I remember doing this in 10th grade (I’m now in my 40s). It felt so daring and so liberating.

Not a big fan of American Gods, but the Shirley Jackson is a rec I can get behind. It’s a great read, and she’s an American treasure. “The Lottery” is one of the all-time best short stories, still taught in many schools. Very Poe-esque.

I’ve read Mystic River and also liked the movie. Haven’t read The Drop but did like the movie, so I imagine the book is good as well. I like Lehane.

Lamb is a fun read. My book club read it a few years back. Very cheeky.

The NYT article embedded in that NBC Sports article does a whole in-depth thing about the Swarovski crystals—and perhaps making them lighter weight for the athletes—if you’re interested. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/fas…

Dang it, Meg Whitman. Don’t make me try to like you.

Grr. My response posted twice, so I’m editing to add a book rec because my second comment won’t delete. Thus: NIGHT CIRCUS (Erin Morgenstern). One of my faves.

I was thinking the same thing.

The original movie was sexist and misogynistic as well. But, then again, I didn’t watch it until this year, not in the 80s when I was a kid. Perhaps I would’ve appreciated it then. As an adult woman, not so much. That being said, I see no reason to remake this film—with women, men, or any other kind of leads. It’s a…

I took a leap of faith last year (job-wise), and I’m not sure it’s working out for me. Truly, it probably isn’t, but I can’t say I regret it (exactly). At least I tried, which is very against my conservative nature (I, too, crave a steady paycheck). I don’t really know what to think about my current situation or my…

Try to be positive. My last boss made me feel insecure and shitty, so I went into my new job feeling insecure and shitty, and that hasn’t helped me win over the right folks. All of their many voiced disappointments just hit me right in the gut. It doesn’t help that it was a career change, so I was legitimately…

I hate bosses. All of them. I’ve never once had a supportive one—only competitive, judgey, mean, dickish ones (whether men or women). And I’m a little thin-skinned to begin with, so these people just make me feel less than zero. In total, I feel your pain and am very sorry.

Our copy of BUNNICULA is still on my brother’s bookshelf in our childhood home. We bought it at the book fair in elementary school. We are both now in our 40s.

I just taught my middle school students who Ursula LeGuin is during our discussion of sci-fi.

Read the Andre Dubus short story or see the movie “In the Bedroom.” Domestic abuser kills his ex-wife’s new boyfriend, who is trying to protect her and her children in that moment. His distraught parents (Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson) now have to see this douchebag (who killed their only child) all over their small…

I have taught (or at least attempted to teach) empathy to my 8th-graders during our Holocaust study. I am not Jewish but am friends with many who are. I, too, believe empathy can be a learned skill.

Awareness is being taught in [my state’s] schools, I can assure you that. Just this week I sat through our guidance counselor doing her regular Character Education class to middle schoolers (in this case, 13- to 14-year-olds), and the topic was “dating violence.” She said she was mandated by the state to cover this…

I teach middle-schoolers, and I feel your pain. They can’t make simple contractions, form complete sentences, or even capitalize proper nouns. Most of the time, I just want to kill myself over their lack of grammar and spelling skills—and the fact that they don’t give two flying f*cks about them. Why? WHY?

I teach in a very low-income, urban school district, and I do kind things for the kids all the time (even though they’re sometimes terribly disrespectful and ungrateful). Sometimes, however, they are not—and I’m reminded why I bother. I love them dearly and tell myself they’re just “rough around the edges” (which they…

Oh, lordy. “Dear Zachary” nearly broke me in two. That doc is nothing short of...well, I don’t really have a proper word for it. But so, so good. And those grandparents...talk about moral courage. I applaud them a thousand times over.