Lost Horse program teaches youths to write, draw

What could possibly cause fifth- to 12th-grade students to pile into the East Bonner Library in Sandpoint last Friday and Saturday for two days of class time? Lost Horse Press, together with the library, held their annual Young Writers of the Lost Horse conference, free to all Bonner county students. The kids were taught the basics of writing stories, and how to make their characters and settings come alive and walk right off the page. They learned not only to tell a story through prose, but also in poetry. They were taught how to bind their own books using the Japanese stab binding technique, and how to draw cartoons, create their own characters and make comic strips.

On Saturday after lunch I asked a room full of 10- to 13-year-old girls what they thought of the conference so far. The answers came fast and all at once. “Great!” “It’s fun!” “It’s a blast.” “We made a book.”

The kids had a range of personalities from quiet and withdrawn, to loud and confident. So, what do they like to write about?

“Mythical beasts,” a dark-haired, dark-eyed girl whispered from across the table never lifting her eyes. “Yeah, I like to write fantasy,” another girl said almost bouncing out of her seat. “I like to write everything,” said another. “Oh, me too, everything,” gushed one more.

“I like to write about nature and colors,” said the girl, holding a folder with a two-inch stack of cartoons she’d drawn and brought from home. “I’m also part of the Blue Dragons Writers group. I’m 13-and-almost-a-half.”

Tom Kramer, a local cartoonist taught the “Cartooning For Kids” class.

“I’ve offered this cartooning class on and off for most of my life to teach kids how to draw cartoons,” he said.

Kramer had a calm, yet interesting way about him that kept the students silent as they listened. Their eagerness to try the things he drew on the board at the front of the class bubbled out as they reached for colored markers and paper. Kramer challenged them to draw their own characters which soon had cats, poodles, werewolves, super-power people and floating faces coming alive throughout the room.

Several 17-year-old boys furiously drew characters from their own imaginations. One boy’s cartoons drew the attention of the instructor.

“You’ve been doing this a long time, I can tell,” said Kramer, leaning over to view his paper.

“Yeah, I’ve been drawing since kindergarten,” he said. “I’d like to do something in animation.” He and the instructor discussed a few options that he might try.

Christine Holbert, owner and publisher of Lost Horse Press, saw a need to encourage children with an interest in the arts.

“When I moved here I wanted to develop my own programs around Lost Horse Press,” said Holbert. “It’s one of the ways I do community outreach. I feel the gift of nonprofit comes with a responsibility to give back to the community.” Holbert felt the need to hold workshops for adults but she also wanted to develop a children’s creative writing program.

“The first year we held the children’s conference in 2000 in Oden Hall, we had maybe four students,” said Holbert. “The second year I got the brainstorm to collaborate with the library to give the program more credibility and a suitable venue. So I approached the library and asked what they thought of the idea of holding a children’s conference on writing and book arts.” And the Young Writers of the Lost Horse conference was born. It was divided into three sections: one for fifth- and sixth-graders, one for seventh- and eighth-graders and one for high school kids.

“It was a roaring success,” said Holbert.

Holbert understands the importance of children developing a love of reading and writing. “My Ukrainian mother used to recite the poetry of Taras Shevchenko to me from memory. When I was young she would walk with me once a week to the library which was four miles from our house, to get books for me. I had a love of books instilled from my early childhood.”

Instructors for the Young Writers of the Lost Horse children’s program are chosen for their previous experience working with children and their publishing background.

“I usually choose teachers who have worked extensively with kids and who realize the importance of encouraging young writers rather than discouraging them,” said Holbert. “That’s the most important criteria for me. We want to instill in kids that writing is fun and it’s something they can do their whole lives.”