The Legacy of Teachers

From the Tip of My Pen - A Writer’s Tip of the Month – November 2007

by Fran Stewart

The Legacy of Teachers

A year ago, in October of 1996, I started my keynote address to the Georgia Council of Teachers of English by singing “Heaven, I’m in heaven . . .” I’ve never been intimidated about speaking to large groups, even though for most people, fear of public speaking is even greater than their fear of dying. And those 350 teachers? I loved it. My speech at the GCTE’s annual convention was a recounting of the three English teachers who changed my life. Without those three blessed people, I would not be the person I am, the writer I am, today. They led me into a wonder world of books, and they insisted that I take responsibility for my actions; they encouraged me, and they made me hone my writing skills, because they would not accept anything less than my best effort.

Last month, on a book tour in Colorado, I was invited to speak to a much smaller, but equally important, group of teachers – the middle school and high school teachers in the small town of Florence. Listening to their comments afterwards, about how much they appreciated hearing someone acknowledge the gift that teachers give on a daily basis, made me very glad that I’d taken the time years ago to write thank-you notes to the teachers who had influenced me. The thank-you notes I received in return made it worth while. Now that I’m old enough that most of my teachers have left this earth, I’m doubly glad I took the time.

I’d like to encourage you to sit down right now and pen a note to a teacher who made a positive difference in your life. You see, if it weren’t for that teacher, you might never have discovered the breadth and depth of richness experience that a world of reading could bring to you. If it weren’t for that teacher, you might not be a writer today.

Do it now, before it’s too late.

Book Clubs – the Last Bastion of Literacy?

From the Tip of My Pen - A Writer’s Tip of the Month – October 2007

by Fran Stewart

Book Clubs – the Last Bastion of Literacy

The last time I was interviewed on the radio, this was one of the questions:

According to a report of the Independent Book Publishing Association, over five million American adults belong to reading groups. Why do Americans love books so much?

That sounds like an encouraging statistic, doesn’t it? Luckily, I knew about the question ahead of time, so I could formulate an answer, or at least the idea of an answer. Even without an interviewer asking, this is something that we as writers should think about. Without readers, we would be nowhere.

This country was founded by people who believed that unless people could read, they couldn’t vote intelligently. That still holds true today. The thought of five million Americans reading and discussing books is quite positive. I’ve seen statistics, though, that say that 30% of American adults are to some extent illiterate. That is not only shocking, but disturbing as well. When people vote based on sound bites put together by marketing companies, or speech-writers’ blurbs, then we ultimately get the government we deserve.

It’s good that there are five million people in book clubs. And there are many other people who love books but don’t join a reading group. That still leaves a couple of hundred million people who depend on television for their information and entertainment. I encourage people to buy books, particularly through independent bookstores, since that is one way to ensure that freedom of information will continue in this country.

I’m going to keep buying books by writers whose work I enjoy. That’s the way to be sure that quality books will always be available. I also threw out my TV set fourteen years ago. Try it, and then, if your heart leads you in that direction, perhaps you could consider volunteering with an adult literacy group.

Go on. I dare you. It’s a good idea.

Give me a good book any day.