Circles

Everyone was as still for Bach as they were bouncy for Al Green. As rabidly as I’d danced to the Jackson 5 Saturday night, I sat still for Bach on Sunday. I closed my eyes, even. Pop music goes forward, neatly, in a way you expect, and it reinforces what you want and where you […]

Writing Teacher Contract

This is what works for me, and I think it will work for you: 1. I won’t read your first draft. I don’t ask anyone to read mine. As Aaron Neville would say, “Baby, my time is too expensive.” I’ll give you points for those first few paragraphs, and then send you off to write […]

The One

I teach about 90 juniors a year. Ten or fifteen of them will, in the first month of school, identify themselves as troubled. Academically, emotionally, cognitively, what have you. Students who won’t turn in work, won’t study, or won’t shut up or stay awake in class. About seven of those fifteen will leave: change schools, […]

Highway to Hell

As a general rule, I believe in separation of church and state, and church and pop music. Christian rock always struck me as more evil than Marilyn Manson. If you can’t be bad when you’re rocking out– my God, my God, when can you be bad? Religious references and echoes are a different story. I’m […]