All posts tagged #personalessay

Writing Inspiration: a gift from the past

Posted on November 8, 2023November 8, 2023Author Jill M SmithPosted in Writing, Writing InspirationLeave a Reply

I received a gift of two antique fountain pens and two lead pencils from my aunt who had them from my grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. There was a note in the box that said they were the first gift my grandfather gave to my grandmother. They were married in 1937, so…

Langston Hughes & coming of age theme

Posted on October 11, 2022Author Jill M SmithPosted in Perfect PairingsLeave a Reply

The essay “Salvation,” by Langston Hughes, is a quick, heartwarming essay that pairs nicely with a coming-of-age theme. When I use this essay in my college writing class, we discuss how Hughes captured a moment in his life that lasted only a few hours, yet it meant so much to him. When students have to…

Index of Pages :

Writers:

Artist's Date: Quest for Short Stories

An Artist's Date: The Strand Bookstore in NYC

Writing Resource: How To Write Short Stories and Get Them Published by Ashley Lister

Writing: Two poems published

Writing Inspiration: Julia Cameron's Living the Artist's Way

Writing Inspiration: NY Botanic Garden Holiday Train Show

On My Bookshelf: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

What I'm Reading: Truth & Beauty [a friendship] by Ann Patchett

Writing Inspiration: A Gift From the Past

Care Givers:

On My Bookshelf: The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Natasha Wing

On My Bookshelf: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

What I'm Reading: The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Bookstores & More: The Bear and the Books

What I'm Reading: Closer Together by Sophie Gregoire Trudeau

What I'm Reading: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

On My Bookshelf: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

What I'm Reading: Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

What I'm Reading: Italian American by Luigina Vecchione

What I'm Reading: Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron

What I'm Reading: Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

What I'm Reading: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

What I'm Reading: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

On My Bookshelf: Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

What I'm Reading: Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

On My Bookshelf: A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz

On My Bookshelf: The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

A Classic to Consider: The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Cookbook Signing with Gina Homolka

August Reads

Bookstores & More: The Book Exchange

June Reads

May Reads

What I'm Reading: the Bear Town trilogy by Fredrik Backman

On My Bookshelf: books about motherhood

April Reads

What I'm Reading: The Essay by Robin Yocum

March Reads

February Reads

January Reads

Friday Fishtales - Family related posts

Kids Only:

Summer Reading: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Summer Reading: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Summer Reading: Endling the Last by Katherine Applegate

Summer Reading: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Summer Reading: Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

Independent Reading: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

Independent Reading: Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp

Independent Reading: The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

Summer Reading: Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

Summer Reading: How to Catch a Polar Bear by Stacy Dekeyser

Summer Reading: The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers

Connecting with readers

Teachers: Recent posts first

Teacher Tuesday: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Art in the Classroom: Norman Rockwell's High Dive

Short Story Spotlight: "Hearts and Hands" by O. Henry

Teacher Resource: "Tender" by Cherline Bazile

Teacher Inspiration: Hearing from a former student

Teacher Resource: All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat

A Gem of a Poem: Do you carrot all for me? by Anonymous

Teacher Resource: Using Board Games to Cure Boredom

Teacher Tuesday: "The Fly" by Katherine Mansfield

Teacher Resource: The Idea Stone

A Gem of a Poem: Robert Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay"

Art in the Classroom: Van Gogh's Starry Night

Art in the Classroom: Henri Matisse's The Snail

Perfect Pairings: H.H. Munro's "The Open Window" with Arthur Miller's The Crucible

What I'm Reading: Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp

A Gem of a Poem: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost

Art in the Classroom: Norman Rockwell's The Jolly Postman

A Gem of a Poem: "Student of Clouds" by Billy Collins

Teacher Inspo: The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry

Perfect Pairing: Hell of a Book with Ghost Boys

A Classic to Consider: The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

Perfect Pairing: "The Split Cherry Tree" by Jesse Stuart and "TKAM" by Harper Lee

Art in the Classroom: Andrew Wyeth

Sensational Sentences: The Lake House by Kate Morton

A Classic to Consider: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

A Gem of a Poem: "Dreams" by Langston Hughes

On My Bookshelf: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Perfect Pairing: "The Most Dangerous Game" and Candy Land

A Gem of a Poem: "maggie and milly and molly and mae" by e. e. cummings

A Gem of a Poem: "Morning Song" by Cat Stevens

A Gem of a Poem: "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth

Art in the Classroom: Waiting at the Window by Carl Holsoe

A Gem of a Poem: "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams

A Gem of a Poem: "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes

Teacher Inspiration: Pat Conroy's The Water is Wide

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" & Lois Lowry's The Giver

"The Yellow Wallpaper" & Jenga

Beowulf, Grendel, & Toni Morrison

Langston Hughes & Coming of Age Writing

Malcolm Gladwell & Research Paper

Contact & About Jill M Smith

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