Archive for October 2023

Scholastic announced that its elementary-school book fairs will now have a separate section for titles that deal with race, gender, and sexuality — a response to dozens of state laws that restrict how those subjects are discussed in schools. This will allow schools to include — or exclude — these books from their school book…

Ever since the school year began in late August, I have spent most of my mornings playing golf before heading off to work. I’m lucky enough to have an executive course about five minutes from my school, where I can play nine holes in about an hour if I move quickly and keep most of…

In a recent interview, I was asked, “If you could choose anyone to teach your own children, what kind of person would you want?” I love questions I have never been asked before. Even so, my answer was almost instantaneous: Give me a teacher who didn’t start out as a teacher. Give me a teacher…

I adore group descriptors — a murder of crows, a pride of lions, a crash of rhinos. I’ve also proposed a few of my own, including: A gamble of poker players A concern of mothers A fumble of left-handers A fistful of bullies An argument of attorneys A frustration of golfers I love them all,…

A friend of mine introduced me to a new word today: Sprezzatura I explained to her how I have always treated my post-high school education like a competition—all my classmates versus me in a battle to determine who was best. Receiving an exceptional grade was great, but knowing I was on top was even better.…

I’m a big fan of saying yes. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, as odd, frightening, or difficult as it may seem, say yes. Walk through that door without hesitation. A yes can eventually become a no if what you find behind that door isn’t for you, but we must constantly seek to expand and grow…

My daughter reads more often than any person I have ever known. It’s astounding. Imagine someone reading as much as you could possibly imagine. Clara reads more than that. I promise you. She likes to credit her love for reading to me and Elysha, who read to her every night of her life for the…

Behold! The Taiwanese cover for “Twenty-one Truths About Love.” Similar in style and imagery to the US edition, but it’s always interesting to see how a publisher a world away interprets my work. Sometimes I like the US cover better, and sometimes, I like the cover of an international version much better. In this case,…

I met someone earlier this year who does not know how to drive or swim. “I live in New York City,” she said. “I don’t need to do either.” She is free to live her life in any way she sees fit, but I am of the opinion that regardless of your geographic position, you…

Students don’t need a perfect teacher. They need a happy teacher who’s going to make them excited to come to school and grow a love for learning. – Richard Feynman I could not agree more. Every year, content becomes less and less important as its availability becomes increasingly ubiquitous. When human beings have the tools…