Seven members of the P.O.P.S. Club from Venice High attended the Beverly Hills Literary Society Luncheon at Intercontinental Hotel in Century City as part of

a select group of high school students who are invited to meet and speak with an author.

This year’s students and members of the society listened to author Tracy Kidder speak about his most recent book, ”A Truck Full of Money.”

“A Truck Full of Money” tells the story of Paul English, co-founder of Kayak.com. The book details his rise to success and the psychology of his bipolar disorder.

This is the seventh year that P.O.P.S club founder and English teacher Dennis Danzinger has brought students to the event.

Mr. Danzinger was honored by the literary society “for inspiring students to dream big, write exceptionally and achieve greatly” which was inscribed into bookends as a gift to Mr. Danzinger. Venice High School was also invited back to the luncheon for two more years.

Seeing that this is Mr. Danzinger’s last year, as a teacher at Venice High, he credits his students with making the luncheon an even more joyous event.

“Attending the event along with my students is my favorite day of the school year “ said Mr. Danzinger, “I bring 8 to10 students who are most interested in writing and literature.

P.O.P.S is a anagram that stands for Pain Of the Prison System. The club meets every Wednesday where the students have the opportunity to creatively express what they are feeling through writing. Students are encouraged to speak directly from the heart without the fear of persecution.

“I learned to make my obstacles into powerful writing.” Said Katherine Secaida, president of P.O.P.S., “I make sure I come out of my shell and pour my dark secrets to help others come out of their shell too.”