The following press release was issued by the National Writing Project.

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April showers bring May flowers….and spring sports. 

For young people who hit the mounds, fields, and trails this season, finding rhyme and rhythm is an act of balancing extracurricular activities with school. Such movement is the focus of Sarah Donovan’s (ed.) Rhyme and Rhythm: Poetry for Student Athletes, a book featured on the April edition of the National Writing Project’s The Write Time.

Jayné Penn, 2018 graduate of Fairfield University and Dean’s Award recipient for Student Excellence, is the featured host. She currently teaches as Fairfield College Preparatory School, where she finds ways to merge academic responsibilities with a passion for sports. Penn was a Division I track athlete at Georgetown University and currently coaches cross country at the school. Dr. Sarah Donovan, writer and social worker Kristin Bartely Lenz, and teacher and poet Stacy Lorin Joy are also featured guests.

“When Sarah Donovan and her team agreed to be on the show, I knew Jayné had to be at the helm,” replied Dr. Bryan Ripley Crandall, Director of the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University. “Her love of coaching and teaching, and her academic interests for sharing sports stories were a perfect match for this anthology of poetry.” Crandall’s poem, “Education. Education. Education.” co-written with Abu Bility and Lossine Bility, also appears in the collection. 

The National Writing Project brings teacher leaders, university faculty, researchers, writers, and community educators together in a professional community. At the core of their work is identifying and supporting great teacher leaders like Jayné Penn. 

The special edition of The Write Time airs Friday, April 1st to kick off National Poetry Month. View the event below.