Since the spring of 2003 I've had the opportunity to co-create with high school students a program called the Inkwell which is sponsored by Literature Alive! a local organization dedicated to celebrating the written and spoken word.
A visit from San Francisco's Youth Speaks, featuring national teen slam spoken word artists in a
school assembly and workshops, sparked the LA! board to

seek out my assistance in mentoring students and guiding
a program that would encourage teens to write creatively and empower them to share their work aloud.

Over the past four years I've worked with students in the classroom and in small groups
that met evenings to delve deeper into our poetry. We hosted spoken word events in the school's blackbox
theater and local coffee shops, and some students created books and produced shows for their senior projects.

After training with local mentors, Molly Fisk and Gail Entrekin from California Poets in the Schools,

I began to visit elementary schools as well, and found many enthusiastic and eager young writers, ready to play with words and scrawl their thoughts and dreams.

In the classroom I've had the chance to offer thought-provoking, simple, surprising, and sometimes wacky writing
prompts to stimulate the young folks' free-flow minds, unlock imaginative potential, and allow space for them to revel
in the uniqueness of their being.
It has been a wonderful journey to watch so many young people step up to a mic or in front of their class, activate their voices,
and spill their truth to their peers. I have heard incredible, in-the-moment ideas, ideals, and independent thoughts fall
from the mouths of our young ones, the Indigos.

It is a delight and an honor to share with students of all ages my own inspiration to reflect, write, and vocalize.

If you wish to show your support or learn more about the Inkwell program, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it