Keynote Speaker Mark Sullivan Discusses Storytelling, Novel Writing

The Bagpipe Online 3/6 5:49A Ellie Levy, Editor in Chief

When New York Times bestselling author Mark Sullivan woke up on his 30th birthday, he immediately knew that something was wrong. Ever since childhood, Sullivan had dreamed of becoming an author, and on that day, he realized that he needed to...

2025-26 Teachers & Paraprofessionals of the Year

News & Announcements (Highland Park High School) 3/6 5:03A

Congratulations to the 2025-26 Teachers & Paraprofessionals of the Year! Your dedication and impact on students help make HPISD an incredible place to learn and grow!

No School March 7

News & Announcements (Highland Park High School) 3/6 4:15A

HP Family, just a friendly reminder that Friday, March 7, is a Bad Weather Make-Up Day, so there will be no school. Enjoy your day off and have a fantastic start to spring break!

Litfest 2025

The Bagpipe Online 3/4 6:08A Ellie Levy and Juliana Stimac

Litfest 2025 Athena Akwenye, Reporter What You Can Learn From The Beatles Ryaan Khan, Reporter The Power of Cartoons Margaret McCrocklin, Reporter The Foundations of Writing Fiction Juliana Maambo,...

Screenwriter of a Generation

The Bagpipe Online 3/4 6:05A Juliana Maambo, Reporter

Paula Goldberg, a well-known director and screenwriter, gave a great talk at LitFest. She shared so many helpful tips on writing scripts, and had a lot to say about what makes a script great. Goldberg s tips and insights were both inspiring and...

Bringing The Abstract Into The World Using Poetry

The Bagpipe Online 3/4 6:03A Malena McRorie, Reporter

The language of poetry is made up of lyricism and rhythm, something that Dr. Mag Gabbert, currently serving as the Poet Laureate for the city of Dallas, teaches students in her presentation for the 30th annual Highland Park literary festival. For...

Kurt Voelker Shares Secrets to Great Screenwriting

The Bagpipe Online 3/4 6:02A Aidan Zahodnik, Reporter

Under the pretense of “Just Great Screenwriting,” Kurt Voelker’s presentation succeeded in both captivating his audience and creating something special at the school’s annual LitFest. Voelker has done past workshops at LitFest and seems to have...

Actress and Author Discusses Her Hollywood Career

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:56A Caroline Yates, Reporter

Hollywood actress and author Nellie Sciutto began her presentation with a short history of her past. She was born and raised on the infamous Park Avenue in New York City. Her mother was a journalist at Newsweek Magazine and her dad worked for...

The Power of Cartoons

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:54A Ryaan Khan, Reporter

Karl Wimer’s presentation explored the deep history of cartoons in economics and political expression. Before starting, he asked the class, “Who here wants to become a cartoonist when they grow up?” In a heavy silence, no one raised their hand....

Bubble Lounge Hosts Presents At LitFest

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:41A Mila Segal, Senior communication

Host of the renowned podcast Bubble Lounge, Martha Jackson, gave an enlightening workshop on how to start a podcast and overcome the fear of putting yourself out there. After graduating from The University of Oklahoma with a degree in Radio,...

A Music Duo’s Story

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:38A Gunner Thomson, Reporter

Musician Carry Pierce started out in music when he first got a few friends together in high school and formed a garage band. Despite not being a big fan of playing in bands, he still wished to host a battle of the bands, wanting to bring...

Crafting The Perfect Essay

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:35A Rohan Portteus, Junior communica

Literary journalist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Gerorge Getschow brought his forty years of writing experience to his LitFest workshop, Telling Your Story: How to Craft Distinctive Personal Essays for College Applications and Beyond in which...

An Introduction To Independent Publishing

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:31A Juliana Stimac, Executive Editor

It was a curious day when Bill Thompson decided to start writing. When his wife of decades became terminally ill and Thompson transitioned into being her caregiver, he and his wife had a serious talk about the future, where his wife asked him why...

Rusty Williams Introduces “The Writers Toolbox”

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:29A Augusta McKenzie, Associate edit

Historical writer Rusty Williams tells stories of the people who lived it and developed his presentation on the “Writers Tool Box, or all the things necessary to be a successful writer. Williams led the presentation with attention to student...

The Foundations of Writing Fiction

The Bagpipe Online 3/3 5:27A Margaret McCrocklin, Reporter

Author Katherine McMahon shared the different methods that can be used to formulate the beginnings of a novel, as well as methods to prevent writer s block. McMahon spent her formative years studying film, storytelling, and animation at both NYU...