Advice from a Loser: Don’t Wish Your Life Away
There was a teacher at my high school who was … there’s no other way to say it … a loser. Because of his own indiscretions, his personal life was a mess and it spilled over into his work. He was frequently unprepared for class and was easily derailed by our dumb personal questions.
Nevertheless, he was such a broken individual that he didn’t try to act like he was better than his students. We took pity on him and treated him with the cheerful deference reserved for teachers who regularly dismissed class early.
We’ll call him Mr. Pitiful.
My school had a daily meeting period we called chapel, even though it was not a religious affair. Usually a few students would give their required chapel talks, but sometimes a teacher would address the group. If a round of talks went long, it ate into our lunch time. If it went short, we got extra time at lunch.
One day at chapel, we sat in silence after the announcements and waited for our speaker to stand and deliver. We waited. And waited. Finally, Mr. Pitiful popped up, said “Oh, it’s me,” and walked to the front.
He was clearly unprepared. He stood at the podium for at least 30 seconds, gathering his thoughts amid our uncomfortable laughter. Finally he spoke in an even, measured voice:
I’ve spent most of my life wishing I was somewhere else. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be older so I could drive. When I could drive, I wanted to be older so I could buy beer.
[Long pause.]
Don’t be like me. Don’t wish your life away.
Thank you.
The place erupted in a long standing ovation. Most were clapping because his short talk meant we got an extra 20 minutes at lunch, but I like to think some were clapping for the message.
More than 10 years later, his words come back to me when I’m stuck in an unpleasant situation. It doesn’t always work, but when I think of him, I try to live in the moment and not wish I was somewhere else.
How to be a Hip Freshman in Nashville: The Look
[Ed. note: Eileen and David teamed up on this 3-part series of posts. Part 2 is here and Part 3 is here. The photos in Part 1 are of them and their friends.]
This is our attempt to help college freshmen acclimate hiply to the supremely cool city of Nashville. In three riveting installments, we will reveal exactly what it takes to be the coolest kid in Music City. If you are a freshman, adhere to this advice with utmost seriousness. If you are not a freshman, print this out, pass it on, help a bro(ther) or sis(ter) in need.
PART I: THE LOOK
First impressions are uber-important, especially in Gnashville. This city is a quintessential locus of hipness. In order to fit in, you must understand that what you wear is who you are. You must look Nashville, you must dress Nashville, you must BE Nashville.
The overall look to emulate is the “thrift store chic.” This means buying clothes that look like they were purchased at a thrift store, but in reality, were bought at a faux-boutique, indie outlet. Think American Apparel or Urban Outfitters. Here are some suggestions, from the bottom up, to get you started:
The Shoes:
- Bros: Acquire for yourself some Vans. Multiple pairs. Various colors.
- Babes: Find some flats, or perhaps sparkly Jellies. Also, have at least one pair of pseudo-ankle-boot-things. Tell people you found them at Southern Thrift.
- Everyone: Buy some Toms. Forty dollars to look rad and be a good person.
The Pants:
- Bros: The skinnier the better. If you can squeeze into Levi’s 510s, buy them. Cuff them.
- Babes: Find some patterned tights or leggings to wear under a skirt or some shorts. Skinny jeans are also a must. It is good if they come up to your chest.
The Upper Half:
- Bros: Deep V’s to help you show off your rosary (also hip in certain sectors). A vest or two. No plaid; plaid is too hip right now.
- Babes: Also deep V’s. Baggy, awkwardly fitting dresses. Over-sized sweaters.
The Outerwear:
- Bros and Babes: Buy at least three Am Appy hoodies in varied hues. Everyone must also own a peacoat.
- Babes only: Rainboots with a fun/interesting pattern such as polka-dots, fishes, or umbrellas.
The Adornments:
- Bros and Babes: Buy a million scarves. Get a new piercing. Start saving for your first tattoo.
- Bros: Buddy Holly glasses.
- Babes: Your grandma’s glasses.
You must hurry. Outfit yourself now, because first impressions only happen once. And as a last though, consider choosing one iconic item that summarizes your personal outlook, like maybe a feather.
Check back soon for part two in kewlnezz: THE REC.
A Foolish Welcome to our Tennessean Friends
Hello, Tennessean readers! We subscribe to the venerable daily ourselves, so we’re glad to have you stop by.
However, if they’re speaking with us, it’s clear their standards for sources have slipped! But seriously, we’re honored to be included in Jennifer’s article, especially if it helps students find another option for cheap textbooks. As I said there, “If we can’t give you the best price, we’ll show you who can.” This is a core tenet of our Mission and stems from our desire to put students first.
Jennifer and I had a discussion about textbook rentals as well. We Fools think textbook renting is an interesting idea that works for a certain kind of student. However, we still believe that most students will come out ahead by buying their books used and then selling them back at the end of the semester. Consider this example:
Let’s say Joaquin can buy his Chemistry textbook new at the bookstore for $100 and used online for $60-70. (These are pretty standard figures.) That book would rent for around $50, and Joaquin appears to save $10-20 on the book by renting.
However, there’s a really good chance Joaquin can sell that used textbook to us at the end of the semester for $50 or more. The used book that cost him $70 puts $50 back in his pocket, which means he effectively “rented” that used copy for only $20. And what if he really found a deal when he bought it and paid only $50 in the first place?!
It all comes down to a calculation like that. If the numbers make sense for renting a book, we say go for it.
We do not currently rent our textbooks, though we are watching the trend closely. If we could find a way to rent books that served students’ long-term needs, we would start renting them tomorrow!
About BookFool.com
We love what we do and don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re happy when students are happy. Read more About us. And why not sign up in the sidebar to receive occasional updates from the Fools?
For more information, consider some of our recent blog posts:
- HUMANKIND Thrift is Ready to Serve: The Rados are changing the world, one school uniform at a time!
- How to Find the Cheapest Textbooks, Vol. 1: A few thoughts from the cheapskate masters.
- 7 Tricks to Score the Job You Want: Part 1 (and Part 2). Advice from a Foolish perspective.
- Photographic Tour of United Record Pressing in Nashville: A Foolish field trip.
- The results of the 2009 Hot Tomato Haiku Contest: An East Nashville favorite.
- And finally…We’re hiring! Our first Customer Care Fool.
Thanks for stopping by! We hope to hear from you.
HUMANKIND Thrift is Ready to Serve
[We sent intrepid explorer Eileen to visit our friends at East Nashville's newest thrift store, HUMANKIND. Here's her report.]
As of last week, all you funky, fashionable Nashvillians, there is a new thrift shop in town. Owned and operated by Ryan and Christina Rado, HUMANKIND Thrift had a supremely successful launch last Wednesday. Located on Gallatin Pike, not far from 5 Points, HUMANKIND is the kind of shop that’s worth the drive if you’re outside of East Nashville and worth stopping in several times a week if you’re in the area. It’s the kind of place you walk in and immediately know you’re going to find great, perfectly one-of-a-kind items that won’t break the fragile piggy bank.
Preparing the shop for its grand opening.
Though it is a small store, HUMANKIND houses an extensive array of vintage and modern apparel, all marvelously trendy and in excellent condition. Tastefully arranged on interspersed display tables and hanging racks, HUMANKIND’s selection of attire is easy and fun to peruse. Say goodbye to the super-thrift store days of prying apart hangers on overstuffed racks in hopes of finding a gem of an item lost in between.
Everything on the racks at HUMANKIND is not only easily accessible but also sports a personality all its own. In all of 3 minutes I happened across a light-weight beautiful blue, white, and brown flowing floral skirt ideal for summer, a 60’s reminiscent polka-dot top with a stylish loose tie at the neck, and a multi-colored, textured scarf that would be a perfect accent worn as a belt or around the neck. Furthermore, many of the items can be easily dressed up or down, providing the versatility essential to the college student or young professional’s wardrobe.
The Rados
Not only this, but the racks are full of brand name clothing for a fraction of brand name price. A chic vertical pink and white striped, cap-sleeved women’s vest was all of $4.50, where it originally must have cost at least $30. Men’s attire is equally fashionable and well priced. A large shelf of trendy jeans in various washes stands against one wall, framed by racks of sturdy T-shirts and classic button-ups.
And as if it couldn’t get any better, HUMANKIND Thrift even offers in-store alterations in case the otherwise flawless item you’ve found needs a little letting-out, bringing-in, or hemming-up. In short, Humankind is chock-full of wardrobe must-haves for men and women, and not an item in the store is over $20. Not even the pair of vintage white roller skates.
Mission
Even more impressive than HUMANKIND’s selection of attire, however, is its mission. About a year ago, Ryan and Christina Rado began looking for a way to give back to their community and settled on the idea of a thrift shop. HUMANKIND is an entirely non-profit organization, with all the proceeds going toward providing clothing for the children of refugee families in Nashville.
Somali refugees with new clothes.
Beginning in 2007, the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools enacted a Standard School Attire dress code for the city schools. Although the specific dress code may vary slightly from school to school, the basic requirements are that students be attired in navy, black, or khaki bottoms (absolutely no jeans), and collared shirts in approved colors which must be fully buttoned and tucked in.
While this basic dress code may do well to better the learning environment as a whole, Christina Rado witnessed firsthand the difficulties such a code can cause for refugee families. As a former elementary school English Language Learners teacher, Christina saw what a struggle it can be for refugee families to settle into new jobs, homes, and schools on top of learning English and adapting to a completely new society. The last thing these families need to worry about is finding appropriate school attire for their children, especially given the intricacies of the SSA requirements.
From this desire to help stemmed the idea that HUMANKIND’s profits go toward providing dress-code appropriate clothing for refugee children. Here’s Ryan and Christina’s vision in their own words:
“We think that kids should go to school in clean, comfortable clothes. We think that kids should have a choice of what to wear in the morning – something they feel good in, something that improves their level of confidence. We think that families who are new to America and trying to acclimate should not have to stress over finding the right school clothes in the approved colors and styles. HUMANKIND refers to the fact that we are all human – all part of the human race, all with the same basic needs, one of those needs being clothing.”
Just recently, HUMANKIND provided 20 children with full school wardrobes, all completely SSA acceptable, in preparation for their first week of school. The gratitude of the children and families was amazing, Christina said.
Let’s help continue the great mission that the Rados have begun through HUMANKIND. Visit the store at the corner of West Eastland and Gallatin Avenue right across Regions Bank and Aldi. Look for the HUMANKIND Banner on the second floor at #206. Stop in, buy yourself some great new clothes or donate gently used clothes you don’t need anymore. It’s an unbeatable opportunity to grab some great new duds and contribute to the Nashville community at the same time.
Hours:
- Wednesdays: Noon – 5 pm
- Thursdays: Noon – 5 pm
- Fridays: Noon – 5 pm
- Saturdays: 11 am – 4 pm
Location: 604 Gallatin Avenue #206
Updates:
- Website
- MySpace
- Facebook: Humankind Nashville – Become a fan!
- Twitter: HumankindNash
David: Marketing Intern to the Stars
We have brought another capable, creative intern into our Foolish fold. David comes to us from Belmont U. and will be writing, researching, and much more. As with Eileen before him, I will let him introduce himself:
A long time ago, in the land of Kansas—a place where all things are flat, wheaty and magical, where houses fly in tornados and smash wicked witches, and where sparkly red slippers are valued over any other earthly possession—a mother gave birth to a son and named the child David, for she knew in her heart that one day he would become a king. That child grew up to be me. Not a king. Oops.
Sometimes I reflect on my childhood and realize that, well, I could have been a king if I had really wanted to. In fact, I’m fairly certain that everything about me—except for maybe my blood?—is indeed royal. The problem was that, around the age of eleven, I acquired something that got in the way of my kingship: a guitar. As soon as I began playing the “obnoxious thing,” I realized that I was meant to be a punk rock star. And to be punk rock, you have to be an anarchist. Go figure. I couldn’t be a king anymore.
As high school rolled around, I moved on from punk rock to hardcore (that’s “HxC” in shorthand). It was a step that made my parents really proud. High school also gave the little anarchist in me some much needed nourishment: dystopian literature. Huxley and Orwell became two of my heroes. I also began to realize that maybe—just maybe—books could be interesting. A novel idea, it was.
Since my early years, I’ve migrated all over the country, finally winding up in a college where I study Religion and English because I’m a nerd. These days, I play music, read books, ride my bike and keep a music blog. Also, my favorite of the cheeses is Brie.
Every Foolish court needs a king, right? Welcome, David!
Advice from a Foolish Intern
[Ed. note: This is a guest post from our super-intern Eileen.]
To all the college students on break: You have two choices when Dad asks, “Hey kid, what are you doing to prove that you’re a productive human being this summer?”
1. Well, Pop, I’m getting another job waiting tables so that future employers will see that I have a strong enough work ethic to keep myself in beer for three months.
2. Well, Pop, this summer I’ll be working my collegiate butt off for nothing and so will probably be asking you for a spare $20 every now and then because . . . I’M AN INTERN!!!
I promise, Dad will be infinitely more pleased to hear Response #2. Why? Because he knows that even if he’s spotting you a little extra cash for now, it’s way less likely that you’ll be hitting him up for dough after you graduate.
The long and short of it is this: Every college student should have an internship. At least one. Whether it’s in the summer, fall, spring doesn’t matter of course, as long as it’s before you’ve been handed your diploma. I know finding an internship can be a little intimidating, but before you write it off, consider this:
An internship provides you with great contacts you’d never otherwise make. If you work hard, these contacts can turn into people who will want to sing your praises to your future employers. An internship also introduces you to a field of experience and learning outside the stuffy halls of academia. You’ll come out on the other side with a broader skill set and maybe even some career ideas you wouldn’t have thought of before.
So, go on—what have you got to lose? After all, the same Saved By the Bell re-run will be on tomorrow too. Here’s what you do:
The Search
This is the hardest part, but if you put in the work up front, you will see results. Scour the Internet daily to see if anyone’s advertising an intern position. But don’t stop there. Look for companies that do what you want to do, or that do something you’re interested in learning about. Then call them up or shoot them an email asking if they’d be interested in hiring you as an intern. Who doesn’t like free labor? [Ed. note: What's even better, BookFool.com interns are paid!] Don’t forget to check around with parents, friends, and especially professors for internship ideas.
Oftentimes, companies will go directly to schools with opportunities because they’re looking for student interns just like you. Keep an open mind and consider internships that are not necessarily related to your major. This is a great way to learn things you wouldn’t otherwise learn in your classes. As an English major, I could tell you all about American Realism or the feud between Hemingway and Fitzgerald, but until I interned with BookFool.com, I couldn’t have told you a blasted thing about the book business itself. Not to mention marketing or PR or running haiku contests like I can now.
How to Apply
Once you’ve found a couple internship options, focus on your cover letter and resume. These documents are a sort of pre-interview, so inject them with a little personality and show who you really are. In your cover letter, it’s always a good idea to start by introducing yourself, explaining why you’re writing, and mentioning how you heard about the internship/company. Follow that with a brief description of your experience in college or work, and why you’re the person they want to hire. Conclude your letter by listing your contact information and by citing a time in the following week that YOU will follow up to ensure they’re received your letter and resume. It may also be a good idea to say, “If you would like a professional reference, please contact (NAME) at (EMAIL)” with the contact information of a professor, past employer, or volunteer leader you trust.
As for the resume, I know that as a student, it can be hard to know what to cite as your qualifications. After all, you’ve been in school, and that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for building relevant job experience! But fear not—you’re applying for an internship; your employers aren’t expecting you to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Instead, your resume can list relevant courses you have taken, awards or recognitions you’ve received, and extra-curricular activities you’ve been involved with. If you have a website or blog, provide a link to it. And rather than organizing your resume by previous employment, try organizing it according to your skills and abilities. Ask yourself, “What am I good at? What do I enjoy?” You’ll be surprised at just how talented you already are. Simple things like writing clearly, being a people person, or having a creative mind may not seem like skills at first, but can actually be huge assets! List qualities like these, with concise examples if possible.
The Interview
When you get that call back for an interview, give yourself a pat on the back and then get ready to show ‘em the person behind the paper. This is the chance for the company to hear just how great you are directly from the source! Also, prepare yourself by learning as much about the company as you possibly can. Read their website, find reviews, talk to anyone who knows or has been involved with them. You want the company to know that you understand who they are, what they do, and how you can contribute.
Also, bring a couple questions to ask THEM. This shows that you’ve done your research and are already thinking about how you can be involved. Let them know you’re willing to learn and ready to work. Most importantly, show them you want it—even if you’re not the most qualified for the position, your interest and enthusiasm will set you apart and make you memorable.
The Internship Itself
You’ve got your internship; now show them they hired the right person! Get to know people, make yourself as present and productive as possible, and don’t be timid about asking questions or contributing ideas. Take on any and every project they throw at you. Be confident and step up to the big projects or volunteer to do more. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. An internship is about learning, after all. And if ever you’re really struggling, just bring in some coffee and doughnuts. That will buy you some time to get your act together!
Finally, as you gain work experience, keep a portfolio. This will be invaluable as you search for jobs in the future. Save copies of everything you write, or jot down summaries of projects you’ve done. Keep any thank-you notes or well-done-you’s that you might receive. Make a list of any new programs you’ve learned. Anything that demonstrates what you’ve done and learned in your internship, throw it in the portfolio. There’s nothing better than showing a potential employer physical evidence of your achievements.
You Can Do It!
Now, go out there and be an intern! You may not be making much (or any) money now, but the payoff later will be more than worth it. And hey, if you follow all this advice and it turns out I’m wrong, then you can listen to Drew from Toothpaste For Dinner:
Tour of United Record Pressing in Nashville
[Ed. note: This is a guest post from Richard, one of our creative warehouse Fools, about a field trip they took last Thursday.] Today — in what ended up being an extended lunch break that was graciously afforded us by our ever-generous boss-people — the motliest of the motley employees of Bookfool.com embarked on a brilliant tour. August 13th was the day, the factory of United Record Pressing (URP) was the destination.
URP is one of five record pressing plants left in America (that they know of, anyway), and the largest presser of vinyl. Ever. But what’s all the more worth noting is that they are, in total, the only one that matters. Period. Our friend Alan gave us the show-around, which was informal and fantastic. I’d be hard pressed (HA!) to see a group of people so geeked out/fascinated ever again. It was like embodying this lady at a cat museum or this guy at the fair. Or something.
Upon our arrival in the building, we saw that it quite literally appeared to be frozen in time: 60’s art decor, aquatic tiling, etc. We were initially greeted by a signed picture of Rick James, thus confirming our suspicion that 4th Ave. South is in fact the Stargate.
We were greeted by our comrade and treated to free coasters made from the centers of discarded records. Seriously. We got a stack for the entire Fool-office and subsequently increased our cool factor exponentially. [Ed. note: It's true. They are much cooler to us now.] Moon Dog: Bing-o Bang-o.
Lining the walls were some of the records they had printed. From A Tribe Called Quest to Animal Collective, Bob Dylan to the Beatles, Elvis to Eminem, the Stooges to Sly and the Family Stone, it seemed the magnitude and myriad of bands represented knew no bounds.
The first part we visited was affectionately known as the Motown Suite. URP started pressing back in ‘49, exclusively doing 7″ until (I think) ‘99. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, Motown records was one of their biggest customers. Seeing as Nashville tends to be about 5-10 years behind the curve with anything, segregation was still prominent here, thus the representatives and artists weren’t able to get a place to stay. So these guys at URP put them up in a pretty posh apartment-esque part of their upstairs. They have perfectly preserved it to this day and we were enamored of the space. The artists also used to listen to the records there for the first time, and so the vibe was simply incredible. Good people, practice, and tunes. Jam.
We went downstairs to the pressing plant and watched how records were made…obviously. Vinyl actually starts off as tiny chunks, is then melted into “patties” or “pucks”, which are put into the machines where the process begins. I won’t go in to the details, but there are videos you can watch, both on the URP website and one at BookFool’s Flickr that I took. [Ed. note: Awesome vid! Also embedded at the bottom of this post.]
We saw the room where they make the master mold of the record that is used to press the rest. One in our company declared that room to be the place where, “in the first Batman movie, the Joker was melted,” simultaneously confusing the seminal Batman/Keaton film with the pathetically lesser 3rd one, Batman Forever/Clooney, and also describing it to a perfect T. (In his defense, Joker did fall into a vat of craziness, right? I remember not liking that part as a child.)
The epic experience also included the pricing info, seeing where they keep all the “mother” presses, and seeing the grooves under a microscope, which was a funny incident in and of itself. We were blown away by seeing that up close, and the more questions we asked about records on the micro level, the less anyone knew. “Uhh, ask Andy.” “Uhh, you’ll have to ask Thomas,” etc. We had our suspicions about music and records being the witchcraft-voodoo of the devil (our moms told us about Elvis!) and once we got to the science of it all, our suspicions were confirmed. Sorry to the Parents.
All in all, it was a gorgeous outing. We were baffled and enlightened and mystified and geeked out. God bless music; there’s nothing better than music. And these people were uncompromising in their handling of its vinyl medium. Ben noted how nothing seemed nostalgic or “touristy” simply because this was all they had ever done. Sure, they’d watch their product rise, fall, and rise again, but they stuck with it. Minus the historicity of the bangin’ Motown Suite, they just did their thing the same as it ever was. (They don’t even make the machines that press records anymore! Incredible!)
If you live in Nashville, visit. It’s free. If you don’t, come and see it. It’s worth it. And the best “tourisity” thing I’ve done in a while.
Further viewing:
- Video tour of URP on YouTube.
- The Dead Weather’s “Will There be Enough Water?” shot at URP.
- More photos on Flickr from the Fools’ visit.
WANTED: Customer Care Fool in Nashville, TN
We’re hiring! Below is the official job ad for this position, also posted at Scribd. Please share this link with friends and family whom you think fit this description.
WANTED: Customer Care Fool in Nashville, TN
If you accidentally rear-ended another driver in a low-speed collision, could you turn them into your best friend before the police arrived to write the accident report? If you found a box of unlabeled family photographs in your grandmother’s attic, could you use the internet and your incredible powers of organization to turn that box into a fully realized family tree? Are you passionate about Customer Service in a way that your colleagues think is a bit over the top?
If you can answer a resounding “Yes!” to those three questions and you have attended college, please consider applying for the new position of Customer Care Fool. Consistent customer care is vital to our continued success. We cannot grow without you.
Customer Care in Three Easy Steps:
1) Customer Support: You will delight customers by practicing both Responsive and Proactive customer service. Responsive customer service means responding to customers’ incoming questions in a timely and brand-friendly manner. Proactive customer service means actively finding new, unique, and cost-conscious ways to delight our existing and future customers.
2) Warehouse: Because customer care happens at every point along the supply chain, you will work with our Operations Leader to ensure customers are cared for in the way we run our warehouse.
3) Buybacks: Under the direction of our Operations Leader, you will also care for future customers by helping plan, organize, and execute our textbook buyback events. This task requires an organized mind, advanced communication skills, and a solid work ethic. You will coordinate with vendors, street team members, and dozens of employees to line up locations, work schedules, and much more.
Key Attributes of our Customer Care Fool:
- Extroverted, energized by interacting with people, even the occasional angry one.
- Organized and meticulous, like ridiculously so.
- Strong, concise communicator to a wide range of audiences.
- Work well as part of a team.
- Proficient with technology, especially the Internet, Office, and Apple computers.
- Creative, independent, and hardworking.
- Some experience in college. A degree is good but not absolutely necessary.
This is an entry-level position, so we’re more interested in finding the right person than the right set of experiences. You will report to our Operations Leader who will coordinate and guide your activities. You will also work closely with our Brand Fool to ensure your communication respects and furthers the brand we’re building.
About BookFool.com
BookFool.com makes students’ lives easier by giving them a better way to buy and sell textbooks every semester. We’re a 3-year startup with a proven business model and incredible recent growth.
We enjoy a seasonal rhythm with one super-busy time of year (Jan./Dec.), one somewhat-busy time of year (Summer), and 6 months of relative calm, during which we plan for the busy times. We don’t take ourselves too seriously but do work hard. During the busy season, we all pitch in to make sure the work gets done and done right.
Compensation:
Compensation is competitive for an entry-level position and includes some health benefits, paid vacation, support for continuing education, and a fun, laid-back atmosphere.
How to Apply:
We want to hear from you. Please send your resume and a cover letter detailing your passions and abilities to this address.
Resumes should include specific past accomplishments for each position you’ve held, not just your past duties. Interviewing begins in late August 2009.
Hot Tomato Haiku Contest Winners 2009
If you missed the presentation at the Tomato Art Fest this weekend (pictures coming soon), here are the winners of this year’s Hot Tomato Haiku Contest. It was an extraordinarily close race with over 400 entries, but the following haiku stood out among their categories. (Category descriptions are at our Haiku 2009 page.)
Congratulations to our winners and a very special thank-you to our judges–Bonnie Smith, Danielle Alexander, and David Curtis–all of Belmont’s English Dept. If you’d like to sign up to receive an email before next year’s contest, visit our Haiku 2010 page.
Basho’s Beefsteak Winner
by Julie Greenberg
Brandywine fever
finds me circling the garden,
hoping I missed one.
Plum Humorous Winner
by Amy E. Hall
Pastor Bruce Shetta
to marry Tobas Coe and
Miss Mary Nara
Stinky Tomato Winner
by John Cooper
Distant Tomato
You can run but you can’t hide
Time to play ketchup
Fried Green Winner
by Allie McGilberry, 9 years old
Orange, red and yellow,
Thou art a fruit I must eat.
I want to eat thee.
Melissa Duke’s Best in Show
by Gregory O’Loughlin
I trained vines for you
Cages could not hold your wild
Cherokee purple
Juicy Red Honorable Mention
by Libby Neutrino
Red moon over the silent hill
tonight I dream
of a Better Boy
