Some poems capture my attention because they have the twin virtues of being grounded in historical reality and yet reach for and succeed in suggesting a grander and future vision. This poem is about the arrival of the first Europeans in New Zealand. It’s about a bloody encounter and the clash of cultures. It’s a poem of heroic celebration but without…
The Letter from Birmingham Jail One of the most resounding rebukes in history. And as you read you can hear the cadence of the voice rising and falling with indignation and righteousness. It’s a long letter. Never before have I written so long a letter. I’m afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure…
I’ve been researching grit – the way one does on a snowy day. In the process I discovered an Australian newspaper archive with tens of thousand of instructive stories about grit and who has it. It seems grit frenzy has been with us for a while and this latest round in grit mania in education is just the latest version.…