Teach Your Children

plus recommended books by Tania James & Sarah Rose Etter, recommended music by Water From Your Eyes, and a playlist of new music

My bookselling days are coming to an end soon. Starting this fall, I will be teaching. Middle school English in Brooklyn.

To paraphrase Willie Nelson, my heroes have always been teachers.

Some of the instructors who have changed my life over the years:

Mrs. Pickford, who read my fourth-grade story about a boy living in a simulation of actors (and being constantly evaluated for his every action) and told me I should become a writer. The guidance counselor eventually agreed.

Mrs. Litton, who taught me that an essay could be more than the standard five paragraphs my sophomore year in high school. She was also a walking example that beehive hairdos never go out of fashion.

Madge McKeithen, who encouraged me to put more of myself into my writing (and was always precise in her criticism) when I went back to school to finish my undergraduate degree.

Alexandra Kleeman who inspired me to actually start writing a long-envisioned novel as part of her class “Place, Space, and Landscape” in the New School’s MFA program.

Many others have impacted my life in unofficial roles. The writers whose books I have read. Musicians whose music has been inspirational. Friends whose support and love have buoyed me over the years.

I’m looking forward to this next act in my work life, to return to the community some of what I have been given.

This week’s playlist of new music:

This week’s subscriber playlist includes 59 tracks and 3 hours and 31 minutes of new music from Claud, Becca Mancari, Blonde Redhead, Speedy Ortiz, Wye Oak, Sylvan Esso, Joanna Sternberg, and much more.