March 20, 2014

Great moon sailing cross my yard at the first of spring.

Leg cramps at midnight from the two mile run, and my perpetual failure to stretch.

Disastrous rehearsal last night. Nobody knew their lines well enough for it to be the first night utterly off book. I want to say I sailed above the fray, but I did not.

Planted blue clematis against the west fence, so my place will be know as the Blue Fence.

The kid’s– his name is Quentin–testimonial after my lecture hit the Twitter pages and the Facebook site, “Overheard at UNCA.” One girl on Facebook gushed that it “totally made the lecture.” One tries not to be thin-skinned, but that idea is disturbing. That spontaneous nonsense should be more valuable to anyone than informed and– I thought– eloquent reason explains a lot about the state of American society and politics. Her comment was not that developed, by I carried it in my own head to the point where she cherished the outburst because she thought it refuted and humanized all that came before. Her hatred of reason was vindicated. The stoned bellow is set in the balance with the epic, and at least ties. Though I would agree that the outburst “made” the lecture in the same sense that a Satyr play “makes” a cycle of Greek tragedies. The school administration at certain levels got wind of it, through the nattersphere, and wrung its hands because Twitter kept referencing “a stoned student” did so-and-so and we’re worried that the world will take us for a den of stoners. Quentin’s friend is in my class and assured me he was stone cold sober. Just idiosyncratic. Just a little bit crazy, in what I thought at the moment was a kind of sweet way. I hugged him after it was over, to communicate “it’s all right” to one who could scarcely fail to have been mortified This made some people think I had put him up to it.

Alan has to keep his puppy home because “someone might be allergic and sue us.” It will be well when the biddyocracy at the institution is all weeded out.

However, after all that, I read this on my Facebook page:

I don't expect a response but I just wanted you to know....without trying to be creepy, I can honestly say you were the most influential professor I had my entire college career.  
The first time I was able to study with you was during my first semester of school for a humanities course. Coming from a very small, very southern Baptist town I had never been exposed to, well, anything.  At first I was terrified (I along with most of the class hadn't read the syllabus and you were not pleased) and didn't know how I would make it through class with you. But, when you spoke on religion, your travels, society, you opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. When I think back to my college experience I think back not just to the study abroad trip I was able to take with you and that I experienced so much during, but to my freshman year when my eyes were first opened and I am so very thankful.  You helped me become who I am.  I am now an elementary school teacher and I hope I can have even a fraction of the impact on a child's life that you had on mine. 
I have often wanted to write you a note to say thank you but never quite knew how. After seeing your post today about the lecture gone awry I knew I had to say something.  You have touched lives far beyond what you will ever fathom. Teaching is one of the most unappreciated professions in existence.  Please don't ever let it get you down. 
Thank you, thank you, thank you, you helped me grow up. You helped me become a more open hearted, open minded, caring, individual. 
I wish you all the best in everything you do and thank you for sharing your adventures on Facebook.

One of your biggest fans,
Sent from Rosman, NC