The PVCC Writing Center

This summer, we're sharing some writing tips.

Struggling with motivation to work on assignments?
Schedule a time you can dedicate to them!

Be sure to plan out breaks so you don't get too distracted but know when to aim to be done.

How do you deal with procrastination or build motivation?

This semester, English Conversation Circle will be held on Thursdays at 2:30pm.
These friendly, informal conversations focus on a new topic each week.

Our first meeting will be Thursday, June 11.

Here's the schedule below:

June 11: Summer
June 18: Crime and Punishment
June 25: Fashion and Beauty
July 2: America’s Anniversary
July 9: News and Media
July 16: Being a Teenager
July 23: Advances in Technology
July 30: Personality and Individuality

If you have any questions or want the Zoom link, please email Sarah at [email protected].

The Writing Center opens for summer on Tuesday, May 26th! The Writing Center offers one-on-one support for writing in any PVCC class; tutoring in speech, humanities & social sciences courses; & conversational English practice.

Our hours are Monday-Thursday, 9am to 6pm through Tuesday, August 4. Sessions available on a drop-in basis or by appointment, on campus, and in Zoom. To schedule an appointment, call 434-961-5499 or use Navigate in the MyPVCC portal. For more information, visit our website: www.pvcc.edu/writingcenter

We hope to see you in the center!

Congrats on getting through another semester!
The Writing Center is closed until May 26th at the start of the summer semester.
Have a good break!

As Arab American Heritage Month and National Poetry Month ends, this week’s focus is on Ibtisam Barakat (1963 - Present).

Born in Beit Hanina-East Jerusalem, she would eventually move to New York City in 1968. From there, she interned at The Nation magazine. She holds a Master’s degree in both Journalism and Human Development from the University of Missouri.

Her poetry focuses primarily on healing, children’s experiences in war, and peacemaking.

Read this excerpt from "Scribbles on the Poverty Line":
When I was a girl in a poor family
we hung our clothes to dry on the povertyline,
and with it I jumped rope.
My friends saw and joined me.
We were hoping to learn to jump over
endless obstacles and walls...

You can read the rest here:
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/scribbles-on-the-poverty-line/

Here are some more words the tutors have a hard time with! This one is Bayley's answer:
"I always struggle with the E and O in 'emperor.'
I always think there are two N’s at the beginning of 'renaissance.'
For 'bureaucracy,' I usually try phonetically and spell it 'beaurocracy.'"

It's Weird Word Wednesday!
Today's weird word is taradiddle.
A strange one to be sure! It means to lie or fib. So if you catch your friends or family lying, you can ask them why they're telling you a taradiddle.

This week, in English Conversation Circle, we're talking about Names. We'll talk about individual names, naming traditions, and social perceptions based on names. We'll also discuss idioms like "make a name for" and "give something a bad name."

All English Language Learners are welcome to join us. We meet via Zoom on Mondays from 12:00 - 1:00PM and Thursdays from 1:00 - 2:00PM. No homework or registration is required.

Questions? Contact the Writing Center@PVCC: 434-961-5499
Email [email protected] for a Zoom link to the Thursday meeting.
Email [email protected] for a Zoom link to the Monday meeting.
You can email both if you aren’t sure which you can attend!

This will be the last ECC of the Spring Semester. We also hold ECC during the summer, so keep an eye out for emails about that!

This week’s poet is Khaled Mattawa (1964-present). Born in Benghazi, he emigrated to the United States in 1979 where he would begin a storied career of poetry writing and translation. His works primarily focus on themes of exile, memory, and cultural assimilation. Today, he works as a Creative Writing instructor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Here is an excerpt from "Bedtime Reading for the Unborn Child":
She walks into woods, her feet light-stepping
through puddles, over hard packed dirt,
through grassy hills, over sticks and pebbles
over sand soaked in day, stones sun-sizzled
over lakes and frigid streams
through dim cobbled streets
darkened squares and dusty pastures.
She runs from nothing, runs to nothing,
beyond pain, beyond graveyards and clearings.
In the dark the eyes of startled creatures
gleam like a herd of candles.
They scatter and give night its meaning.

Read the rest of the poem here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/54258/bedtime-reading-for-the-unborn-child