I have been trying to observe my process this month to figure out how poetry happens, but I have to confess that I’m as much in the dark as I ever was—despite having written a poem every day this month. One thing I know about myself as a writer is that I like some constraint.…
I feel like reading shouldn’t be that hard right now. I have time. I have books. I need distraction. I want to learn. But somehow, despite my best intentions every day, I have been struggling to read. I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve read all the explanations–stress, trauma, grief. I understand that, despite…
Remote learning began officially this week for the children of many of my parent friends across the country. And as they report on how it’s going, I can only wonder: what are we doing? So many children in tears. So many parents in tears! Fifth graders who have to access six different online platforms to…
It’s the last day of what has surely been the longest March in human history–or at least the longest March in my own history. I began the month with a half-hearted commitment to slicing, coming back more for the community than the writing, and I end the month, grateful for the writing and even more…
As we shift to remote learning for the rest of the semester, I have so many questions about what that should mean for student teaching and learning in the middle of a global pandemic. What does the best teaching and learning look like when we are doing this work remotely, without the spaces and presence…
For me, as for many teachers, this has been the week of Zoom. It was a tool I used sparingly before. But now, suddenly, it’s the cornerstone of my work life. I have had dozens of Zoom meetings, webinars, get-togethers, and conferences this week. By Friday, it felt like I no longer teach: I Zoom.…
observe. rage. grieve. despair. observe. disbelieve. renounce. despond. observe. shock. refuse. withdraw. observe. minimize. trivialize. ignore. observe. justify. believe. embrace. observe. interrupt. repudiate. ostracize. observe. silence. repress. sicken. observe. examine. understand. transform. observe. believe. organize. act. I came to write my Slice this morning after reading some news on Twitter. I had an idea to…
Anne Bogel’s What Should I Read Next is my comfort podcast. For two years now, I’ve had my Tuesday morning routine set: wake up and get ready for work; download the new episode; and enjoy an hour of peaceful book talk on my drive to work. Guests share three books they love, one book that…
When you search for images of comfort reads, there are books, yes, but there are also beds and duvets and cozy blankets, coffee and tea and pillows, cats and bathrobes and slippers. There is a certain kind of novel that appears on lists of recommended comfort reads as well. And it is almost always a…
Usually, I wake up early and drive sixty miles across the dark prairie for an hour of writing time at the coffee shop. My weekday morning slices are always written there during March. Music I don’t always like blares through the speakers. Sometimes I have to ask them to turn it down because I’m one…
