So, I'll Post a Lil' Zany from Yesterday Morning, Because It Gave Way to Beautiful. Sometimes, Crandall. Sometimes. I'm Flooded with Hope.

I cannot say it enough. Ann E. Burg is one of the most gifted storytellers I've ever read, and she composes totally in verse. I've read All the Broken Pieces like six times since Kwame Alexander introduced it to me, and her new book, Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown, I've read 3 times. It came out in the Fall of 2020. I'm not a historian. I knew nothing about the tragedy of Johnstown, Pa., and I might even ask, "Why should I care?" But, her craft and brilliance makes it as real as can be. It's a beautifully crafted book that should be taught interdisciplinarily (it is a word, I looked it up, even though Blogger doesn't like it), between ELA and history in schools. And we should care. This history of that moment is, actually, the history of our nation...perhaps the world.

Why do I know this? The grace of the Great Whatever. I used Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown in a graduate course I'm teaching and last night, history teacher after history teacher commented, "Why have none of my history teachers ever shared this story before? Why is this new to us? All those documentaries. All those AP exams. All the focus on immigration and the turn of the 20th century. Nothing on Johnstown. It makes not sense."

I'd argue, we only know about it because a poet and a YA/children's author...Ann E. Burg brought  journalistic qualities to her writing and dug up the stories that haven't been told. She made it available to us, filling in gaps where history failed us.

Beyond the history, Burg brings humanity. That's the heart of the narration. Because of the characters and their voices, I want to know more of the history - so much so, that I even made my grad students watch the History Channel last night (and this is a literacy course....granted...history is literacy, too). I want to learn more about the late 19th century because of this book. I NEED to know more. Phew.

Of course, this post doesn't make sense with the picture I posted, because the truth is I started my day bird-brained and singing Rawk! Rawk! with 100s of elementary school kids. I quickly transitioned to my boxing gloves and gavel, celebrating Nic Stone, Jerry Craft, Jason Reynolds, and Kwame Alexander with middle school kids. Finally (I walked the dog) then I dove into the waters with Ann E. Burg. 

Note, however, that my birthday socks (thanks, Casey) were perfect for being a bird (They sing, "I am a parrot!"). 

There's so much more to come with Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown. Last night, I pulled off the greatest heist of my career. My students had no idea that Ann E. Burg was coming to speak to the class, and I told them the University was conducting audits, so if stranger popped it, it was likely to be one of them (this is in case she decided to come in early).

She rocked their world (and mine). I will go to my grave feeling lucky we received her wisdom.

Now, back to the grants. Back to the research.