Granville teachers read from the writer’s stories, as did I.

April 1, 2008 – We wrapped up the regular meeting of the Granville, N.Y., High School Writers Project, hard at work on “Tales of Granville High.” After the last class Tuesday afternoon, the faculty and parents met in the school library, and the teachers and I read excerpts from the nine stories that will make up the book, to be published in September by Bedlam Farm Books in conjunction with the Troy Bookmakers.
   The writers squirmed a bit at hearing their stories read in front of teachers and parents, but it was a triumphant time for them, I think, as the power and scope of their stories was apparent to everyone in the room. This group really worked on a wide range of stories, from social isolation to abuse to a love of birds and chickens, to the challenges of moving, to the struggle of an artist to connect with other artists in a small town, to  a sci-fi fantasy set in high school, to the nature of real life in Granville, N.Y.
  It has been great working with these people, and I am quite proud of them. Publishing this book will be pure joy, and I told them and their parents that each of these stories is a signal to the world that their lives and experiences are important, and their stories worth telling.
  We will meet again to plan the interior of the book and map out photos and illustrations. Looks like I might be teaching the class again next year. I hope the school has more writers like this. Izzy and Lenore were in attendance, of course, as official class writing dogs.
  This was nothing but a gift to me, in every possible way. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to meet these writers, whose stories I will be following for years.

The Granville, N.Y. High School Writers. They delivered.