Inspiring young writers

Supporters of Writers in the Schools (WITS) celebrated 40 years of encouraging a love of reading and writing at Chapter 40: An Odyssey of Impact gala. Liz and Steven Bender (pictured) chaired the event at the Junior League of Houston that honored Phillip Lopate who founded WITS in 1983. Lopate, a former University of Houston professor, started the program by collaborating with local public-school teachers to make reading and writing a more fun and creative experience. Today, WITS offers creative-writing workshops and sponsors the city’s youth and adult poet laureates. Gala guests enjoyed dinner and dancing and heard from Houston’s youth poet laureate Ariana Lee who premiered the poem she wrote to commemorate the 40th anniversary of WITS.

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