How do we work?

Once every few weeks a new topic will be displayed on the blog. Young people, ages 5 - 96, will submit their responses. Student writing will be posted as it is received. Know someone that would love to contribute? Pass the word.

Blog #14 Topic Choices:
Write about a place or an aspect of New Orleans that has influenced you OR use the words "Escaping the heat/to get out of the heat..." of New Orleans.

Submission Logistics: Submissions should be in response to the blog topic. Poetry and prose, up to 500 words in length, should be emailed as a Microsoft Word attachment. Emails should include author’s first name, age, and School.

Submissions can be sent to: youngneworleanswritingtogether@gmail.com
Submission due date: May 31st, 2012 @ 5pm

Monday, April 2, 2012

Victoria - NOLA Greetings

In any other city,
We would be dangerous strangers.
Those creepy people you don’t know
that need to be ignored
All because they are waving at you.
But, here,
a Concentrated Center of Crime,
We wave and strike up conversations with
seemingly random people
as if they are close friends or acquaintances.
Probably not the best idea, but
we can’t help having what others deem
As a severe lack of boundaries.
And, in truth, why should we? Why must we pretend or assume that every living soul we
see is a rapist-kidnapper-crime lord-molester-serial killer-fill-in-the-blank_____?
The difference between a New Orleans’ greeting and one from any other part of the world is all
the ya’lls, yats, and who dats, but it’s also a little bit more than that.
It’s that we live in a place that still feels comfortable enough with its own community that
its individuals see no problem with saying hi to the girl buying coffee that cannot decide
what to order. Or that man who just face-planted on the sidewalk.
It’s the fact that in New Orleans, people are greeting you, not just your face.

Victoria, age 17
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