Thanks to the prompting of my friend Allison, another English teacher in our great state of Iowa, I published a version of my last blog post in Saturday's Des Moines Register. You can read the original blog post here and the newspaper version here. I learned a few lessons from this publishing experience, so I thought I would process that here. Revision is Hard The Register wanted 700 words, and I started with more than 900. Ironically, I repeatedly tell my writing students, "You're not married to your words." As I started pushing the backspace key, though, I felt like I was breaking marriage vows. Truman Capote once said, "I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil," but apparently that's easier to believe when you're preaching it to students. I eventually (and painfully!) made it to 722, and thankfully the editor agreed to make that work. Humility is Key I didn't sleep well Friday night because I knew that my op-ed would be in Saturday's paper. In the early morning hours, I tossed and turned, picturing my name in print. I woke up early to look at the online version before we purchased a print copy, and I was proud of what I saw. For some reason, I imagined that friends and family members would respond to seeing my article published. I played out fantasies of emails from hometown acquaintances and phone calls from family members. Instead I heard positive remarks from a few adoptive mom friends and teacher acquaintances. I received a few random emails (some encouraging, others not) from strangers. My dear sweet husband and children were supportive, but looking back now, my initial fantasies are laughable. If I ever attempt to publish again, I will set the bar of my expectations noticeably lower and stay ever-so humble. Writing is Brave This lesson is one I learn every time I click "post" on a blog post, but even more so, I saw this in the companion op-ed piece that was published next to mine. Elliot Smith, a high school junior from Valley High School in West Des Moines, wrote an eloquent, courageous piece about racism in his school. It's one thing for me to write about the way I see implicit bias play out in our small school, but it takes a much greater level of bravery to call out peers in a statewide publication. As a teacher, I want to see that same risk-taking in my students. Revision, humility, bravery. That might be my writing process in a nutshell. Pour it all out on paper in a brave and bloody mess, mush it around and take the scissors to it, and then share to the world with no expectations. Yes, that sounds about right. And now I'll click "post" again.
1 Comment
Allison Berryhill
2/24/2015 01:42:59 am
Wonderful reflection. I'm your fan.
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