Monthly Archives: May 2015

“A good book . . . leaves you wanting to reread the book. A great book compels you to reread your own soul.”

If you agree that a great book does compel you to reread your own soul, you will find yourself contemplating the capabilities of the human spirit after finishing The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. What astonished … Continue reading

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“Let them discover.”

When I started teaching  years ago, my job was to give information to students, and their job was to pay attention. I don’t see it this way anymore. Instead, I embrace an approach called learner-centered teaching. Maryellen Weimer, arguably the … Continue reading

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“One of the saddest sentences I know is ‘I wish I had asked my mother about that.'”

William Zinsser, a writer’s writer if there ever was one, died this week. I wonder how many of the authors whose books are featured in this blog have read or taught from On Writing Well. I agree with the editors … Continue reading

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“…her relationship with him was like being content in a house but always sitting by the window and looking out.”

One of the many remarkable attributes of Chimanda Ngozi Adichie‘s dazzling novel Americanah is her ability to capture a complex condition, situation, or decision in just a few precise words. She describes the central character’s loneliness this way “… she … Continue reading

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