Peach and Plum Blossoms To Scott, Marina, Abbie, Alejandro, Ethan, Emma…who are graduating. To Angus, Oli, Daniel, Katie, Colin, Ryan, Vendela, Legacy, Neil, Tom, Peter, Adam, Dan, Alex and many coming stars…fruits of my 15-year life at Mac Today Macalester students are celebrating the graduation. 15 years ago, Alex walked into my classroom on his cane. He just had a brain surgery. I told him I’d save him a seat in my class when he was ready. He came back. Now he’s a poet and professor with five books. His Happy is the NYT’s bestseller. Peter became a tenure-track professor at Macalester. He took my intro workshop 14 years ago, and changed his path from history to fiction. His first book won LA Book Award. English Department is celebrating. Jane got Nick Adam’s award for her short story. Lee got Nick Adam’s award for her story. Simon was a Rhode Scholar. Dan taught poetry workshops with me at the Stillwater prison. He teaches disadvantaged students at a Minneapolis high school. Oliver St. John became a USA Today journalist, now writing novels and poems in NYC. He is having his first show with his “Mermaid Warrior” print at Soap Factory, after traveling the entire Mississippi and Yangtze Rivers, all the way to the Everest. Legacy is NYC’s top ten young artist. We fought hard with the administrators for her right to do the honors’ project. Daniel Vidal Soto was the first Macalester student selected by the Loft “In Road” program. He was a pre-med major when he came to my intro class. “Come back when you’re ready,” I said. And he did. Now his poetry burns a trail through Texas corruption. Tressa was the finalist for Nick Adam Award. Neil’s “OCD” went over 7 million views. Oliver and Luke started the Cloud City Press. Kate, Colin, Neil, Ryan, Luke, Darrel, Ahmed, Alister, Anna, Evan, Georgia, Kira, Tatiana, Nora, Amber, Oliver, Jeff, Alex, Kerry, Vendela, Abbie, Nick, Marina, Waab, Gwyneth, Claire, Ngan, Lam Tung Lai…all brilliant poets. Scott, Angus, Alejandro, Ethan, Emma, Maura, Oliver, Nick, Jeff, Katy, Amy, Eliza, Peter, Alex, Tom, Vanessa, Stuart, Yansuo, Laurie, Kareen, Jenna, Emma, Alex, Ellen, Mike, Jake, Megan, Ahmed, Hiroki, Caitlin, Jane, Karen, Sarah, Peter, Maggie, Josh…brilliant writers. And all the unnamed, hundreds, thousands of you…your sounds, faces and words, your pain, sweat and joy, your stories, ours…still alive in my memory. You chose a path full of thorns and light. I hope you have no regrets. I don’t, even though I’m a “bad” teacher by the officials, a campus pariah. Outside the wall, I watch peaches and plums in full bloom. I have no regrets. *In China, peach and plum blossoms are euphemism for students
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 19:03:22 +0000
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