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JANEIN BROOKES

YEARS AS MENTEE: 2

GRADE: Sophomore

HIGH SCHOOL: Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts

BORN: New York, NY

LIVES: Bronx, NY

PUBLICATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: two Silver Keys

MENTEE’S ANECDOTE: As a free-verse poet, committing to a sonnet, a structured writing style, was not easy. I remember being frustrated with counting the vowels of each word, and that annoyed feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever Cynthia asked me to choose a different word. Still, when I wrote the last word, even though there was no drastic world change, I felt like the entire world had tilted on its axis. Despite my clammy hands and throbbing migraine, I felt a rush of pride and overwhelming self-worth, like a great breeze had blown the clouds out of my sun’s way.

CYNTHIA-MARIE O’BRIEN

YEARS AS MENTOR: 2

OCCUPATION: Copy Editor, Queens Library

BORN: New Haven, CT

LIVES: Queens, NY

PUBLICATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: America, The Literary Review, U.S. Catholic

MENTOR’S ANECDOTE: After the Structured Poetry workshop, Janein was initially reluctant to use forms. She even told me that she hates structure. I challenged her to use form—a sonnet—to focus her ideas—and she did! The resulting poem won a Scholastic Art & Writing award. I was so proud of how she stretched herself as a writer and moved the judges.