Love & Trauma

Love seems easy, but there are so many forms of love. Love is not something you can see, it is an idea. And when it comes to love and relationships it can become more complex.  You see as we go through life and encounter relationships, we often encounter struggles with how we communicate and show our love for one another.  And when we can't communicate this with the person, we truly love it can make things even harder, often leading to those relationships ending.  This often creates trauma that we carry with us into our next relationships.

And to be able to love you have to work through those traumas.  Yet here is the thing that no one really talks about, is that you don't ever get over that trauma.  You learn to deal with it, you gain tools to cope with it, but it is always there ready to trigger you in ways you don't even suspect it to.  And when it does it often ends up hurting the person you are in a new relationship with.  Trauma is very similar to grief it is always with you, and it will rear its' ugly head when you aren't always ready to deal with it.

And what is even harder is when both of you in this new relationship have past traumas.  You so desperately want to love each other and are so afraid of hurting the other, or triggering those traumas, that you don't always communicate your honest, true feelings.  In time, this often will play a toll on your relationship.  Be careful, if you really love the person, you could end up losing them.  Why?  To be honest and open you have to be willing to be vulnerable and not afraid of really loving, loving with your whole heart. You can't let things trip you up or create barriers that ultimately will be the ugly obstacle that keeps you from truly being happy. 

The other hard thing about love is that while it should be about you and your significant other, there are other people that factor into your relationship.  You see, they weigh in, because they too, love your significant other in various ways and they want what is best for them, there ultimate happiness.  They may not intend to interfere or play devil's advocate, but they often do, because they share what they notice, or what they don't notice you doing in favor of your significant other. This can play a role into your relationship. Often it will result in you losing out, on the love you have found and are trying to understand.  The thing most people don't get when your heart has been hurt and you've endured so much trauma is that you feel it is going to happen again, the thing that ended your last relationship.  For each person it is different, for me it was betrayal and even though I fully trusted my significant other, I kept letting my past control me.  I kept feeling this was too good to be true, and it is going to happen again, the betrayal.  In leaning into this it caused me to keep a wall up, which became an obstacle and resulted in me losing this new love.  In other words, I wasn't showing my significant other my love, some might have seen it as emotional neglect.  It wasn't intentional, it was the trauma and me not facing it or being honest with what I was feeling and sharing that with my significant other. 

As I already mentioned, it will often result in you losing out. And that is exactly what happened.  Fortunately, they are not out of my life completely, we are still friends.   So, now I must reflect and continue working on the trauma. This includes being honest with our friendship and making sure to still be able to show up with a different kind of love, but not to let the trauma be an obstacle.

In order to love, you must be willing to be vulnerable, and that includes all of your traumas. Be kind to yourself and to those you love.

Spiderman'ing Your Way Through Life

Have you ever stopped to wonder how your height affects your perception of how others view you, or how you view the world?

I am short. 5'0" to be exact, and so this is something I not only ponder, but battle with through the daily grind.  Some of you may know what I'm talking about, some of you might be secretly laughing. 

Do you ever find yourself in a grocery store trying to reach the last box of cereal on the top shelf, and because it's the last box it is also at the very back of the shelf?, Well when I first started shopping as an adult I would take this as a sign that I wasn't meant to purchase whatever item I couldn't reach. Unless I was fortunate enough to catch some taller shopper in the same aisle and ask for their assistance. Oftentimes I wouldn't ask, and that was because I realized I had accepted this stigma of being short. 

Somehow I didn't live up to some societal standard or conception. It took me quite awhile to stop accepting this view and embrace being short.

Since it is my birthday month I must explain how this was partly changed through a hip hop song when 50 cent popularized the slang term "shawty" in the song "In Da Club." I love the etymology of words and slang terms and looking at how they change through cultures and over the course of time. "Shawty" is the slang word for "shorty;" a term I am often called not only by my peers, but everyone. However when it is used as this slang term, it is used in an endearing way to describe an attractive female. So go ahead and call me shorty.

Okay, I admit it, it wasn't just this hip hop song released in 2003 that helped me to embrace my height.  It was all the times I struggled to do anything because of my height and overcame the challenge.  For instance, the cereal box I mentioned previously, once I learned to problem solve my way through these situations I gained a sense of empowerment.

So now when I find myself standing in a grocery store aisle unable to reach an item, I don't stop and look around for someone to assist me. I don't take it as a sign I'm not meant for this item today. I climb like Spidey and knock the cereal box to the edge with another box as I also climb across the lower shelves.

However I am not just empowered by my height at the grocery store. I've learned (maybe through my Spidey senses) to fully embrace my height. So much so, that when I am applying for a job and I come across the question that asks, "Is there anything that would impede you from doing this job?" I always respond that I am, "vertically challenged." This always seems to ease the tension and stuffiness of the interview, and it also grabs the interviewers' attention, as well as, provides an opportunity for me not only to be remembered,  but stand out.

It is all about perspective, every height has its' own challenge and vantage point. What is most important to note is that we all have an obligation to see each other and be aware of the words we use with each other that can cause stigmas and misconceptions.

So, have fun Spiderman'ing your way through life, but be sure to consider those around you whatever their height!

The Marsh - the smell of home

Right away the word marsh evokes a harsh, pungent thought.  Maybe as I grew up the smell was so awful that I found myself dreading it. And maybe, just maybe that is why I have given so much thought to this.  

I have a love-hate relationship with the marsh.  On early fall mornings, the smell is so pungent it wafts its' way further inland.  You arise and step outside with a coffee in hand on your way to work and feel encircled by it. Much like the stifling summer humidity that always seems to hit you like a wet towel. You know the feeling even after you've showered in the summer and you step out and its' so humid you already feel you need to step back in the shower.

This relationship that I have with the marsh is a conundrum.  You see at some point some teacher once asked me to write about my fears, particularly fears with death.  And per usual my fear always seems to be a little more thought out than others.  You see while I think the marsh is beautiful even with its' tenacious smell, I also fear it.

I would say it stems back to when I first began driving to Woodland Beach as a teen and getting my car stuck in the rising tide.  However, this fear began before that, I feel it was only further perpetuated by that moment.

My fear of dying isn't with death itself, it is dying with the smell of marsh being the last scent I ever smell. Furthermore, this fear is crippled with the idea that this would only occur by me somehow managing to find myself in a most precarious situation - my car sinking with me in the driver's seat and trapped into brackish marsh water.  I'd like to point out here that I've given so much thought to this that I've even researched having an emergency escape tool to break the window.

To add further to this fear - I think about the what if, if I don't escape and this is how I go...my body will bloat and become food for the bottom feeders, and someone will have to identify my body.  And the most important part of this is that the last smell I would have smelled is that diverse metabolic scent of nature twisted with salt air.

Now, I know that this is very dark and I've given way too much thought to it.  So on a lighter note and pushing my fear aside, let me share my love of the marsh.

Even with its' sulfurous rotten-egg smell caused by the billions of bacteria living in its' mud it is also necessary to mankind's survival.  The marsh serves as a carbon sink for our planet.  Just like our need for bees to pollinate plants, we also need marsh and swamp.  So I'll leave you with my words of love for the marsh.

With the buzzing of flies,

And the whisper of the birds wings 

as they fly overhead to swoop in

I listen to the gentle tapping of the grass reeds

as they dance in the slight breeze 

And as they are kissed with the moist humidity

and release that smell of hypoxia

I embrace you

With all of your stank putridness 

You are part of what reminds me of this place I call home.

"Hey Buzz, Lewis Carroll would have loved you" B-sides and infinite gladness

So I started this entry about six years ago, you see sometimes I just have thoughts that I need to pen down or even type out, but decide for different reasons that it isn't time.  This one, was personal, and it wasn't ready to be written, it needed time to brew and simmer.

Maybe I'm feeling the need for live music, and a concert, and because of Covid-19 that simply isn't happening. So I've turned to my album collection and began to reminisce about this love I have for music.  Haven't we all turned to music to help comfort us in this time of trouble?  So in thinking about times of trouble and words of wisdom, yes, you now have a Paul McCartney ear worm stuck in your head let's talk about B-sides?

B-sides? What is she talking about?  So way back in the day, music was recorded and sold on vinyl records (I know, vinyl is making a slight comeback, and b-sides were also on 45s).  Essentially record companies were looking for a way to profit more from a single, otherwise referred to as the A-side of an album. Songs selected for the A-side were those that were radio-friendly, climbing the charts, and originally intended as the single or album covers to be sold.  The B-sides were songs selected that were not originally intended for the album.  Today, these have become known or referred too often as bonus tracks.  For me, they are the hidden gems on the album.

I mean think about, how many of you actually still buy albums? I know that I am one of the few that still do.  (Yes, I still buy CDs, full albums). I do not purchase songs or tracks, I purchase the album.  Why?  Well because for me it is like the difference between buying one chapter of a book. You simply wouldn't read chapter 6, without reading the beginning or ending of a novel.  Albums are the same way.  Songs are written word with rhythm, rhyme, and a dope beat. Albums are carefully crafted, songs aren't just laid down with how they were written, but with a thought process.  You don't want to listen to the first half of an album with nothing but slow songs, you need a mixture and it has to be carefully selected.

Okay, so for argument's sake, let's start with a song that many of us are probably feeling right now.  "Revolution" by the Beatles was originally a B-side.  No matter what side of things you are on politically during this pandemic, many of us can agree with these lyrics,' You say you want a revolution, Well, you know, We all want to change the world, You tell me that it's evolution , Well, you know, We all want to change the world, But when you talk about destruction, Don't you know that you can count me out, Don't you know it's gonna be, All right, All right, All right..."  So you say your not a Beatles fan, what about the Stones, The Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want".  I know some of us, might be singing this one to ourselves as we hit the grocery store right now looking for our preferred brand of toilet paper, "we just might have to get what we need".  

For real though, B-sides are songs of infinite gladness.  I grew up in the 80s and 90s, which is full of iconic music and when I think of B-sides, I think of ordering countless cassette tapes from Columbia Records, or running to Sam Goody to purchase the latest album of a favorite band.  I really miss wearing out cassette tapes from either overplaying the entire cassette or rewinding it to that song you just wanted to sing along to again and again.  If you grew up during this time, you know what it was like to keep a pencil nearby so you could fix the tape,  and you also know what it was like to have a CD skip in a car.   But one of my favorite things about this time was getting a mixed tape from a friend filled with B-sides.  So in honor of a B-side mixed tape, here you go...

1-Talk Show Host by Radiohead (*if you listen closely in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet you will catch a bit of this song)

2- Starla by Smashing Pumpkins (*if you hated the Pumpkins, listen to the full 11 minutes of this one)

3- Now by Edie Brickell 

4- Half the World Away by Oasis 

5- Good Riddance by Green Day 

6- Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam

7- How Soon is Now by the Smiths

8- Another Journey by Train by the Cure

9- Bullet the Blue Sky by U2

10- Man Who Sold the World  by David Bowie

One Room School House

Octagonal "One Room" School House
Cowgills Corner Delaware-1836

So as some of you know I have been working hard the past year on my MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) at Wesley College. As the summer comes to an end and we enter the fall season, I will be starting the student teaching portion of the program.  Many people have asked me, "Are you nervous?" The obvious reply is of course, I think everyone gets at least a little nervous before embarking on a new adventure in their grand journey in life. However, my excitement to learn trumps the nerves very quickly.  You see, I believe that we set up our own barriers in life, thanks to the help and education of my late father-in-law, Rod Bullock (and this stems from Larry Wilson's book, Play to Win), once we realize that barrier doesn't really exist, we can move forward and achieve what we thought was impossible.  I had been putting off enrolling in the MAT program for a few years, then one morning on my drive to work it hit me, what was I doing? Sure, I could continue to work as an assistant manager at the bookstore, but I knew I could make a stronger impact as an educator and the only thing keeping me from pursuing that career was me.  I wanted to take a moment and share with those who know what I have been working towards and those who didn't my thoughts as I take these final steps towards my certification to be an educator.

Octagonal School House
National Registry of Historic Places 1971

During the course of the MAT program, I have had the opportunity to really reflect on my own education over the years and consider what I learned from those experiences and really help me determine what I want to carry with me.  One of the things I realized is that I was very fortunate and had several teachers who allowed me to explore not only the subject they were teaching me, but also the world around me. This began with my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Jill Mears, her teaching had a profound impact on how I felt about school.  It is pretty ironic, because if you ask my mother what my first reaction to school was (and this would be after my first day, with Ms. Mears), she will tell you I came home and said, "I am never going back there, they don't know what they are talking about".  My mom convinced me to give it another try by telling me that if I didn't go that the authorities would come and take her away.  Needless to say this worked, and I was thankful (to still have my mother by my side and school).  The things that stick out in my mind that I learned that year were: I got to finger-paint with chocolate pudding (you can paint with more than a brush or painter's knife), learned shapes by creating animals (she had us take a bar of  Dove soap and wrap it in netting to resemble a fish and adorned it with sequins- ovals), she had us read to an alien (stuffed, of course) before we read to our principal, Mrs. Scott (this gave us confidence and taught us not to fear authority, our principal was someone who should be respected), we had guest musicians (I recall my friend, Meagan Reilly's dad coming in and playing the French horn), we had a mini in-class greenhouse where we watched plants grow and be nurtured daily, we went on two field trips (one to see trees be tapped to make maple syrup and one to Bombay Hook to discover nature first hand, I remember scooping tadpoles) and we re-enacted Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  And these were just the big highlights, I also remember loving to play kitchen/house, read the Mr./Mrs. books aka Mrs. Silly, Mrs. Chatterbox, etc. and of course, recess. Mind you all of this was back when there was only 1/2-day kindergarten, and yes, we did all of those things above and more!  Ms. Mears taught me then that learning was fun and creative, and school was a place I wanted to be.

I have had several other teachers along the way who helped me explore my world and made learning something that was not to fear.  So I must take a minute and thank a few of those now: Ms. Roth/Messer, Ms. Chadwick, Ms. Parks, Mr. Filichiccia, Ms. Meek, Ms. Surles, the late Mr. Everett, the late Ms. Carter, Mr. Shalk, Mr. Prillaman, Ms. Bonner and Mr. Shotzberger, as well as, so many of my college professors, particularly Dr. Mask, Professor Cisar, Dr. Laganella, Dr. Cooper and Dr. Clack (these particular professors helped push me further in their particular field to places I did not know I was capable of going). And I must not forget to mention the late principal, Mr. Dickerson, who made it a point to not only know every student's name but know every student.

 Now I must take a moment and talk about the one thing I realized I definitely want to try to encourage not only with my future students, but also my fellow educators.  When I reflected back on my education, I realized that along the way I had a few teachers, that were more than just teachers (this happened in college with almost every professor I had, but in high school was where I realized it had a larger impact).  Ms. Bonner and Mr. Shotzberger were teachers that became mentors, they guided you in your learning by showing they cared about you, which helped further build confidence in yourself.  Ms. Bonner taught me the power of writing, the two things I think of when I think of her journalism class: "the pen is mightier than the sword" and write "all the news that's fit to print".  She also helped me learn the importance of word choice and growing your vocabulary.  Mr. Shotzberger aka Shotz taught me so many things, but ultimately that there is more than one way to approach and solve a problem, but the key is to have a plan. And once complete it is important to evaluate the end result and ask yourself is there anything you could have done differently or that would work better?  How did he do this?  First of all, we started with thumbnail sketches, next we executed the project, then we did a self-evaluation, and then we allowed our peers to evaluate our work. These two teachers took the time to get to know you as a student, subtly they asked you what your goals were, where did you want to go in life and they began guiding you in those directions.  Both of these teachers knew I wanted to go to college, both knew I was capable, but both knew that financially this was not something I was going to do straight out of high school. (And I must mention something I think is vitally important here, neither of these teachers had this as a "college talk", the key word is this all occurred through subtle conversations).  They knew that I had a pen pal in Australia, they encouraged me to have an open-mind and explore the world, that school was always something that would be there waiting for me.  And guess what? They were right. Unlike most of my peers, I did not take the traditional route to college, I got a job in retail, saved my money and traveled. I went to Australia, and then, Australia again, with a side trip to London. Then I put myself through cosmetology school, worked in that industry for 7 years. While working in that industry, guess what, I started college.  I was a non-traditional college student, I started by taking a summer class, and in 5 years completed my undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies.   Proving my teachers were right, college would always be there, and I was capable!  This is what I want my future students to know, that there are endless opportunities, that you are capable (as long as you are willing to put in the effort and hard work) and that there is always something new to learn. 

The world is an amazing place to explore and discover yourself! I only hope that I can help my future students know that I can learn as much from them as they can from me. And I also want them to know the importance of thanking those who helped you get to where you are, so thank you to everyone!!!

Life is Complicated

While everyone else is up in arms about what Trump is doing I’m over here thinking about the complexities of life. The ones that make us human not machines.  I’ve had a few conversations recently with friends of my generation who have shared this sentiment, “I thought life was supposed to get easier as we get older”.  Unfortunately it’s not, and this is where I have to remind myself life is complicated.  Otherwise I’d be shouting that line from the movie Empire Records, “Damn the man!”

I feel all of us at some point feel trumped down in life or by life at times. So I’ve come up with some “Damn the man!” reminders.

1-Be kind. Remind yourself, life is complicated.  A friend recently posted this quote, “Be kind, you don’t know what someone else is going through.” This is so true.  So be kind, lend a ear, sometimes we need compassion. Also be kind to yourself.

2- Love nature. I can’t emphasize this one enough. Go for a walk, put your feet in the sand, and embrace the world around you.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Live in the ocean, swim in the sea, drink the wild air”.

3- Savor time.  Savor every second like it is the finest morsel of food you have ever devoured. Time can be like a boiling pot of water. If you are waiting for something to come time seems to slow down, but when you are truly living it just flies by…my where has the time gone.

4- Be honest.  Be true with yourself accept your flaws alongside your strengths. No one is perfect, and there is always someone that can do it better. You are your own worst critic.

5-Forgive. Remember we are all on a journey, each with its’ own obstacles. Emerson also once said, “ Life is a journey, not a destination”. The obstacles or road bumps along our journey are what shape and mold us.  The obstacles help us grow not just as individuals, but also as humanity.

Life is very complicated, so garden your relationships. Why? Relationships are something all of us have, but they can be very complex. Sure some relationships are easy, but the good ones, the ones who are with you for a lifetime, those are the complex ones. The ones you fight for and cherish in a way that cannot be defined in words.  This dawned on me as I watched an interview with Jada Pinkett Smith on her relationship with Tupac. She described their relationship as, “It was beyond friendship…the type of relationship we had you only get once in a lifetime”. To help each other in our journeys we must learn to accept the complicated obstacles and help one another for the betterment of all humanity.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Summer “Schooling”

So every year as the school year comes to an end, many of us find ourselves counting down until summer break, but have you ever caught yourself complaining?  Now there are several things we might find ourselves complaining about, for instance, “Why is it that as soon as summer break hits my kids have no problem waking up at the crack of dawn?” Or, how about your teacher friend saying, “I really am thankful the school year is over, but I need routine!” As a teacher as I started my first day of summer break, I decided that it was going to start with routine. And that this routine was going to maximize my son waking at the “crack of dawn.” So I was bound and determined to start of my summer break doing something that I longed to do, something that I needed to do, and something my son would benefit from, and that was starting our day with a walk in nature.

Now you might ask why?  Why was walking in nature so important?  Well for starters I wouldn’t be writing this right now, my walk from this morning brought fresh ideas to my head and I needed to pen them down.  So here I am sharing what I think is so vital to educators, teachers, and parents.   Some may think this is just for parents, but those are not the only ones that are affected by this.  You see on my walk this morning, I quickly realized as a teacher and a mother that summer is not a break for us to stop learning.  Believe it or not, my six-year-old son shared with me his thoughts about the book, The Giving Tree.  We were near the end of our walk at the time this conversation started, but he said to me, “Mom, that story isn’t real, that tree it doesn’t exist does it?” And I responded, “Well, it is a story, so it is fake, it is to help teach us a lesson about nature and life”. He said, “Yes, but mom it isn’t real, it didn’t happen”.  I explained to him, that it is fiction, and he said, “But fiction is real, and it’s not.” And I replied, “Fiction is fake, non-fiction is real”.  And it was at that moment that I realized just how amazing this walk had been not only for me, but also for him.  Here I am a 10^th grade English Language Arts teacher, who teaches the differences between fiction and non-fiction all year long.  And yet, here my six-year-old son is having this philosophical conversation about these differences with Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree.  Now, some of you might be thinking, but you are an English teacher of course you will talk to your child like this.  And I must say that as a teacher and parent, we long to be able to talk to our kids this way, but the reality is that the opportunity has to arise.  How can such an opportunity arise if nothing is there to engage it?  And hence, this is why we must rethink and redefine our summer break to summer “schooling”.  We must not let our children have a break from learning.

You see it came to me during this walk, that we must break the stigma that we have tied to “summer school”.  By creating this stigma that “summer school” is a bad thing, we have also taught them that summer is a “break” from learning.  Now some of you are saying, but they need the break and they still get socialized learning.  And I would agree with you; however, children must also see summer as “schooling”.  What I mean by this is that there is just as much for children to learn in the summer as there is throughout the traditional school year.  I decided months ago that my son was not getting the summer off from school.  And I have taken some heat from others about it.  What do I say in my defense, “That he needs to continue to practice what he has learned, so that he doesn’t revert at all”.  However, I realized this morning, that it is not simply maintaining the skills he has learned, but also continuing his education.

Truthfully, this discovery did not just occur out of the blue on this first morning walk of the summer with my son.  I had actually been thinking about this for some time, I knew I needed to map out a routine for summer.  I remembered how helpful nature walks were in the past, they allowed me time to clear my head, sort my thoughts, and the most beneficial part to them was how much inspiration they gave me.  Ah-ha! Yes, you see the reason I am writing this now, is because it was all inspired by my walk this morning.  As several teachers gathered together on the last day to celebrate another year in the books, some of us talked about going on hikes a few times a week.  And I thought to myself, why wait to do it just a few times, this needs to be a daily routine.  And I know some of you are already thinking, but it is so hot in the summer and I hate being hot.  Okay, but remember you must be the example to your student and that means even as a parent, your child is also your student!

The walk we took this morning was 2 miles or two loops. Throughout the walk I explained to my son that we would walk the two loops and afterwards he could play in the playground at the park.  I kept reminding him that in order to “Play hard” we must “work hard”.  So if we were able to make our two laps then he could play in the playground.  Now, here is the teacher as parent part, when you promise your child something, be sure to remind him of the limits.  So, as we finished the last loop, I said, “Okay, now we can go to the playground, but before we enter, remember that you only have 15 minutes, so when we enter the playground I will check the time and count down from there”.  So as my son played and played, I kept checking in with him reminding him you have ten minutes, 7 minutes, 3 minutes.  And some of you may ask, why is she sharing this, well it is always important to establish rules and keep to them.  It is also critical to check in with children and give them reminders. You might be really surprised to discover you will have less meltdown.

So I hope you enjoy your summer and all the discoveries you will encounter along the way!

Harper Lee encouraging a polite conversation for the masses

Does Go Set a Watchman change how we teach To Kill a Mockingbird?

So unlike many of my friends and fellow educators I had never read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school or in college.
     Reader: WHAT!?! How is that possible? But you are an English teacher?
           Me:  I know, I know, it is pretty sacrilegious and un-American to have grown up in America and not read this classic, and also become an English teacher prior to reading this novel.

The answer is rather simple, the novel was never assigned to me in high school or college and yes, while I am an avid reader and had picked up the book several times to read, I was always interrupted by other assignments or life events.  I read chapter 1, many times and then would find it a month later under another book on my nightstand, and once again, I would move it back to my "to-read" shelf.  "Eventually," I would say, "I will get to it".  I must also state for the record that even though I had not read the novel, I was very familiar with the story, through friends who hold this book as their all-time favorite, also from literary references, and of course, the film adaptation (which I always seemed to catch midway through running on AMC).

When I realized that Go Set a Watchman was being published I decided it was high time I finally read To Kill a Mockingbird.  However, I decided because I could, that I would read them in the order in which Harper Lee wrote them, so I would begin with Go Set a Watchmen and then, To Kill a Mockingbird.

I knew the controversy surrounding Go Set a Watchman, but decided if I am going to teach To Kill a Mockingbird I needed to read both.  Now that I have finished both novels I am very glad I did not let the controversy and worry of the change in Atticus Finch's character prevent me from doing so.  What this worry did for me was consider this question as I read, "Would I teach To Kill a Mockingbird differently, and would I have to?"

The answer is no. But, do I think there are more things teachers can address other than symbolisms, metaphors, themes, and foreshadowing.

And here is why... To Kill a Mockingbird is not just a novel about injustice, prejudice and the complicated deep South.  To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic because it continues to cause readers to think, to question and to come to terms with the moral changes in society overtime. It also allows Americans to discuss the complications that occur between generations, what my childhood looked like versus my parents versus their parents, etc. As a teacher, we must point out why sometimes things change, sometimes they remain the same, and sometimes unfortunately, we are left alone searching for an answer in the wilderness.

After reading TKAM I realized the one thing I would like to do as I teach this novel and I hope others do as well, and that is to introduce philosophy. In America we tend to teach psychology and sociology in high schools focusing much like Lee does with why and how people live the way they do, trying to grapple with social class, racial divide, child endangerment, drug addiction, mentally impaired.  I did not get taught philosophy until college, and understanding existence and why things are the way they are...are very common concerns among teens. What Lee does at the end of TKAM is she uses Machiavelli's principle, "he (the leader of the state) must stick to the good so long as he can, but, being compelled be necessity, he must be ready to take the way of evil" (Machiavelli, 63).  The Sheriff takes the way of evil, " I never heard tell that it's against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did, but maybe you'll say it's my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up.  Know what'd happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb includin' my wife'd be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes.  To my way of thinkin', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch" (Lee, 317).  Lee uses Arthur 'Boo' Radley as a sense of evil shadow through the entire novel, only to be the ghost that saves the day.

Of course, this is not the only thing I would like my students to see, I would like them to question the other complexities throughout the novel, but I think giving them a sense of philosophy would greatly help them grapple with their own questions as they read.

Now to address the controversy of Atticus Finch. To Kill a Mockingbird is a hero's journey and the hero can be viewed through two characters Atticus Finch and Scout, or Jean Louise. Now this is where I feel if teaching the hero's journey, Atticus fits TKAM. Scout however, a teacher should urge students to examine both novels.

TKAM, if taught in isolation, Atticus Finch can remain the beloved father figure. And as a teacher I would introduce Joseph Campbell's hero's journey:
     1-Ordinary World- Atticus is a father to his children, a lawyer in Maycomb County.
     2-Call to Adventure-  Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson by Judge Taylor.
     3-Refusal- the trial brings unwanted attention to his family.
     4-Mentor/Helper- His cook, Calpurnia and Jack Finch.
     5-Crossing the Threshold- Knowing the verdict, but doing what he can in the trial.
     6-Tests/Allies/Enemies- Hatred from some of the town's people.
     7-Approach- Facing persecution from the people of Maycomb Co. for defending Tom.
     8-Ordeal- Bob Ewell's threats and attack on his children.
     9- Reward- His children's lives are spared
    10-Road back- moral education
    11-Atonement- Sheriff saying, "let the dead, bury the dead" (let evil take care of evil)
    12-Return- Town returns to a sense of normalcy

Now if one uses GSAW one might choose to further explore Scout on the hero's journey.  In TKAM, Lee makes a literary reference to Scout being, Jean Louise Bulfinch, for those of you who do not know, this reference is to Thomas Bulfinch's mythology.  If one is to compare Thomas Bulfinch to Scout one might argue that Lee wanted her character to tell her journey for the masses, like Bulfinch, and not for theologians and scholars.  And ultimately, encourage a polite conversation for her mass readers, which I think TKAM has done for generations.

So to view Scout's hero's journey, one must use both novels.
     1-Ordinary World- Childhood/the way she remembers the Maycomb Co. of her childhood
     2-Call to Adventure- Gray ghost, who is the mysterious Boo Radley, the trial/Her dad's ailing health and the train ride home
     3-Refusal-Mr. Radley cementing the tree, her father being accused of helping blacks/accepting Maycomb Co. as it is now, slowly becoming segregated
     4-Mentor/Helper- father, Boo Radley, Sheriff/ Uncle Jack
     5-Crossing the Threshold- facing the lynch mob/viewing the town council with her father as a member
     6-Tests/Allies/Enemies-Towns people, Bob Ewell/Henry Clinton, her father and his moral education
     7-Approach- Criticized for her father's involvement in the trial/Criticizing Maycomb Co. becoming segregated
     8-Ordeal- Bob Ewell's attack/Accepting her father as a flawed human and not God
     9-Reward- Her life spared/Adulthood, independence, her conscience
    10-Road Back- Accepting Boo Radley as the gray ghost/Accepting that she is different than her father, but that he still loves her and she still loves him
    11-Atonement- "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird"/Uncle Jack saying, "Every man's island, Jean Louise, every man's watchman, is his conscience"
     12-Return- Understanding what it is like to walk in someone else's shoes/Becoming her own voice, standing up for what is right

Jean Louise wants to be back home, the home she grew up in, when she was innocent and ignorant, but she has crossed the threshold of adulthood and can't return to the Maycomb County of her childhood, because it has changed and so has she. One of the parts that I think is brilliantly tied in GSAW is the story of Child Rolande and the dark tower. This reference really fits Scout's hero's journey, her searching, feeling alone in the wilderness for the first time, not able to turn to her father.  For teachers, this is a great way to include poetry in the classroom and teach Browning's "Child Roland to the Dark Tower Came", and if time allotted they could also incorporate Shakespeare's King Lear reference to Child Rowland and the dark tower. This is just another reason why we have gravitated to Lee's writing.

For anyone apprehensive about reading Go Set a Watchman, I understand how you feel, especially based upon all the reviews, it is much like a television reunion, where the characters you loved have grown up, and you get to love them again.  And unlike many other reviewers, I think that Atticus Finch still remains America's beloved father, he still loves his daughter, even though she does not agree with his views. I think Lee uses the view of Atticus Finch, to show that in America it is wrong to hold any man to be the moral compass of all society, and that as we grow our values and morals do as well.  America loves superheroes and heroes in general, and it would be nice to have the TKAM Atticus Finch come and save the day, but we live in the ordinary world, not the supernatural.  An ordinary world, always troubled by injustice, prejudice, and cultural complications like those in the deep South.  Ultimately, I think Lee wanted to show the masses a lesson in humility. So thank you, Harper Lee, for once again giving us a novel that will continue a polite conversation on these subjects.

Censorship: 1. censorial control exercised repressively. 2 : the office, power, or term of a Roman censor.
Okay, so I haven't written a blog in quite awhile, but an article that came across my Facebook feed from a former professor, Susan Redington Bobby caused a guttural reaction that could not be ignored. So here goes...

Dear Tara Shultz,

I am writing to you as an educator and a mother.  First and foremost, you are a 20-year-old college student, who has the right to choose a major and your classes.  I understand that sometimes a major may demand that you take certain courses, but I am also aware that every college has a college board.  If you knew or were concerned that a graphic novel course was going to have material that you found offensive, you might have thought about appealing to the board and asking for a supplemental course.  Instead you made this comment to the Redlands Daily Facts, “I didn’t expect to open the book and see that graphic material within,. I expected Batman and Robin, not pornography".  I strongly encourage you to take a closer look at Batman and Robin, particularly Frank Miller's The Dark Knight. I think you might be surprised that it too portrays violence, examines sexuality and the oppressed, and hints at pornography.  I also would like to know since you say, “I don’t want them taught anymore. I don’t want anyone else to have to read this garbage," what do you recommend be taught in their place?

I ask this, because as an educator when a student comes to me concerned about an assigned reading, they are not excused from the reading. Instead you see, we establish an alternative assignment for the course.  The origin of graphic novels stems back to dime store comic books.  I feel it is important to point this out, as someone who took a graphic novel course as an undergrad, I discovered through research, just how remarkable comic books were to generations of people who had to stop going to school to help out on the family farm.  You see, the "graphic" images helped them to understand the stories being told, and at a dime a piece it was quite the alternative to being illiterate. The Superheroes you may have expected were also created to help readers of the time cope with what was occurring in the world,  evils of war, world war. These comics also helped readers cope with things they could not talk about, they gave them a sense of hope and normalcy.

Is this image from Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis so graphic and horrifying?  She is looking to God to help her understand a revolt in her country. Personally, I found Satrapi's graphic novel gripping, heart-wrenching and humorous.  Something you might not fully understand, but often when people are faced with the most terrifying moments in their lives, they laugh, because it is what helps move them through it.

Maybe you would have preferred to read about Wonder Woman and her lasso of truth? However, I would ask that you delve a little deeper and study her creator, William Moulton Marston. Yes, the inventor of the lie detector test.  A man who not only had a wife, but a mistress, both of which fathered his children. Marston had an interest in women's suffrage, but also centerfolds, which many people overlook until they start to study the origin of the this legendary comic book icon. I mean seriously did you ever think about the fact that whenever a man binds her in chains, she loses all her powers? You see, comic books explain so many things, the suffragette movement and the rise of feminism.

Furthermore, I have to say that you are fortunate that Ryan Barlett was your professor for this course, because I probably would have added the graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Saga to the syllabus. And based on popularity I may have even added The Walking Dead and Chew.

Lastly, as a mother, I must point out that you are a 20-year-old, so stop relying on your parents to stand by your side and start standing on your own two feet, you, Tara Shultz, are an adult, not a child.

Sincerely,
An educator, mother and comic book fan girl

Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes to make this time of year. There are several variations on this salad. I also love that you can serve this over crisp lettuce leaves on its' own or as a side with a main course like grilled chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

4 red peppers

1 container of mozzarella balls

2-3 fresh basil leaves

Pinch of Italian seasonings

Drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

Slice the red peppers so that you can lay them in a baking pan skin side up. Place them in the broiler, roasting the peppers until the skins are bubbling and black. Remove the peppers with tongs place in a glass dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let them cool for about 10-15 minutes before trying to remove skins. Once you remove skins cut peppers in long sliver slices and place in a glass or ceramic dish. Next add mozzarella balls. Chop basil and sprinkle on top along with pinch of Italian seasonings. Finish off with a drizzle of olive oil and lightly toss...ready to serve and devour!

***You can also use yellow peppers for more color and flavor. 

Another thing I like to do with this recipe is toss in fresh grape or heirloom tomatoes***

Time to Shine with FlowCity

 

Several years ago, Kyle and I had the opportunity to meet some amazing young talent.  Kyle was working at a high school and had the privilege of helping many students who had an interest in music with a club called "So You Think You Wanna Be a Rock Star?"  The students of that club combined with the students in the poetry club teamed up and started putting on coffeehouses.  The coffeehouses were a unique opportunity for students to test the stage and see what it really felt like to perform in front of an audience.  Some of the students quickly realized what stage fright really was, and others embraced it and thrived off of it.  There was a particular group that not only discovered they had a talent, but realized it was a passion that they wanted to flourish, this group was FlowCity aka "302 party crew".  What I saw the first time they took the stage was a connection to the crowd, their dream was much like their peers, they wanted to be famous, and their peers connected to this in their words, "that'll be me on the TV screen".  Their lyrics were catchy and you could hear the students singing their songs throughout the halls.  FlowCity began practicing more and more, and they haven't quit. 

Kyle and I have stayed in connection with member, Danielle Johnson aka Brown Suga, and I asked her for an exclusive interview.  The boys and Brown Suga have been working hard and coming up with new material.

Q-How would you describe your hip hop? There are many elements of hip hop: DJing, MCing, Graffiti art, breaking and beatbox...what are your favorites and are there any that you hope on bringing to FlowCity's future?

Brown Suga- I would describe our music as fun, in your face party music! Our nick name is the 302 Party Crew and you can definitely hear it in our music.  Hip hop started at block parties with djs playing the music everyone loved and people coming together to celebrate and have a great time. FLOWCITY embodies that! If you ever see us live you can't help but have fun just watching us.

Q-Do you feel you are addressing deep changes in society that are not being addressed in any other arena?

Brown Suga- I love when we're recording and get the chance to really ponder and write about a serious subject. I'm actually working on a song with songwriter and musical artist Big Frank, about being a proud independent black woman. I think it's important to be up to date and current in music, especially when you make rap which has for a long time been about current pop culture and what's buzzing, but when I get the chance to really get engrossed in a subject I care very much about I jump at it!

Q-You are all cousins, correct? When did you decide to form FlowCity, how did it happen?

Brown Suga- Haha! Yes we are all family! Shorty Rock (Darien Williams) is my first cousin. His mother is actually FlowCity's manager, Valerie Williams. Nino Nosay (Dexter Brown) has been a part of our family since...I can't remember! He lived down the street from Shorty Rock when we were young children and he didn't have any siblings to harass so we took him in. I really don't think I could feel closer to him if we did share blood.  I was the first to really try my hand at music. I wrote little songs on a dollar store piano my mother bought me. You know how they have demo buttons that play percussion of different genres. I would play those and write raps. One day I was brave enough to show Shorty Rock and he thought it was awesome. I think we were 8 or 9 and we just never stopped.  Nino came into the picture around 2008 when we were in high school together.

Q-You've been together for 6 years, this was your 4th African American Festival in Dover and your first time having a DJ, do you plan to continue to feature djs or are any of you looking at becoming a dj like pioneer DJ Kool Herc?

Brown Suga- The African American Festival is hands down my favorite show of the year! All of the community is there and we always feel so loved and appreciated. This year was the first year we had DJ ELegal (@DJ_ELegal http://twitter.com/DJ_ELegal) on stage with us.  After having a dj on stage you can't go back haha!  You have more control of your show and that's big to us because we always try to make it entertaining and not just a bunch of goofy kids jumping around on stage.

Q-You've played a few times outside Delaware- Baltimore, D.C. and Philly, have you ever had the opportunity to play the birthplace of hip hop, The Bronx? If not, how would it feel to get a chance to play there?

Brown Suga- We've played Manhattan, but not the Bronx.  New York is kind of intimidating when it comes to hip hop. It's like you walk down the street and someone's freestyling on the corner and it is amazing! Every corner is like that! Well not every corner, some corners I walk in the street to avoid, but you get my drift.

credit: Bill Rife Photography

Q-Like the movie, Brown Sugar says, "When did you first fall in love with hip hop?" What artists would you say were most influential to you? And who would you compare your music too?

Brown Suga- This question is always kind of hard because my first musical influences weren't hip hop artists. They were mostly gospel singers and Jimi Hendrix haha! I was raised in a strong Christian household and really wasn't allowed to listen to secular music.  Gospel singers taught me to perform with feeling and emotion and Jimi taught me to dare to be different.  Hip hop came later and almost as a lark. But if I have to answer it would be Bone thugs in Harmony and Tupac Shakur. they were awesome writers and performers.

Q-Describe what each of your names mean: Brown Suga, Nino Nosay and Shorty Rock?

Brown Suga- Haha! That's a new question! Shorty Rock played basketball since he was a child. He actually passed up school after graduation to pursue music. During basketball the players would say pass me the rock meaning basketball. He was also pretty short growing up. I'm not sure if it was our grandmother or his father, but someone called him Shorty Rock at a game, and the entire school called him that from then on. Nino is a firm believer in the saying "I am my brothers keeper" a line in the 90s film New Jack City starring Wesley Snipes.  The main character's name was Nino Brown. I got my name from a friend. The story is quite simple. We were at this church that was throwing a show full of scream rock band's haha! While we were on our way to the bathroom together before the next band set up, she turned to me and said, "You're so sweet! I'm gong to call you Brown Suga". It was good enough for me. It caught on quickly and soon people didn't remember my real name anymore.

Q-How does fashion impact FlowCity, one of your songs talks about looking through XXL and other brand labels? How would you feel to be a XXL freshmen?

Brown Suga- FlowCity loveeeeeessssss fashion! Not in the spend my bill money on shoes type of way, but in a we want to catch your eye kind of way. I think out of all of us Shorty Rock is most fashion inclined, but we all have our own style. Who said that? Probably Nino Nosay! That would be amazing to be on the cover of XXL.  I go into gas stations to us the ATM and that magazine always catches my eye. That cover is reserved for the next big names in hip hop! I cannot wait until I'm using the ATM and my face is peeking out from that cover! haha!

Brown Suga and Chelsea
photo credit: Kyle Bullock
 

Q- Danielle (Brown Suga) you are very open about being a lesbian, have you endured any backlash in the community? Does it help being a part of hip hop, or do you still fight a battle being accepted?

Brown Suga- Yes, I am out and proud! I am proud of who I am and went through hardships and guilt for years before I finally felt comfortable with myself. If anyone feels any resentment towards me for being bisexual now they have yet to make it public.






"Loose Lips Sink Ships"
Hannah Whitham and Brown Suga in the RatZilla (thanks to Ed Thwaites)
photo credit: Kyle Bullock

Q-Recently your friend, Hannah Whitham got a portrait tattoo of you. It is very reminiscent of the African painter, Ernie Barnes, who is known for elongation and movement in his paintings.  His most noteworthy painting is probably "Sugar Shack" which was part of the 70s television series "Good Times" which depicted living in the ghetto.  Barnes was also commissioned by Kayne West to create "A Life Restored" a painting depicting the life changing experience West had with a near fatal car crash.  How did it feel to discover your friend acknowledge your friendship with a portrait tattoo?

Brown Suga- I never even thought of that similarity. I know the painting you are talking about.  I think the first time I ever saw it was in a barbershop.  I suppose it does look a little reminiscent of his work. Hannah Whitham is my best friend! We got really close in high school and that was the end of that. She's the sister I never had! It was done as a total surprise to me and I almost didn't believe it, but it's awesome. She is a big fan of art and hard work that goes with tattoos. I love that she got a kickass tattoo of me, but I'd be okay if she was the only person to ever get a tattoo of me!



Q- FlowCity has been at this for 6 years, what are you doing to pay the bills as you are working to get out there on the scene?

Brown Suga- We've been a band for several years. It takes money to make money so we've always found ways to make ends meet and help our craft.  I took several months off form making music to go back to school. I work at a medical clinic during the day.  I wanted a 9 to 5 job with no nights or weekends, so I could continue my passion without starving to death. Have you ever heard of starving artists?  That's not a joke.

Q- What has been the best advice anyone has given you?

Brown Suga- Wow, that's a hard question.  I think the best advice ever given to me was from music legend, Bill Pettaway, on a trip to Florida in 2012.  He said, "success is determined by three factors: having the right thing, at the right time and being in the right place". I thought long and hard about it and decided it is true on so many levels in life, not just in the music business.  Every day I try to make sure my craft, my product, my art, my job, my relationships with friends and family are always evolving. You never know when your time to shine will present itself. I believe in that moment you can change your destiny.

Q-Are you signed?

Brown Suga- Signed to what? A record contract? An album deal? A distribution deal? Haha! this question always gets me funny looks when I answer. Nope, no signing of any dotted lines yet.  Flow City is currently concentrating on making good music, gaining fan base (not only regionally, but also internationally) and finding new and better ways to market ourselves. If a deal comes and the numbers look good then amen! If not, we'll continue to build our business with the resources we have and the team of people we've been blessed to work with over the years.

Bill Rife Photography

Brown Suga and
The Ratzilla (Ed Thwaites)
Photo Credit: Kyle Bullock
 

Special thanks to Danielle Johnson/Brown Suga for this interview and for hanging with me at the gym. 
 

FlowCity
 https://www.facebook.com/FlowCity3

Booking Info Contact: Valerie Williams, FlowCity Manager
(302)241-4357
vide@verizon.net
 

Credits: Bill Rife Photography http://youtu.be/TGHABKDEaall

 

Thanks again to Ed Thwaites for allowing Ratzilla to be part of a photoshoot

Photographer Kyle Bullock @electricsheep6 (instagram)

 

Never End While Something We Evoked Didn't Explode, Never! (New Sweden)

My husband, Kyle and I eagerly anticipate the Firefly Music Festival lineup every year, usually there is only one Delaware band in the lineup.  The lineup was released, but the Firefly app was not up, we knew there were going to be two Delaware bands (Mean Lady and New Sweden), we wanted to learn who they were and their sound.  It did not take long for us to discover we knew one of the band members in New Sweden from high school.  I began scanning You Tube for clips of New Sweden, when I heard "Shine That Light," I was hooked.  As I've said before a festival like Firefly is something I dreamed of growing up in Delaware.  I mean I learned to play guitar where the Home Depot now sits.  So getting a chance to see a "kid" you remember singing and drumming in your high school art class all "grown-up" (Smyrnadelphia) and playing festivals, following his bliss, and enjoying every second of it, is a beautiful sight to behold. 

I ordered their album, The Mountain, it reminded me of so many other Americana bands and artists, Neil Young, Sam Beam of Iron and Wine, David Lowery and Johnny Hickman of Cracker and Jack White.  Then Kyle and I decided to check them out at World Café Live @ the Queen in Wilmington.  Kyle works weekends so it is a rare thing for us to have a date night and catch live music.  We drove up and caught them without the band member we know, William Dobies and were amazed by their talent (it is rare to see a band that sounds as good as their recorded album and this case even better).  Previously being in our own cover band a few years back we were very aware of how hard it can be to play to an audience without one of your band mates, particularly when they cover most of the lead vocals.  James "Jimmy" Dukenfield covered most of the vocals, while the rest of the band did what they normally do, get the audience foot stompin' and toe tapping, we both said to each other, if they sound like this what do they sound like with one more?  It just made us more excited to see them at Firefly.

At Firefly they did not disappoint.  Not only did they bring it, but they put in so much heart and soul, that even one of the event staff was dancing (which um, you just don't see, like ever!!! I did get a video of it, but I also picked up feedback from the speakers because of where I was standing, so if you want to see this fine man dancing checkout DelawareOnline's coverage). Red Frog was wise picking New Sweden to showcase Delaware while complimenting the other Americana headliners like Iron & Wine, The Lumineers and Band of Horses.   As I shared with band member, Chuck Knott when we ran into him amongst the crowd at Firefly, that they ranked in my top 3 bands to ever play this festival for sound and performance- first being the Black Keys, second being New Sweden and third, Jack White (and I believe the rain had a part in the sound not being as stellar for White, I mean he did end up performing in his bare feet).  Of course, I love seeing many of the bands' performances and enjoying all of them, but sound is a huge, you can put on a good show, a great show or an unforgettable show. These three bands were unforgettable!

Since Firefly, New Sweden has been busy doing shows around the surrounding region, and last week celebrated the release of their new EP Fabric Room at World Café Live at the Queen. I had the privilege of doing a question and answer in between all the chaos with New Sweden's Chuck Knott and here is what transpired:

Q- Your songs portray hard working men finding a balance between being a "man" and living their American dream, as you strive to reach this dream what do you do to earn a living?  

Chuck- I think we've all done odd jobs throughout growing up either just to get by or for the experience of it.  I've done everything from serving tables, running as a valet, driving a truck, busking on the street corner, and selling pot.  American dream right, haha?? That dream is different for everyone, but I think a matter of just striving for what you love while trying to keep your head afloat otherwise is kind of "dreamlike" in itself, and dreams aren't always balanced, nor American.  In fact, one of our best songs is about a couple meeting on a train in France, haha.

Q-Where did you come up with the name New Sweden, is there any correlation to Delaware being settled by the Swedish? 

Chuck-It's simply an abbreviation:  Never End While Something We Evoked Didn't Explode, Never

Q-What has been your favorite venue to play, and what venue would you like to play? 

Chuck- Every venue... that's the politically correct thing to say, right?  Festivals are always fun because you know you're playing to new people and the circus of it all makes it exciting.  Obviously venues with great sound systems (like the Queen Theatre where we just had our record release) are obviously preferable, but we've also had some gnarly good times playing when there's one blown monitor, we're sharing two beer soaked microphones, it's so goddamn hot that your strings are gonna be corroded from sweat by the end of the night, and all the while the girl in the "front row" is so close that you can smell what she had for lunch... but she's got a nice smile so it's ok.

Q-What was the first album you ever owned? And what influence, if any, did it have on you? 

Chuck-Phish.  And yes, it put me very much under the influence......... of loving live music.  Oh, what did you think I meant by that?

Q-What is your drink of choice? I know some musicians like whiskey, some beer, what is your preference and is there a particular brand?  

Chuck- Something that you have to order in an old timey accent from a guy with a handlebar mustache, slicked back hair and a bow-tie who always seems to be polishing a glass no matter how slow the bar is.  And you have to end every sentence with "Yeah, see...."

No I'm not too picky.  I enjoy a good dark beer with a bite but it's not unusual to find a few Keystone Lights in my backpack... you know, to keep hydrated.  

Q-During performances you guys switch instruments quite frequently, what instrument did  you first learn to play and what instrument do you prefer to play? 

Chuck- Started on the guitfiddle and then moved on to the trianglaphone, but I think my favorite is the sousasnare.  (In the words of Peppermint Patty, "Hey, Chuck, I see what you are doing here, I really like the Dr. Suess reference")

I started on guitar at age 9 and then slowly picked other ones up along the way, especially considering that once my parents' ran out of ideas of guitar related items to buy me for Christmas, they resorted to putting a banjo and ukelele under the tree.  So I figured I might as well learn how to play them, at least adequately (not gonna be ripping any scorching bluegrass banjo solos anytime soon, haha).  I wouldn't say I have a favorite, it's playing whatever the song needs that's most satisfying.  But I guess I'm still most comfortable on guitar, just because the two of us have had the longest relationship and don't hate each other yet.

Q-As someone who has tinkered with playing various instruments over the years, I personally love playing the guitar.  And while most of my friends dreamed of owning a Martin or Taylor, I started with a Gibson, which I love, but I wanted to own a Hofner guitar, the closest I came was a Hofner bass, do you have a dream instrument?

Chuck- Anything old and musty that you can tell has been played over the years.   I like old hollowbodies, like Guilds or Gibsons (was fortunate to find an old 1961 Guild on Craigslist last year which we used on the majority of Fabric Room), but anything weird and unique.  

Actually no, my dream instrument is anything and everything that stays in goddamn tune.

Q-If you could record with any one who would it be? 

Chuck- It would be a funky jazz record with Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, and Billy Crystal having an argument in the backround the entire time.  The running time will be 58:23.  It will be called Star Penguin Slickers.

Most of the people I'd like to record with are dead.  That's not really true, but I'd love to have been able to play with someone like Levon Helm who had the biggest "pocket feel" of any drummer ever in my book.  Truth though, recording with the guys from New Sweden has been a super enjoyable and fruitful experience, and everyone has a great ear and kept focus on "not over-doing it," so I guess the answer is simply "this band."

Q-Dave Grohl mentioned while playing with the Foo Fighters at Firefly that he spent a lot of time around these parts and that smell of Grotto's Pizza evoked a pleasurable nostalgia, is there any local food that satisfies your salivary glands in that way? 

Chuck-There's a lot of great restaurants around, but one that I've spent a boatload of time at, either playing, watching other local & traveling bands, or even bartending at from time to time, is The Blue Parrot, which unfortunately might close if they can't find a buyer since the owner is retiring to Mexico.  So a lot of those New Orleans style dishes definitely evoke a nostalgia, mostly pleasurable, but there have been some hazy nights, both at that restaurant and in New Orleans.  

Q-Who has been a mentor to you and what impact have they had on where you are today?  

Chuck- Well my pops taught me how to play guitar at age 9 and showed me songs and technique and kind of really helped me understand what makes a song or a band good.  And then when I wanted to explore other styles that he couldn't necessarily teach me, my parents sought out teachers that could facilitate that.  It's all about how good of a teacher you have.  So I would say beyond that, the first "elective" course I could take in high school I chose Music Theory, and the teacher I had there had a great sense of humor and really taught me the first things I knew about "why" music worked and let me dissect it a lot more.  No teacher or anyone has necessarily been a "mentor" in the Kill Bill sense that they took me under their wing for an extended period of time until I was a bonafide badass, but rather a bunch of people who each left a specific mark on my playing or outlook on this whole music thing.

Q-How did all of you meet and form the band?  

Chuck- I think Jimmy and Billy met at an open mic and started playing together and throwing songs back and forth.  Then, in a natural progression of a band "growing it's legs" they found Dan off of Craigslist to play bass and Jimmy knew a viola player, Caroline.  Then as the songs called for more percussion than a tambourine on the ground (which we still use, by the way), they asked Zac to come in, who had never really played before and grew as a musician as the band grew(the fiddle player) has since moved to Nashville because, well, if I were a fiddle player that's damn well sure where I'd go, haha, and we settled into the 5-piece that we are now.  (William Dobies, Chuck Knott, Dan Weirauch, James Dukenfield, and Zac Dukenfield). It allows for a lot more switching of instruments and everyone has kind of settled into the feel of the band now.

Q-Who was the first band you saw in concert? 

Chuck-The first was Aerosmith with Collective Soul when I was 11 or 12 at the Spectrum in Philly, the venue that still probably holds the record  for the place I've seen the most number of shows, either there or that big old concrete box over in Camden (whatever they're deciding to call it this year).  I want the dirty old Spectrum back.

As I said before, New Sweden just released the EP Fabric Room, I highly recommend you go buy or download your copy today! Kyle and I have been groovin' on it since Firefly and have now made our  three-year-old son a fan, he loves singing "1-2-3, 1-2-3" at the beginning of "All the Blue".  If you are interested in catching them out and about here is the schedule of upcoming shows:

 

July 19th*Dogfish Head, Rehoboth Beach, DE

July 20th,*Everhart Park, West Chester, PA

Sept. 21st*Save the Valley, Wilmington, DE

Oct. 26th*Sea Witch Halloween Fiddlers' Festival, Rehoboth Beach, DE