Jacqueline Woodson: ‘What Reading Slowly Taught Me About Writing.’ I saw her read once. She was full of life and light. She is here too. A 10-minute TED talk.
A woman I hadn’t seen before where I hold my sign came across the street on Friday and handed me two identical stickers. I was grateful and interested but she had things in her ears and she may have been in a phone conversation or listening to music or a talk show. She was in a hurry. Maybe she’s bookish and shy. I hope she comes by again.
The branch library two and a half blocks from where I live I go to every day it’s open. It’s not open on Sunday but it should be. I go at 1:00 and stay for an hour or two. Even some days like today when I’m tired from poor sleep last night. The ceilings are wonderfully higher than mine or yours. The lights are brighter than either of us have. The windows are maybe 10-feet tall and you can see the street. Books are on all the shelves. I bring my coffee in a thermos. I bring this laptop and the big book I’m reading and a Moleskine. I look on the new book shelf every day. There’s a big new book on Watergate I’d like to look at. While looking for that I see other books. I wish the library branches were open later here. I’d come in the evening. Students would too. There’s always some display. This month it’s Women’s History. I like the look of books. I like to see the people who come in. Some come every day like me. Some come to read the newspaper. The guy in the photo came for the papers. The orange of his coat caught my eye.
Big urban school districts can improve, but it’s complicated and messy
Why did Los Angeles get better? Scholars say it’s because factions cooperated, sort of.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/03/27/when-schools-work-bruce-fuller/
I loved Colin Barrett’s first short story collection, Young Skins. He has a new book of stories.
This was in ‘The Guardian’: In these two excellent collections set in Ireland, Colin Barrett deftly captures alarming violence and the richness of family saga, while Wendy Erskine frequently leaves the reader wrong-footed.