Archive for May 2018
Mohawks and Jessie Eisenberg
During my April vacation from teaching, I had the honor of traveling to Canada to teach storytelling on a Mohawk reservation. The Mohawk nation is paying Mohawks to learn their native language from a fellow Mohawk and native speaker who is also a world-renown native language expert. Their goal is to preserve the Mohawk language…
Read MoreConstantly frowning and avoiding dogs at every turn
Grammar is important, especially when it comes to the design of memorial plaques. Ignore a few basic rules of grammar and you could end up with this: A woman who both never saw a dog in her entire life and never cracked a smile. Quite the departure from what this foundation was presumably intending. When…
Read MoreI am competitive, which means I might be a jerk but also other important things
I had no idea that highly competitive, super serious tag was a thing. And what a thing it is… I want to play this game, which should come as no surprise to people who know me well. I like competition. I thrive on competition. My favorite form of storytelling is the slam. Stand on a…
Read MoreA former student’s advice on avoiding procrastination
A former student visited my class last month to offer advice to my fifth graders as they prepare to embark on their journey to middle school. His advice was fascinating: In order to avoid procrastination, fill your life with after-school activities. Do as much as possible. Sports, drama, student government… anything and everything. Pack your…
Read MoreA dose of 1850’s racial politics to start my day
Five minutes ago, at 5:34 AM, my nine year-old daughter, Clara, walked down the stairs, sat beside me, and the first words out of her mouth were these: “Hey Daddy, I was reading about Harriet Tubman yesterday, and I was wondering: Why did the northern states agree to pass The Fugitive Slave Law even though…
Read MoreThe old fashioned way of breaking up is the right way to break up
When I was a kid, you had to break up with your romantic companion in person. If I even suggested to my friends that I might break up with a girl over the phone, I would be vilified. I like this. I support this. Back then, breaking up with someone was civilized. Still difficult and…
Read MoreI did a backbend. Now I can do anything.
I did the impossible this week. I did a backbend. Maybe you know me well and agree that this is impossible to imagine. Or perhaps you don’t know me as well and think that a backbend hardly constitutes a significant achievement. Either way, it was a moment I’ll never forget, and it’s no exaggeration to…
Read MorePain and fear and joy all wrapped up in a stone
Here’s a game I used to play as a kid which strikes me as fairly stupid today: My friends and I would gather handfuls of stones, ideally a dozen or more in both hands, and stand back-to-back-to-back in an open area. A beach was ideal, but a gravel driveway, a lawn or field adjacent to…
Read MoreI don’t see it.
I’m constantly told that Clara is the spitting image of Elysha. I don’t see it. I’ve never seen it. People are always dumbfounded when I say this. But my explanation is simple: When I see my daughter, I see a little girl who loves to read and draw, still calls me “Daddy,” skips joyously across…
Read MoreDon’t be selfish. Tell a story.
I tell people to tell stories a lot. I know. It’s my clarion call. But allow me to say it again. Last Wednesday night, I performed in The Moth GrandSLAM at the Cutler Majestic in Boston. My plan was to take the stage and tell a story that was a lot more humor than heart.…
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