The Creative Writing curriculum at Kinder HSPVA continues to evolve because of the unique courses and experiences your support makes possible. Your gifts to HSPVA Friends fund the adjunct faculty, technology, and supplies that allow the teachers to offer a wide range of specialty courses that challenge students to think critically, take creative risks, and find their voices. Take a look below at some of the programs you made possible in 2025-2026.
YOUR GIFTS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING COURSES:
- Adaptation with Sara Rolater
- Contemporary Voices with Ariana Brown
- Creative Non-Fiction with Baylea Jones
- Editing Lab with Baylea Jones
- Epistolary with Baylea Jones
- Film Making with Richard Ford
- Fiction with Sara Rolater
- Folklore with Sara Rolater
- Photography with Richard Ford
- Native American Literature with Ariana Brown
- Playwriting with Brendan Bourque-Sheil
- Songwriting with Lucas Masllorens
- Staged Reading for Writers with Ricardo Perez
- TV Writing with Brendan Bourque-Sheil
- Visual Storytelling with Summer Quiñones
YOUR GIFTS PROVIDED TECHNOLOGY, SUPPLIES, AND SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING:
- A master class with NYT bestselling graphic novelist Ngozi Ukazu
- A field trip to Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
- Printing for the department’s student-produced anthology
- Sketchbooks, dye, paint, and brushes for multimedia projects
- Specialized camera and audio equipment with custom storage cabinets
- An annual subscription to Celtx, an industry-leading screenwriting and playwriting software
- Books (lots of books!) and movies
WATCH: UNHEARD VOICES
On February 6, HSPVA students brought one of the school’s Black History Month productions, Unheard Voices, to life. This collaboration between the Instrumental Music and Creative Writing Departments celebrated underrepresented voices in music and storytelling.
The program included the world premiere of And Still We Cross, a co-commission by Apollo Chamber Players and HSPVA Friends, performed by the Evergreen Quartet and Creative Writing student Mali Gatewood ’27.
CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2026
