A few days ago, I did not personally know a single person with a confirmed case of COVID19. Now I know a half-dozen people, all over the country. And we are still in the early stages of this. Yesterday the government reversed its earlier advice, recommending that we wear face masks in public (just theContinue reading “Fasten Your Seatbelts; It’s Going To Be a Bumpy Time”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
And Just Like That, High School Is Over
The governor of Virginia announced today that state K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year. I don’t fault him for making the decision. Our schools were already closed through the end of spring break in mid-April, but anyone who thinks this global coronavirus pandemic will be over by then is, well,Continue reading “And Just Like That, High School Is Over”
March 19 Writer Birthdays
1084 – Li Qingzhao, Chinese writer, poet, essayist, artist, and lyricist; she is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. 1721 – Tobias Smollett, Scottish poet and author best known for his picaresque novels and for his work’s influence on Charles Dickens. 1821 – Sir Richard Francis Burton, British explorer, translator, and travelContinue reading “March 19 Writer Birthdays”
March 6 Writer Birthdays
1483 – Francesco Guicciardini, Italian writer, historian, politician, diplomat, and philosopher. 1486 – Francysk Skaryna (or Francisk Skorina), Belarusian humanist, physician, and translator who was one of the first book printers in Eastern Europe, laying the groundwork for the development of the Belarusian language. 1619 – Cyrano de Bergerac, Pen name of Hercule-Savinein de Cyrano deContinue reading “March 6 Writer Birthdays”
March 4 Writer Birthdays
1856 – Toru Dutt, Indian Bengali poet and translator who wrote in English and French. 1881 – T.S. Stribling, Pulitzer Prize-winning American lawyer, short-story writer, novelist, and journalist who wrote about the American South. 1906 – Meindert DeJong, Dutch-American author of children’s books who won multiple Newbery Medals. 1914 – Barbara Newhall Follett, American childContinue reading “March 4 Writer Birthdays”
Month of Letters, Day 8 (and Day 9)
On Saturday, February 8, I mailed just one letter for the LetterMo (Month of Letters) challenge. This one was a letter sent to another LetterMo participant, this one in Pennsylvania. I was traveling (on yet another college visit) and sent it from a hotel mailbox in Harrisonburg, Virginia. No breathtaking scenes, clever pictures, or quirkyContinue reading “Month of Letters, Day 8 (and Day 9)”
College Craziness, Boston-Style
Last weekend we took a quick road trip to Boston for yet another college visit. Jon Morgan made the first cut at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and was invited up for an interview and portfolio review. He’s applying as a Composition major, not a Performance major, so he did not have to audition on pianoContinue reading “College Craziness, Boston-Style”
February 3 Writer Birthdays
1612 – Samuel Butler, English poet and satirist. 1763 – Caroline von Wolzogen (born Caroline von Lengefeld), German novelist and biographer of Friedrich Schiller, her brother-in-law. 1811 – Horace Greeley, influencial American editor who founded the New York Tribune. 1826 – Walter Bagehot, English economist and journalist whose father-in-law was the founder of the Economist,Continue reading “February 3 Writer Birthdays”
January 31 Writer Birthdays
1624 – Arnold Geulincx, controversial Belgian author and philosopher who tried to work out more detailed versions of a generally Cartesian philosophy. 1735 – J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur (born Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur), French-American essayist famous for his book Letters from an American Farmer, which drew on his experience farming in OrangeContinue reading “January 31 Writer Birthdays”
D.O.E. Applauds Student Reflections Heroes
The U.S. Department of Education celebrated the national winners of the 2018-19 PTA Reflections contest earlier this month with a recognition event, art show, and student performances at the D.O.E.’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. With seven National winners in our Northern Virginia District, we felt well-represented by our talented kids! Entrants could use any ofContinue reading “D.O.E. Applauds Student Reflections Heroes”
