Middle school ‘Knight Writers’ publish third book

PALMER — More than 100 people showed up to Colony Middle School on Wednesday March 9, to get a first glimpse of the latest Knight Writers installment and support dozens of young, freshly published authors.

“This is a big deal,” said Colony Middle School Principal Mary McMahon to the crowd of parents, teachers and other family members at the release party that evening. “Even my parents are here.”

The recently printed book, “With These Hearts and Hands: Journeys of the Colony Middle School Knight Writers,” is the third volume of student memoirs published by Lifetouch, the same company that takes student portraits for all the public Mat-Su schools every year.

“Their customer service far surpasses any company I’ve ever worked with,” McMahon said. “They care and go the extra mile in all they do.”

In the book, the stories are numbered rather than named, so students are free to write about any true event or memory in their life on a deep personal level, while remaining anonymous to the average reader.

“We want to instill in them at a young age that they’re smart … and they’re capable.”

Eighth-grader Conrad Nelson, who McMahon invited up to the podium to deliver some general remarks about his experience as a Knight Writer, said he “never thought” he’d make it to where he stood that night.

“I am a published author,” Nelson said into the microphone with a sense of awe. “I have done what countless people say they want to do, but have never done.”

Colony High School senior Catherine Zagyva also said a few words, as a former Knight Writer looking back on fond memories.

“It was very cool to share my own stories but it was so cool to hear other Colony Middle School students and their stories, too,” Zagyva said.

Though the stories are anonymously published, certain teachers learn who’s story is whose through the editing process, which eighth-grader Alex Johnson said involves multiple reviews by multiple teachers.

“You just keep on refining it and polishing it until it’s book quality,” he said, of the individual student stories.

Eighth-grader Yazmean Inman said that refinement lasts two to three weeks, depending on the story.

“It was fun at the end when teachers gave us all compliments and told us what they liked,” Inman said.

But before they got to that point, the students had to learn how to take constructive criticism, and how difficult it can be to put a thought or memory into words.

Content, though, came quickly to many, like seventh-grader Adriel Pullen.

For her story, Pullen chose to draw from a recent development in her family’s life: her parents taking in the child of a relative who has been struggling with drug addiction.

She said she was happy to share her story with others.

“Everybody has one, some people are just to afraid to speak it,” Pullen said.

The collection of stories is now available to the public for $10 at Colony Middle School’s front desk (during regular school hours) and Fireside Books in Palmer.

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.