For the past month, I've had blue hair. And I've loved every minute of it Growing up, we weren't allowed to dye our hair. And after I was an adult, I've always had a job that didn't allow me to have crazy-colored hair. Even in the summers, when teachers allegedly have loads of freedom. (I'll … Continue reading You Can Always Trust Someone with Blue Hair
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Cool June Morning Musings
It's a cool and breezy morning as I sit to write this post. The temperature has been in the low- to mid-90's this week, so sitting outside has not been on the top of my to-do list. But for whatever blessed reason, today it's in the mid-80's and breezy And I'll take that any day. … Continue reading Cool June Morning Musings
Big Thoughts in a Small Town
This past weekend, I played a concert in El Dorado, Arkansas. It's one of my favorite symphonies to perform in. The town is charming, the symphony is talented, and the coffee shop is adorable. There's even an independent bookstore. Seriously, what more could a guy like me want in life? Saturday morning, I woke up … Continue reading Big Thoughts in a Small Town
What I’m Reading Next
The school year is wrapping up and I'm finally reclaiming my time to read as voraciously as I want to. While most of my colleagues are planning their vacations or how they'll spend time with family, or what shows they're going to binge on Netflix, I've been working on my list of summer reads. To … Continue reading What I’m Reading Next
Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Inspired Broadway Musicals
This morning, my day started with my mom tagging me in a post on Facebook about auditioning for The Music Man. When I was in the second grade, I was cast as Winthrop in a local high school's production. Since then, it has been something special between us. She was with me at every rehearsal and … Continue reading Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Inspired Broadway Musicals
Pablo Neruda – A Master of Love
In continuing my observance of National Poetry Month, I revisited some of my favorite poems by Neruda. He was a master of the love poem. I'd have fallen in love with Neruda if he'd written these poems to me. Guaranteed. Neruda's poems are beautiful in translation, but they're so much better in the original Spanish. I don't … Continue reading Pablo Neruda – A Master of Love
Top Ten Tuesday – Books Set in New York City
Another Tuesday, another Top Ten. Today, I am dreaming (as I often do) about New York City and my imaginary life there. Years ago, before I settled into teaching in small-town Louisiana and longed for something more exciting that a mid-afternoon nap, I dreamt of moving to New York City and making my mark. I … Continue reading Top Ten Tuesday – Books Set in New York City
A Very Restless Plucky
It's testing week! It's testing week! And you know what that means! Actually, if you're not a teacher, you probably have no idea. So I'll break it down for you in a way that hopefully doesn't sound like complaining. It means a week of getting to school earlier than usual to sit in a room … Continue reading A Very Restless Plucky
Review – Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
Today, I am sitting in a lovely little coffeeshop between a rehearsal and a performance. I think I have spent more time, collectively, in coffee shops than anywhere else in my entire life. And I'm perfectly okay with this fact. Sitting today, I have a little time to reflect the book that I finished yesterday. … Continue reading Review – Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
Top Ten Tuesday: Required Reading
Happy Tuesday! This week (we'll see what happens next week) I'm hopping on the #TopTenTuesday bandwagon. Since I spend my entire life at school, it seems only appropriate to talk about my top ten books on school required reading lists. I've chosen books from all levels of education, elementary school through college. All of these books … Continue reading Top Ten Tuesday: Required Reading