Words & Tricks

Minneapolis Star Tribune wins multimedia journalism award

The Newspaper Association of America gave the Minneapolis Star Tribune a Digital Edge award for Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling in 2007 for the paper’s piece A People Torn. The story explores the experience of Liberian immigrants in their home country and in Minnesota.

This is particularly interesting to me, because I’m currently working in my free time as an Editorial Intern for the Minnesota Literacy Council. There are three of us who volunteer our time to put together this year’s book, which compiles entries from the various literacy programs in the state. Many of the adult learners are immigrants, and many of those are Liberian.

I’ve been incredibly moved by the stories that many of these adult learners share. They are often strikingly honest about their experience as refugees. Stay tuned to this blog and I’ll let you know when we publish the 2008 book. It’s worth a read. Perhaps I can get permission to post some of their stories here, as well.

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Watchdoggin’: Top notch reporters & editors share investigative journalism tips for ethnic media (0)
• Freelance Clips (0)
• About Chris Pommier (1)
• Making Journalism Matter in Minneapolis [Video] (0)
• 8 random things about me - A meme (5)

Tags: award, immigrants, immigration, journalism, Liberia, Minneapolis, Minnesota, multimedia, News, Newspaper, storytelling, war

Thinking Outside the Bottle…

Today I’m posting about the Think Outside the Bottle campaign, run by Corporate Accountability International.

Many people are unaware of the environmental and social justice issues associated with bottled water. The manufacture, bottling, and transport of water bottles consumed 17 million barrels of oil in the US last year, enough to fuel 1 million cars for one year. Up to 40% of all bottled water on the market comes from public water systems, sold back to consumers at 1000x the price of tap.

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Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• WT Update: Selection of Chris Pommier’s freelance clips online (0)
• Interview: Jane Levin shares insight on poetry, surviving cancer and self-publishing [with Video] (0)
• Freelance Clips (0)
• All you Literature Lovers:Exclusively Available Here for a Limited TimeFree Poetry! Come and Get It Please (1)
• About Chris Pommier (1)

Tags: accountability, bottled water, community, corporate, public water systems, social justice issues, tap water, water

SuperDelegates: Democratic leaders don’t trust voters

Frankly, I find the process of caucusing and choosing delegates to the Democratic National Convention in order to finally choose the Democratic Presidential candidate to be extremely confusing. Yet, just when I though I was getting a handle on it, I learned about “Super Delegates.”

These are men and women from every state who are designated by the Democratic party as smarter than the rest of us. They’ve been given the power to cast (and change) their vote for whomever they wish. I list Minnesota’s below.
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Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• SuperDelegate SuperUpdate (1)
• Megan T. and Dan Abrams fistfight in Heaven (1)
• S. Dakota Senator in Critical ConditionFuture of Democratic Control of Senate Uncertain (7)
• Freelance Clips (0)
• About Chris Pommier (1)

Tags: caucus, delegates, Democrat, DNC, features, superdelegates

Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Ok, Stop.

Well, it’s about time. Look at that reddish-orange blob over there. That means the Twin Cities are finally getting a little Winter cheer in the form of snow. For those who have been looking forward to this for weeks, now, I hope they’re happy.

Actually, count me in. I don’t have to drive anywhere. And the shopping I have left to do, can be done in the comfort of Minneapolis’s space-age habi-trail called the Skyway system. No fuss, no muss, just throngs of shoppers colliding, dividing, converging and emerging from bookstores, perfume shops, department stores, fast food restaurants, slow food restaurants, kitchen supply stores, clothing stores (men’s and women’s), shoe stores … well, I’m sure you get the idea.

I just hope they don’t have to commute back out to the ‘burbs when it’s all done. Poor suckers.

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities (1)
• Gift Guide: DoCoppenhagen’s Top 15 (of 50) Music Picks for 2006 (0)
• Freelance Clips (0)
• Check Back Here for Your Holiday Gift Guide (0)
• About Chris Pommier (1)

Tags: Christmas, Hanukah, holiday, local, shopping, snow, weather, winter

Poetry Press Release: PRISM Poetry Series November 26th

Sunday, November 26th
1:00-3:00 pm
The Coffee Gallery at OpenBook
1011 Washington Ave.
South Minneapolis, Minnesota
(612) 215 - 2626

PRISM Poetry Series announces its featured readers for November 2006, Chris Pommier and Steve Mueske.

Steve Mueske holds an MFA in Writing from Hamline University and has published poems recently in The Massachusetts Review, 32 Poems, The Tusculum Review, and Best New Poets 2005. He is the author of a chapbook and the full-length collection, A Mnemonic for Desire (Ghost Road Press). He serves as Editor-in-Chief for three candles journal,
publisher for three candles press, and site curator for Poetry 365. More informationis available on his website http://www.stevemueske.com

Chris Pommier just finished a SASE/Jerome Foundation mentorship with poet Sun Yung Shin and other wonderful poet-peers who helped him grow immensely as an artist. He has published poetry in anthology chapbooks in California and Alaska. Currently he works a day job, but slave away as a freelancer at night, writing for local publications in the hopes of someday writing for a living.

PRISM Poetry Series offers an open mic the 2nd Sunday of each month and featured readers on the last Sunday. All readings are held from 1:00-3:00 pm at the Coffee Gallery. For more information contact prismpoetry [AT] earthlink.net or visit us on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/prismpoetry.

For more information, contact:
Laura Winton
prismpoetry [AT] @earthlink.net or
fluffysingler [AT] earthlink.net

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Poetry Press Release: SASE at Intermedia Arts (1)
• Watchdoggin’: Top notch reporters & editors share investigative journalism tips for ethnic media (0)
• Minneapolis Star Tribune wins multimedia journalism award (0)
• Making Journalism Matter in Minneapolis [Video] (0)
• Interview: Jane Levin shares insight on poetry, surviving cancer and self-publishing [with Video] (0)

Tags: Laura Winton, Minneapolis, OpenBook, peoms. poem, PRISM, reading, Steve Mueske