Welcome to Write Away!
The writing forum for Project Read learners.

We've redesigned our blog so that adult learners working at Project Read can share what they have written with other learners, tutors, and the public. There are a few simple guidelines to be aware of.
  1. This is a moderated site, so submissions and comments will first be reviewed before being approved and published.
  2. Adult learners submitting their writing have the option of using their first name (only) or using "anonymous" for authorship.
  3. We wish to honor the writing efforts of the adult learner/authors, so no major copy editing will be applied, but we may suggest minor corrections in consultation with the author.
  4. Only active Project Read learners are eligible to submit their writing to the Write Away blog and there are two ways of doing this: send submissions via email to projectread@sfpl.org, or stop by the office with a hard copy of your writing.
  5. The views and opinions expressed on this web site are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not represent those of the San Francisco Public Library and/or the City and County of San Francisco.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Don't Let This Happen to You

    This short story is about Mr. John. John was a very good man. He went to church every Sunday. He went about helping the poor, and they that were down on their luck. But after doing so much for others and really caring for them, and showing his love for others, someone took advantage of his kind heart. That made him change drastically.
    Mr. Melvin was a married man. He had been married for many years. After he caught his wife committing adultery with one of his closest friends, it sent Mr. Melvin into a space where he thought he was all that and a bag of chips. He had always wanted something to hold over his wife's head and this was the perfect thing. Melvin began destroying her name and treating her badly. Mr. John became very upset because Mr. Melvin's wife was his sister.
    Mr. Melvin began bad mouthing her and the family members. Mr. John wanted to do bodily harm to Mr. Melvin for revenge. Mr. John was a Christian and his thoughts made him no longer feel like a Christian. After Mr. John had let Mr. Melvin change him so much, he felt he had nothing to live for. The shame of losing the dignity of his sister and of his family made him feel like it was all over.
    Mr. John felt like he wanted to get back at Mr. Melvin, but he didn't know how or what he was going to do. Mr. John had always been a strong Christian and believed in God. That night when he went to bed, he said a prayer and asked God the Father to help him do what is right since Melvin made him feel so low and ashamed. When he awakened that morning, he had a different outlook and respectability on all things. He made the opinion to just let God deal with Mr. Melvin and after making that decision, he felt better and happy.
 -- J.C.


Tuesday, November 08, 2016

Breaking Silence 3

Did you know that the average literacy level is 8th grade in the U.S.A.? As a 44-year-old, it was time to Break Silence to literacy at the SF Public Library at Project Read. I have struggled all my life reading and writing with ADHD and Dyslexia. So, what is the average literacy level in a low income community? Living in SFPH more than 10 years, I have been uncomfortable reading and signing legal documents. Not understanding what I'm signing year after year. Are we all at risk of becoming victims of housing displacement and not even know? Regardless of education level, I know that we must Break Silence by educating each other on the new housing laws and understanding what's on the ballot that directly effects our low income community. Let's vote and show that our Black Lives Matter.

Break Silence to literacy and our vote does matter!

-- Ms. D. Gigante