Thursday, April 23, 2026
Free Event
CCBC Dundalk
Alvin and Mary Lloyd College Center
Outside
7200 Sollers Point Road
Baltimore, MD 21222
In The Secret Life of Bees, the main character, Lily, is an aspiring writer who shares her story of finding family through a nurturing social and natural environment. CCBC students are invited to participate in a creative nonfiction reading event in conjunction with Horticulture, CCBC Sustainability and the Community Book Connection.
Participants will respond to one of two available writing prompts to compose a non-fiction story to perform at the event. Student attendees will also have an opportunity to share stories at the open mic following the scheduled presenters.
Deadline for student submissions: March 27, 2026
If you would like to participate, please submit a 200-300 word response to one of the two following prompts.
Your story should focus on nature and/or nurture. Choose a story about your relationship to your environment. You may share a story about your social environment or the natural environment. For example, maybe you had a very important relationship that shaped who you are today. Did this relationship inform your self-conception of who you are or one of the groups you belong to? Or maybe you have a special connection to the river near the house where you grew up. Is there a place in your neighborhood or an area you have visited that you felt closely connected to your identity? Choose one story that has a clear beginning, middle and end to share.
"Family" has a technical definition as well as an often varying social definition. Family is technically defined by our biological relationships — to parents, siblings, cousins, etc. But often, we think of our family as the people we care about, regardless of born kinship. Choose a story about a person or people who are a part of your chosen family.
This may be someone(s) you are related to or someone(s) with whom you've formed a familial bond. How did this person or people help develop your sense of your chosen family? How have they helped you to become the person that you are? Can you describe an event that helped you to begin considering this person or persons a part of your chosen family? What actions took place to help form your relationship? How does this relationship impact you now? Choose one story that has a clear beginning, middle and end to share.
To submit your prompt, please email Jay Trucker at jtrucker@ccbcmd.edu or Lauren Pollak at lpollak@ccbcmd.edu.
Professor