The Last Post of Customary Crandall 2021 & a Welcome to the Karalvan of 2022...the 15th Year of Blogging Begins Today. New Site. New Hopes. New Possibilities

Karalvan 2022

Well, that was 2021, and it went out, of course, with the loss of our Rose of St. Olaf. God Bless You, Betty White. If only all of us could live with such purpose, joy, humor, humility, and respect.

It's somewhat unbelievable that students in the class of 2008 recommended I pick-up blogging so they could keep up with me after my departure from the Brown School in 2007, and this is my 15th year - one where I always think, "Do I want to keep this tradition going? Do I want to invest the time?" The truth is, I've always written daily, reflected, and needed an outlet. Blogging allows my daily thoughts to be more public and I am thankful to friends, colleagues, and family who choose to keep up with Crandall's crazy.

This was an incredulous year for everyone and writing has remained my therapy. I realized as I put together the 2021 Montage, that I've really had to grow apart from in-person gatherings and celebrations, and found it a little more difficult to capture the year-lived in photographs (that weren't of a screen, alone - I kept them to a minimum). This was a year of a hernia (part two), an eye jabbing, then an ankle mishap. I also lost Glamis the Wonder Dog unexpectedly and swore never to get a dog again (hair and responsibility, ugh). But then this little face from PetRescue New York kept summoning me back to a website. Yes, adopted and returned often (and still a total spazz) I fell in love with yet another reliable friend (who craves enormous attention and is smarter than other dogs I've worked with). She has brought me joy, and I imagine her silliness and hyper-activity will provide more in the upcoming year, hence the 2022 Karalvan theme.

Despite all the limitations of the year, there is much to celebrate: publications, networking, a Northeast National Writing Conference, working beautifully with Dr. Susan James, Dr. Jessica Early, and many others on upcoming projects, presentations, and resolving the carpenter bee/woodpecker damage on the trim of my house. Chitunga got his first apartment in Stamford, Abu and Lossine are now working at the Academy of Science in Syracuse, Kanye finished a Masters, Edem continues to be the hardworking man he is, and I to hang with Kwame Alexander for a short while when Acoustic Rooster was staged at the Kennedy Center. I'm forever grateful to Julie Roneson, Dave Wooley, Jessica Baldizon, William King, Rich Novack, Kristin Lessard, Rebecca Marsick, Kim Herzog, Stefania Vendrella, Kelly Chandler Olcott and Liz Lewis, as well. We keep the work going. And for Tonya Perry, Kelly Sassi, Susan James, Jessica Early, Jennifer Dail, Ellen Shelton, Shelbie Witte, Kelli Sassi, Steve Bickmore, and Sarah Donovan - you keep my academic YA/NWP spirit alive.

I'm not sure what 2022 will bring, but I hope there are more Karalvals to bring my people together: those in CT, in KY, and across the nation (I'm looking at you, Alice Hays. WGI meets YA meets NWP)

I had a goal last night to stay awake until 10 p.m. - I didn't make it. I'm a curmudgeon when it comes to the New Year's Celebrations, and have my own traditions to keep up with (including birthday videos to be made today...The Great Whatever knows that January 1 is full of birthdays, especially for immigrant and refugee youth)

Best part of 2021, however, continues to be The Write Time with Tanya Baker. We have been doing the show for well over a year now, so being in touch with writers regularly is something to celebrate. The writers we featured this year know who they are...there are too many to list now (even if I should)

Here's to family, weddings, recovery, and friendship. 

I'm also super proud that Abu, Lossine and I had a poem published, one that will forever bond us in friendship, mentorship, family, and all still to come. Education. Education. Education. Sue McV and Alice Stevenson continue to be the best educational mentors a human being can ask for, and I'm glad that Chitunga has discovered her gifts.

And with that, I will end this post. There's always more to write...more to say...more to do. That's what the Karalvan of 2022 will set out to capture. Thank you, always, D-fli, for lending your wings to the pond. This Frog will forever be grateful for everything you launched inside of me as a fledgling teacher. You and all the others that shared soul-work with me as I began my career. 

Okay, 2022. What are you gonna do?