I spent about six months planning my first lecture for all of my English students at the beginning of the year. What could I say that would draw them in? That they had never heard before? That would teach them the far-reaching values of analyzing literature and still be engaging for the kids who hated…
Educated – Tara Westover
I read a lot - around 50 books a year. Each year, there are usually about fifteen books that I really like, and five or six that are great. If I'm lucky, one or two will be truly spectacular. Last year, I read All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy and was blown over by how gorgeous…
In Praise of Harry Potter (and in criticism of other recent YA works)
Over the summer, I spent many lonely nights in Chicago and Mexico re-reading the Harry Potter series. Okay, so maybe the nights weren't lonely at all, but I was alone, and Harry Potter kept me great company - same as he did when I was a teenager, when the first books came out. It's been…
