Booing Death – Ask ELA

Booing Death Inspires Young Writers

Seattle public school language arts teacher Christina Roux invited Pamela Sackett into her classroom again (see November 2013 below), this time for her 2014 University of Washington Summer Youth Program High School Course under the auspices of Puget Sound Writing Project (PSWP).

Pamela performed excerpts from Booing Death. Some excerpts included performance with Ms. Roux’s talented teacher’s assistant, Julie Olsen, who has an impressive background in theatre and opera. Pamela provided musical interludes between each reading and revisited the classroom a second time to conduct a specially-designed exercise to inspire the students to delve deeper and more courageously into their writing and reflecting process.

The writing program description, in part: “Improve your opportunities in life by learning to write well. Study strategies, habits, and fundamentals of great writers that lead to effective writing.” Sackett’s Booing Death excerpts were a substantial part of the class reader, keeping company with the likes of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Theodore Roethke, Willaim Faulkner, Mark Twain and Charlotte Bronte, among other notables.

Booing Death Goes to School

Seattle’s Roosevelt High School selected Booing Death for “Book Seminar,” an honors credit literature course. Students read Booing Death and were invited to attend an author event in Seattle. The course culminated with the author’s visit to the classroom. The brainchild of language arts teacher Christina Roux, whose expressed aim was to bring a “living author and her work” to the classroom. Based on student feedback about the book, author reading/signing event attendance and students’ study guide response narratives, the program was a grand success!

Portions of Booing Death were integrated into a drama therapy curriculum this fall at Antioch University, Seattle, thanks to Bobbi Kidder, MA program faculty and Drama Therapy Coordinator. Students received selected excerpts from the book and, subsequently, Pamela visited the class to read the pieces and address questions. Students engaged with the material through writing and movement exercises conducted by Professor Kidder. Booing Death served well as a catalyst for internal landscape exploration and skill-building.

For more details or to bring Booing Death to your classroom, please contact ELA.

See and Hear Booing Death in October

This month’s live events for ELA’s latest release have been scheduled for:

TUESDAY • October 15 • 9:00 – 10:00 PM
CFRO FM 100.5
Vancouver Co-op Radio’s World Poetry Cafe
Vancouver, BC

THURSDAY • October 17 • 6:30 PM
at Banyen Books & Sound
3608 West 4th Ave, Vancouver BC

The author will read selected pieces, punctuated with brief musical interludes, followed by Q & A.

Booing Death Events Go Swimmingly

The first two events promoting Booing Death were blossoming successes. Both were well attended with diverse groups, favoring the presentation with rapt focus and thoughtful questions. Over half those attending purchased books. Here are a few pictures from the first event.

EbayBillboard — Elliott Bay Books Billboard

See and Hear Booing Death

Opportunities to experience live readings of ELA’s latest release have been scheduled for:

TUESDAY • September 10 • 7:00 PM
at Elliott Bay Book Company
1521 10th Ave, Seattle

THURSDAY • September 26 • 7:00 PM
Sponsored by University Book Store
at University Temple United Methodist Church
1415 NE 43rd Street, Seattle

The author will read selected pieces, punctuated with brief musical interludes, followed by Q & A.

ELA Publishes Booing Death

Booing Death (with Shpilkes and Rhyme), ELA’s latest book release, demonstrates uncompromised authentic expression of emotion, in this case in the arena of grief and loss. Click for a more complete description and to order.