For me there’s just nothing better than seeing Six-Word Memoirs captivate a group of students as a writing prompt and means of self-expression. I’m in classrooms a lot, but Still Waters in a Storm cannot be described as a classroom—it’s a remarkable, buzzing hive of creativity and compassion. Coming to Still Waters over the years I’ve learned that the sooner I stop talking and start listening to what the young minds in that room will do with whatever writing challenge is before them the sooner the room lights up. I was in awe as I watched kids as young as five years old write and share their Six-Word Memoirs such as “Girls often know everything, sometimes more,” “I wish my parents had papers” and “Humans need to cry to survive.”

In six words: Something special is happening in Bushwick.

Larry Smith