(Photo: Short Beach, Stratford, Connecticut in shape of Oklahoma because, well, it's what I could do)
One reality that comes from hiding under a rock to avoid any news the last 24-hours: the good, the bad, or the ugly, is that it licensed an opportunity to avoid the calendar for 48 hours. When a student contacted me to ask if we might ZOOM in a meeting tomorrow, I check the date and thought, "Sorry, I'm heading to Oklahoma as par of Oklahoma State University's tremendous work with the historical race massacres of their state (1921), part of the community-oriented project that united student voices and perspectives from several schools. They set out to overcome a culture of silence.
In 2014, Connecticut teachers and I benefited from the MacArthur Foundation, National Writing Project, Educator Innovator, SHOW ME CAMPAIGN - We Too Are Connecticut. It was an investment of a lifetime, and 6 teachers and I united urban, rural, and suburban districts to "Write Our Lives" with Matt de la Peña as we also said, We Were Here. Over 400 students took part and, in truth, it sparked the democratic, heterogeneous, and collaborative work CWP continues through our Young Adult Literacy Labs, Westport Library's Storyfest, and inter-district reading exchanges.
Phew. 6 years ago. Really?
That is why I was looking forward to traveling to Oklahoma to learn from their incredible work and to celebrate Shelbie Witte (What is it about Oklahoma that has The Great Whatever like, "Nah. Ain't happening. Crandall. You're not going). Obviously, Covid-19 is a priority and now is not the time for larger gatherings, even as important as this one should of been.
So, today, on a day I was set to fly to Stillwater, I will reflect instead. In lieu of travel, I played with a poem - a sestina - for Shelbie. I hope John Legend, his people, and the MacArthur Foundation know how much impact their support has on teachers like us. It's life-changing, actually. It is the National Writing Project way.
This is a Poem for Shelbie: Her “Witte,” Her Grace, & Her Vision (a Sestina)
Several years ago, a redhead (Susan) called to ask, “Do you know her? She’s legendary.”
but I didn’t, because I'm a moronic dork and it is common for me, customary,
to live in my head, the land of Frog, where I'm a Doobie Doo. “OSU Writing Project, Shelbie,
you know,Voices in the Middle with Jennifer Dail - the one who brings calm and serenity
to writers/teachers/readers across the nation, especially in Oklahoma...”
It was a few moons ago, before bourbon (and when I felt safer sipping Corona).
Truth: I’ve been staring at the moon since I was a boy, mesmerized by its corona,
(even before hearing Evan Dando’s Frying Pan - Great song… legendary!
We got mountains, yeah we got beaches). Hearing such music brings me serenity -
and has since I met Amy who taught in Kentucky: the LWP/KWP: Jefferson, Bullitt & Shelbie
Counties in blue(s) grass (woot woot!) Sorry. Music does this to me. It’s customary
to get off task within a song/a poem (Squirrel! Squirrel!), when it's actually about Oklahoma,
and how I wanted (so bad) to fly to Stillwater in 2018 and sing, “Oklahoma,”
with Oprah Winfrey in celebration of a literacy award and to “light up a corona!”
and finally, enthusiastically, get the opportunity to meet a few legendary,
divergent 21st Century scholars and put a smile on my trifecta (such serenity).
Yet, as the day grew close, a call arrived in the Atlanta Airport, “Bry, this is Shelbie.
You’re not going to believe this, but a freak ice-storm, not so customary
for this time of year, has closed our University, so I’m making a customary
call to let you know, our conference is canceled. There’s no coming to Oklahoma.”
It’s all good. I flew home. I’m a goober (Susan's word), & no need to crown this Corona,
even if I was looking forward to the event - the awards have become legendary
and I wanted to get out of Connecticut & travel for a peace of mind - to find serenity -
and to open a bottle of wine with the one and only Shelbster, Ms. Shelbie.
Be patient, Crandall. She knows how to plot. A year passed and Shelbie
contacted me with another idea (Phew, the networking…so customary
in the work we do: The National Writing Project’s LRNG Grant with John Legend!
The Show Me Campaign offered a way to learn about the 1921 race massacres). %@#! Corona!
Covid-19. Ugh. The spring conference where I would meet teachers and kids of Oklahoma,
gave way to coughing, and it was moved to this Fall (tomorrow), but canceled again. Breathe. Serenity.
(cough cough). Give me the courage, God, to change what I can…the wisdom and serenity
to know the difference and the humor to share wind-up toys and hugs with Drs. Shelbie
Witte, Shanedra Nowell, & Kalianne Neumann (it's the Crandall style, customary,
as if I'm jumping off a lily pad in Connecticut to land on Pistol Pete in Oklahoma).
In my head, we would sing “My Sharona,” and change the lyrics to “My Corona,”
and our voices would get the judges to turn their chairs (that would have been Legendary).
Alas, it's a sestina, instead. A legendary post on a silly blog (written for serenity),
because it's my custom to write everyday, especially for rockstars like Shelbie…
guru of Oklahoma (John Legend's pretty cool, too) chasing tonight's bourbon with a Corona.
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