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" The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty."

Theodore Parker (1810 - 1860)

CAYUGA READS

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

Murder in the Adirondacks:  An American Tragedy Revisited, by Craig Brandon

A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly

 

ESSAY CONTEST:

Respond to one of the prompts:

 

To what extent is an individual a victim of environmental, social, and economic forces or is a person a victim of choices made with one’s own free will? 

 

 “Voice is not just the sound that comes from your throat but the feeling that comes from your words.” (Donnelley)  What do people’s voices say about poverty, racism, and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century?

 

Judging criteria:  Each entrant may submit one essay of no more than 500 words on one of the prompts, provided that the essay is the original, individual work of the entrant. Essays will be judged on clarity, originality, voice and development of ideas.

 

Submission Guidelines:  The contest is open to students and community members.

Essays should be no more than 500 words and should be typed and double-spaced.  A cover sheet should include the writer’s name, address, phone number, and, if applicable, grade, age, school and sponsoring teacher’s name.

 

Send print copies to Cayuga Reads Contest, c/o Jeff Evener, ELA/Social Studies Director, Casey Park Elementary School, 101 Pulaski Street, Auburn, NY 13021

Deadline:  Postmarked by October 1, 2010

 

POETRY CONTEST:

Respond in verse to

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

Murder in the Adirondacks:  An American Tragedy Revisited, by Craig Brandon

A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly

 

Some suggestions:  you may want to address are the American Dream, class distinctions, coming of age, etc.  Use specific details to vividly relate the experience to the reader, and employ poetic devices such as alliteration, assonance, rhythm, repetition, metaphor, or simile. 

 

Judging criteria

Each entrant may submit one poem of no more than 20 lines on one of the suggested themes, in any style or form, provided that the poem is the original, individual work of the entrant. No preference is given to any one form (i.e. sonnets, villanelles, free verse, etc.) over another.  Poems will be judged on their originality and their ability to elicit a response in the reader.  Judges will be looking for originality, creativity, artistic quality, characterization, and the adherence to the theme and line limits. 

 

Submission guidelines:

This contest is for students and community members.

 

 Poems should be no more than 20 lines.  Poems should be typed and double-spaced.  A cover sheet should include the writer’s name, address, phone number, and, if applicable, grade, age, school and sponsoring teacher’s name. 

Send print copies to Cayuga Reads Contest, c/o Jeff Evener, ELA/Social Studies Director, Casey Park Elementary School, 101 Pulaski Street, Auburn, NY 13021

Deadline:  Postmarked by October 1, 2010