Alanson students have poems published in national book project

ALANSON — Students in Kathryn Millar’s middle school English class in Alanson are now published poets.

The class took part in the first ever “Writing the Land: Youth Write the Land” book project. While the “Writing the Land” project has been around since 2021, 2023 marked the first year that students became involved. The national project pairs poets with land trusts and encourages the poets to become immersed in the land and create written words that reflect the connections they have made.

The Alanson students were partnered with the Little Traverse Conservancy, and poet Shanley Smith-Poole was assigned to the project.

According to a press release from the conservancy, Smith-Poole traveled to Northern Michigan to learn about the landscape before meeting with the students to help them with their own poetry.

Subscribe:Check out our offers and read the local news that matters to you

For their workshop, the Northern Michigan group visited the Agnes S. Andreae Nature Preserve in Afton. While there, Smith-Poole taught the students a poetic process to connect with the outdoors.

“People of all ages need a connection with nature to be full human beings, and (this) was a chance to help them feel and think about that essential connection,” said Lis McLoughlin, PhD, DEO of NatureCulture and Writing the Land, in the release.

McLoughlin added that poetry “is about authentic expression, and kids who have the opportunity and motivation to express their own feelings, in a safe space, learn how to write. The children at Alanson Middle School are lucky to have such an excellent teacher in Kathryn, and such a caring land trust nearby that welcomes them in.”

The published book with the students’ work became available in late 2023.

“Seeing their work published made everything real,” said Millar in a statement. “They are not just middle school students — they are writers. Working with authentic texts and true experts brings writing to life like no classroom assignment can.”

The conservancy’s director of education, Sarah Mayhew, also celebrated the partnership and the end result.

“When I first learned of this project, I jumped on the opportunity,” she said in the press release. “I thought it sounded incredible but hadn’t realized the impact it would have on the outdoor education community as a whole. Having Richard Louv write the foreword is like having Michael Jordan endorse your basketball team. I’m very proud of our kids and Kathryn for their openness and vulnerability! This was a beautiful project and I’m thankful we were a part of it.”

For more information about “Writing the Land: Youth Write the Land,” visit nature-culture.net/writing-the-land-youth.