Special Showcase: Arrowhead Union High School Students- The Game Of Chess, by Sofonisba Anguissola

​NB: Information about the TER-Arrowhead collaboration follows the student works below.

The Game Of Chess, by Sofonisba Anguissola (Italy) 1555

The Winning Strategy

*
Author’s note:
Some of the lines are capitalized to represent a move in chess
(pawn to c4, bishop to e3 and also at the end with check)

​*

Players stand ready 
to take action.
Deeply staring each other down.
Four hands ready to make their move.

I cannot lose this game,
 because If I do
my family and friends
will never
look at me the same.

Paths of victory 
to be seen.
Embarking on that journey.
Six eyes on the board watching closely.

But which piece should I take 
which piece would
bring me one step closer To victory,
and them one step
closer to failure.

Brisk moves are made 
to determine the victor.
How shall I win this time I ask myself.
two fingers pick up the next piece.

Now my only way to win
is for me to sacrifice something.
But which should it be
it could be a knight or bishop
or maybe even a rook.

Breaking down their defenses 
to gain an advantage.
Causing them to lose hope,
Five more moves to win.

I have finally won
I can rest easy from now on.
I raise my hand in victory
Standing firm and proud
Always confident in my winning strategy.

Cheap tricks and moves,
Have made you lose this battle.
Each of my moves worked perfectly in my favor,
Calmly I step off the podium and extend a
Kind handshake to my enemy.
​

Peyton Bodway

**
​
A Letter to My Future Self 

Dear Future Me, 

I am about to graduate, go off to college, and start a new chapter. It seems like the right time to set out some hopes for my future. 

1. Make that Trek to Culvers 

You better take that hour and a half walk to Culvers from the dorms at least once in your college career. When you are eating your ice cream, call your parents. 

2. Enjoy the Freedom

I hope you are enjoying the freedoms that come with college. Remember how in high school, you couldn’t leave the classroom without asking, go to your car without a permission slip, and how you had to fill out a 15 question survey to sit at a table in the library? 

3. Flip Over a Mailbox

Your cousin also attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. One day, he was riding on a scooter and his friends were running beside him on the streets, trying to keep up. When he was looking back at his friends, he flipped over a mailbox and broke his toe. I hope you have friends to run beside you as you flip over a mailbox. 

4. ¡Viaja a España! 

I hope you study abroad in Spain and try authentic Spanish food. Remember how you made el pan for El Día de los Muertos and it was awful. I hope you’ve had some. Also travel to other European countries while you're at it and soak up the culture. 

5. Call your Friends

I hope you didn’t drop everyone from high school. Even though I know you said you wanted a fresh start, please keep at least one thing stable. Go call them. 

6. Do Not Slip in the Slimy Dorm Showers

I hope you survived the dorms. I am trying not to think about the cramped space, getting a bad roommate, and my irrational fear of slipping in the sticky, slimy dorm showers.

7. Make Six Figures 

I hope you are making a lot of money. Remember how you went to the Society of Women Engineers weekend in Minnesota and debated whether you wanted to go into engineering? You don’t have to love my job, but loving the amount of money you make is the next best thing. 

8. Paint the Walls Yellow

I hope you have a yellow room in your house. Your dad abhorred Mom’s yellow room and thought it was outdated, but there was something about the bright walls that was comfortable and homey. 

9. Be Seen 

I hope you meet someone that makes you feel seen. I hope he listens to all of your crazy stories. Don’t settle for less. 

10. Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable 

Try new things. It’s ok to not always feel comfortable. Remember it is almost always just in your head. If it’s not, take it with a grain of salt. 

Sincerely, 

Nicole Boudreau
​April 18, 2024

​**

The Game of Life  

The Chess Game by Sofonisba Anguilossa can be seen as a metaphor for my siblings and my relationship.

As I look deep into the picture, I connect to the woman on the left with myself, the oldest sibling. This Italian piece demonstrates that the woman on the left is highly capable of playing chess and is a role model for the other girls. The lady in the red portrays what it means to be the oldest with her leadership, professionalism, and responsibility.

After attentively analyzing the lady in red and connecting her to myself, my eyes peer to the left of the painting towards the girl raising her hand. Her facial expressions and mood reminded me of my younger sister, the middle child. The girl's sassy body language was a spitting image of my sister. The curiosity in the girl's eyes reminded me of a time when my sister was young. I remember a phase when my sister curiously ate everything in her path, whether it was snow, grass, or even ladybugs. After she devoured these nasty snacks, she would always stand proud, ignoring the bewildered fractions surrounding her. The painting was a reflection of my sister. The girl with her hand raised represents key characteristics of my middle-child sister. Her attitude, sarcasm, and curiosity in their painting made it feel as if I were having a conversation with my sister.

Lastly, the youngest girl in the middle of the painting. The first thing that I noticed about the girl was her infectious smile. I assimilate the smile of my beloved baby brother and the joy he feels when my sister and I include him. Maybe the little girl in the painting is happy to watch chess and spend time with her loved ones. Looking closer at the painting, the little girl's eyes are filled with admiration for the other girls, which clearly stands out to me. The girl's smile, eyes, and even body posture scream that she has the characteristics of the youngest sibling.

Except there is one more thing: the older woman on the far right—who could she be? After thinking and analyzing the painting, I came to two conclusions. The first being that the chessboard symbolizes something more than a game; it symbolizes life. This explains the oldest’s confidence and experience in the game, the middle question and curiosity, and the youngest’s hand, who’s barely on the board and just watching the others play the game.

Yet this leaves my final conclusion. The older woman is the mother of the girls, and the reason that she is not participating in the game is because she has already lived her life, and her main responsibility is taking care of her children and making sure they know how to play the game of life.

David Dobbertin

**

The Royal Family 

The queen is ready to move the queen.

She looks to me for help.
I tell her I can’t help her.

My two daughters are about to beat my wife.
They have played this game for years.
They have never won.

My daughter raises her hand with confidence.
She knows her mom doesn’t know what to do.
She sees her look to me for help.
She knows she's finally won.

My youngest daughter smiles.
My eldest daughter knows she's won.
My wife pleads for help with her eyes.
Our maid looks on in shock.
I watch in awe like I'm looking at a painting.

​Kieran Dwyer

**

A Triumph in the Evening

Author's Note: The royal daughters face each other in an intense game of chess as the brother watches closely, the eldest and the middle daughter go head to head.

Adorned with the soft hues of a lazy afternoon, two sisters sat across from each other, 
their gazes locked in a fierce battle of intellect and will.

Carmen, the elder of the two with her hair cascading like a river of silver, turned towards her 
brother view with a confident smile, her hand poised over her rook as she assumes its 
wraps. 
Haley, her eyes alight with determination, studied the board with unwavering focus. Her hand 
rises over the pieces, beginning her next move.
Evalynne stands and views and quietly giggles as she watches Hayley quickly turn the table 
around.
Sherri, as requested by their parents, stands by and watches closely over Hayley’s shoulder so 
they don’t get too hostile.
Should we continue the game or call a truce…

Giving a swift and decisive motion, Haley moved her knight, a move that seemed 
inconsequential at first glance. 
A moment of silence enveloped the room, broken only by the sound of the younger sister's 
triumphant gasp. She had done it–defeated her older sister in a game of wits.                        
Marveling at her sibling's cunning, a mixture of pride and astonishment sat within Carmen’s 
eyes
Evening sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the patio, the two sisters 
embraced, their bond strengthened by the timeless game they had just played.

​Evan Eisch

*

How Art Flows

“Why does a poem flow like art on a canvas, a window in time?”

The painting flows in gold,
in red, in black, and in white,
The dresses flow.

And just like the dresses,
and the paint on the canvas,
the painting too does flow.

The painting flows, 
It flows on the wall,
In the Anguissola household.

It flows, through the eyes of 
a man who sees it,
and knows art.

It flows like water,
Through fingers of a Fulvio,
And the hands of an Odoardo.

It flows, like a spirit 
past royal Bourbons. 
In Spain, they sat.

It flows, flows past him,
he who is the brother 
of a great conqueror.

Now it Flows, 
By the eyes of thousands,
full of wonder.

​Tanner Hansen

**

Order of Power
                   
The oldest daughter moves her chess piece and looks away.
Her clothes are red and gold, showing the family’s wealth.
She smiles smugly, proud of herself.
Looking away without a care.

The middle daughter looks at her oldest sister confused.
Her clothes are black and gold, showing the family’s wealth.
She holds her hand up questioning her sister's move.
Waiting for her to look back.

The youngest daughter looks at the confused sister smiling.
Her clothes are white and gold, showing the family’s wealth.
She is excited for her turn to play chess.

The maid stares at the youngest daughter with an envious smile.
Her clothes are white and covered in dirt, showing her lack of power.
She wishes she could play along.

Alex Mills

**
​
The Magical Game

I peer at the painting hanging on the wall in my uncle’s living room. The cozy brown and red pieces, the players poised to play the next move, the joyous air–it all reminds me how much I love chess, my favorite game. Throughout my life, chess has helped connect me to countless people–family members, teachers, and friends from around the world who have joined me in playing hundreds of games. Not only that, it has been a way for me to develop my critical thinking skills and grow my ability to concentrate. Like a smoothie with the perfect ingredients, chess is a magical blend of both intense strategy and pure fun. 

As a kid, I loved imagining the intricately designed pieces on a battlefield, like soldiers and generals. Sometimes, I would imagine the pawns acting as defensive walls and the bishops like archers, streaking across the diagonals. I enjoyed setting up my pieces to an arrangement that looked aesthetically pleasing and symmetric, something that captivated me early on in my chess journey more than the actual playing of the game. There were so many combinations of positions and arrangements; it enchanted me!

In middle school, as I began getting more serious about the game, I joined our school’s chess club, where I quickly befriended the advisor, a kind, older gentleman who had been playing chess his whole life. His warm expressions would often turn into a cool, calculating guise during our games. He was one of the first people to kindle my interest in the game, as he encouraged and complimented my playing skills with each encounter. The advisor also taught me about famous chess players and their strategies, and recommended that I see videos and lessons regarding their ideas and tips. Like a kid in a candy store, I began exploring the vast new world of chess openings, middlegames, endgames, tactics, and positions, from some of the best experts in the world. 

I remember, as my attendance to chess club meetings grew, I met other classmates who shared my avid interest in chess. I remember playing a particularly long and difficult game against one such friend, and finally managing to deliver a tricky checkmate to close it off. I felt immense pride about how my skills had improved through all my training and help from my advisor and friends, and I was motivated to continue practicing. I continued learning new openings and tricks, and soon swiftly defeated my brother in our tactical duels.

“Admiring the painting, I see!” It’s my uncle, smiling, catching me in my reminiscence. I nod my head.
He silently walks across the room, and opens a wooden cabinet, reaching inside. It’s a mahogany wood chess set. “Care for a game?”

Rhushil Vasavada

​**

​Editorial Note
 
For more than a year we have been working with teachers at Arrowhead Union High School who are using ekphrasis in their writing classes, and publishing selected works by the student writers. This has been an exciting collaboration in so many ways, being part of the invitation to students to contemplate art and discover the different ways that it can show us the human experience, near and far, past, present, or personal.
 
Choosing from the student submissions a few to publish here for our readers is a painful process. Every single entry is a success story in our book, showing a facet of the communication that happens between someone far away or in another time, and a student today, and the creativity that connection can inspire. We are profoundly impressed by that creativity, and by your curiosity and by your courage.
 
A big congratulations to the writers whose works are shown here this time. 
 
We hope all of you will continue to explore art, writing, and ekphrasis. Our readers and writers know from experience the extraordinary blessings they will bring to your life stories.
 
Love, 
The Ekphrastic Review
 
**
 
A Note from Liz Jorgensen and Terri Carnell
 
We teach creative writing and advanced composition at Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland, Wisconsin. For the past year and a half, we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Lorette and The Ekphrastic Review (1/12/2023, 5/26/2023, 7/10/2023, 1/5/2024). We want to express our sincerest gratitude to Lorette. Providing this authentic opportunity, she has selflessly dedicated many hours, and we are honoured and humbled to again have our students’ work showcased in TER.
 
This year, our 236 students responded to one of the following: 
·       The Chess Game, by Sofonisba Anguissola (Italy) 1555
·       Christina’s World, by Andrew Wyeth (USA) 1948  
·       Gold Octopus Frontlet, by the Moche people (Peru) 300-600 AD (photo by Thad Zaidowicz)  
·       Blue Soap Bubble, by Joseph Cornell (USA) 1950 
·       Three Coke Bottles, by Andy Warhol (USA) 
 
Our classrooms buzzed as our students engaged with the pieces of art, creatively expressing their own identity, values and beliefs. We were impressed with our students’ interpretations, their interdisciplinary connections, and their emotional intelligence! 
 
Through descriptive language, vivid imagery and sensory details, our students explored joy and nostalgia, contemplation or introspection. The students said they felt inspired and creative:
 

• “We liked that [our study of ekphrasis] brought our imagination back to us … it sparked our creative interest.” 
• “This writing showed us how to look at artwork through a different lens, finding a way to tie emotion, personality or our own story into a piece originally foreign to us. These pieces helped challenge us and helped us grow as writers and we want to thank you for providing us with this wonderful opportunity to explore our creativity.”

 
The study of ekphrasis encouraged each of our students to develop an appreciation for art and to see what is possible when art inspires writing. We hope you enjoy their ekphrastic pieces as much as we do.