When it feels as though the sky is falling, and I know my two hands are not enough to catch, lift, hold the whole thing up, I am tempted to throw my hands up in the air—so sometimes I read this poem and ask myself, well, what little bird can I lift today? If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain. -Emily Dickinson And one day, a

“Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago. I imagine by now it's quite rusty.” ― Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth When MFA students visit my advisor office hours at The New School, it’s often to ask for advice on a decision such as whether or not they should take this or that publishing internship, quit the full time job that has nothing to do with writing but pays the bil

A tennis court filling up with snow. A playground catching flakes on its silver-slide tongue. Trees standing stubbornly without coats, gleefully spreading gloveless fingers into the wind. These are some of the snapshots I took in with my window-camera as I sat curled under a blanket on my gray coach, during the blizzard last weekend. I was grateful to be snowbound. I had writing to do, a class to prepare for, and piles of other assorted get-to-do's. But there was a snowflake

I enjoyed this recent article from School Library Journal about teachers using picture books with middle and high-school students to support English language learners, as companions to the classics, and to create a community of readers. I've always thought (biased as I may be!) that picture books are also a great way to support social emotional skill building for older students. Older students can be asked to read and consider the emotional themes of a picture book and share