Tag: books

  • Where Are We Going Next?

    Where Are We Going Next?

    I’ve always been a dreamer. The funny thing about dreams, though, is that nobody really tells you what happens when one of them actually comes true. For years, the dream was simple: Write a book. Not talk about writing one. Not have half a novel sitting forgotten in a folder somewhere. Not tell people, “Yeah,…

  • Sketching With Words

    Someone asked, “Dude, where do you find the time to write so much? You’ve posted like ten days in a row—sometimes multiple pieces in a day.” The answer is rather simple: I’m just that good! No, I’m kidding. Seriously, though, I write every day. Even if it’s just a sentence, a thought, a concept—something that…

  • More Than Just a Writing Lesson (Reposted)

    Giving this another lap around the internet. Good stories deserve a second chance… and algorithms have the attention span of a goldfish. My teacher pals, this may be of interest to you (or not… your call – I won’t take it personally). As a teacher, I made sure my students wrote every single day. It…

  • What If? (Maybe I Should Get Some People First)

    Recently, someone asked me if I had ever considered releasing an audiobook version of my book. I hadn’t given it much thought before, but the question stuck with me. With today’s technology, creating an audiobook is more possible than ever. I’ve been told that I could probably record it myself and release it without too…

  • Neither Light Nor Dark

    I have been a lifelong fan of Star Wars. What has always drawn me most is not just the scale of its worlds or the depth of its mythology, but the tension at its core—the conflict between light and dark, and more importantly, the space that exists between them. Recently, I visited Disneyland and spent…

  • Pieces of Eight

    Education has been my formal career for the last twenty-seven years—but teaching? That’s something I’ve been doing since.. geez I can’t even remember. Coaching, community art classes, day camps… if there was a group of people and a semi-organized activity, I was probably in charge of it. Not officially, of course. Just… spiritually. Looking back,…

  • A Little Bit of Us in Everything

    I saw this quote today, and it resonated with me deeply:“We are writers, my love. We don’t cry. We bleed on paper.”I have no idea who wrote it, but it hit me anyway. As a creator—writer, musician, photographer, cook—it applies across the board. Our emotions are always on display through our work. Not always overtly,…

  • Bring Me Back a Rock

    Being a teacher comes with certain perks. Among the best of them are the relationships you build with your students. Getting to know those little humans in progress can be a real blessing. Sure, some of them behave like crazed monkeys recently escaped from the zoo, but for the most part, it’s a positive experience.…

  • Holy Smokes

    Kids have a natural talent for doing risky things. Sometimes those things are brilliant.Sometimes they’re creative.Sometimes they’re hilarious. …and sometimes they are just plain stupid. Me? I had a special knack for doing things that somehow managed to be all four at the same time. Growing up, one of my more “unique” skills involved fire.…

  • Somewhere Between a Label and a Memory

    I was asked a curious question recently. It came without warning. No drumroll. No academic panel. Just a simple, almost casual inquiry that landed like a stone in still water: “Do you consider your book a piece of Chicano literature?” I smiled. I stalled. I probably said something halfway intelligent. But the truth? I didn’t…

  • Factory Settings: Old Model — Advanced Operating System

    I’ve mentioned my ADHD before. My over-caffeinated brain monkeys have made cameo appearances in more than a few of these pieces. For those who know me, you know I’m driven by a motor. My “slow” setting is probably illegal in at least twelve states and two Canadian provinces. To those who really know me, I’m…

  • So What Now?

    I’ve always been a reflective one. Mostly introverted… which is, in my somewhat isolated opinion, weird for a hyperactive, over-caffeinated individual such as me. You’d think someone constantly vibrating at espresso-level frequency wouldn’t spend so much time quietly staring into space. But I do. A lot. At home, on quiet weekend mornings with coffee in…

  • Not quite famous. And still mostly unknown.

    So yeah—I wrote a book. If you’ve been following me, you’ve heard this a few times already; this’ll be one more. (Don’t blame me. That guy in the mirror made me do it.) The book went live a little over two months ago. And yes, it’s sold a bunch of copies. Not bestseller-list, airport-bookstore, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it…

  • Not Typical, But It Works

    I was asked recently about my experience writing a book. It was one of those casual questions that slowly opens a door you didn’t expect. As the conversation unfolded, it inevitably turned to students—specifically, what it takes to get kids to write. That question lingered with me longer than I expected, probably because it pulled…

  • Shelved Dreams

    Shelved Dreams

    Writing a book was a long-held dream of mine—one I carried quietly for years. Not the kind of dream I announced out loud or chased with urgency, but one that lived in the background, tucked away between lesson plans, staff meetings, and stacks of papers waiting to be graded. It was always there, patient and…