An Exceedingly Honest, Slightly Unprofessional Cover/Love Letter to MyselfI’ve been too weird for every job I’ve ever had.Jan 15Jan 15
The Book World Often Breaks My Heart, and the Books Stitch it Back Together.I work in publishing as an editor, and I also write books and I also read lots of books. In metaphorical terms, I enjoy a well-made…Dec 31, 2024Dec 31, 2024
My Resistance SyllabusHere’s three books I’m reading this week that I’ve found awfully helpful in understanding how we got here and what the work ahead could be…Nov 10, 2024Nov 10, 2024
Nex, the Nex in my home, the Nex in Every Classroom, Deserves Life.There’s a lot we don’t know about Nex, the non-binary child who was killed in an Oklahoma school on February 8th. We know Nex was beaten in…Feb 20, 20241Feb 20, 20241
My Favorite Things (and not things) this YearBefore I share my favorite things this year, I want to share a piece of one of my favorite things ever, which is John Hodgman’s speech at a…Dec 27, 2023Dec 27, 2023
Teacher on the SidewalkI dropped my kid off late today and saw an upset student come out of the school followed by a teacher trying to talk to him. By the time I…Dec 6, 2023Dec 6, 2023
This Year, Give Teachers What They Really Need: A Freaking Break.School years are starting around the country. How do I know? I’ve been witnessing the two defining seasonal phenomena:Aug 18, 202315Aug 18, 202315
Bad Math: How Many Rhymes is That? Quantifying the claims of rapper’s with “more rhymes than __”Claim: I’ve got more rhymes than the Bible has PsalmsJun 5, 2023Jun 5, 2023
There is Room to be Hopeful in the Space Between Teachers and Students.Can I ask you to do something today? Can you ask three people who their favorite teacher was? Can you ask them what that teacher did for…Apr 30, 20231Apr 30, 20231
What I Learned Looking for my First Post-Teaching Job.In my first few years of teaching I kept a word document of other jobs I could do. In those years of profound stress and struggle, I needed…Nov 17, 20221Nov 17, 20221
Leaving Teaching Was Hard, but Not as Hard as Staying.I said goodbye to my students forever, again. I’ve been doing so four or five times a week for the last few months as my decision to stop…Oct 30, 202212Oct 30, 202212
To My Trump-Flag-Flying Neighbor Who Thinks Teachers are the Enemy: You’re Being Lied to. Again.I drive my kid to school every morning. We pass a house that has, for years, flown various political flags. The red MAGA standard gave way…May 5, 2022May 5, 2022
Lessons I’ve Learned Raising my Non-Binary KidSince releasing Raising Ollie, I’ve gotten many messages and emails from adults looking for advice on how best to support the young people…Jan 23, 2022Jan 23, 2022
Published inHuman PartsI’m a Teacher and I Feel Like I’m Failing My StudentsI’m giving them everything I have, but it doesn’t feel like what they need most right nowNov 6, 202120Nov 6, 202120
This Year is Better, Why Aren’t I?The 8th graders in front of me, the names I’m trying desperately to attach to a few inches of visible face, have not opened lockers since…Oct 1, 20216Oct 1, 20216
The Many Stories Of Olive (excerpt from Introduction to ‘Raising Ollie’)The following is excerpted from Raising Ollie: How My Nonbinary Art-Nerd Kid Changed (Nearly) Everything I Know. Forthcoming from the…Sep 12, 2021Sep 12, 2021
What They Say About MeMy summer didn’t start great, if I’m honest, and I’m going to try my best to be honest.Aug 14, 2021Aug 14, 2021