Author: Matthew

By name!

Start and end each line of your poem with a letter of your name. I’m Matthew, so here we go:

Matthew has an idiom
A sane person calls anathema.
There’s noting in it.
That’s what he thought—
Having a fascination with
Each word’s worldly line:
What must a syllable know?

Are you looking . . .

Are you looking for Vision+Voice? Maybe you want to submit a poem? Read a poem? Look at last year’s winning poets? Point your browser to the new home of the K through 12 poetry competition:

https://k12.visionandvoice.org

Why did we move, you ask? Well, we’re growing, both in the number of schools that are included in the Vision+Voice family, but also in the types of projects we’re creating.

My original idea for Vision+Voice was to include all the schools and ISDs in the ACC service area, celebrating the visions and voices in our communities. We’re aiming for that goal, adding schools every week! If you know of a private school, public school, school school, or even home-school school — let them know about us! Our competition is open to any K-12 student in the ACC service area! We want you!

But our vision always included other voices, too. This year, we’re working on an amazing new project with men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. We want vets to have a voice here, and so we’re creating a memoir project. More on that project as it develops!

Visit us again. We’ll let you know more about our new ideas as they develop. And if you have ideas for Vision+Voice, we want to hear from you! Email me at mdaude@austincc.edu.

Finally, to our poets, here’s an old one: Write on.

Matthew Daude Laurents
Dean, Liberal Arts: Humanities and Communications

Welcome back!

Welcome to a new year of Vision+Voice!

The 2018-19 competition is just starting, so get those creative juices flowing and make a poem!

You may have noticed that we’ve moved. Our new home is

https://k12.visionandvoice.org

Why did we move, you ask? Well, we’re growing, both in the number of schools that are included in the Vision+Voice family, but also in the types of projects we’re creating. We’ll let you know more about some of our new ideas as they develop.

Meanwhile, this is the home of our famous K through 12 poetry competition. Selected poems from each grade level will be paired with art by ACC art students to create posters and an anthology. And as in years past, KLRU will be videotaping our poets, and we’ll be celebrating our young authors at the spring reception. (Date is coming soon!)

So, sit back, relax, create, submit, and read some poems!

Thanks to our partners and supporters! We couldn’t do it without you!

A special treat

Each year since the beginning of Vision+Voice five years ago, I have looked forward to the reception. We unveil the posters that unite our V+V poets’ work with ACC art student creations. We hand out the coveted anthology of the year’s poems. We’re treated to our poets reading their poems, to congratulations and addresses by dignitaries like Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Cruz, thank-you’s to parents and teachers. And we have really, really good food.

Right to left (I think): Dr. Cruz, Brad Richard, me, Polly Monear (the Executioner), and of course, Dr. Joker Rhodes. There’s one in every crowd.

This year’s reception was especially lovely, with a return appearance by Brad Richard, whose reflections on the V+V poems brought tears to my eyes. (And I wasn’t the only one.) Brad has done so much for poetry that it’s hard to know where to begin a thank-you note. Maybe this will be a start?

As I told Dr. Rhodes at the reception, a great idea without a great team to make it come true is a day-dream. I have so many people to thank for making Vision+Voice the blaring celebration it is. Where to start? Of course there’s our poets and artists, whose visions and voices are everything. There’s our creative writing students, who read and relish each and every poem on the way to selection. There are countless teachers on whose work our work depends. (If you’re reading this, thank a teacher!) There are parents who support kids to dream, and then dream bigger.

But there’s also my team, past and present, hanging posters and arranging anthologies, and watching the kids faces when they see themselves on the Big Screen. You are amazing.

One of the gifts all of you give me is that I get to walk around, laugh with people, cry at Brad’s reflections, take in the visions and voices, and eat great food. (The cajun edge to the wings was amazing — but then again, you can’t go wrong with Sharrion,  Travis, and Chef Coi.)

Original art by Alchemy, author of “Whale,” V+V 2017-18

And then, there’s Alchemy, one of our poets. Picture me, with little or no actual responsibility except to take in the joy you see on every V+V poet’s face.

So, there I am, loving everything about this evening, wading through poetry and poets, people with plates and proud parents — and Alchemy hands me this original work of art.

Thanks, Alchemy!

And there’s you, Polly. What can I say. You slay me.

Join us for V+V again in the fall!

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