Testimonials

What YOUNG WRITERS are saying…

“I never knew I could”…
“I never was much of a writer…before you came… I never found the technique to immerse myself within my story or someone else’s. I really do appreciate the help all of you gave us with what I thought was a hard task.”
Kenny S.

“It was very hard for me to write about something so personal like that. But to tell you the truth, I’m so completely happy I did it.”
Courtney L.

“It was kind of hard to write my story but you guys allowed me to go deeper into the story. You allowed me to search for information in places of my mind I never thought I stored. I never knew that I could express so much emotion through regular writing… Thank you for brining out the writers from within us all.”
Sarah E.

“If you had never come, I probably would have never written what I did, and I actually feel good about that piece…. This was an experience I’ll remember with a sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Brittany J.

“Experiencing The Telling Room turned over a new leaf for my writing. With a surprisingly small amount of prompting, I was able to write an impressive, personal poem with lots of details. I really didn’t know I had it in me!”
Annie V.

You helped me learn about myself… “[The Telling Room] made me reflect on my life and helped me respect my past.”
Lukas T.

“I now realize how important self-awareness is when writing.”
Elena B.

“This experience was a relieving break to look into ourselves and express our creativity and learn how to move the reader with our words….The written language is a powerful tool where bonds can be mysteriously formed, don’t you think?”
Maria C.

“Being given a chance to explore myself through something I love—writing—is a wonderful thing… Not only is it fun, but it is also necessary to finding out who I am.”
Kieran H.

“My time at The Telling Room was such a vital learning experience. Thanks to the descriptive poems, I was able to tap into such cherished memories that I may have forgotten otherwise. These poems also made me appreciate the minute details in my past that have shaped my life.”
Matt B.

“The Telling Room was a tool that enabled me to tell my personal story. They helped me consider my past, my present and my future life. It was refreshing to be able to write about what makes me, me.”
Marlowe J.

Thankful for the time to write…
“For me, being able to sit down and just write for two hours really helped me calm down and relax. Over the past few weeks I haven’t really been able to do that.”
Charlotte B.

“I really enjoyed going to The Telling Room because it allowed me to have time to just open up my mind and write for fun.”
Meghan M.

“I had not written in months, maybe even six months, and it was refreshing to start writing again.”
Alec M.

Imagination, Inspiration…
“It made me realize that not all writing has to be fancy like Shakespeare; a mad-lib type poem can be just as interesting and just as good.”
Joe K.

“The writing that we did there had structure, but it also felt free and without restrictions.”
Eliza M.

“I learned a lot about using your imagination, and I learned how to write longer stories.”
Eli J.

“I am very thankful for the time and energy you put into helping us tap into our unused potential creativity.”
Andrew B.

“I enjoyed it to the fullest with being able to express myself, and to hear others do the same.”
Rickey P.

“Not that many teens have the chance to do the things we did.”
Molly V.

“Ever since you came to our class, I have started to write other stories to make a mini-book.”
Peter P.

Getting Cozy…
“I enjoyed working in your relaxed and welcoming environment.”
Anna E.-H.

“The actual space at The Telling Room was incredible. It definitely helped set a mood for creative thinking.”
Eliza M.

“There is such a friendly and open atmosphere there.”
Elizabeth B.

“I loved the calm, cool, and relaxing environment that felt really welcoming the second I walked through the door.”
Liv C.

“The Telling Room’s atmosphere was warm and welcoming, which is very helpful when it comes to expressing myself.”
Mica T.

“I really liked your space because it was sunny and open.”
Emma E.

Best part of the experience…
“My favorite part was using the scented markers. I learned that one little word can describe a big thing, like ‘humongous’ describes the Empire State Building.”
Tucker, elementary student

“I had a very fun time because we got to write a book. It was really fun because we got to write a word on a magnet and then put it on a magnet wall.”
Ellie, elementary student

“I learned so much, but something I didn’t know was how to add so many details. But now I know how to add lots of details.”
Steven, elementary student

“If we ever come back, I want to write another book.”
Jack, elementary student

“When I shared my writing piece in front of the class, everyone really enjoyed it, which made me feel extra good.”
Shantell, elementary student

Thanks to the TR mentors, teachers, volunteers…
“Thank you for everything you have done, from helping us with writing, but most importantly for listening... I am glad to say that what I wrote was from the heart, and that it meant the world for you to acknowledge that.”
Molly V.

“I have never had such in-depth help that actually worked to inspire and create pieces of writing... You helped my writing in five days more than a year-long English class ever has.”
Alec M.

“It was really great that everyone got one-on-one time with a writer.”
Brittany J.

“Thank you for leaving yourselves open as a resource for the future. I hope that you can continue to reach out and help people open up to their imaginations as you have done for me.”
Andrew B.

“I love what you’re doing for the kids of the Portland area.”
Lindsey S.

“To the volunteers, you guys are great for wanting to help kids learn how to write better. To The Telling Room, you guys are great for wanting kids to be published and wanting their stories to be heard. You guys are all inspirational.”
D. Y.

“Thank you for teaching us different things we could do to our writing to make it better. Hopefully, it won’t be the last time we come in contact.”
Almis I.

What TEACHERS are saying…

"I am so proud to tell you about our fifth grade Poetry Slam. With the support of our Cultural Enrichment Program and The Telling Room all of our fifth grade students traveled to the new Portland Public library last week to compete in our first Poetry Slam. I must say that the title of the event all year had left me with a nervous feeling in my stomach. I tried to imagine an elementary learning experience that had “slam” in its title. I was told students would study poetry, write poetry, perform, and publically evaluate their poetry. I was very anxious as I traveled to the event. What I experienced when I arrived at the library was one of the most fascinating events that I have ever watched. The quality of the work, the sophistication of the content, students’ ability to integrate drama and rhythm to the presentation process dazzled me! The students wrote about topics that they were passionate about. They presented, and they listened as others presented, supporting and encouraging in response to every poem. They cheered for each individual that demonstrated the courage to take on such an awesome task. The event actually provided a wonderful metaphor for all that they had accomplished during their elementary school years."
Dawn Carrigan, Longfellow Elementary School Principal

"We just had the BEST time Friday. The activity was perfectly geared for the kids. We're still telling stories about the day. I'm so glad to have a blast of enthusiasm to carry us through the end of year with our writing. I think some kids will continue the piece you had them start and some may want to try the prompt for your next anthology. Either way, I'm just happy to see them so engaged. Thanks for your program and your dedication and passion."
Kris White, Scarborough Middle School

“Telling Room staff and volunteers infused our classroom at Portland High School with an enthusiasm for telling stories, writing, and sharing. Telling Room poets, journalists, film makers, a photographer, and others worked closely and fluidly with a diverse group of recent immigrant teenagers. They brought the writing process to life and students revised and edited without hesitation. Students’ stories were validated and celebrated. As a teacher, working with The Telling Room gave me an opportunity to observe professional writers as they shared aspects of their craft with my students. With their energy and expertise, TR members were able to coach my students through activities and products that would have been difficult for me to achieve alone. It was a great experience for all of us.”
Tom Talarico, Portland High School

“What I have loved about bringing my students to The Telling Room is the fresh and lively energy that sloshes happily within those brick walls—it’s as though all we have to do is dive in and swim around in it, and our best, most creative selves will surface. The credit, I think, goes to The Telling Room’s terrific teachers whose joy in writing and expression is infectious and who inspire us all to see the world and our experience in it through a new lens. Thank you!”
Taffy Field, Waynflete School

“The Telling Room brought a renewed interest in writing to my students! Their thoughtful and engaging lessons made us, myself included, actually want to sit and write. I am grateful for The Telling Room because they gave me quite a few inspiring writing lessons to use with future students. The staff of The Telling Room are enthusiastic writers and teachers. Their love of writing is evident. The Telling Room even gave students each a special notebook and stickers to decorate them with! Personally, my only complaint is that we could not work with them more often!”
Lynn Provencher, Reiche Elementary School

“The writing our students have done with The Telling Room is often that most precious kind that is so intensely personal as to be universal. It demands to be read aloud to our entire student body.”
Derek Pierce, Principal, Casco Bay High School

“Learning a new language in a new country can be an exhausting task. But when my high school students, quite uncertain at first, met The Telling Room writers in class, they gradually began to see how they could tell their own story and these people were interested! All immigrants and refugees come with stories to tell, and the students were pleased and quite surprised at the results, particularly those who ended up published in the book, I Carry It Everywhere. It was a wonderful way to show students the value of language, beyond the grammar book and the essay assignments!”
Christina Mitchell, Portland High School, ESL Teacher

“Lee Academy thoroughly enjoyed our experience with The Telling Room. It was well worth the three hour trip from Lee, Maine, to Portland. I have posted several key quotes around my room, including one from Telling Room mentor Lewis Robinson: “Opportunities to be bored breed creativity." Thank you.”
Candy Parker, Lee Academy

“The Telling Room is an amalgamation of creative talent that has inspired my high school students to improve their writing. Their workshops bring more energy to my classroom with published writers whom my students admire and respect.”
Drew Pisani, Deering High School

“We spent a day with 10 Cape students who wanted to work on the craft of writing at The Telling Room, doing poetry-writing exercises, sharing our work, revising. That evening at Cape Elizabeth’s Thomas Memorial Library, we held a poetry reading. We read aloud the poems we’d written that day. Friends and family were present and everyone was moved by what they heard. It was magical. Some of these students have said to me since that they often look back on the experience of that day; it was a transformative event for them.
“We’ve had other contact with TR: I took four of these poetry workshop veterans to the Elizabeth Gilbert roundtable. That, too, was an amazing experience—a best-selling author giving attention to would-be writers. And, my daughter (age 9 at the time) and two of her friends attended the summer Young Authors’ Camp. They loved it...the little walking excursions, the writing exercises, the word wall, the notebooks. It’s all great; the TR truly enriches the Portland community and we are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of people.”
Lisa Melanson, Cape Elizabeth High School

What VOLUNTEERS are saying…

“I wholly believe in the empowerment of listening to these young people’s stories. It charges my batteries to have a student want to try writing a poem for the first time, and then be very clear why the word “red” should go here, and not there. I am humbled by the smiles of these students that know violence and fear so intimately, yet find the courage to give it a voice.”
J. Oren Stevens, coyote carpenter, enamored Telling Room volunteer, Stonecoast nonfiction MFA student, ex-pat teacher, corporate marketing refugee, avid beach walker, woods wanderer, and father of budding teen

“First thing that pops into my head are the faces of the kids who I have met on the first days of volunteering...some who looked skeptical, nervous, or bored, some who were hurting deep inside, some who were pranksters, some who looked tough as nails, some who were totally enthusiastic and eager...all of them are given a chance to write their stories.
“I enjoy being with this age group, I get a glimpse into their dreams and challenges. It’s heartening to work with teenagers from their hesitant beginnings, earning their trust, laughing with them, working through their writer’s block to the final draft, and witness their pride at the end of the project...they love their stories! I hope that sense of accomplishment carries through in other areas of their life.
“I’ll never forget a young student who had been quite reticent about telling her story for fear of betraying or embarrassing her family. She really wanted to write it and so she persevered. When she finished reading the final draft of her story, she smiled at me, then kissed the paper and said, “I love my story. Now I will never forget it and I will have it to read to my children some day."
“That’s powerful. And of course any time that you reach outside of your own world, learn about someone else’s world, and share stories, everyone grows. The TR provides an important service in the community not only by working with kids to tell their stories, but by then publishing and sharing these stories with a broader community.
“The TR staff knows how to pull the stories from the kids. The staff is professional, energetic, non-threatening, funny, yet demanding of the students they work with. The TR staff is just plain fun to work with (so are the other volunteers).”
Sissy Buck, printmaker, book artist, watercolorist, outdoor enthusiast

“As a volunteer, it’s difficult to say whether I give or receive more, if one could put it in such basic terms. Volunteer work with The Telling Room engages me in the community in a way that becomes less about ‘doing’ for others and more about just being part of a greater project. I love that; it feeds the soul! Watching a ten-year-old grapple with putting thoughts into words and being able to assist in some way, even if it’s just quietly listening, is amazing. And spending an hour with a Portland High School student from Sudan, mostly talking, but coming away with a few gem sentences that will rock your world. Pretty cool.”
Leska Tomash, freelance writer