Written by: Tia Smith
Photo by: Alessia De Leo
Contributor: Alessia De Leo
This Wednesday, April 12th, Period 1, there will be a book launch for a book written by Blakelock’s very own ELL (English Language Learner) students. The book is titled, “Finding Myself Far Away From Home” and it describes the experiences of its writers in both English and in each author’s first language.
The creative process took time and patience, with everyone making a story together before splitting into groups to pitch ideas. It was definitely a group effort, with everyone working hard to create something they could relate to and connect with on more of a spiritual level.
Throughout the writing process, everyone learned something as personal stories and information from different countries and cultures were shared. While there was no particular favorite part of the process that was shared, getting to know peers more personally was definitely a highlight. TABloid members asked about the meaning behind the title,
“ ‘Finding Myself’ is not just the physical finding myself, it's more spiritual because we have come from different places, so we might wonder who we are. The mixture of differences makes it difficult to know ourselves. It's not just finding ourselves now, it's in the future, it's continuous.” - Johann White
The TABloid team also asked about the book launch itself, which again is taking place on Wednesday April 12th,
“We will have snacks and cakes, and international food from different countries. We will have some games and music, you will love it!” - Amy Li
On Wednesday April 12th during Period 1 attendees of the book launch are invited to play games, listen to music, have a bite to eat, and celebrate the publication of “Finding Myself Far Away From Home”.