Last week, local writer Tom Harpole wrapped up a two-week residency at East Helena High School. Tom worked with 5 English classes, developing personal essays. He encouraged students to identify a conflict, and then use sensory details to build out the imagery in their pieces.
A few memorable quotes from essays I got to hear read aloud while observing the class:
“I was on the tire swing, and then I wasn’t.”
“We’d never lived in a house with stairs before.”
“I glanced back at my coach as if to say, ‘I’m here. I’m still alive.'”
This work is supported by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.
