Letters About Literature 2008

Letters About Literature 2008 is a national reading and writing promotion program sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target and the affiliate state centers for the book. The contest is sponsored in Tennessee with support from Ingram, Frist Foundation, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Vanderbilt University, Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau and National Endowment for the Humanities.

In the classroom with Suzanne Wexler, Teacher of Tennessee's two Letters About Literature National Winners

Humanities Tennessee board member Amy Dietrich recently had coffee with Suzanne Wexler, teacher of Tennessee's two (2006 and 2008) national Letters About Literature winners. Each year more than 55,000 students enter the Letters About Literature contest nationwide. Twice in the past three years, Ms. Wexler's students have taken the top honor.
By Amy Dietrich, Jackson

Suzanne Wexler, Advanced Placement English teacher at White Station High School in Memphis, describes herself as "just a cheerleader." Her eyes sparkle and her voice becomes animated as she talks about her students. You can almost see the pompons in her hands. As she emphasizes the abilities of her students other facts become abundantly clear: Suzanne is a talented, dedicated teacher who believes in her students and loves her profession.

Students begin preparing for her Advanced Placement English, Wexler style, long before they enter the classroom in August. During the summer they read two pieces of literature and complete specific assignments focusing on argument in writing. They are encouraged to interact with the literature by writing in the book, highlighting important parts, and integrating information to justify their written responses. In past years, AP summer reading has included Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.

For Ms. Wexler, writing is not viewed as an isolated skill. She integrates many humanities disciplines — literature, history, and the arts — to teach and promote analytical writing. For example, when students study transcendentalism, they develop three-dimensional objects including art and quotations to illustrate the concept. For the Call Me Ishmael project, students are asked to analyze their own name. In preparation for the AP exam students take a practice multiple-choice exam then participate in a "Think Aloud" activity to explain their responses.

Wexler's students are taught that editing and revision are a major part of the writing process. These talented writers are encouraged to analyze their compositions during in-class essay writing, guided editing, and revision. They are encouraged to emulate Ernest Hemingway, who, when asked "Why did you write your novel 39 times?" responded, "I wanted to get it right."

Every student in Ms. Wexler's class participates in Humanities Tennessee's Letters About Literature contest. Ms. Wexler stated, "I would do [Letters About Literature] even if they didn't have the contest. It's a great exercise."

A few of Suzanne Wexler's many impressive credentials are instructor in the Rhodes College AP scholars' camp, reading for AP exams, and, of course, teacher of two national Letters About Literature winners. She is a life long learner who is "good at teaching people how to write" and "loves to teach analysis." It is the intangibles that make this vibrant, talented teacher stand out. She encourages her students to believe in themselves, to believe that they can succeed. There is a body of research that identifies the single most important factor in student success as the enthusiasm of the teacher. This data is exemplified in Suzanne Wexler, "just a cheerleader", and, oh, so much more.

Memphis Student Named National Winner of Letters About Literature Contest Sponsored by Target® and the Library of Congress

The humanities can enrich a child's life by freeing the imagination, sparking creativity and developing intellectual curiosity. Through literature and writing, Ayesha Usmani, an eleventh grade student who attends White Station High School in Memphis, has been named one of six national winners in the annual Letters About Literature contest sponsored by Target and the Center for the Book in conjunction with the Library of Congress. In honor of Ayesha, Target will donate a $10,000 reading promotion grant to White Station High School's library. In addition, Ayesha will receive a $500 Target GiftCard.

"Books and reading have a powerful impact on children, helping to expand their creativity and build a foundation for life-long learning and success," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. "As part of our commitment to support early childhood reading, Target is proud to sponsor the Letters About Literature program as a way to raise awareness of the importance of reading and the value that books bring to the lives of children everywhere."

Ayesha's letter addressed the struggles she has faced connecting with her mother who is unaccustomed with the American way of life and how through the writing of Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, she found hope and guidance:

I strive to find the connection with mother. A connection that will balance independence and loyalty to my heritage. A balance of Pakistani values of love, obedience, and humility in harmony with American values of independence, free speech, and self-esteem. A journey that will always be difficult but worth the effort. I desired that connection with your guidance Amy Tan. A connection that I have now found. My mother sits at her corner in the East, and I at the West. But we unite in harmony. A harmony that appreciates our similarities and our dependence for each other.

White Station High School in Memphis hosted a special award ceremony on Thursday, May 22, to acknowledge Ayesha as a national Letters about Literature contest winner. Humanities Tennessee was proud to present her with a signed and personalized copy of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club.

"Research shows that children gain a greater understanding of what they have read when they are encouraged to reflect and respond through writing," said John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book. "With the continued support from Target for programs like ours that encourage a lifelong love of reading, we are confident that more American children will be avid young readers for years to come."

The Letters About Literature program invites readers in grades 4-12 to write a letter to an author, past or present, who inspired them or altered their view of the world or of themselves. Ayesha's letter, written to Amy Tan, whose works explore relationships between mothers and daughters and first generation American children and their immigrant parents, was one of six winning letters chosen from nearly 60,000 entries. She was selected as the state's first place winner by the Tennessee Center for the Book at Humanities Tennessee. The Tennessee Center for the Book is an affiliate of the national center in the Library of Congress. Each state winner received a $50 Target GiftCard as an award for their appreciation for reading, in addition to a cash award provided by the affiliate state Center for the Book. The twelve national runners-up were awarded a $100 Target GiftCard, and, in addition, Target awarded a reading promotion grant of $1,000 to their school or community library.

The Letters About Literature program has three competition levels: upper elementary, middle school and secondary, with state and national winners at each level. The program aims to encourage young readers to explore their thoughts and feelings about a book and then express that response in a creative and unique way. As a sponsor of the program, Target recognizes the integral role reading plays in shaping a child's future and is proud to support programs that aim to foster a life-long love of reading among children at an early age.

2008 Winning Entries

To read this year's first-place letters, click here.

Tennessee's Letters About Literature Winners

Level I (Grades 4-6)

  • 1st Place: Abby Glover, 4th grader from Milan, wrote to Pat Brisson about Sky Memories
  • 2nd place: Gilchrist Green, 6th grader from Nashville, wrote to Patricia Reily Giff about Pictures of Hollis Woods
  • 3rd place: Susan Huang, 4th grader from Memphis, wrote to Adeline Yen Mah about Chinese Cinderella

Level II (Grades 7-8)

  • 1st place: Megan Lee, 7th grader from Memphis, wrote to Wendelin Van Draanen about Flipped
  • 2nd place: April Perkins, 8th grader from Lake City, wrote to Stephanie Tolan about Welcome to the Ark
  • 3rd place: Evie Kennedy, 7th grader from Nashville, wrote to Virginia Sorenson about Miracles on Maple Hill

Level III (Grades 9-12)

  • 1st place: Ayesha Usmani, 11th grader from Memphis, wrote to Amy Tan about The Joy Luck Club
  • 2nd place: Elizabeth Belz, 11th grader from Memphis, wrote to Paul Laurence Dunbar about We Wear the Mask
  • 3rd place: Anjali Mariama Sood, 12th grader from Jackson, wrote to Kate Chopin about The Awakening

The winners are outstanding, and those who placed 1st in Tennessee will go on to enter the national-level contest, which boasts such prizes as $500 Target gift cards and $10,000 community grants for the winning students' schools or local libraries.

Many writers, teachers, librarians, and scholars volunteered their time to help read and narrow down all of the entries to finalists and ultimately three winners each at three different levels. The 2008 Letters About Literature contest judges are:

Level I (Grades 4-6) —
Dr. Marilyn Kallet, Professor for the Department of English at UTK, and award-winning poet, Knoxville
Helen Hemphill, award-winning children's writer, Nashville
Ann Andrews, Children's Collection Librarian, Memphis Public Library, Memphis
Level II (Grades 7-8) —
Dr. Barbara A. Wofford, Professor for the Teacher Preparation Academy at UTC, Chattanooga
Kate Stephenson, Partner, Trauger & Tuke Law Firm, Nashville
Karen Purdy, Medical Doctor and lover of literature, Memphis
Level III (Grades 9-12) —
Fred Sauceman, Executive Assistant to the President for University Relations at ETSU, Johnson City
Blas Falconer, Assistant Professor of English at APSU and poet, Clarksville
Ken Hall, Director of Marketing at Shapiro & Company Architects, Inc. and non-profit marketing consultant, Memphis

Contact

For more information contact Emily Masters at emily@humanitiestennessee.org or 615-770-0006, ext. 15.

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