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21 Days on the Road

Wondering where we’re going to go from here.

I returned from Nashville last night about midnight. Quite a trip that was. We setup a mobile cinema in the van last night so the trip didn’t seem nearly as long. Just as you have seen children glued to a movie while the parents roll down the interstate, we were glued to Shakespeare in Love. Only English teachers would want to watch that. It was neat though because there were some neked scenes and people driving by were checking them out. Are ya, are ya, are ya neked?

Nashville turned out to be a successful trip in many ways. Here are a few highlights.

The presentation I gave, along with Roger Caswell and Alan Sitomer, was extremely popular. Our room that was supposed to hold 190 had nearly 300 in it. People filled every seat, lined the isle and even sat and stood behind us. We discussed how teachers can pair contemporary songs with classroom literature. I think people really came for the handout, a list of 500 song –literature connections.

I mentioned the good food before. More of that every day. I hope my jeans fit. I am afraid to try.

Another highlight was meeting and interviewing Robert Lipsyte. This guy is a legend in the field of sportswriting and of young adult fiction writing. Not to mention he is just a damn cool guy to sit and talk to. His latest book called Raiders Night is one that every current or former high school athlete or coach should read. Any high school student would benefit from reading it as would any parent related to those situations. It takes a hard look at the dark sides of jock culture, a look that is long overdue.

Oh yeah, and I got a second job interview from one of the places with whom I talked with in Nashville. Is there bluegrass in my future?

I am thinking this might be one of the best Busters’s’s’s’s ever. Hope to see you there this Saturday.

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