IRISH MIX
My daughter is interested in our Irish American heritage. My family is only a few generations off the boat (example: They played “Danny Boy” at my great uncle’s funeral). Kennedy asks a lot of...
View ArticlePOST-TORNADO POST
Yesterday, the weather got interesting (also here). The tornado sirens blasted while I was in the middle of my turkey sandwich. As part of our “extreme weather” procedures, my Creative Writing class...
View ArticleONLY SIX MORE WEEKS
As we approach summer, it’s hard for students and teachers to focus. We’re all getting restless. With the innumerable state tests, administrative paperwork, and service hours that need to be handled in...
View ArticleI MIGHT MISS THEM
In my classroom, we have a little basket. It was put there by the organization Friends of Rachel. My students are supposed to write on yellow strips of paper encouraging words about kind acts done at...
View ArticleMY DAUGHTER, X-MEN FAN
Kennedy has recently announced that she is “obsessed with X-Men.” As a geek/nerd, I’m familiar with obsessions, tracking and analyzing them in the wild. I know the tug of sci-fi stories, the allure of...
View ArticleWE’VE RETURNED
One week on the road: * in Lawrence to visit Astrokitty and eat at Rudy’s Pizzeria * in Iowa for a brief stay at one nasty hotel (and then relocating to a more respectable establishment) * in Madison...
View ArticleTHE OFFICIANT
Yesterday, I officiated my fifth wedding (Steven and Miranda, Wes and Amber, Shafer and Sasha, Wim and Brenda, now Willis and Elida). The wedding was at the Belmont Hotel. It was a beautiful day with...
View ArticleArticle 2
“It wasn’t until I started reading and found books they wouldn’t let us read in school that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good life without being like everybody else.” ― John...
View ArticleGOODBYE YEAR OF THE DRAGON. HELLO SNAKE.
2012 was different. Not bad, just different. After twelve years of teaching in the classroom, I left to become a full-time writer. There were a lot of mixed emotions involved in that process–fear,...
View ArticleMY HOMETOWN
Facebook played a dirty trick on me. Facebook removed my “Married to April Hopkins” distinction from the front page of my profile. This may not seem like a huge deal–but darn it, I work hard to be a...
View ArticleREGARDING DANIELLE PIO
I got your letter in my P.O. box. I’m sorry I haven’t responded sooner. A few years ago, someone contacted Melissa, providing a more detailed account of what happened. While it’s impossible to know all...
View ArticleSORTING THROUGH THE PHOTO BOX
Last Saturday, April was livid. Her outdated iPhone had failed her one too many times. The chief complaint was that it would not notify her when a call was coming. And what is an iPhone without the...
View Article10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I TURN 38, JUST 10
April has a list she does every year near her birthday. While I commend her for wanting to do “33 Things” before she turns 32, I’m turning 38 next year — and “39 things” is a lot of things, even if...
View ArticleA SIMPLE EMAIL TO MY COWORKERS
SUBJECT: The box says “World’s Finest,” and I have no reason to doubt. A general address to the faithful workers contained within this creative space for the specific purpose of parting from you your...
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