So, I’m a nerd. I remember trivia. And certain things stick with me, even if I studied them 40 years ago in high school English class, like these lines:
Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage:
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage.
If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone, that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty.
My own personal freedom (and that of others) is very important to me. But I really believe, as Richard Lovelace says above, that our freedom is in our minds.
I have learned that I have not been as honest with myself as I wish I were. I see that I have a distorted view of the world based on a story that was given to me by my parents and siblings and community, and I believe nearly everyone has a distorted personal or world view. I also remember a quote I came across years ago: The truth will set you free, but first it can make you miserable. The misery is the interesting stuff of what makes us human and affects our interactions and choices. My intention in life and in my work is to examine where there are lies and look for the truth and rewrite my own story, therefore affecting people positively.
My novel The Undoing of Governor Waters deals with a hypocritical politician who is self righteous and believes everyone would be better living with him as a model, yet he committed a horrible crime as a young man and has built his career on the back of a lie. A reporter (I admire reporters so much) acts on a tip to look closer into the politician’s past. What she unravels affects not only the politician, but also everyone who has been touched by him. Ultimately, it’s a story of redemption and unity. I believe that we are all capable of forgiveness and renewal. Though we might have strong convictions and beliefs, we have to come together and figure out a way to move forward with respect and at least tolerance.
I have been a high school teacher for over 30 years. I have four degrees in arts and languages. For the majority of my life, I have been in a classroom as a student or in front leading and directing. I have had a chance to observe a lot of students and their parents, and colleagues and administrators. I have seen students grow and change, some of them quickly, and many, like me, who changed slowly. I have learned that people respond more to positive reinforcement and an open heart. I have had the chance to make connections with people from many walks of society, and it’s the connections-- the loving ones, the complicated ones and the unlikely or serendipitous ones, that I portray in my work.
In my spare time, I devote time to my awesome dog, a being with a lot of light, and he teaches me about love, loyalty, fun and living in the moment. I spend time with him getting to know our neighbors and neighborhood. I volunteer with a dog rescue group, hoping to connect people with their furry forever-friend. I enjoy living in Southern California because of its beauty, its wonderful Mediterranean climate, for the outstanding artistic offerings, variety of restaurants, and the fact that you can see how people from different backgrounds recreated a bit of their past in different communities. It’s a place of diversity that, for the most part, works. Sometimes I miss the change of seasons and the lakes, rivers, creeks and green woods of Michigan, but I certainly don't miss the snow and freezing temperatures and scraping ice and snow off my windshield. Southern California suits this Upper Great Lakes guy just fine.
Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage:
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage.
If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone, that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty.
My own personal freedom (and that of others) is very important to me. But I really believe, as Richard Lovelace says above, that our freedom is in our minds.
I have learned that I have not been as honest with myself as I wish I were. I see that I have a distorted view of the world based on a story that was given to me by my parents and siblings and community, and I believe nearly everyone has a distorted personal or world view. I also remember a quote I came across years ago: The truth will set you free, but first it can make you miserable. The misery is the interesting stuff of what makes us human and affects our interactions and choices. My intention in life and in my work is to examine where there are lies and look for the truth and rewrite my own story, therefore affecting people positively.
My novel The Undoing of Governor Waters deals with a hypocritical politician who is self righteous and believes everyone would be better living with him as a model, yet he committed a horrible crime as a young man and has built his career on the back of a lie. A reporter (I admire reporters so much) acts on a tip to look closer into the politician’s past. What she unravels affects not only the politician, but also everyone who has been touched by him. Ultimately, it’s a story of redemption and unity. I believe that we are all capable of forgiveness and renewal. Though we might have strong convictions and beliefs, we have to come together and figure out a way to move forward with respect and at least tolerance.
I have been a high school teacher for over 30 years. I have four degrees in arts and languages. For the majority of my life, I have been in a classroom as a student or in front leading and directing. I have had a chance to observe a lot of students and their parents, and colleagues and administrators. I have seen students grow and change, some of them quickly, and many, like me, who changed slowly. I have learned that people respond more to positive reinforcement and an open heart. I have had the chance to make connections with people from many walks of society, and it’s the connections-- the loving ones, the complicated ones and the unlikely or serendipitous ones, that I portray in my work.
In my spare time, I devote time to my awesome dog, a being with a lot of light, and he teaches me about love, loyalty, fun and living in the moment. I spend time with him getting to know our neighbors and neighborhood. I volunteer with a dog rescue group, hoping to connect people with their furry forever-friend. I enjoy living in Southern California because of its beauty, its wonderful Mediterranean climate, for the outstanding artistic offerings, variety of restaurants, and the fact that you can see how people from different backgrounds recreated a bit of their past in different communities. It’s a place of diversity that, for the most part, works. Sometimes I miss the change of seasons and the lakes, rivers, creeks and green woods of Michigan, but I certainly don't miss the snow and freezing temperatures and scraping ice and snow off my windshield. Southern California suits this Upper Great Lakes guy just fine.
