That Was Fun & It Made Me Proud to See Three of My Students Able to Share Their Brilliance on a National Stage #YASUMMIT2026

I didn't know what to expect while presenting via the online YA Summit conference, as our team never had a chance to practice or plan. Dr. Susan James of University of Western Florida pitched a plan and we followed that. She introduced me, I introduced the students. It really was a remarkable celebration (Brown School influence) of what might occur when you trust students to be brilliant and you give them choice to explore what interests them. 

Midway through the semester as we were working through themes of young adult literature (for the most part, I run the class like a library with choice texts), I have students pitch ideas to showcase what they are interested in doing. I didn't anticipate three digital projects that ran in very cool directions. As they began to share drafts with me I was like, "Wow. I feel like I'm back working with my students at the Brown again." There was so much creativity, mental muscle, and purpose behind these projects and I love that they ran with their own thinking (and selection of books). 

I made the above flyer to contain and constrain Susan and me, because we can go on for hours. I know I wanted to highlight a critical friendship, the National Writing Project, our meeting at the YA Summit, and the use of Padlet. The rest was on the Fairfield University students: Ava Hricko, Emmi Lawson, and Kathleen Morris (there projects can be found here). As you scroll, you'll see Ava created a website, Emmi worked on a teacher source, and Kathleen made a multimodal poster for discuss female strength. 

I'm still applauding their brilliance and the warm reception they received by all in attendance. There are times when you feel really good about the work we do. This was one of them. 

Made with

Thrilled to Be Part of the 2026 YA Literature Summit #YASUMMIT2026 and to Have Opportunity to Learn from Brilliant Educators with a Passion for What Kids Read

I'm ending a frantic week (frantic, because of snow days) with two-days of the collaborative online conference, the YA Literature Summit. I was lucky to be part of the beginning with Dr. Steven Bickmore many moons ago at Louisiana State University. I attended two years of the conference as a siesta from my National Writing Project/University Professor work - a vacation of sorts. This, however, turned into a trajectory of how YA Literature can be a catalyst for incredible student writing. Hence, my career since. 

It was wonderful to hear E. Lockhart speak again (with apologies for putting a question into the chat - which was out of humor). I also enjoyed hearing from Sophia Sargiandies's team and their deep dive in class issues...an area that has always been in the back of my mind (from Shaw's Pygmalion, to Hinton's The Outsiders, to Gartreaus' Welding with Children, to what I see and experience each and every day).

My student team - three dynamic young woman who blew my mind with their end-of-the-semester projects last Fall - are on deck for 9 a.m. this morning. It is always wonderful to highlight the next generation of teacher-leaders who will step out of their pedagogical role to show themselves as research-practitioners. 

Next week is the last week before Spring Break. I am very ready for the break and want to wrap up the crazy of what has already happened this semester to be packaged at the side for a while. I am thrilled, though, to be THANKING GOD IT IS FRIDAY in the company of so many brilliant people. I'm looking at the piles of YA texts all over my house and noting, "Yup...these are my kind of people."

11 Years of Waking Up on Mt. Pleasant Occurred this Morning. Hard to Believe so Much Life Happened so Quickly.

It popped up that today is the anniversary of moving into a new home. The paper work was signed on the 24th, and Chitunga and I woke up in our individual rooms, mattresses on the floor, to an otherwise empty home. It was all stored in the garage (thanks to Leo, too). I remember that we also brought an amaryllis into the house and it bloomed two big flowers overnight...a sign that we made the right decision (besides the short cuts we found over the years from the agency that 'flipped' the space). I used to run by this house every day and when I started looking and it was up for sale, I knew it was the location that would work. 

The home has now seen the fur of Glamis and Karalynne on every floorboard, endured indoor soccer and football with Chitunga, Abu, Lossine, Kanyea, and Edem, and hosted many a party, with total joy on the back porch with the grill (and space for kids to run). 

Corn hole. Volleyball. Basketball. Bocce ball. The garage hosts all the tradition of yesteryear. 

Funny to look at this photo now and realize every single one of those cabinets were empty. 

I look around and see every crevice filled with something, adjustments to the spaces that we made our own, and the quiet that has more recently arrived with less activity. 

I've loved the openness of light in the home, the great hardwood floors, and the neighborhood: sidewalks, a downtown square, diverse neighbors, and beautiful trees. 

We got lucky, even with the giant Connecticut potatoes (rocks) that decorate both the front and back yards. 

And I'm by the Sound, which I love. The water. The reminder that a much larger world is out there, but the reminder of the sea is a few minutes away. 

Happy Anniversary to the home that has been built. I am amazed by how fast time flies.

A Moose, A Frog, and a Unicorn Walk Into a Bar...well, They Walk Into a Script Exercise in an Undergraduate Shakespeare Course the Day After a Snow Cyclone

The show must go on. Jill Bodach scheduled me to do a writing workshop with 24 undergraduates earlier this semester but the crazy colds going around called for rescheduling. Of course, a snow cyclone also impeded us, but classes were still held at Fairfield University so I was able to do the script-writing exercise with the students to make connections with the playwriting of William Shakespeare, and the agentive practice of being writers themselves.

I'm strategic and asked for the names of the students who would most likely be comfortable dressing up and acting a fool. The plot was whether or not it was appropriate for a Shakespeare instructor to kiss a Frog to turn him into a Prince. Of course, tights and cod-pieces also brought about laughter. 

It's one of my favorite workshops to give and I've yet to see it fail, as I write the entire class into a script so the students only have to participate to get the content. 

Needless to say, I was on campus early yesterday for meetings (ZOOM) to be followed by the class, to be followed to a trip home to walk the dog, to be followed by a turbo section of undergraduate and graduate students at night. I survived, and with more snow this morning, accompanied with delays and cancellation, I know longer have to spend the next two days in schools. I'm free to work on a faculty search, instead. 

I try hard not to lose sleep and to get the stress off my plate so I can rest, but some days and nights are harder than others. Spring Break arrives after next week. I cannot wait. I need a separation from working needing to be done (knowing I need those days to actually get the work done....WITHOUT MEETINGS). 

Happy Wednesday, World. For those of you fasting, hang in there. For those of you praying, I am with you, too. We all deserve so much better. 

Well, It's a Good Thing I Was Raised in Syracuse and Have CNY Blood. One Snow Cyclone is Simply a Night of Lake Effect Snow (Just Rare in these Parts)

I was a good boy. I got up and simply filmed my evening class asynchronously before I bundled up and tackled the insanity outside. It was wet and heavy and the snow drifts were extreme. I have a routine and was thankful that much of the back porch goop blew off the back porch. The front was a different story and a million shout outs to Paul, who allows another neighbor to use his blower. That neighbor bailed me out of the heaviest stuff caused by the plows at the end of the driveway.

In 3 hours, the 16 or so inches that fell was cleared so that this morning I could go to campus. Although all the local schools are closed (including Prep which shares our campus), the University is open and ready to go. I have meetings and I'm teaching a class at noon. I will go in, but am debating the evening class, because I have in-service teachers who got a snow day. I'm unsure I want to make them travel to campus. It might be smarter simply to have them work from home on what the evening objectives shall be. 

I also cooked an Indian dish with peppers, chicken, and mushrooms and overate (while sweating, because I used lots of spices). It was delicious and I'm happy I have food for the days ahead. Also laundry is caught up, although not put away yet...I'll get to that eventually.

It's also supposed to snow again tonight, so I'm curious as to what will happen with the PD in Redding on Wednesday. 1 to 3 inches on top of the crazy we already have can make for an interesting school week. I already lost time with Darien (no one should schedule anything in February). 

I'm also hoping this is the last MAJOR snow event of the season. I now know what it feels like to shovel in these adult bones. I've succeeded twice and am thankful to hot showers afterwards. 

The Cancellations Began at 11 a.m. Before the Snow, so There Was a Time for a Pink Pam-ther and a Few Rounds of Rummikub

The best news of the day is I didn't adventure to campus to finish preparation for PD in Darien with middle and secondary teachers in literacy. Yes, everything but the copies were completed, but with a call to say "NOPE," I'm glad I didn't bother to continue. All the meetings, the time spent last weekend to be prepared, and all the arrangements are a no-go...and they have no other space this semester for such PD, so it is a wash. I am not bothered. I would rather be warm and safe. 

As for my graduate course, another Monday cancelled, I don't feel comfortable calling it off because Spring Break is around the corner, so I'm hoping to get a 1 hour video together to help them be ready for next Monday. And for all the other shenanigans required this week, we shall see. The outside candidate, as of yet, cannot get a flight to CT, and with more snow predicted later this week, only time will tell. I'm not very optimistic. I'm just hoping I can keep my head on straight to make it make as much sense as humanly possible. It's a lot to juggle the insanity, but it is what educators do. 

Pam made me lunch and followed with a Pink Pamther cocktail...some sort of vodka, cranberry, ginger ale drink, and we played several rounds of Rummikub...she won 2 of the 3 and the dogs got to tire one another out. 

I got home around 5:30 and it was light snow. By 7 p.m. the icky was getting sticky and I could tell it was going to be quite a night...the heaviest coming in between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.. I'm waking to the exhaustion of removing it, but because it's not stopping until 6 p.m., I'm unsure how much I want to remove today. Daylight is likely not going to be the best time, so I await decisions for on-campus 10 a.m. meetings to figure out a game plan for all of it. I can't get out of the house if I can't find time to shovel. 

Oh, Maude...you're making us feel like Syracuse down here. All joy, always. We've had a respite from winter for a few years, but Mother Nature is getting her payback now. 

My brain is scrambled. It is what it is. Phew.

Stay under the blankets.

And So We Wait. The Predictions are Pretty Wild, and the Cancellations Will Begin Soon (But I'm Ready for them Now)

I needed milk. 20 minutes to find a parking space. 60 minutes to check out. The CT Blizzard panic began early. For me, I just want to know it's all cancelled; that way, I can work with this Sunday very differently. I have a PD in Darien and a late night class, but if they are canceled, I can operate totally different today. I planned on being on campus to get the prep work done, but I don't want to prepare any more than I already have if there isn't going to be an audience for the work.

I realized yesterday I am totally exhausted. My brain isn't working, I don't want to be on screen, and I most definitely don' want to think, which is tricky because that is how I make a living. Of course, the weather also offsets every part of the week, as Tuesday will be another day and it's a marathon, too...as is Wednesday...Thursday...Friday. A cancellation today means that I can forgive myself and just rest on the couch all day. I also have to think about the great shoveling afterwards. I'm already tired thinking of it. 

All of this is to say that I'm at the edge of WAY TOO MUCH. I know I need to pull back and practice self-care. This time I'm really feeling it.

On a happy, joy joy note, Dr. Boquet invited me, Max, and Nohea over for lunch as Nohea was visiting her brother from Honolulu and wanted to see us all. She, as is normally the case, came with a case of gifts...Hawaiian candies, cards, treats. She really is too much. Her brother, sister, and other friends from Hawaii came later and it was just a total trip of warm happiness on a soon-to-be wintry weekend. I loved every second of it.

So, whatever will be will be today. I'm thinking of Lester Lamanek's SNOW DAY story. I'm hearing from everyone that there doctor's appointments, banks, meetings, etc. have already been cancelled. I just need them to cancel schools now and then, ah....a day to rest. 

Rest. Rest. Rest.