.

An excerpt from her winning piece, "Minor Chords," soon to be featured in its entirety on the Carnegie Center's website...

None of us spotted the cloud of dust rising down the county road. Fleetie’s cheeks were flushed a rosy pink and every foot on the porch was keeping steady time. Mother gathered up an armful of the long strings to drape over the clothes line.

The cloud of dust moved onto the straight stretch leading to the little cluster of houses at the crossing. Pearl’s truck slammed to a stop in front of the house catching us by surprise. He was mean drunk. My stomach twisted with dread at the look of him.

“By God, what do we have here?” Pearl roared. Dorcas grabbed the guitar and ran toward the front door, Pearl grabbed her arm, snatched the guitar from her hands and flung her off the porch like a rag doll. She rolled into a ball, too scared to cry. . .

Stay tuned for the full text! Congratulations again, Bruce!

~warmly~

Katherine

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Other Writing Contests

Are you interested in participating in writing contests? Here's a link to contests across the nation, in every imaginable genre and style.

Check it out at News Page literary blog.

Contests are a great motivator for writers. Get out there, dig in and do it!

Happy Contesting!

~warmly~
Katherine

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Eleventh Annual Legacies Contest: Winners and Finalists Announced

Thank you more than fifty people (!) who attended last nights Legacies Reading. What an amazing collection of writers and stories! Thanks to those who shared their stories and to those that came in support of this talented group.

Here are the results:

First prize and winner of the Carole Pettit Medallion:
Bruce Florence, Cynthiana

Second prize
: Hal Ackerman, Los Angeles, California

Other Finalists
:
Flo Brumley
, Versailles

Carolyn Davis
, Marshall, North Carolina

Marge Fulton
, Hazard

Joe Hall
, Lexington

Edward A. Marheine
, Lexington

Michael Allyn McCormick, Portland, Oregon

Thomas F. Miller, Berea
Susan Owens
, Lexington

Peggy Park
, Lexington

Karen Phillips
, Flintstone, Georgia

Gladys Pramuk
, Lexington

Maggie Wise Riley, Louisville
Lee Ann Rohrer
, Lexington

Robert Ross,
Altamonte Springs, Florida

David Snell, Paris
Mary Fran Soulis
, Lexington

Charles Edward White
, Lexington


Stay tuned for future Carnegie Center contests! Keep writing!


~warmly~
Katherine

List of Needs for the New Family Learning Center

Want to make a donation to the Carnegie Center? Think about donating some of these much needed items for our new Family Learning Center, which is the new home of our after school tutoring program (grades K-12). Our tutoring program has grown significantly (100 pairs meeting each week!), so a larger space was needed. Now we need the pieces to fill it, and make it the a wonderful place for our students to learn!

Here's what is needed:

1. Book Shelves/Book Cases
-one about 87”wide x 34” (max.) high
-one 34” (max.) wide x 72” tall
-a light, faux-wood finish is appreciated (to match existing shelves) but not necessary!

2. Rug
-3.5 yd x 4 yd
-muted children’s colors appreciated but not necessary. It could be a finished carpet remnant rather than an official rug. It is for the sitting corner, where tutoring pairs will be able to sit and read comfortably beneath the shade of a large potted tree.

3. Coffee Table
-something super-solid!

4. End Tables
-super-solid, 2-3 would be welcome

5. MS Office software


6. Children and Young Adult Books, as always!
-Especially 2-3rd grade nonfiction!

If you are interested in donating any of these items, feel free to contact Becky Plas (tutoring coordinator) or Laura Whitaker (volunteer coordinator) at our main number (859.254.4175) or by email.

Thanks for all that you do to make the Carnegie Center a special place!

~warmly~
Katherine

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Youth Meeting Authors: Anne Shelby Here Next Week


Next Tuesday, March 11th is the final scheduled Youth Meeting Authors Event with Anne Shelby, author of featured book, The Adventures of Molly Whuppie and Other Appalachian Folktales.

Her program at the Carnegie Center will begin at 5:30 pm include a reading, workshop and book signing. Books are now available for purchase at the center at the front desk. Please contact us for further details!

The cost of the workshop is $5 per family. Students are welcome to purchase the book as well, but will be provided a FREE book placard to get signed as another option. This can be saved keepsake memento or placed in a copy of the book down the road.

We h0pe that you can join us for this exciting program!

~warmly~
Katherine

Monday, March 3, 2008

Tuesday Night: Legacies Reading


On Tuesday, March 4th from 6:30-8 pm the Carnegie Center will host the annual Legacies reading, featuring the finalists of our Legacies Writing Contest for Writers over 55. Please join us in the support of our finalists. We will also be announcing the first and second place winners Tuesday night.

We hope to see you there!

~warmly~
Katherine