Thanks

As I'm writing this, my final post, the Miami Heat are playing the Indiana Pacers in a pivotal game four. I don't know how I arrived at this point--preferring a blank page to the pinnacle of my sporting calender¹--but apparently after nine months, I'm still in the honeymoon phase of writing.

I'm happy to report that I have met my reading goals for this project. I finished all 25 books plus three extra credit, “Above and Beyond” books (see my reading chart to the right). I enjoyed the variety of books/authors that I never would have chosen for myself-- Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and most of my biographies (never been a huge biography fan). More than anything though, I enjoyed modeling a love of reading for my students. I loved how they quizzed me after each book, just as I quizzed them. Now that I know that 25 books in 9 months is doable (if you are wise about the length of your books), I definitely would take on the challenge again.

I couldn't wrap things up without thanking a few people, the first of which is my wonderful wife. You should probably thank her as well, for she willingly edited every blog, helped organize my jumbled thoughts and corrected my third grade punctuation. She was a valuable editor and my biggest encourager. Thank you, my love.

I also wanted to thank my friends Kevin and Mary. Kevin and Mary are both gifted and committed writers who have given me a wonderful combination of affirmation and criticism. The three of us started a monthly writing group--we share pieces and give each other feedback. There is also the consumption of tasty beer, merriment and the sound of iron, sharpening iron. I look forward to our next meeting the moment I walk out the door from our last. Lucky for you, they also sifted through my grammar and punctuation deficiencies. If there was ever a blog that seemed especially tight and free of errors, it had most likely gone through my wife, and then Kevin and Mary. Thank you guys for your friendship and expertise.

Finally I'd like to thank all of you for reading. So many of you wrote thoughtful, sweet comments and emails. I loved hearing your thoughts and was humbled that a few pieces were meaningful to you. Special thanks to Micah, Nick, my aunt Myra, my sister, my favorite northwest cousin, my favorite south pacific cousin, Sue M., Shirley, Dr. John E., McNizzle, my old “boss” and any other regular readers that I did not have a chance to dialogue with. Thanks for being in it to win it. Your journey with me meant more than you know.

It's rare to completely enjoy a season of life and yet be excited for its ending, but that is were I find myself. There are other things that I am excited to write and other commitments I have in store for next year outside of teaching and reading. These nine months have truly been a gift from the Lord, the best of which was connecting with all of you.

Thanks again.

Have a great summer and above all, happy reading!

-td

1. March Madness is no longer considered a sports calender “pinnacle.” It's more along the lines of “annual punch in the stomach” or “seasonal depression.” Thus is the life of a Mizzou basketball fan...

Nelly and the Hunger Games

*Spoiler Alert* Do not read the bold portion of the following post if you are planning on reading the Hunger Games!

*Secondary Alert* My wife doesn't want the Hunger Games spoiled and therefore could not edit this post. You WILL be able to tell a difference.

Leaving school one day I was captured by the smooth sounds and lyrical complexity of Nelly's, “Must be da Money.” It seems Nelly and I have a lot in common.  I too prefer an all wood interior in my Range Rover, as well as paying cash, flying first class, and sitting next to Vanna White.  My Pontiac Vibe speakers pumped it out for the fine city of El Dorado, Kansas to enjoy.

Things got interesting when I pulled up to a stop light, and several of my students were in the car next to mine. It all happened so fast. There was a split second where I could have killed the volume, but I froze. I could have turned my head and looked the other way (the whole 'If I can't see them they can't see me' logic) but instead, for some unfathomable reason, I looked them square in the eyes and again, froze.

“You are a TEACHER!” were the only words I heard.

It was half question, half accusation. The light turned green and I jumped off the line as only a Pontiac Vibe 4 cylinder can. I talked to myself the whole way home trying to convince myself that it never happened. Looking back the only reasonable response was to hold their stare, not say a word, and turn the volume up. Maybe show them a couple of my best car dance moves. Anything else is just running scared, and I ran scared that day, my friends. But luckily, I'm smarter now. Due to a wealth of experience, I can handle a Nellie/middle schooler collision with ease.

To a slightly lesser extent, this is how my students have responded to my reading the Hunger Games. “Mr. Daniel, you are reading the Hunger Games? You are a teacher!” they say with a smile. I stare them right in the eye and say, “Yes, and I'm loving every page. I read on my lunch breaks, late into the night, and once had to talk myself out of reading while driving. Have you read them yet?” It's now cool to read the Hunger Games. They fight over our classroom copies.

I was reluctant to begin the series because, like most people, a death match amongst children doesn't sound like my idea of a good time. But I could no longer ignore the hype and I always want to read the book before I see the movie. They are also a perfect fit for the three book, topical text category on our reading chart this quarter.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I got a little nervous as the, 'angst filled, teenage girl has to decide between two likeable boys who both have a piece of her heart,' theme gathered steam. At one point I remember thinking, “I'm not reading another page until I know for a fact that Peeta is not a Vampire.” I also never leave my place of employment thinking, “How can I get more exposure to emotional, teenage girl drama? I'm really interested in that sort of thing.” It turns out that Suzanne Collins is smart and utilized the literary technique of “death matches” to distract her male readers from all the angst and discussion of feelings.

Speaking of death matches, when Katniss was raised to the arena, it would have taken a smart swing from a baseball bat for me to stop reading. It was the most gripping few chapters I have read since the The Half Blood Prince or The Deathly Hallows. You simply are not putting that book down once you reach that point. I haven't met anyone who has taken longer than a week to finish the first book. The writing is not horrible either. Powerful similes stay with me and I still remember Katniss' first description of her little sister, “Prim is as innocent as a raindrop.”

I was sad however when Collins sent Katniss back to the Hunger Games in Catching Fire. It felt like she didn't trust herself to go in a completely new creative direction--like she had to recreate the most successful portion of her last book to stay afloat. I would have loved to see her be bold and head in a completely new direction. And though she didn't send her back to the games in the third book, she couldn't resist the urge to frame the final battle as 'Katniss' final Trip to the Hunger Games.' She is a gifted writer, she didn't need to rest on the success of her first book.

While the second book was a let down the third book finished strong. It was creative--I loved how Peeta was programmed by the capital to kill Katniss. For those of us who were becoming annoyed at Katniss' antics, it provided a character we could strangely relate to. The ending was wonderfully bitter sweet. Choosing Peeta over Gale was well grounded in the truth of the story. Gale called it when he said, “She'll choose who best meets her needs.” By the end, that didn't feel selfish either. It seemed like she deserved to make her decision that way after all she had been through. It's a hard thing to build emotional attachment in a thriller. With a few bumps along the way, Collin's pulled it off.

I had a similar journey as most HG readers; loved the first book, felt like Catching Fire fell flat, and was really surprised at how attached I had become to Katniss by the end of Mockingjay. Overall, it was a great read, and I would highly recommend it for a fun, somewhat mindless, summer read. I would only encourage you to learn from my mistakes involving Nelly and middle schoolers. In the moment I froze and the horrifying seconds after I drove away, I completely lost the enjoyment of what we all know to be a great song. Whether it be Nelly, Twilight, or Harry Potter, just embrace it and turn up the volume. Look people square in the eye when they ask what you are reading. Read HG in plain view during your lunch break at work. Read it with a bow and arrow strapped to your back while making guttural war cries. Do all these things in the English department of your snobbiest local university. Embrace your inner Nelly and Katniss. For as with many things in life--to fully embrace, is to fully enjoy.

Happy reading!

-td