Marge Pellegrino

If you’re a tween, teen, or a cool adult who loves one, get over to the library and pick up your copy of Field Notes! Inside you’ll find all kinds of prompts that invite you to express yourself in writing, or art, or both.

What’s so cool about expressing yourself? It’s proven that playing this way makes you healthier. You may even notice a shift in your mood for the better. Field Notes gives you new ways to think. Watch out! As you explore yourself through the Field Notes, you might just grow your confidence.

Field Notes are different from a straight-up journal. They invite you to observe your thinking like an anthropologist. They ask you to take off your judge robes and be a witness of your own life. And the only rule? On these pages, you are the boss of how you respond.

Some of the prompts start with a quote or a poem. There are prompts that ask you to imagine, to consider an idea, to remember, or to create. You might build a fantasy, or react to someone’s transformation.

You’ll read voices of youth from community organizations like tTucson Village Farm, Ironwood Tree Experience, Owl & Panther, and the University of Arizona Museum of Art. There’s a shout-out to the University of Arizona Poetry Center and of course the Pima County Public Library who made this project possible. All of these places offer youth chances to inspire themselves.

You can do Field Notes alone. You can do Field Notes with someone who makes you feel brave. You can use the pages to spark meaningful conversations. Give Field Notes a try! We think you’re going to like it. The book is spiral-bound so it lies flat when you’re drawing or writing in it. It’s small so it’s easy to take with you. And the design of the pages? I hope you agree that Carolina Caples’ work is amazing! I’m thrilled to see her vision for my words. Bowing also to Stephanie Mitchell who was my library guide and invaluable partner in this project.

Field Notes: Exploring You! is Pima County Public Library’s spark for teens for summer. Find Field Notes at your local branch. And who knows, as you explore on these pages, you just may discover and unleash your superpower!

What a joy to listen to the Still Waters In a Storm writers as they shared their similes describing their past, present and future selves! Their writing was inspired by a collaborative poem written in the Owl & Panther community. 

That Saturday morning in March, the language learners listened, observed, thought, created, and shared. These valuable skills help build emotional intelligence, and richer, more confident lives. We all need a place to belong and Still Waters provides—with a caring compassionate writing community. Bravo!

I’m more than excited that this library project I collaborated on is inspiring teens across the county.

Field Notes are at the branches of the Pima County Public Library. Teens and young adults can stop by and pick up their copy. Want to know more? Here’s a interview of Stephanie Mitchell and I speaking about the project with KXCI’s Broad Perspectives hosts Aspen Green and Kathleen Harris.

My workshops this past year have been mostly behind the scenes. I’m excited that May is offering me the opportunity to share my passion publicly. Join me if you can!

* Virtual Creative Writing for Kids, The Wonder of Outside, May 11th, 4pm EST, 1pm PST through the Tuckahoe Public Library for kids everywhere.

* UnPlug and Refresh on the Page, adult writing workshop to benefit Owl & Panther, May 13, 10-12 pm PST, sponsored by Poets & Writers, no experience necessary!

*Virtual Neon Words: Nature on the Page, adult writing workshop, May 16,  2-3pm EST, through the Tuckahoe Public Library, sponsored by the Community Foundation.

I’m excited to be facilitating a letter writing activity for the free day for exploration for the whole family at Arizona State Museum

Do consider seeing the exhibit, whether you can come that day or another. It’s powerful.

Marge’s list on the best books to jumpstart your creativity perfectly captures my own feelings about the power of writing. Something magical happens when you plop the words out of your head and start playing with them. We are featuring her picks on our bookshelves about writing and creativity and hope you enjoy them as much as we do! — Ben (Shepherd)

Thanks to Kay Sather for inviting me to contribute a story to her blog about helping my mom share her things with her community as she was readying to move.

Completed the three month Writer in Residence with such gratitude for the opportunity to facilitate the workshops, meet with writers one-on-one, and have this lovely conversation with one of my Tucson sheroes, Lupita Chavez. Thanks maker and shaker Lupita! And Pima County Public Library–an institution that strengthens our community one book, one idea, one kindness, one inspiration at a time!