If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact us via email to Anthony Tedesco (anthony@225pm.org) or toll-free 800-705-6551

Selected as one of the top 12 high school creative writing programs in the country by Web del Sol, the world's largest nonprofit publisher of periodicals, The Student Publishing Program (SPP) aims to be a cost-free school program which uses writer workshops and free expert on-demand video to give students of all learning levels the skills and confidence needed to publish to a wider audience. SPP then publishes and promotes their compositions - one piece of poetry from every student in the grade - in a network of online literary magazines and a series of paperback books available in bookstores nationwide, with 100 percent of profits from book sales funding future participation for each school.

"In bringing out UNSAID, Anthony Tedesco and the Student Publishing Program have accomplished something rare and valuable. This book and this program strike me, to the best of my knowledge, as the most remarkable gift to student writers that anyone has offered in America."
- X. J. KENNEDY, winner of the Robert Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime service to American poetry and the National Council of Teachers of English's Award for Excellence in Children's Poetry, and author of many books for children and adults, including IN A PROMINENT BAR IN SECAUCUS: New & Selected Poems 1955-2007 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007)

"It is essential in these days of high stakes testing and emphasis on standardized tests that our students know that what they think and say, and how they say it are vitally important. The Student Publishing program does just that. Students focus their efforts on ideas of their choosing, hone them through the hard work of rewrites, and see them brought to fruition in a published book ... Getting published like this is so affirming. It isn't just the high-achieving kids - it's across the board. It's a common experience that's very valuable. Having all sophomores involved in the process of writing for publication will have a profound effect on their work during their last two years at LHS and beyond."
- ERNEST VAN SEASHOLES, former Principal of Lexington High School, founding Principal of The Student Publishing Program

"These talented, imaginative young poets have made works using the always-fresh, always-unique, forever-new, yet ancient instrument of their voices. ... I congratulate the writers, their teachers, and us their audience."[From his foreword.]
- ROBERT PINSKY, former U.S. Poet Laureate, teacher in the graduate writing program at Boston University, and author of many books including SELECTED POEMS (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2011).

"Being a part of this publication made me feel like I could share things that I can't otherwise say."
- AMBIKA JAYAKUMAR, LHS Student, Class of 2013

"It gives us a preview of our future college career and our real lives, being able to think freely and learn in our own created paths..."
- NICK CHAPUT, LHS Student, Class of 2013

"I can't begin to articulate how refreshing it is to have a teacher ask me for my own thoughts and writing I can truly call my own."
- VERENA LUCKE, LHS Student, Class of 2013

"The poem project allowed us to stretch the boundaries of imagination, talking about things we would have never thought of sharing with anyone."
- AISHANI PATWARI, LHS Student, Class of 2013

"As a scientist, the power of observation is so important and putting your discoveries into words is essential to convey your findings to your peers. In a way, that is what The Student Publishing Program does. It gives students an outlet to put into words what they have discovered as they observe the world around them."
- ALESSANDRO ALESSANDRINI, Vice Chairman, Lexington School Committee, Lexington Public Schools

"I had never thought of sending my work out into the world; it is a frightening prospect, others reading what is innately so private, what is basically your mind spilled on the page. But with the Student Publishing Program, with everyone writing and editing all together - there's a confidence that grows there, a confidence that your voice deserves - as quiet as it may be - to be heard."
- CHRISTOPHER ALESSANDRINI, Lexington High School Student Class of 2011 who participated in The Student Publishing Program

"Words have great power. As School Committee Chair, I use words at the intersection of advocacy and policy. Sometimes, even advocating for the words that seem most meaningful and powerful at the policy level will influence the tone and meaning of all the words down the line. In a similar way, this poetry project has provided our students with an experience reflecting the power of their own words in meaningful expression."
- MARY ANN STEWART, Chairman, Lexington School Committee, Lexington Public Schools

"UNSAID is a student poetry collection with real literary merit. Give these poems a prescient read and you'll find nascent poetic voices behind every single stanza. Artistic first steps from fledging deities. Bold, auspicious starts as poets - and as people. These students have overcome the ubiquitous fear of expressing anything beyond the safety of ourselves. They've shushed the naysayers - the incessant critics, the self-doubt loops, the looming metrics - and generously shared these unique, courageous glimpses at who they really are in their own words."
- ANTHONY TEDESCO, Founding writer/director of The Student Publishing Program, Coauthor of ONLINE MARKETS FOR WRITERS (Holt) and LHS grad, Class of '87. His work can be found in Details magazine, Saturday Night Live, Boston Globe and the 2010 Sundance Award-Winning film, "The Locksmith," and he's director of The Greatest Living Writers Project which features exclusive video of poetry and best writing advice from over 500 of the world's top poets.

Creating a portfolio of written pieces based on models of good writing sets student writers on a course that they navigate for themselves. Teachers, then, have the opportunity to become active listeners to what each student feels is the composition to publish, to render explicit what was previously unsaid.
- KAREN RUSSELL, Lexington High School Teacher, and founding teacher of The Student Publishing Program

"The creative process, emotional intelligence, and deep level of communication found within poetry are the exact ingredients needed to advance our global community. Schools that value, teach, and seriously promote the poetic process are the institutions that will graduate the next generation of new and needed visionaries. This Lexington collaboration is a step forward in promoting the voices of our future."
- CRAIG HALL, Director of Lexington Community Education

----- QUESTION 1) I'm 16 and live a pretty normal life. What should I write about if I don't think I have interesting things to write about yet? Where do you get your ideas from and how do you keep them fresh and interesting? ---- BETH, a student ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 2) I'm having so much trouble writing a love poem for someone that doesn't read as sappy! Can you tell me what love poem you've written that you consider your favorite and best, and could you give me tips on how best to write mine? ---- CHRISTOPHER, a student ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 3) Have you ever had a rough patch where you questioned yourself and your work, and thought about giving up poetry? What got you through it? ---- JOHN, a writer ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 4) How do you write a clean ending?---- KASEY, a writer ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 5) What techniques have you found most effective for overcoming writer's block?---- SCOTT, an educator ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 6) What writing isn't work? Meaning: Do you consider some writing to be work and some not to be work, and might it help other writers to do the same?---- IAN, a writer ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 7) How do you explain metaphor to a student so that they not only understand the concept as a reader but can also apply it to their writing? ---- HEATHER, an educator ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 8) Do you feel there are benefits to getting your work published and do you have any tips especially for young unpublished writers?---- MICHELLE, a student ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 9) Could you share a few specific poems that have inspired you most, from both classic and contemporary poets?---- ANDREW, an educator ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.

----- QUESTION 10) Mr. Levine, in advising my students on that all-important revision process, I ask them to be wary of passive voice, negative constructions and adverbs. Do your revisions entail particular focus points, or are there other revision strategies you would share with us that make your poetry come alive with such vivid poignancy?---- KAREN, an educator ANSWER FROM 18TH U.S. POET LAUREATE PHILIP LEVINE: [Video credits: Anthony Tedesco, John Cassidy, Candice Jones, Peter Saalfield.] PHILIP LEVINE is the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the author of 20 poetry collections, including News of the World (Knopf, 2009). See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio and booking information.