When I was teaching at a charter school in the county jail in San Francisco, I had three white supremacists in my class, big guys, with thick necks, shaved heads and pockmarked faces.
There's so much good stuff here! At the moment I'm chuckling about the inmate in for theft who asked about someone stealing your collection of the students' writing. The assignment you gave him was perfect.
I love that you turned every class into personal narrative. I have to hope that writing does foster our shared humanity.
I'm one of those nice people with anger underneath. It tends to come out in my dreams so violently, it shocks my waking self. It took me years of therapy to find it hiding under a layer of fear. This essay is one of my favorites. I'm going to save it.
Thank you so much, this means a lot to me! I love your work on Substack - your authenticity, creativity and humor, I’m so glad we found each other here!
Great essay Margo. A lot to digest, but I was struck by the "nice people are angry underneath". It's true – sometimes. It's also not true sometimes. The enormous shame is that, with all of the West's wealth and resources, we nevertheless allowed large sections of our society to sink into despair. I don't blame capitalism, but I do blame the lack of regulation of capitalism, which has accelerated out of control.
It sure has, but its foundation is based on exploitation and division to keep a minority wealthy to the socio-economic and political disadvantage of everyone else, albeit to different degrees.
There's so much good stuff here! At the moment I'm chuckling about the inmate in for theft who asked about someone stealing your collection of the students' writing. The assignment you gave him was perfect.
I love that you turned every class into personal narrative. I have to hope that writing does foster our shared humanity.
Thank you, and it being heard. It’s such a shame, to say the least, that so many voices are silenced in our commercial literary world.
Loved reading this Margo. You're a brilliant teacher. Lucky students.
Thank you!
Love this piece!
Thank you!
Oh, Margo, you are such a treasure!
Aw, thank you!
Loved it, Margo! I second every single comment here. Loved the “matter poem” excerpt. Brilliant writer you are!
Thank you!
Really enjoyed reading this... so many lessons in so many directions! Bridges to each other no doubt form a flower of life.
A flower … lovely!
Beautiful 😍 and touching. The power that writing can have - to build bridges indeed!!
Often writing teachers such as yourself are better than therapists. You allowed these people to dig deep and accept themselves and others.
Thank you!
I'm one of those nice people with anger underneath. It tends to come out in my dreams so violently, it shocks my waking self. It took me years of therapy to find it hiding under a layer of fear. This essay is one of my favorites. I'm going to save it.
Thank you so much, this means a lot to me! I love your work on Substack - your authenticity, creativity and humor, I’m so glad we found each other here!
Ditto, m'lady.
Great essay Margo. A lot to digest, but I was struck by the "nice people are angry underneath". It's true – sometimes. It's also not true sometimes. The enormous shame is that, with all of the West's wealth and resources, we nevertheless allowed large sections of our society to sink into despair. I don't blame capitalism, but I do blame the lack of regulation of capitalism, which has accelerated out of control.
It sure has, but its foundation is based on exploitation and division to keep a minority wealthy to the socio-economic and political disadvantage of everyone else, albeit to different degrees.
Careful now, Margo, or they're going to call you a Socialist. Fine by me, I'm one. ;-)
🤣😂
I agree. Capitalism should work for us, not the other way round.
Not sure it can :(