My granddaughter Kirstyn right before walking into her Senior year at Charles Page High School. I wish her moments of inspiration and challenge…and memories to cherish!

Never doubt there's magic to be found: on my morning walk, accompanied only by the audiobook of Niall Williams' beautiful History of the Rain, I was overjoyed to see a Mimosa tree in full bloom. I spottIed one stunning swallowtail. And then looked up to a sight I'd never seen before. Just. Look. Up.

My LFL, the first in the Sand Springs/Tulsa area, was originally chartered 2013. My son Jeff decided to take on the challenge of building me a new one. As a retired high school English teacher and an avid reader since childhood, I'm overjoyed to again share books with my community. #LFLweek

Thank you for these words…a shimmer in the darkness.

www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86NrgQm/

“…comprehension of literature, on which the study of English is based, is rooted in the pleasure of reading. Sometimes…a beam of light falls on a room of students collectively leaning into a story, with only scuffing sounds of pages…as though all our heartbeats have slowed.”

Way too many quotes from the French Revolution seemed to apply to our current situation.

“In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.”

londondaily.com/british-writ...

And rolling my eyes for an added calorie burner…

Thank you Layli Long Soldier: "I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem.

There’s irony in their poem.

There was no text.

“Real” poems do not “really” require words."
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/161866...

While we’re banning books…

Finland is teaching children in school how to recognize fake news and propaganda as part of critical thinking and civic responsibility. Some of this will seem very familiar.

Be. Like. Finland.

Advice from a Literature teacher and resister: read your history, but don’t forget your literature.

Resistance is woven through the words of abolitionism and feminism and anti-fascism. Read the history and the literature.

Keeping my sanity one puzzle piece, one novel page, and one coloring book picture at a time. Therapy.

I needed to reread this email today. Many teachers will see themselves reflected in Gwydion's words, so I thought I'd share. Teaching matters.

Poor, misinformed, delusional Ryan Walters. I had a Bible in my classroom for anyone who wanted to use it: for literary references, for spiritual content, whatever.

thought of the dayyy🤔