Some of you may remember when the esteemed Rachel Lieberman taught a workshop at Ozone House last summer. After weeks and weeks of writing workshops, we published “In the Zone,” a zine of student work that tackled everything from family strife to Britney Spears.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided to do it again this summer. Emily Brooks, one of this summer’s famed Superintern Crew, has been heading over to Ypsilanti every Tuesday night for a couple of hours of writing, hanging out, and more writing with the students there. Emily has reported back that not only are the students intelligent and fun to be around, but they’re creating a lot of really good work, too. A few weeks ago, they wrote poems and stories about summer memories. There was a catch, though: they couldn’t use sight, they had to focus on other senses. Rebecca remembered, “Touching the cold water in the pool, [she] thought it was gonna be hot, [she] felt like a fool.” To Dominic, summer was “the heat that brings a moist fog that sticks to every surface like Saran Wrap.” We can’t wait to see the finished zine!

We are proud to continue our partnership with Ozone House. Ozone House provides a safe place after school for youth in Ypsilanti and from neighboring school districts. We think that’s pretty darn cool. Many thanks to Emily Brooks for being awesome, and many thanks also to the fine people at Ozone House!