Here we go......
Hello world? No, that's another thing.
Friends. Romans. Countrymen. Lend me your ears.
Or eyes. Or whatever. I have been writing for many years, with various levels of sporadicness (sporadicity? sporadicality?) at The Frame, the Flickchart blog, and Row Three (the last one is defunct, RIP), and that has fallen off precipitously in the past few years. First because I had children. Wonderful children who have nevertheless affected my ability to focus on writing with any regularity. Second because I started teaching as a profession. A wonderful profession which has nevertheless affected my ability to focus on writing with any regularity. That has not changed my INTEREST in writing with some degree of regularity.
So why am I here? Because I find that almost every single writer that I enjoy reading is writing on Substack. I am finding more value here than anywhere else, so this is the place I would like to start spending the bulk of my time. So if I’m going to have to rebuilt my online community, I might as well try to do it here.
Who am I?
I have been many things. I have been a student, an academic, a reader, a film critic, a music aficionado, an early adopter, a fangirl, a university admin, a video editor, a gamer, a wife, a mother. I am currently a high school literature teacher at a classical Christian school, a lover of good reading and good writing, a mother to two wonderful daughters, and a wife to a man who loves pop culture, D&D and the Lord. All those other parts are still in here somewhere.
What do I write about?
My thoughts on books, films, education, and life. I write about things I love, and there’s no statute of limitations. In fact, I’m much MORE likely to write about old things than new. C.S. Lewis says we should read at least one old book for every three new ones, and I think that’s great advice. I also watch old movies, play old games, and recommend old articles, because good things never go out of style.
Spiritual matters are not far from my mind, so that will tinge everything I write. Christ is Lord of all, after all, even my lesson plans! I also like to boost other things I’ve enjoyed reading online, so will likely throw a few link recommendations around quite a bit.
Is this free?
For now, this is free. I am too lackadaisical and too scattered to think people will pay for anything I write at this point. If at some point in the future I get more focused or feel like this is valuable to anyone outside myself and a few personal friends, I won’t rule it out.
My overall hope is that this will make it easier for people who care about me to keep up when I’ve largely decided to no longer play in the Facebook/Twitter (X, whatever) playground. (No, seriously, I haven’t updated my Twitter app for weeks expressly to avoid using X, because that’s dumb.) If you like relatively thoughtful but relatively unedited thoughts on books, film, education, and the life of a Christian classical school literature teacher, welcome. I’m ready to provide same.