Prologue: Student Testimonials
"Take Risks!"
English class this year has been strange, a strange type of strange, a good strange -- I actually learned something. Now, I’m not saying that all my other English classes have been completely useless as I could in fact speak English and write decently before Mr. Weinstein’s class . . . but every English class I’ve ever taken has been fairly useless. The teachers were not bad teachers, the students were not bad students, but the problem was that the teachers were not Mr. Weinstein. He is a seemingly ordinary man who teaches in an unordinary way . . . and I began to see Mr. Weinstein’s lessons being used everywhere I looked: in the news, in other classes, on the internet. Mr. Weinstein is a great teacher because he effectively brainwashed the whole world into writing well.
“Take risks!” was one of his most important lesson and it completely reshaped my view on writing. Mr. Weinstein exemplified taking risks because the way the class is taught – students talking, writing, using their cell-phones, listening to music, having fun – was a risk in itself. The invaluable lessons I've been lucky enough to learn this year have already immensely helped me and I’m sure they will continue to help me for the rest of my life. I owe great thanks and praise to Mr. Weinstein. He’s seriously one hell of a teacher.
- Gabe
“Take risks!” was one of his most important lesson and it completely reshaped my view on writing. Mr. Weinstein exemplified taking risks because the way the class is taught – students talking, writing, using their cell-phones, listening to music, having fun – was a risk in itself. The invaluable lessons I've been lucky enough to learn this year have already immensely helped me and I’m sure they will continue to help me for the rest of my life. I owe great thanks and praise to Mr. Weinstein. He’s seriously one hell of a teacher.
- Gabe
"...has truly transformed my writing abilities"
One of the most productive environments that facilitated the improvement in my writing was the creative writing workshop. In it, there are ideas, but no limitations; there is direction, but no boundary. The efflux of student-generated discussions and comments seem to inspire the most adamant recluse to open up to the world. Mini-lessons such as “Bleeding on Paper” and “The Therapeutic Value of Writing” serve only as fuel for improvement and not as tedious lectures on how a student must write.
All of these lessons reside under Mr. Weinstein’s imperative, “Take risks.” Whereas monotonous instruction engenders conformity, the creative writing workshop espouses divergent thinking and has liberated me from complete closed-mindedness. As I worked to convey my thoughts, my thoughts became clearer and more readily relatable than ever before. This type of workshop-teaching has truly transformed my writing abilities.
- Ronnie
All of these lessons reside under Mr. Weinstein’s imperative, “Take risks.” Whereas monotonous instruction engenders conformity, the creative writing workshop espouses divergent thinking and has liberated me from complete closed-mindedness. As I worked to convey my thoughts, my thoughts became clearer and more readily relatable than ever before. This type of workshop-teaching has truly transformed my writing abilities.
- Ronnie
"...the most important writing class ..."
Mr. Weinstein's creative writing course was the most important writing class I've ever taken. I only say this because it's the truth.
Senior year I was working hard at a graduation speech. It had been through many revisions before I proudly presented it to him, awaiting his smiley-face sticker of approval.
"If you really want to speak at graduation," he said. “Allow me to make one small edit to your speech." He proceeded to hit the control button: select-all-delete-save. Poof! My hard work was erased. "Start over."
I rewrote it entirely, read it at graduation, and had an experience to remember. I now work full time for Playboy South Africa. Taking risks – the first and most important slogan of writing – worked out after all.
- Blake
Senior year I was working hard at a graduation speech. It had been through many revisions before I proudly presented it to him, awaiting his smiley-face sticker of approval.
"If you really want to speak at graduation," he said. “Allow me to make one small edit to your speech." He proceeded to hit the control button: select-all-delete-save. Poof! My hard work was erased. "Start over."
I rewrote it entirely, read it at graduation, and had an experience to remember. I now work full time for Playboy South Africa. Taking risks – the first and most important slogan of writing – worked out after all.
- Blake
"The first time I ever produced something I was proud of from an English class."
Mr. W’s Creative Writing class was the first time I ever produced something I was proud of from an English class. Students all need to learn how to write well, but there are plenty of classes for that. Writing Workshop taught me how to communicate. It turns English class from scholastic essays and reports into real-life applications of journalism, business writing, etc.
I was an eager Junior walking into the classroom on September 1, 2001. But that excitement was halted 11 days later. I had a family friend pass away the day of the attacks and the next few weeks were the most confusing of my adolescent life. The healing process began and it became chillingly numb for us New Yorkers. Teachers could not explain what had happened and society had to return to a sense of normalcy. My classes resumed their respective curriculums one by one. Ten years later, I would not be able to tell you what chapter we were on in Chemistry class, but I do remember the curriculum for Creative Writing. It was to write what I was feeling. Sentence structure, formatting … forget it, “Just write,” Mr. W would tell us.
A simple story I wrote about waiting in line at the missing-persons station in Manhattan turned into the venue I needed to communicate. I did not know it at the time, but by turning that story into a creative piece, I was communicating my feelings and emotions to … myself. And that piece became a proud work not because of how well it was constructed but because of the process in which it was created.
- Steve
I was an eager Junior walking into the classroom on September 1, 2001. But that excitement was halted 11 days later. I had a family friend pass away the day of the attacks and the next few weeks were the most confusing of my adolescent life. The healing process began and it became chillingly numb for us New Yorkers. Teachers could not explain what had happened and society had to return to a sense of normalcy. My classes resumed their respective curriculums one by one. Ten years later, I would not be able to tell you what chapter we were on in Chemistry class, but I do remember the curriculum for Creative Writing. It was to write what I was feeling. Sentence structure, formatting … forget it, “Just write,” Mr. W would tell us.
A simple story I wrote about waiting in line at the missing-persons station in Manhattan turned into the venue I needed to communicate. I did not know it at the time, but by turning that story into a creative piece, I was communicating my feelings and emotions to … myself. And that piece became a proud work not because of how well it was constructed but because of the process in which it was created.
- Steve
"I Will Always Remain Overjoyed..."
One of the most valuable experiences from our class was the creative writing process. The wide range of lessons and lectures exposed me to countless writing and art styles, structures, and techniques. From poems, to memoirs, to mind maps, to expository essays, to the research paper, to journalistic writing, to cartoons, to calligrams, I will always remain overjoyed at my eclectic collection of pursuits and accomplishments.
Moreover, the process taught me countless valuable lessons. First and foremost: high quality work requires commitment and dedication. Hours of planning, writing, creating, and refining reside in each of my pieces. Throughout each step of the process, I needed to remain devoted and focused in order to successfully capture my thoughts and to constantly improve my work. Next, I learned that I must be receptive to feedback. Any critique—positive or negative—is priceless. Only with honest evaluation can a writer or artist hone abilities and create masterpieces.
Although internal content is comforting, external advice is revealing. Finally, the creative writing process reemphasized the importance of passion and enthusiasm. Only by writing about heartfelt topics and by creating meaningful art could I achieve my goals.
- Josh
Moreover, the process taught me countless valuable lessons. First and foremost: high quality work requires commitment and dedication. Hours of planning, writing, creating, and refining reside in each of my pieces. Throughout each step of the process, I needed to remain devoted and focused in order to successfully capture my thoughts and to constantly improve my work. Next, I learned that I must be receptive to feedback. Any critique—positive or negative—is priceless. Only with honest evaluation can a writer or artist hone abilities and create masterpieces.
Although internal content is comforting, external advice is revealing. Finally, the creative writing process reemphasized the importance of passion and enthusiasm. Only by writing about heartfelt topics and by creating meaningful art could I achieve my goals.
- Josh
"The idea of melding mind and pen..."
Learning how to free-write, even for someone who was furiously writing to begin with, was one of the toughest things I came across in any "English" class in high school days. The idea of melding mind and pen into one unit was something that had
to be taught, it had to have some failures before you could actually be conditioned into a free-write session that could come up with subconscious insights and parts and pieces that could possibly make their way into your other work.
In the beginning, I would write "I don't fu**ing know" for two pages because I really didn't know how to handle being put on the spot in this context. Eventually, with this discipline being so frequent, free-write would expose anxieties in your life, your lusts and desires, and many other emotions across the spectrum.
Once I got the hang of this exercise, I took it with me out of the class, and have held on to countless composition notebooks of my own free-writing over the years; I found it to be an excellent resource for lyric searching when a line or two were missing in a song, and it also remains a therapeutic way to let this mind/pen unit take you where it wants.
- Joseph Sidney
Learning how to free-write, even for someone who was furiously writing to begin with, was one of the toughest things I came across in any "English" class in high school days. The idea of melding mind and pen into one unit was something that had
to be taught, it had to have some failures before you could actually be conditioned into a free-write session that could come up with subconscious insights and parts and pieces that could possibly make their way into your other work.
In the beginning, I would write "I don't fu**ing know" for two pages because I really didn't know how to handle being put on the spot in this context. Eventually, with this discipline being so frequent, free-write would expose anxieties in your life, your lusts and desires, and many other emotions across the spectrum.
Once I got the hang of this exercise, I took it with me out of the class, and have held on to countless composition notebooks of my own free-writing over the years; I found it to be an excellent resource for lyric searching when a line or two were missing in a song, and it also remains a therapeutic way to let this mind/pen unit take you where it wants.
- Joseph Sidney
"I Raised My Hand ... I Love Writing"
This summer, I have an internship through an organization called Partnership For After School Education and will be placed at a summer camp in NYC to plan fun and educational programming. During training, we have been going through different subject areas that we will teach and discussing fun ways that we could engage the kids in learning.
When the program director introduced the session about writing, she asked us to raise our hands if we love writing and I raised my hand, not thinking anything of it. Then, she asked us to raise our hands if we do not like writing. I was surprised to see that at least half of the interns raised their hands. She went on to explain that many people who say that they love writing remember a teacher who helped them discover that love of writing. I thought back to the beginning of 11th grade and how much I struggled to write cohesive paragraphs and now, I am happy to say that writing is something that I enjoy.
Without your patience, enthusiasm and powerful lessons, I probably would have raised my hand when the director asked us who does not like writing, so I thank you immensely for all your support in 11th and 12th grades.
- Zoe
When the program director introduced the session about writing, she asked us to raise our hands if we love writing and I raised my hand, not thinking anything of it. Then, she asked us to raise our hands if we do not like writing. I was surprised to see that at least half of the interns raised their hands. She went on to explain that many people who say that they love writing remember a teacher who helped them discover that love of writing. I thought back to the beginning of 11th grade and how much I struggled to write cohesive paragraphs and now, I am happy to say that writing is something that I enjoy.
Without your patience, enthusiasm and powerful lessons, I probably would have raised my hand when the director asked us who does not like writing, so I thank you immensely for all your support in 11th and 12th grades.
- Zoe
"It Became Therapy..."
This year, I more-than-enjoyed creative writing and I discovered something new: it was therapy. There was a whole other side to creative writing, a therapeutic side, that I was able to take advantage of. It not only was a way to put down my thoughts and express myself, but also a way to feel better about the problems in my life and come to terms with them. During a year of beginnings, changes, and ends this was a needed discovery. This was the year that I had to deal with the outcome of my parents’ divorce, while simultaneously mourning my last year with my siblings. I figured this would mask my year, consume my thoughts, and waste my time. And at first I let it. I stayed angry: at my parents for doing this to me, my siblings for leaving me, and myself for not seeing it coming. How could there have been no warning signs, no flashing lights? I was completely caught off guard and because of that I was not prepared. I wasn’t prepared for the catastrophe and chaos that began to rule my life.
But then something happened. I started writing. Writing about my feelings –anger, betrayal, sadness – and slowly but surely I began to feel alright. The anger that was so pent up-that I was so insistent on holding in-began to fade away. I would just sit down and write; I would write about anything and everything. Whatever I was feeling I would put down on paper and then magically I felt better. I began to understand that what happened between my parents was never about me, and although it is excruciatingly sad, I could not let it rule my life. I wouldn’t. So, whenever I was feeling angry or confused I would just sit down and write. I’d bleed on paper, let the words flow, and within minutes I was able to come to an understanding about my emotions; those emotions could then be turned into a poem; and that poem is a representation of me at this moment in my life.
I discovered writing became more of a pleasure than a chore for me and I attribute this to my realization of writing as therapy. This realization helped me in my poetry, essays, and life as well. My writing became better, stronger, and evoked more pathos; my life became lighter, happier, and richer. I learned lessons about writing as well as life and became a stronger person because of it. There is one very important lesson I will take from this year: no matter what, write. Write for your brain, your soul, and most importantly your heart.
- Rebecca
This year, I more-than-enjoyed creative writing and I discovered something new: it was therapy. There was a whole other side to creative writing, a therapeutic side, that I was able to take advantage of. It not only was a way to put down my thoughts and express myself, but also a way to feel better about the problems in my life and come to terms with them. During a year of beginnings, changes, and ends this was a needed discovery. This was the year that I had to deal with the outcome of my parents’ divorce, while simultaneously mourning my last year with my siblings. I figured this would mask my year, consume my thoughts, and waste my time. And at first I let it. I stayed angry: at my parents for doing this to me, my siblings for leaving me, and myself for not seeing it coming. How could there have been no warning signs, no flashing lights? I was completely caught off guard and because of that I was not prepared. I wasn’t prepared for the catastrophe and chaos that began to rule my life.
But then something happened. I started writing. Writing about my feelings –anger, betrayal, sadness – and slowly but surely I began to feel alright. The anger that was so pent up-that I was so insistent on holding in-began to fade away. I would just sit down and write; I would write about anything and everything. Whatever I was feeling I would put down on paper and then magically I felt better. I began to understand that what happened between my parents was never about me, and although it is excruciatingly sad, I could not let it rule my life. I wouldn’t. So, whenever I was feeling angry or confused I would just sit down and write. I’d bleed on paper, let the words flow, and within minutes I was able to come to an understanding about my emotions; those emotions could then be turned into a poem; and that poem is a representation of me at this moment in my life.
I discovered writing became more of a pleasure than a chore for me and I attribute this to my realization of writing as therapy. This realization helped me in my poetry, essays, and life as well. My writing became better, stronger, and evoked more pathos; my life became lighter, happier, and richer. I learned lessons about writing as well as life and became a stronger person because of it. There is one very important lesson I will take from this year: no matter what, write. Write for your brain, your soul, and most importantly your heart.
- Rebecca
