The Work of My Classmates

Hi, Mariah! I loved this. It was so creative. You have a short and sweet kind of writing style that I find to be very interesting. I especially loved the line, “I’m done. I thought to myself. I lived off of stories, Grandma’s stories, and now she’s gone.” I find that so heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. The story was elegant and thoughtful, you have a talent for pacing and making characters believable and real. All I can say is congratulations on this piece of work! And the ending really got me, too. You should definitely continue writing and I believe you should continue on this story if you have the time. I also loved the part, “’No, lay down, you’ll need all the rest you can get,’ his brown hair was flopping through the wind as he made his descent through the forest. This isn’t a dream.” At the end. It was really is beautiful imagery.

You’re Fabulous,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Mariah!

This was so interesting. Thank you for teaching me about Ted Dekker. I’ve yet to read any of this work, but he seems like a fascinating person and a fascinating writer. Very much similar to yourself! I wanted to mention how much I loved your writing style, you write as if you’re simply talking to your best friend, and it is very comfortable and enjoyable to read.  And I love how you say, “I judge a book by its cover. I will just listen to the title of a book and tell you whether or not I will read the book. I know what I’m looking for. When I find it, I find it. If the name’s cliché, the book is probable cliché.” Because I do that as well. People always put me down for it, so it’s nice to know that there is someone out there who also does this. And your ending line, “Nothing is different if I just write for myself or if I write for the public eye. I have nothing to hide. If anything, it’s the exact opposite.” Is fantastic.

( I enjoyed this piece of work from Mariah the most because it taught me the most about who she is as a person. )

You’re Awesome,

Taylor Denton

Hi Mariah!

Wow! You can sure say a lot without using many words. That is a real talent. Anybody can hammer out a dramatic message using 2,000 words or so, but very few people can do so with just six. I loved the one, “Don’t talk to me, my friend.” It was so masterfully created and done. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing this with everyone. And the one for your father is fantastic as well. I think our fathers would really get along. They seem to be similar people. You really have a skill for this kind of poem. If you like it, I really encourage you to do more. I think you’re good enough to have some published! I honestly do, you’re really good at this! Keep writing, I’m sure one day you’ll be very famous for your talent and beautiful writing style.

Stay Snazzy,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Mariah!

I loved how you addressed it to the reader. It made it so personal and real. The line, “You pushed me out of your world up there. You called me a lunatic and psychotic. You tell me that I am malicious and dangerous.” Is amazing, really! You are so talented. Having read some of your other work, I am definitely used to being impressed, but this one really did a number on me. I think it was the most creative post of yours I’ve seen thus far. It really examines the human condition and the human mind. “I am beautiful. I am musical. I am here to call you into this hole that I am in.” Has to be my favorite part. You can make the mood so epic and special that it feels as if I’m reading from an already famous published author!

You’re Crazy Awesome,

Taylor Denton

What’s up, Mariah?

THIS WAS SO GREAT! I loved it! The way you switched moods depending on the poem was great, you can write many different ways and about many different things. I think this is my favorite piece by you I’ve read today. I loved the one about the monsters, Where are the monsters? Hiding in the Black Forest with evil and fear.” That creates amazing imagery and fear. You’re fabulous. I’ve loved all of your writing, I hope you continue with it. It would be so great to walk into a book store one day and find one of your works up on the bestseller list. But, even if you decide not to publish and you want to keep your work private, the main piece of advice I’d like to give to you is never stop. It would be a real crime to give up on your talent!

You’re Great,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Maddie!

I’m definitely voting for you to become the next president. I love your beautiful ideas about education and how life should generally be. I’d be so much happier if I lived in this society. And the thing is, it isn’t that unrealistic. There wouldn’t have to be many drastic changes to make this kind of place a reality. But it’s heartbreaking to know that it isn’t ever going to happen, isn’t it? At least, not for a long time. But your writing and this poem give me hope that another world is possible. I really enjoyed the part of the poem that went, “You wouldn’t have bad hair days. Or ‘That’s gay’ .You wouldn’t even have class at 7:50 AM.” That’s the way it should be, isn’t it? I’d be satisfied to make these changes alone, these things would make the world a better place.

Thank You for Being You,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Maddie!

This would be so perfect. The part that I really loved was, “Then Beyoncé would tuck me into bed and sing to me until I fell asleep.” She is the queen. Who wouldn’t want Beyoncé to sing them to sleep? Talk about fabulous. It’s also really sweet the way you talk about all the things you would do for other people. Most everyone seems to think only of themselves when it comes to their perfect day (myself included), but not you. You seem like a genuinely selfless person who cares about others. This really shines through in your writing. The way you talk about the things you want for your parents is really beautiful. You have a very gentle, flowing writing style that I really enjoy. Do you plan to continue writing after high school? I really hope you do. You have a talent for it.

Stay Awesome,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Maddie!

I’ve never read this book, but now I really want to. You’re paragraph at the end showed all the passion and love you obviously have for this book. You have an ability to see into the deep meanings of things that other people tend to miss. That is really awesome. I bet you’re a great person to have a discussion with. Your writing is intelligent, thoughtful, and graceful. You’re so mature for a person your age, and that is really rare in this school. You have a really great mind, and you really seem wise beyond your years. I loved the quote and I loved the meaning you got out of it. Congratulations on being so very talented!  I hope I get to read about more of your personal thoughts in the future, you’re very insightful and have the ability to understand concepts that even many adults can’t seem to grasp.

You’re Great,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Maddie!

Now, I myself really struggled with this poem when I wrote it. I found it difficult to write and hard to connect to. I think mine turned out to be pretty unexciting and dull, but your poem is another story .You really managed to connect all the types of the paint colors and weave them gracefully into the poem. I could not do this, but you have already acquired a mastery of writing that many people spend decades trying to perfect. You’re extremely creative. I loved the line, “But harsh like the deepest wine.” It really gave me an image of the painting I believe you created. It’s been said that writes paint with their words, and I really think this is the case for you. Awesome job. I also appreciated the image you included at the bottom with all the various colors of purple, it gives a person an idea of what colors you were describing.

You’re Lovely,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Maddie!

“In the bright, hot, sun, sand shining in the light, stuck between my toes.” Was a great short poem. I could see the scene you created with just a few words, and the title really completed it. I love how descriptive you can be with only a few lines. I enjoyed reading this work and I might suggest that you do more poems like this is the future. Haikus are indeed quite difficult. I struggled to cram meaning, imagery, and good writing into mine when I wrote them and they just ended up being somewhat over-complicated. But yours are simplified and fun to read. Thanks for using your talent on such a fun poem! And it is definitely a relief and a breath of fresh air to have sometimes light and lovely instead of the dark and depressing things I commonly have to read, thank you for sharing!

Stay Awesome,

Taylor Denton

( That was my favorite piece of Maddie's because of the lighthearted and gentle mood it created. )

Hi, Katie!

This story was awesome! It was so creative and inventive. How do you come up with so many awesome ideas? I’ve read some of your stuff and I’ve loved all of it. You have such an amazingly clever and witty way of writing. I absolutely adore the picture that you included at the end! It made the whole thing so real. This was so classy and awesome. I really enjoyed the way you connected the plot together in this way. You’re a boss! My favorite part is, “The negotiations lasted for hours, particularly on the subject of arming the Earthlings with Argon's weaponry. As Argons are sentient-gas beings, they can only use gaseous poisons against the Martians, which could also be deadly to Earthlings when released.” You really brought the story and the aliens to life.  I’m so impressed in the way you created this world in just a few sentences. You have a talent for making creative stories in a short piece of time. Bravo!

You’re Beautiful,

Taylor Denton

What’s Up Sister,

I love The Great Gatsby! It’s one of my complete favorites. I adore the way you talked about it, I really did. And I totally agree with the things you said. You have a well-developed mind. The line, “Besides all the deeper meanings to this passage, I also love it for the simplistic and beautiful language that it contains.” Is totally awesome! I completely agree. It’s so nice to read the way I feel about The Great Gatsby. I also loved the way you analyzed the book and how it was written. You also did a great job describing it. The way you talk about the book is loving and intelligent, I can tell you have a passion for books from this story. Amazing analysis! You are very mature and a great thinker, and this passage is thoughtful and well-written in every way possible. Awesome job!

Your Face is Magical,

Taylor Denton

Hi, Katie!

“In the bakery, Rich dark chocolate drops smooth, Forming sweet small cakes” was such a cute poem! You have a talent for writing innocent and adorable things.  It’s so refreshing to read this. It’s nice to read something that isn’t totally dark and depressing. I think what I like best about your writing style is how gentle and sweet it is without being annoyingly cutesy. I love how much you can convey with a few words. This poem is very pretty and fabulous. What I also enjoyed was how you got in touch with my stomach! You managed to make me starving without even trying! That takes effort. You are very descriptive in your writing that is really my favorite thing about this poem and about your writing in general. You can make up stories in a few seconds that become creative masterpieces. Great job, sister! I loved it.

You’re a Genius,

Taylor Denton

Yo, yo, Katie,

This was great! You connected all the colors into this poem really seamlessly. I was impressed with how creative this one was. It can be hard to try to be creative with such a structured poem assignment, but you really made this your own and I loved it. I also enjoyed how you painted a picture with this work. Your imagery was really great! It’s a really gentle poem with a cute undertone. It’s innocent and lovely, and I completely love it! It can really be hard to find good writing, but I have really found it in your writing. I wanted to go to this place you’d created, it really seems like a good place to be. When I read your writing, I can’t really help but to feel happy. That’s another thing I love about this poem, it’s incredibly creative! Great job, awesome work!

Stay Awesome,

Taylor Denton

 Hi, Katie!

This was adorable! It was so cute, and of course I loved the way you made it about a child and the connection that the baby had with his mother. It seems like you really summed up the way a new mother would feel after her child was born. I loved the way you tapped into this delicate and unbreakable connection with parent and offspring. I love writing that tells the truth about something invisible, and I think you really did that with this poem. My favorite line of this work is, “Child of her Heart, Affectionately swaddled in Readily placed blue blankets.” It creates the sweetest imagery of the whole poem, in my opinion of course. I also loved how warm and fuzzy it made me feel. It was a happy poem and a great piece of work, and that combination can be a difficult one to find.

Great Job,

Taylor Denton 

(This was my favorite piece of work from Katie because it was sweet and intelligent)