Every two years, the Writing Department at my university chooses a campus book which all freshman are required to read in their first year. We invite the author of the book to visit to speak to students about their work, and last week, author and poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, spoke to us about his life and writing. I’ve read Baca’s…
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Beholding Beauty: Choosing Rest over Obligation
This fall, I accidentally began working full time as a tutor/professor/writer. Because my work is stitched together from disparate pieces, the hours added up to more than I anticipated. It’s good work, and each element works synergistically with the others. I’m lucky in this way–every hour I spend writing improves my teaching, and my hours spent in the classroom improve…
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Leaving Your Mark
When we moved into our home six years ago, the oak floorboards in the kitchen and family room needed refinishing after accumulating the scars and scratches of two decades of family life. The wood floor was a testament to all the life that took place under this roof: the deep grooves from shifting furniture, the thick scratches from scrambling puppy…
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Memories of Knowing: A Reflection on Parenting
While waiting to board a flight to Nashville yesterday, a father sat across from me speaking to his son via FaceTime. He called his son by name, asked simple questions about his boy’s day, and remarked on an upcoming soccer game. I guessed that the boy, Wyatt, was young, which his father confirmed when he congratulated his son on a…
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Why Faithfulness Matters
The hush of muffled conversation and the squeak of wet rubber soles echoed through the cathedral as I entered. The drop in temperature was obvious, but mainly I shivered from a sense of awe at the fluted columns, the intricacy of the mosaic floors, and the enormous dome soaring above. My travel companions and I had spent days traipsing through…
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