Reading Landscapes 2020: @getnicced, @WeirFarmNPS @writingproject @fairfieldu & Reading Landscapes with @richnovack - We Got This

Yesterday, I channeled my inner-postal worker, UPS employee, Amazon-God self to pull together all the goodies from Weir Farm National Historic Site (thank you, Ranger Lessard) and all the tools provided from the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University, to put together packages to mail to all the educators joining us for #WriteOut (2020) and #NDOW - our National Day on Writing Celebration.

Our teachers are getting a copy of Shuri by author Nic Stone, simply because there's much to be said about this Marvel text, up and beyond the wonderful story told. There would no Wakanda, no T'Challa, without the brilliance (the science, the inquisitiveness, the curiosity, and the intellect) of Shuri, a young woman who stands her ground with grace. Her truth, that challenges truth, transcends superhero stories. Nic Stone gets this...girl nerds...brilliant women...quirkiness... eccentricity...the importance of multiple stories (and I'm celebrating Dear Justyce, too - Happy book-born week! I was lucky to review a copy earlier in the gestation process. Boom! She did it once again!).

CWP-Fairfield is very thankful to receive another round of funding for a National Park Service / National Writing Project collaboration, and I am beyond pleased to work with Weir Farm National Historic Site once again. It is a beautiful location, John Weir's impressionist paintings are stunning and remarkable, and in this period of history, it is also important to bring forward critical literacy, diversity, ecological sustainability, and the role English educators --- all educators --- have to sustaining National parks, the Earth, honesty, analysis, storytelling, perspective, and democracy. 

Yesterday, I put together the first round of packages to mail to our selected applicants and I'm likely to continue this for a few weeks. A special shout-out to Rich Novack who has continued to be at the helm of this project (phew! How many years now?) and to Ranger Lessard for her commitment to K-12 education.

I know the power of Weir Farm, especially the magic of watercolors, artistry, and connecting with the outdoors. I'm super excited, however, to connect this year's cohort to the writing of Nic Stone. Due to Covid, we can't meet in person, and as a result, we have educators from all across the nation (making the conversation that much "Rich-er" (pun on Mr. Novack). This year, we transcend beyond Connecticut.

Get outside. Be adventurous. Write. Know your world. And as Shuri teaches us, "Stand up for what you believe in," even when it goes against roles, traditions, and norms of your culture.

I am very thankful to be part of this work once again.

Hello, October! Can't wait to hear all the stories around a camp fire.