{"id":955,"date":"2026-04-10T10:57:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T14:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/?p=955"},"modified":"2026-04-10T11:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T15:27:12","slug":"winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom and Possibilities: A Celebration in Brooklyn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Written by Bianca Turetsky, Director Of Programs and the Brooklyn Region&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Tuesday evening, a small but mighty group of young writers and their loved ones battled subway delays, spring break plans, and joined together in the basement community room of the Park Slope Library to celebrate the end of the winter trimester with a reading. It was so exciting that writers from different Brooklyn workshops, Lolli, Maya, Cora, Uliana, and Naomi, were able to come together for this event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an introvert who grew up terrified to share their work with anyone aside from their cat, (shout out to Bernard), the courage these young writers showed getting up onstage, stepping up to the microphone, and proudly reading an excerpt from the pieces they have been working hard on in their workshop always inspires and moves me. They say bravery is being afraid and doing it anyway, and all of these writers smashed it out of the park, and according to one parent, left feeling more confident than ever before.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Q&amp;A where we got to ask each Writopian about their inspiration and writing process, many of the writers spoke about how they love the freedom and possibilities that come with writing. They spoke about how they can get an idea from a tv show and turn it into something new and uniquely their own. How there is not one way to do it, the options are endless. And they made it clear that writing is just plain fun. That was apparent in our group poem where all of our kids and parents and guardians wrote a line to create a collaborative piece that was both hilarious and heartwarming to round out our program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I said at the end of the show, let\u2019s do it again this spring! And I look forward to seeing these writers and many new ones share their beautiful stories with our community on June 2nd for our spring celebration. We hope you join us then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":1,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.writopialab.org\\\/writopiaspeaks\\\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\\\/\"}' class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img data-attachment-id=\"960\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/img_7980\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7980.jpeg?fit=971%2C773&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"971,773\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" 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data-full-url=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7980.jpeg?resize=971%2C773&#038;ssl=1\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/?attachment_id=960\" class=\"wp-image-960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7980.jpeg?w=971&amp;ssl=1 971w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7980.jpeg?resize=300%2C239&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7980.jpeg?resize=768%2C611&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7980.jpeg?resize=780%2C621&amp;ssl=1 780w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 971px) 100vw, 971px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img data-attachment-id=\"963\" 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data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?fit=1024%2C490&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978-1024x490.jpeg?resize=1024%2C490&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"963\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/?attachment_id=963\" class=\"wp-image-963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?resize=1024%2C490&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?resize=300%2C143&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?resize=768%2C367&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?resize=1536%2C735&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?resize=1600%2C765&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?resize=780%2C373&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7978.jpeg?w=1767&amp;ssl=1 1767w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this article:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-955\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button 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class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Bianca Turetsky, Director Of Programs and the Brooklyn Region&nbsp;&nbsp; On Tuesday evening, a small but mighty group of young writers and their loved ones battled subway delays, spring break plans, and joined together in the basement community room of the Park Slope Library to celebrate the end of the winter trimester with a &hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this article:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-955\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-955\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-reddit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/?share=reddit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Reddit\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/winter-brooklyn-reading-celebration\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7977.jpeg?fit=2016%2C1512&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9aRpX-fp","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":726,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/brooklyn-spring-2025-reading\/","url_meta":{"origin":955,"position":0},"title":"Sharing And Celebrating at the Brooklyn Library","date":"June 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Elsa Bermudez, Associate Director of Specialty Programs We had a beautiful end-of-trimester reading at the Brooklyn Public Library in Park Slope for our Brooklyn Lab writers on May 27th. For some of our readers, it was their first time sharing their work out loud for an audience. For\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":231,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/notes-anxious-camper-bianca-turetsky-brooklyn-regional-coordinator\/","url_meta":{"origin":955,"position":1},"title":"Notes From an Anxious Camper by Bianca Turetsky, Brooklyn Regional Coordinator","date":"December 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Camps are already filling up their early spots for the summer. And the yearly debate between parents hoping their kids will open up to new adventures and kids nervous to leave home has come hot on its heels. I was one of the nervous kids. In fact I had my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Staff Voices&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/backpack-3.png?fit=383%2C378&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":408,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/national-newsletter-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":955,"position":2},"title":"National Newsletter 2021","date":"July 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Pictured are three of our many long-term Writopians who graduate from high school this year! Student Publication Highlights 2020-2021 Abey Weitzman won a Scholastic Silver Medal for his senior portfolio, \u201cDisability.\u201d Watch his powerful graduation speech below in which he mentions Writopia Lab.Analia Rivera had a piece accepted to Alphabet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Newsletter&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":738,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/creative-portfolio-getaway-in-philadelphia\/","url_meta":{"origin":955,"position":3},"title":"Young Writers from Across the Country Connect for a Fun Getaway in Philadelphia","date":"June 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by L\u00e9na Roy, Director of Teen Programs, and Rebecca Wallace-Segall, Founder and CEO A central tenet of our youth development work: in community, we shall be held up and thrive. This is what motivates us each year to make the CP Getaway happen!\u00a0(CP is the acronym for Creative Portfolio.)\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Screen-Shot-2025-06-13-at-5.10.40-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":903,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/dc-fall-reading-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":955,"position":4},"title":"DC Writers Share the Accomplishments They Are Most Proud Of","date":"December 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Rita Feinstein, D.C. Regional Manager On the evening of December 11th, 2025, DC families braved the cold to come support their young writers at our Fall Reading at the Tenley-Friendship Library. Co-hosts Gabe and Mason\u2014members of our advanced teen Creative Portfolio program\u2014brought flair, humor, and natural charisma to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":724,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/dc-end-of-year-reading\/","url_meta":{"origin":955,"position":5},"title":"Celebrating a Year of Writing with our DC Community","date":"June 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Rita Feinstein, DC Regional Manager Date: Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025Location: Tenley-Friendship Library We were blown away by the turnout for our End-of-Year Reading! We invited all our young writers to share an excerpt of their work with a supportive audience of friends, family, and fellow writers. Tara Prakash,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=955"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":969,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions\/969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}