Essay and author interview with award-winning writer Sarah Bosworth

Today I’m honored to have writer Sarah Bosworth on my blog. She agreed to lend us her award-winning school essay in which she answers the question: are you proud of your country?

Sarah is 12 years old.

Yes, you read that right.  You’ll be even more surprised after you read her essay. The crispness and maturity in her writing is startling and the bright light of an intelligent and sensitive spirit comes shining through her words. If this is what our American public schools in combination with dedicated parents can produce, it certainly makes me proud to fly a red, white and blue flag. During this disheartening time of politics in our country, Sarah gives me hope for the future.

She won the school “district” award for this essay and is now competing at the state level. I have a feeling she may receive a call very soon with news of another award.

I’ve included the essay first, followed by a short interview with Sarah. I know she would love to hear from all you adult authors out there – advice on finishing her novels for example (yes, there’s more than one) or just some encouraging words to a burgeoning talent. Please leave comments if so moved.

Enjoy.

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Are You Proud of Your Country?

“Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?” Those are the words that symbolize our country, words that are powerful enough to bring together an entire nation of people. Just like the flag that flies above us, the music of our national anthem reminds us the meaning of being an American. We are strong, true and brave. We will stop at nothing to achieve liberty and justice.

Everyone from the most decorated war veteran to the common man have made sacrifices so we could be the country we are today. Think of the wars fought and won, those who have laid down their lives for us. Most of all, we should never forget 9/11. Thousands were lost, but that was a day that shaped American history. Instead of tearing us apart like the terrorists assumed, that day brought together everybody in the US. We grieved together, and slowly, we recovered together. We united and became a stronger nation than before the tragedy.

There is not only the assurance that Americans will always be there for each other, but a more tangible pledge inscribed upon the Mother of Exiles. Says she with silent lips, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send those homeless, tempest tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Lady Liberty is the symbol of our country’s compassion. She is the guide of all of our dreams, and she is the one who helps us find our inner souls. She takes part in the selfless acts of children emptying their piggy banks to help those who are in times of crisis. This is an emblem of America. The message on the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal is the same message relayed through time: America is here to help.

Am I proud of my country? Yes. I feel it every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner sung at a sporting event. I feel it when the room reverberates with the chorus of voices reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I feel it when our flag is raised to show it’s bright colors to the world. Yes. I am proud to live in the United States of America. I am proud to call myself an American.

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Here are a few questions I had for Sarah.

What do you love about writing?

·         Writing is a huge part of my life. I like it because it comes naturally to me, and it just feels familiar. Writing calms me, and if I’m mad, I’ll write and write and write: poems, stories, even why I’m angry. I seem to form my thoughts way better on paper than I do by saying them. What I most especially like about writing, though, is the realization that they are my words. And when I think that I was capable of creating those words, I feel really confident. Writing is what sets me apart from others, it’s what inspires me to be my own person.

What do you dream about for your future?

·         Yep, I dream a lot about how the future will turn out for me. I have lots of goals I want to achieve, some short term and others that I want to accomplish in the long run. Right now, I have a super busy soccer schedule because I am playing for two teams. My club team, Cascade FC, is starting in the spring season, and school varsity soccer is going pretty strong right now, so one of my goals is to be one of the best players out on the field and make my team proud. Another goal of mine is to get good grades in second and third trimester. When I’m an adult, I really would like to have completed college, gone to law school and am on my way to becoming a successful lawyer. I am not sure what I would want to specialize in as a lawyer, but I know that I will figure it out—eventually.

What made you decide to enter the contest?

·         I actually didn’t have in choice in whether or not I would be entering the essay contest. My Language Arts teacher told us that the essay we wrote would not just be an entry but a graded assignment as well, so we really had to write a quality piece of writing and give it to her to be graded and sent in. I remember that in my 6^th grade year, I had seen flyers for it around the school, and even picked one up, but never really had any ideas. For me, entering things is a struggle, because I am horrible at following through with writing. Sure, I’ll have an idea and write a few paragraphs or so, then forget about it and never come back. I consider even sending anything in a huge accomplishment for me if I’m doing it by myself.

What about the essay subject was exciting to you?

·         The essay subject didn’t really excite me, to  be exact. What it did do was spark an interest in what America is doing right now, what problems we have in our country, and how most kids look at the US. What I wanted to do when I wrote the essay was portray the thoughts of kids my age, of how we view our country. America is great, we say. Right? Some adults would disagree there, but how many kids do you know that really care about politics? There are lots of problems yet to be solved in the US, but coming from a kid, America really is a strong country with lots of prospect. I wanted people to see it from my perspective, because sometimes people don’t realize how wonderful our country is.

How long did the winning essay take to write?

·         It didn’t take me that long to write it. Oh, maybe three weeks or so, but most of that was on and off: quitting for a few days and then looking at it with fresh eyes. The revising process by far took the most time, there was a period in there when I felt like it would never be done. What was really nice about that was the fact that we wrote and “peer revised” at school. I had a lot of feedback from classmates.

What do you like to write?

·         My favorite things to write are novels (which I never finish), short stories, and poetry. Poetry is really beautiful, and it’s how I make my feeling into words. Short stories can consist of anything for me, from a funny moment to a story I make up. I really love to write novels, though, just because it’s fun. They take a while, but I have always dreamed of becoming an author and if I can start now, then why not?

Who was more excited when you won the contest, you or your mom?

·         I am actually not sure who was more excited. When I found out, I was dancing around the house, and she was telling me how proud she was. I’d say we were both excited, but for different reasons. For me, it was all about “Wow! Oh my gosh, I did it! I am moving on! YAY!!!!” She, on the other hand, was much more calm and reserved. I know why now, because Mom didn’t want me to think I had let her and Dad down if I didn’t make it into the next level, but I know we were just both so happy. It was an amazing feeling.

What, besides writing, do you love to do?

·         Besides writing, I love to read, play soccer, play my flute and hang out with my friends.