Sunday Coffee

Coastal South Carolina is having some gorgeous weather right now. This morning I walked the dogs and saw my first Eastern Bluebird of 2011. These little dazzlers are instantly recognizable for their brilliant blue body and wings.

A week or two ago I saw an unusual number of robins, and now it seems to be the season for the bluebird.

So for the rest of the world, and for my students, tomorrow is a holiday. For teachers in my district, it is that peculiar institution called the teacher work day, or professional development day. Sigh. At least we are meeting in my own school building. It is discomforting to be in some other building. Where is the rest room? What room do we go to? Where's the sign-in? In my own building I can sneak in some copying, have a quick planning session with my colleague, put my lunch in a familiar fridge. (Hide out in my classroom? I would never do that.).

It is almost time for Persephone Reading Weekend, sponsored by Claire and Verity.  You can find out more here at Claire's blog Paperback Reader. Last year I participated in Persephone Week; I still have a book left over from last year, so I'll be reading The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  I may have a second Persephone book by then--despite my self-imposed buying anything ban.  When I was visiting my daughter in Columbia, SC a couple of months ago I saw a whole set of Persephone books in a used bookstore, but thought they were a bit pricey.

It was a particularly grueling week at school. We're all feeling it, but teachers especially.  I see my colleagues just dragging themselves along, and I know I feel that way. Where are the reserves of energy I need right now? I'll keep hanging on for that last week of March. This year I've had to deal with several thorny discipline problems, and that always saps my energy. When one student affects the ability of the other twenty-six to function or focus, it's time to do something. Just what that magic something is is the conundrum.

In my reading life, I have finished reading The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I'm looking forward to discussing it with my student, and I'm hoping she finds the time to finish this very long and very interesting book. The sophomores are reading To Kill A Mockingbird, so I'm rereading that for the umpteenth time (there's always some new pleasure to find in this classic). The students have an assignment to interview two people about their school experiences--can't wait to hear the results.  And I am reading Robin Black's If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This with great pleasure.  I'd really love to go on a short-story reading binge. There are several collections of short stories on my TBR pile.

Yesterday I went into Barnes and Noble and walked out with two purchases. Rats! Self-imposed moratorium on buying stuff is not going well.  I picked up Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry because Robyn at You Think Too Much has brainwashed convinced me to read it. And pretty much the entire book blogging blogosphere has brainwashed convinced me that I must read Murakami, so I picked up Norwegian Wood.

Recent acquisitions for the blog:  31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan (for TLC Book Tours), and House of Prayer No. 2:  A Writer's Journey Home, a memoir by Mark Richard. A pre-ordered copy of Townie, a much-anticipated (by me) memoir by Andre Dubus III arrived.  And then, I swear, no more new books.  I have a shameful backlog of books for review.

Gentle readers, what are you reading now?  Any Murakami fanatics out there?  What other Murakami must I read?  Teachers, are you also in the doldrums? How do we hang on until Spring Break? Any and all suggestions welcome. Anyone else embarrassingly overextended in the review department? How do we get over the shame? Has anyone else read If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This? So far I am loving it--did you?