There goes some of me again!

First appeared on Uncommon YA on September 30, 2014. I joke that, because Parlato means spoken in Italian, students can count on my ability to talk for eighty minutes without breathing. Of course I attempt to self-edit in class, with moderate success. For instance, did I need to reveal my deep-rooted spiritual connection to deer—or […]

Lions, Tigers, and Bears?

NOPE! More like bullies, giraffes and cats. Oh my! Post first appeared on Uncommon YA, Friday, 4/11/14. A neighborhood stray dies in the street near our house. A giraffe graces the blacktop of our local mall. John R * * * * * * * repeatedly punches my arm in Mr. Whealon’s 11th grade history […]

Meet My Main Characters: The Namesake

MAJOR PLAYERS A poet, artist, and college professor, I wrote The Namesake, one of Merit Press’s debut titles. In one course I teach, Studies in Young Adult Fiction, we discuss key YA elements, including the struggle for autonomy and the search for self, just two factors needed in a living, breathing YA protagonist. Another crucial […]

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