Local News

By Heather Baer
DAILY BREEZE

It was her way of dealing with things; her way of acknowledging what her brother was going through. For 14-year-old Leora Posner, composing a patriotic song for a lyric contest launched by USA Weekend was a way for her to express her feelings. The Torrance resident never thought she would win. But she did.

Out of about 10,000 teen-age applicants, Leora Posner won the John Lennon Song Writing Contest for best patriotic lyrics. Her mother, Carol Posner, suggested Leora enter the contest after reading a recent article in USA Weekend . Posner found out that there was a category for patriotic lyrics and immediately thought of her brother Jesse. “He's in the Army and turned 18 on Sept. 11, I knew I wanted to write about him,” Leora said. “He's so excited now for me and he wants to know if he's going to be famous.”

The events of Sept. 11 greatly shocked Leora, who was worried about the effects it would have on Jesse, who is stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina waiting to be deployed to Afghanistan. “She became very concerned for her brother after 9-11,” Carol Posner said. “It struck her that firemen, policemen and armed servicemen can and do die.” Carol Posner said for Leora, writing the lyrics about her brother was a constructive way for Leora to get out her fears. But, she never realized how powerful her daughter's words could be. “It just touched me so much, I cried,” Carol Posner said. “They spoke to me in such a way, it made me realize some of my own fears of losing him.”

As part of her award Leora will be flown next month to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland where her lyrics will be put to music by recording artist Wyclef Jean, known as the “hip-hop Amadeus” and member of the multiplatinum recording group the Fugees. Her other prizes include an Omega CD burner and a $1,000 U.S. savings bond. Her school, Environmental Charter High School at Lawndale Christian Church, will receive two acoustic guitars, two portable keyboards and a synthesizer.

“I can't believe that I won all of this stuff,” she said. “I never thought I'd win. I just entered this contest for fun, but I really never thought I'd win.” Leora will be flown to New York at the end of the month to appear on the “Today Show.” “I didn't think this whole thing would go that far,” Leora said. “I have been told that Nick (Lachey) from 98 Degrees will be singing my song on TV.” Although she has seen great success with her first lyric-writing attempt, Leora has no intention of pursuing this as a career.

“I want to be a model or an actress,” she said. “I did this 'cause I thought it would be fun to do. I'm not trying to get a career out of it.” Carol Clurman, senior editor at USA Weekend , said both she and the judges were quite impressed by the teen-ager's lyrics. USA Weekend also will publish an article this weekend about the teen winners, which can be found in Sunday's Daily Breeze “Leora's lyrics are both personal and poignant,” Clurman said. “What she wrote struck the judges, it was extremely honest.” Although she was amazed by Leora's prose, Clurman said that young adults never cease to amaze her. “The level of sophistication of their feelings is incredible,” Clurman said. “Still, the fact that a 14-year-old could convey such powerful feelings is quite impressive.”

Publish Date:Monday May