"Early Stages is one of New York City's many treasures. The work your organization performs helps to awaken and stimulate the creative and cultural juices of so many of New York City's urban youth."

- Doris, Parent, Manhattan Children's School

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Sam Swope (with Early Stages since 2004) teaches creative writing to students young and old, kindergarten through graduate school.  His books for children include The Araboolies of Liberty Street (Farrar Straus & Giroux), which was adapted into an opera and a musical; The Krazees (FSG), which is being made into a movie starring Robin Williams; and Gotta Go! Gotta Go!  For adults, he recently published I Am a Pencil (Henry Holt, 2004), a nonfiction account of three years spent teaching creative writing to a group of 28 kids from 21 different countries in a Queens public school. This book won a 2005 Christopher Award and was named one of the best books of 2004 by Publishers Weekly. Sam went to Middlebury College and Oxford University.