Stories and Poems by the Children of Telling It

SPRING 2015

Arts-based interventions for change

CARROT WAY

ABOUT AVALON HOUSING AND TELLING ITAvalon Housing, a Telling It partner since 2010, believes that the most effective solution to ending homelessness is supportive housing, that housing is a basic human right, and that building community is essential to helping people achieve self-sufficiency. They believe it is vitally important to invest time, energy and resources to help children who are at-risk of becoming homeless as adults.

Recognized as an exemplary community-based program designed for under-served children and youth grades K-12, Telling It employs innovative approaches to boost scholastic confidence by using the healing aspects of the arts in concert with evidenced-based educational and social work practices. Weekly afterschool programs are conducted for children and youth in Washtenaw Co.

Welcome to our Telling It celebration at Avalon Housing’s Carrot Way community! Today we are celebrating the culmination of a yearlong sculpture project led by the acclaimed artist, Val Mann. The children’s creative journey started last fall when Morgan and York’s Co-Owner, Simone Jenkins, led a two-week food sculpture workshop. In this workshop the children explored building and attaching different elements to create small food sculptures using rice krispies treats, marshmallows and icing sugar. There was much chewing over ideas and problem-solving! Over the next seven months, Val Mann taught the children the engineering and architectural knowledge required for building a large steel sculpture. Her instruction also involved the safe use of power tools. For inspiration, there were trips to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Modern Art and to Zingerman’s Bakehouse to learn how to mold and create shapes and forms. As the children’s ideas for their sculpture took shape, Val took them to Maker Works, a member-based workshop filled with state-of-the-art tools for builders, makers, and artists. There they saw the laser cutter in operation that she would use to cut the children’s steel sculpture design.

Over the course of this amazing journey, the children have learned to work together, problem-solve and take responsibility. Their sculpture is a tribute to all the good things that support the positive growth of the children from Carrot Way. None of this would be possible without the brilliant leadership of Val Mann and the Telling It team. They honored the children’s creativity and design ideas.

Avalon Housing and Telling It are truly grateful to Val and the Carrot Way community for allowing us to turn the children’s ideas into an art form that is a visual reminder of how a community can foster growth and healing. In the words of the children as they named their sculpture, Roots Taking Flight is their legacy to the place that was, for a time, their childhood home.

With best wishes,

Deb Gordon-GurfinkelTelling It Founder & Director

ALEXISCARROT WAY I see candy I taste candy I feel happy I smell candy I want love

WHAT IS THE DOG THINKING?This is heaven pet me more I wish she would get the brush I wish she would get me a biscuit too Pet me- I want to be petted! “Nice Dog”, she told me And the mail lady came and she said, “Don’t bite me, nice doggy!”

FIVE SENSES OF AN OBJECT IN A BAGI feel: in a plastic bag Something that opens and closes It will smell like plastic It is smooth It feels like sunglasses I feel circles like lenses And rougher on the glasses It is definitely glasses Its sunglasses or fancy glasses

TELLING ITI like telling it because it is awesome and great. I learned from it sometimes and I like it because I get to learn.

THE THREE BOXES POEMS1. I see a boxMy favorite color is silver I feel annoyed

2. My favorite color is not purple but cam’s is: when he saw the card say purple he was joyful and ran around in a circle and hit his head on the wall. I smell a blue sad pentagon it smells like sea.

3. A super happy red triangleHave you seen a super happy red triangle? I haveAnd it is cool

CARROT WAY MEMORYWhen I moved to Carrot Way it was three or four years ago. We had to work all day, moving in. I moved with my mom and sisters. It was May 1st

HOT LAVAIn Texas, one day there was very scary weather! One family lived in a house exactly 5 inches away from the crack in the earth with hot lava. They ran out the back door to their family tree house. Then they all ran to the giants’ house and they let them in and protected them. The giants’ house is safe .

CAMERONSHAPES, COLOR & EMOTIONS POEMHave you seen a playful yellow octagon?I have, and it is really playful.

A sad blue pentagonI smell a blue sad pentagon.It smells like the sea.

It is the end.

A super happy red triangle.Have you seen a super happy red triangle?I have, and it is cool.

A silver annoyed square.I see a square.My favorite color is silver.I feel annoyed.

A joyful purple circle.My favorite color is not purple, but Cam’s is. When he saw the card say purple, he was joyful and ran around in a circle and hit head on wall.

TYPHOON!There is a typhoon that is about to hit a neighborhood called Carrot Way. If I were you, I will hide if I was you.

This story is about me, my friend named Keon, and also my other friend named Spencer. We were riding bikes and then all of a sudden….my cousin named Kailyn came outside and said, “Cameron, I think you should come and see this.” Me, Keon and Spencer rode our bikes really fast to my house. We took off our jackets and shoes and headed right up stairs. Kailyn said “come and look what is on the news.” We went into my room turned on the tv and went on the news. The person on the news said that a typhoon is coming near Carrot Way. We all got really, really, really scared. We were panicking because a typhoon was coming. This is only the beginning. So what I am saying is: To be continued….

THREE THINGS ABOUT MY PHOTO1. I put stuff that were like animals2. I put things that were not like animals3. fun stamps4. creative5. awesome6. cool7. not slopey8. positive things9. poas time stamps10. present time stamps11. future time stamps12. amagenashon13. alot of time to do this14. nice work15. Took all the time to do this.

THE NEW FAMILY AT CARROT WAYThe secret family:Why they are secret?magic powersmagic portalmagic dogover 10,000 people in housecan teleportcan turn invisiblefrom the Antarcticthey drive polar bears and a magic carpet.they eat eyeballs and organs.They have a book of magicthey are hiding it from the world.Hope that they will teach me magic.I want to learn all of it.How to fly.They have ∞ floorsThe color of the house is gray and dark.My Family

CARROT WAY I love Carrot Way because it has all of my friends that care about me in and it also has family members too. If I left Carrot Way I will miss, everybody in here, even family members and friends.

MY STORY ABOUT HELPING SOMEBODYHi, my name is Cameron. I am making a story about helping a new boy that was new to our class. There was a boy named Thomas. The bullies’ names were

• Arthur• London• Camayah• Kelsy• Jada

They were making fun of him by teasing him, calling him names, and even bullying him, punching him, and also made him cry. So then I went over to them and pushed them away from him and said “leave him alone.” They ran away to tell a teacher a lie.

CARROT WAY - MY FOOD SCULPTUREI see: cake and Ice creamI hear: Baby Birds Chirping and SingingI taste: Candy and lots of sweetsI touch: gentle water and gentle handsI feel: happy and Excited and most of all….proud.I smell: frosting, candy, and a lot of things that smell good.I want: to add a lot more details in my sculpture to make it Better and make it Creative and Inspiring., I also want to taste it and add more and more candy onto my sculpture to tell people what I think Carrot Way is and what it means to me. And most of all, I want to tell people that Carrot Way is a lot and a lot of candy. That is what I want.

THREE THINGS ABOUT MY PICTURE1. Trees2. Stamps3. Cool4. Flowers5. Awesome!6. Fun to play with7. It’s really awesome

CARROT WAY – MY FOOD SCULPTUREI see lots of kids having fun!I hear people having fun talking to each other.I taste SUGAR!I touch candy – the rice crispies feel sticky.I feel warm and comfortable and we have lots of people being creative.I smell dogs barking and rice crispies.I want people to have fun, even Jay.

THE WACKY FAMILY MOVE TO CARROT WAYThey might want to paint their house fed and blue! And some white. Veronica is the mom and David is the dad. There are 6 kids. They are from Alaska and they speak Chinese. The kids names are Anna, Belle, Annabelle, Connor, Charlie, and Chandler. They interesting because they have magical powers like making people feel people’s eyeballs. And the make other people feel happy to each other!

BELLS – SOUNDA jar with bells or some needles that make sound.The sides feel smooth, the bottom feels smooth, the lid feels smooth.Smells like bricks.Smells like someone put their hands on it and maybe broke some tree branches and put them inside.Brown or black.Curved sides and a flat bottom.Kind of cold on sides, warm on top.

IN THE MUSEUMCouchChairsSculpturestheir faces look funny & they have 2 headscontrasting colorsjingley bellspeoplehuman facescolors are important(big big!)rock with lots of colorpaper mache over the chairs to make formspots, pansfood dishesstuff they can make out of foodtowersbuildingsscrollsI think the scrolls are used for stuff you can do or make.tea kettle shapetea pothorsespaintingspicturespeople walkingreally big!

GOING HOMETo never see my face - ever.I will miss everyone and everything.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CARROT WAYI love to see my friendsI like my roomI like birdsI like to see KaylnI like school

SCHOOLI like to go to school Becauseit is funto meyes

DAVIONNA

FIVE SENSES OF CARROT WAYI see a spiderI hear talkingI taste candyI touch adventureI feel goodI smell nice crispy treatsI want to be here.

FIVE SENSES OF AN OBJECT IN A BAGI feel rubber, sharpI taste, it’s a little sweetI smell garden or forestI hear soft fur

FIVE SENSES OF ANOTHER OBJECT IN A BAGI feel yarn, hard, warm.I smell, it’s like something on fire and it burns for a while.I taste nothing.I hear nothing except for squishing on my face.I see yarn. I knew it was yarn in the first place!This was the easiest thing in the world!

THE NEW FAMILY AT CARROT WAYMy best friend Darral Moon is moving here and I can’t wait to meet his family. He lives with two people, his mom and dad. They had special powers and they gave some to me. It was awesome. I had all the powers. I could fly, do a fireball, ice ball, everything. It was so awesome! He likes to play basketball and football. He is ten and has the same birthday as me. His mom is 27 and his dad is 25. He lives in Detroit and he likes video games like me. His mom’s name is Shanik and his dad’s name is dad.

WEEKENDSOn the weekend I like to play basketball.I like to sleep in.I also like to go to hotels.

MY LIFEMy life would look like me in college.Basketball.Me living in a house and driving a car.I’m gonna have a girlfriendAnd I’m going to be driving a Toyota Carolla.I’m going to live in a condo.I’m going to have two couches,A tv,An entertainment center, X Box1, 2 controllers,2 kids, and 2 bedrooms.My girlfriend’s name is Indya.My two kids’ names are Devon and La’Maya.I want a boy and a girl.I would take my family to Florida for one whole week.So I would travel with my family and take them to buy clothes And shoes.And go swimming.See fish and stuff like that.I’m going to North Carolina for collegeAnd I’m going to play SG (shooting guard)And I’m going to be a starter.I’m not going to be on the bench.

EARTHQUAKE DURING SURGERY!We were doing an earthquake. We got into a car accident. The earthquake was scary. Liam was the one who had surgery. I made the car noise. I was the lead doctor. I had to fix his arm and heart. Then when I said, “He’s not going to make it,” the earthquake started. So I dropped the scalpel and needle. Everything was shaking and I could not concentrate. It was hard to pick up the things so I could not operate. I tried my best to operate. He screamed in pain so I gave up trying to operate again. I fell so I took my scalpel and started to operate on him again. I switched her heart with a robot heart. Then his brain had trouble so I switched it. He was almost dead so I put blood in him and it took a long time, like the while day. It was taking forever. The earthquake was still on and it took a long time and it was hard when the earthquake and the tsunami came later. I didn’t go to the beach. The tornado came. I was struck hard.

DAVON

JUSTICEFIVE SENSES OF CARROT WAYI see food I hear laughterI feel good I taste sweetsI touch foodI smell good stuffI want video games

FIVE SENSES OF AN OBJECT IN A BAGIt feels like metal and a little brush Sounds like metal It has a fluffy brush It feels soft IT smells icy like mint It sounds loud on one side and loud on the other side

WHAT IS THE DOG THINKING?A dog is excited when the kids come home from school He is full of crazy energy He loved when his family is home Here comes a stranger The dog is going to protect He is going to bite

MY FOOD SCULPTURE OF CARROT WAYI see friends.I smell pizza.I hear Blair talking.I taste Rice Krispie treats.I touch the playground.I feel happy.I want fun times for Carrot Way.

PIZZA FAMILY There’s an arrival from the oven! The pizza man is morning next door! He’s filled with cheese and 1,000 pepperonis. There is a pizza daughter. She is filled with cheese and pineapples. She has a baby brother that is only filled with cheese. They have pepperoni placemats on their table, pepperoni floors, and pizza walls. The walls can be eaten and when they wake up the next morning, new pizza appears. Their beds are shaped like a pizza. During the week, the pizza kids go to school and the pizza man is their teacher.

THREE BOXES POEMI feel confused. Then I put on my pink sweatshirt and I feel solid like a triangle.

I feel green. I feel like a perfect ice cub with happy little bubbles.

KAYLNOUR TORNADO STORYI’m hiding in the laundry room because it’s the only place with no windows. There’s a tornado outside that’s really strong. We can hear the whistling of the wind and the shattering of our windows outside. Blair and I are ducking for cover with our hands over our heads. We can’t hear the wind anymore so we sign with relief. we step outside the laundry room and see no walls left of our house with leaves and pieces of branches all over what used to be our kitchen. We call Val and Lanya for help.FIVE SENSES POEM OF AN OBJECT IN A BAGFeel: smooth and bumpy on bottomSmell: like candyTaste: like candyHear: rattling, makes noiseSee: espresso bean container

CARROT WAY HAPPY MEMORYThe weather was hot and me and my sister were playing with the Frisbee. My sister’s name is Kiya. She is three. It was fun. Kiya caught the Frisbee with her hands. She had a hard time throwing it back. We played for a really long time. I smiled. We got hot. We kept playing. It felt hot. I was happy, excited, and content.

When I leave CW I will miss the field and Ms. Heather.

KEONWHAT IF?If there was a natural disaster I would gather all of my family first. After I would go get my mother’s keys and drive off to a place where no natural disasters were.

A DIFFICULT SITUATIONA few minutes ago there was a spoiled girl named Aria. Aria was always getting picked on. Once somebody pulled a string while she was running and she did a front flip and landed on her back and started crying. And the bullies started laughing. After all of that I told the bullies to stop because you guys wouldn’t like it if you got bullied every single school day. Once, after that, they were bullying Aria and the principal came while Aria was getting bullied and the principal said, “You guys stop now!” And the kids stopped and the principal took the bullies to the office and called their parents and they were grounded until high school. They were only in 5th grade so they have 4 years of punishment.

LABRONMY FOOD SCULPTURE OF CARROT WAYI see big carrotsI hear kidsI taste candyI touch treesI feel safeI smell carrotsI want candyI want a basketball court for Carrot Way

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER THINKING?My dance game is strong. Please don’t bite me.

FIVE SENSES POEM OF AN OBJECT IN A BAGIt feels rough like metalIt feels smoothIt is a toolIt makes me feel like I want to use itI see a hole puncher

THE NEW FAMILYThey have 3 pets, 3 kids. They are the Petds. They have a dog, lion, and zombie. The mom’s name is Mrs. Petds and the dad’s name is Mr. Petds. The kids names are Lion Jr., Marshon, and Ronisha. Lion Jr. is the oldest, he is 10. Marshon is 10 and Ronisha is 9. They are in the 5th grade. They all like Ninja Turtles and they like Minecraft, Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and basketball. THey were born in 2005. THey are from Detroit and Dearborn. Ronisha skipped a grade because she was in 4th grade. They like the walking dead and they like to eat pizza, spaghetti, and steak.

LANYA

FIVE SENSES OF CARROT WAYI see kidsI hear kids playingI taste carrotsI touch the playgroundI feel happyI smell chickenI want candy for Carrot Way.

FIVE SENSES OF ANOTHER OBJECT IN A BAGI feel furry on one side, smooth but rough at the same time.I smell stinky, smells like candy on the smooth side.I taste dirty.I hear sounds like scrubbing.I see a dry erase marker.

THE BACON FAMILYThe Bacon family is moving in to Carrot Way. Five people are in the family. Emily Bacon and Jacob Bacon are the parents. Jessica Bacon, Emma Bacon and Talia Bacon are the kids – three sisters! Their house always smells like bacon.

Some people make fun of them because their last name is bacon. They actually eat bacon all of the time, every day. I would want to eat at their house all the time.

One girl is in pre-school. One of them is 13 and in 6th grade. The last girl is in 4th grade and she is 9.

Emily Bacon is 32 years old and Jacob is 33. Emily stays at home and gets the kids off the bus. Jacob works at the bacon factory.

CARROT WAY MEMORIESWhen I moved to Carrot Way it was amazing. I was so happy but also sad because I had to leave my friends.

TORNADO I’m walking around the house minding my business when all of a sudden the wall starts falling down! I was scared and frightened! Crack! Shhhh! Crack!!! Shhh!

My furniture and stuff was flying everywhere! My dog is making funny faces as he’s swooped up by the tornado. He is swirling around and looks like he might get sick. I want to save my dog but I might get sucked into the tornado. So I wave goodbye to Smookie.

The End

GROUP POEMI love the water!I feel so free when I’m swimming.I enjoy feeling water o my skin.I am diving.I am happy because I am going to break the rules.I hope she doesn’t dive on me.I can’t wait to be in the cool water.I’m going to win the swimming race.We are swimming.We are diving.I’m going to help people.DON’T DIVE IN THE SHALLOW END!

COLORS, SHAPES AND EMOTIONSA cheerful red cake can be delicious.Angry oranges are as great as Happy Apples.The magenta screen horrified me. I spilled my popcorn.

CARROT WAY – FOOD SCULPTUREI See FoodI Hear my mind telling me EAT!I taste stuffI touch foodI feel excited to EAT!I smell DELISCIOUSNESS!I want TO EATI want everybody-in-carrot-way-to-EAT!I’m hungry

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER THINKING?#Ireally have2usethebathroom#Don’tmesswithme!#Ihasgots2gopotty!#POBMIFudo,MDGIS(please don’t bite me! If you do, My dance game is on!#Don’tnmesswithme!!#Ihavegot2gopotty#

OBJECT IN A BAGIt feels like something to cut withKind of roughIt has holesYou can open itSome of it is metalSharp edgesI see scissorsI know what is because it’s obviously a what?ANOTHER OBJECT IN A BAGIt feels like plastic It doesn’t smell like anythingIt sounds like rainThere is something insideI see a box of espresso beans.

THREE BOXES POEMA Neon yellow, square sponge, is so mad, he doesn’t even want to care about stuffI was so happy, a gray, octagon shaped called the PlayboxDS, appeared right in front of me.

IF I MOVED OUT OF CW, I’d miss everything. Like my house, my cat, food, 6 others and everything Carrot Way has to offer, including my friends.

THE COSBY FAMILY: A TRUE STORY…?Caleb is a kid who’s cool, funny, and…cool. His real name is Caleb Cosby. He told me on Playstation™®3 that his father passed away. So it is just him and his mom. He is also moving with his brother.

I think the reason they are moving is because Caleb’s father died.

He likes to play on Playstation. Sometimes, me and Caleb play together in my world, or his world. He likes DragonballZ, and Minecraft.

I discovered his father died on Saturday, November 8th, 2014 then he said, “My father has passed away. I’m gonna now build this thing in his honor.” I never knew if it was true or not. But Ms. Donelly said that he wasn’t here today because he had a family issue that his father died. Caleb was right.

By the way, Caleb is 11/12 years old.

What happened that was the problem, was probably that his father died.

R.I.P.Father19?? – 2014

WATER TSUNAMII wonder out in the woods and Kyogre, the legendary Pokemon of the sea appeared! I morph into to my magma suit then it said that I have to die. So then we battle to death. I unleashed my earthquake attack. Kyogre was not affected. He uses hydro pump. Luckily, I dodge it. I then use my ultimate attack, my Magma Fury. It actually creates a thunderstorm to create fires. One of the bolts hit Kyogre he was down to only 2HP left! I was ready for whatever move he could make next. Then he unleashed his Aqua Tsunami! I tried to run away, but I unfortunately was caught and started to drown. I couldn’t swim up. I thought it was the end for me. But then, my were glowing red. I started to get psychic powers. I used those powers to fly up and kick the tsunami in Kyogre’s direction. He takes 986HP damage. Kyogre has 1000. Meaning I over knocked him out, meaning that he was killed. He is actually evil to people.

LIAM

THE END OF THE WORLDI would find shelter. I would get with a group of friends and family to survive as a pack. I would have weapons like chainsaws, swords, and guns for protection. I would get away from areas of high population; rural areas or islands to survive. Find easily defendable peace and an area to hunt and fish.

HAPPY SQUARE NEON BLACKSleeping makes me happy in the neon black of night. Drawing squares makes me happy.

MARLON

THE SENSES OF CARROT WAY - MY FOOD SCULPTURE I see fun I hear people I taste Spanish food I touch love I feel wonder I smell peace I want positive feelings and positive thoughts also positive words for carrot way I love carrot way I love you all Home sweet home

NAJEHFIVE SENSES OF AN OBJECT IN A BAGIt feels smooth and sandy It smells like metal and sweatIt tastes like sand from the beachIt sounds scratchy and really hard It makes me feel curious and unpredictable I see a sander

WHEN ZOMBIES TAKE OVER THE WORLD!First I would make sure to find other living people and figure out a plan. Then we would build a shelter and always leave in pairs. I would steal groceries from the store and hunt. One person would always be on guard to watch for the zombies.

THE DAY I SAVED LAURENOne day I was at the center with everyone after school all of the sudden there was a big bump. We thought it was nothing but then all of a sudden another bump. We got up and looked outside and the earth was shaking. My granny’s purse went flying through the air. The windows broke everything was shaking we were shaking and the earth opened…DUN DUN DUN. Hot burning lava started coming up and lava started coming up and lava balls started going boom up in the air. We almost did splits into the lava HOT BURNING LAVA. Lauren had an awesome awesome helicopter and flew into the center, we all ran into the helicopter and it almost left Lauren behind but then me the FAB Najeh swings over like an acrobat and grabs Lauren by her hand. Suddenly Lauren let go and was swirling in the air and she was so scared and crying in the air. I grabbed her by the hair and her boots fell into the lava. Then comes the epic trick I swirl Lauren like a spinning wheel and let go of her hand and she does some somersaults in the air and I jump out of the awesome helicopter and do some amazing tricks that no one could before and go through lava hoops and grab Lauren and get back into the awesome helicopter and fly to Florida and spend the rest of our lives in Disney world. Our hotel was awesome we had a pool. We lived happily ever after

WHAT IS THE GIRL THINKING?I love the water! I feel so free when I am swimming! I enjoy feeling the water on my skin. I am diving. I am happy because I am breaking the rules. I hope she doesn’t dive on me!! I can’t wait to be in the cool water. I’m going to win the swimming race Swimming, Diving I am going to help Don’t dive into the shallow end! M

CARROT WAY MEMORYThe first day I moved into carrot way I went to the center. I met the old Scott and he was the best. I loved everything because of him. When I left Carrot Way I missed the parks, my friends and the center a lot!

APPRECIATION & APPLAUSETelling It Team Members Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel, Bri Christy, Blair Sucher, Kim Creswell, Michelle Dimuzio, Cara CannellaTelling It Program Coordinator Emily Moore-MarshallAvalon Housing Staff Lauren Velez, Heather Foster, Diana Saum, Scott Maurmann, Essence Gray, Measie James, Dave Schrotenboer

STANDING OVATION FOR THE ARTISTSVal Mann, Lead Visual ArtistSimone Jenkins, Visual ArtistLeisa Thompson, PhotographerAlexander Lee, Graphic Design

FOR MORE INFORMATIONlsa.umich.edu/tellingitDeb Gordon-GurfinkelTelling It Founder & Director(734) 649-3118dmgordon@umich.edu

FUNDING & SUPPORTAvalon HousingU-M LSA Residential CollegeHoward S. Holmes II Charity Golf InvitationalVictory Toyota CantonMartin Family FoundationMosaic Foundation (of R. & P. Heydon)Dick & Norma SarnsBank of Ann ArborWashtenaw County Sheriff’s Office – Jerry L. Clayton, SheriffCon-way, Inc.Milton & Tamar Maltz FoundationWashtenaw Coordinated FundersDoug & Julie StotlarAnn Arbor Area Community Foundation

SPECIAL THANKSZingerman’s BakehouseMaker WorksU-M Museum of Modern ArtMartin Bandyke, ann arbor’s 107oneAllegra Printing

Arts-based interventionsfor change