WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with Sony Ton-Aime, Michael I. Rudell Director of Literary Arts at Chautauqua Institution, and Betsy Rowe-Baehr, Jamestown High School English teacher. The two share details about The Holidays in Poetry – a new community project combing poetry and the holiday season. Part of the project involved Mr. Ton-Aime working with Mrs. Rowe-Baehr’s 10th grade English classes.

Several students also stopped by the WRFA studios and were recorded as they recited their original works, including one en espanol. The recording of those 15 students (along with a poem by Mrs. Rowe-Baehr) follow the interview. You can also find them individually in the playlist above, or by visiting The Holiday in Poetry playlist page on Soundcloud.

But they will also be featured at various times at the top of each hour, starting 7am on Dec. 24 and continuing through 8pm on Dec. 25.

Thank you to Sony for developing this project and also to Betsy her students for sharing their work with the Jamestown community via WRFA.

Happy Holidays to the entire Community.

CLASS 1

Betsy Rowe-Baehr (left), students from her 9:30am 10th grade class featured on WRFA, and Sony Ton-Aime , director of literary arts at Chautauqua.

CLASS 2

Betsy Rowe-Baehr (left) and students from her 10:45am 10th grade class featured on WRFA.

CLASS 3

Betsy Rowe-Baehr (left) and students from her 1:05pm 10th grade class featured on WRFA.