Call it six degrees of separation. The kids in 8th Grade Writer’s Workshop are awestruck when their teacher announces that through her husband’s cousin, she’s met rock superstar Nick Thompson and has invited him to their class. He’s come to talk about writing and he’s even cooler than they imagined. Nick, known for his music as well as his lyrics, tells the kids his secret: A song is just a bowl of fruit–one must figure out how to paint it. Words are to a writer what paint is to a painter. How many ways can one arrange the fruit? An infinite number. There’s style, voice, genre, and much more to consider. Nick gives the kids two weeks to complete the assignment using seven seemingly ordinary elements. Each student must tell an interesting story, reflecting his or her style. And so The Fruit Bowl Project begins. Rap, poetry, monologue, screenplay, haiku, fairy tale–and more.
Sarah Durkee has sold skis, waited tables, been a singer and a magician's assistant, but writing is by far her favorite occupation and "The Fruit Bowl Project" the most fun she's ever had doing it. She started out as a mime (yes), then as a writer and performer in mildly offensive National Lampoon comedy revues, then moved on to writing songs for Meat Loaf. Her script and songwriting for kid's TV have earned her five Emmys (Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Dora, Arthur, Wonder Pets and others) and given her the opportunity to write for artists ranging from Kermit (brilliant frog) to Brian McKnight (brilliant human). She lives in New York City and is currently working on a book of poems for kids.
