Thanks for your Joan Didion query which led me here and I’m glad it did. You hooked me right at the start, then set the hook deep w mention of My Sidenof the Mountain, perhaps the most formative reading experience of my life. I think I read it 50’times as a youngster, even convinced my book group to read it again a few years ago. Sheesh does your post stir some stuff about education. Turns out I spent 34 wonderful years trying to help students reclaim the love of reading and writing that is so often killed by schooling. On the offramp to retirement now. So so much I will miss…
lou... thanks so much for your kind words but thanks even more for being a teacher. i'm sure you made a difference. you're one of the first to comment about the 'my side of the mountain' reference! a timeless classic. hope you stick around for more.
I truly LOVED teaching. Dragging dad to the movie version of My Sidenof a Mountain, led to long joint pursuit of wild foods and mushrooms. I started w acorn flour, utterly WOWED my 7th grade teacher and our whole class, likely gaining my first girlfriend with acorn pancakes. To our utter delight our daughter’s partner is a skilled forager too. We think something big is going to happen with them soon!
Oh, I meant to say I look forward to reading more of your stuff but I just got my eyes dilated and am quickly getting a headache on this screen.
if you loved it then you were probably good at it! any time you can stand the screen, i’ve got a lot of short stories on here if you want to check them out, most of them pretty similar. I also will be printing a self published physical novel soon
I just followed you w intent to read lots more. And I will say right now, if you’re up for it, I hope to get a signed copy of your book direct from you rather than filter finds through those big bad middlemen. Possible? And can I send you a story? New at this….
I look forward to it! Ok, this isn’t fiction, but I think it’s a decent story. And I’m starting to think I will write more if I allow myself to factionalize real stuff to protect the innocent, so to speak. Would love to know what you think. And,,FWIW, Inintend to read more of yiur stuff later tonight. https://open.substack.com/pub/ljurcik/p/gonna-make-it-different?r=270xom&utm_medium=ios
I’m totally having my oldest sons (16 and 14) read this when they get home after school. I’ll let you know what they think. P.S. Their mom—a type A, elementary school spelling bee winner who crumbled under the pressure at the next level—loves it.
I’m sorry it took so long to respond! So here goes:
14yo boy: He said it was pretty accurate. He thought the descriptor paragraph of the state building (I think?) was overdone, which I found funny but also thoughtful. Predictably, he didn’t want to weigh in on the last question.
16yo: Literally right after he read it, he sighed. “Ouch. That hurts.” He freely admitted that yes, smart kids should know how to try, but they also have to practice trying. Which they don’t want to do.
so glad you got back to me with this. amazing to get feedback from younger people; i’m glad it still hits home for them! i’m honored my writing had such an impact for you to share.
Another good one Clancy... bringing back those special years once again. Math and science... definitely struggled more in those classes...where were the stories? And yep, falling in love with reading, hiding the books beneath your desk...most of my teacers were just happy that there were a few of us who had found the joy in reading. Best wishes to you and yours!
thanks for reading peter glad you enjoyed. i think it’s a theme many substackers can relate to! i hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourself man!!!
Brilliantly done … I was really invested in the outcome. I have a theory - Case Study me - that some folk are just wired not to try at things they reckon they’ll not be able to do; a fear of failure - or, more likely, the safety of being good at the things they do take on. I have spent a lifetime only doing things I reckoned I’d be good at, dismissing and not even trying the other stuff. I’m not proud of that!
oh this is definitely a popular theory. i’m not sure if i’m the same; i have many talents that at some point I must have not been good at, but decided to try those things anyway. maybe we all just settle into a level of comfort. in any case, i think steven’s issue is that he doesn’t see the point. things that are boring to him aren’t worth it, which is a problem in itself
I was that bored kid at school. Work for me was 30 years in a hierarchical set up where rewards came from excelling (or giving the impression you were). I’m way beyond that time now but I suspect the reticence to explore the ‘not good at it’ stage is still there.
I think Steven is a smart kid who hates conformity. He reminds me of myself. I like Steven. I also got second in a school spelling bee in seventh grade. Reading a lot really does expand the old vocabulary. Great story, Clancy.
i doubt steven studied for the SATs. I did a bit, but it definitely didn’t help. i guess i don’t regret it and it seems like SATs and shit are becoming less and less relevant thankfully. thanks for reading sudana
“The truth was that my success in the spelling bee seemed more a matter of chance. So many of the words I received were ones I happened to know through exposure.”
That’s a lot of life, I think - so much is chance and exposure. But he doesn’t give himself enough credit for being an avid reader - a big contributor to the “chance and exposure”!Sweet and relatable story. Now I’m aware of how badly I’d do in a spelling bee.
thanks for reading steph. very true and what I was going for. i think it contrasts nicely with the girl finalist, who learned from flash cards. i think maybe life needs a little of both types of learning!
Clancy, this was so well done. I kinda got teary because of how relatable it got and the end line just killed me. You are a frickin magician, playing with my emotions and all.
Thanks for your Joan Didion query which led me here and I’m glad it did. You hooked me right at the start, then set the hook deep w mention of My Sidenof the Mountain, perhaps the most formative reading experience of my life. I think I read it 50’times as a youngster, even convinced my book group to read it again a few years ago. Sheesh does your post stir some stuff about education. Turns out I spent 34 wonderful years trying to help students reclaim the love of reading and writing that is so often killed by schooling. On the offramp to retirement now. So so much I will miss…
lou... thanks so much for your kind words but thanks even more for being a teacher. i'm sure you made a difference. you're one of the first to comment about the 'my side of the mountain' reference! a timeless classic. hope you stick around for more.
I truly LOVED teaching. Dragging dad to the movie version of My Sidenof a Mountain, led to long joint pursuit of wild foods and mushrooms. I started w acorn flour, utterly WOWED my 7th grade teacher and our whole class, likely gaining my first girlfriend with acorn pancakes. To our utter delight our daughter’s partner is a skilled forager too. We think something big is going to happen with them soon!
Oh, I meant to say I look forward to reading more of your stuff but I just got my eyes dilated and am quickly getting a headache on this screen.
if you loved it then you were probably good at it! any time you can stand the screen, i’ve got a lot of short stories on here if you want to check them out, most of them pretty similar. I also will be printing a self published physical novel soon
I just followed you w intent to read lots more. And I will say right now, if you’re up for it, I hope to get a signed copy of your book direct from you rather than filter finds through those big bad middlemen. Possible? And can I send you a story? New at this….
i’m going to be selling the books myself so signed won’t be a problem. no middlemen. and if you publish fiction on here, i’d love to get a link!
I look forward to it! Ok, this isn’t fiction, but I think it’s a decent story. And I’m starting to think I will write more if I allow myself to factionalize real stuff to protect the innocent, so to speak. Would love to know what you think. And,,FWIW, Inintend to read more of yiur stuff later tonight. https://open.substack.com/pub/ljurcik/p/gonna-make-it-different?r=270xom&utm_medium=ios
i’m going to be sending
“It smelled like big state bureaucracy inside.” Love this. Great work.
I liked that part too. you can smell it, right? thanks!
Effortless wit meets quiet tragedy—intelligence wasted is its own punishment.
I’m totally having my oldest sons (16 and 14) read this when they get home after school. I’ll let you know what they think. P.S. Their mom—a type A, elementary school spelling bee winner who crumbled under the pressure at the next level—loves it.
please do! let me know, that is. thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed as a former spelling bee champ!
I’m sorry it took so long to respond! So here goes:
14yo boy: He said it was pretty accurate. He thought the descriptor paragraph of the state building (I think?) was overdone, which I found funny but also thoughtful. Predictably, he didn’t want to weigh in on the last question.
16yo: Literally right after he read it, he sighed. “Ouch. That hurts.” He freely admitted that yes, smart kids should know how to try, but they also have to practice trying. Which they don’t want to do.
so glad you got back to me with this. amazing to get feedback from younger people; i’m glad it still hits home for them! i’m honored my writing had such an impact for you to share.
Great one.
thanks billy!
Another good one Clancy... bringing back those special years once again. Math and science... definitely struggled more in those classes...where were the stories? And yep, falling in love with reading, hiding the books beneath your desk...most of my teacers were just happy that there were a few of us who had found the joy in reading. Best wishes to you and yours!
thanks for reading peter glad you enjoyed. i think it’s a theme many substackers can relate to! i hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourself man!!!
Brilliantly done … I was really invested in the outcome. I have a theory - Case Study me - that some folk are just wired not to try at things they reckon they’ll not be able to do; a fear of failure - or, more likely, the safety of being good at the things they do take on. I have spent a lifetime only doing things I reckoned I’d be good at, dismissing and not even trying the other stuff. I’m not proud of that!
oh this is definitely a popular theory. i’m not sure if i’m the same; i have many talents that at some point I must have not been good at, but decided to try those things anyway. maybe we all just settle into a level of comfort. in any case, i think steven’s issue is that he doesn’t see the point. things that are boring to him aren’t worth it, which is a problem in itself
I was that bored kid at school. Work for me was 30 years in a hierarchical set up where rewards came from excelling (or giving the impression you were). I’m way beyond that time now but I suspect the reticence to explore the ‘not good at it’ stage is still there.
I think Steven is a smart kid who hates conformity. He reminds me of myself. I like Steven. I also got second in a school spelling bee in seventh grade. Reading a lot really does expand the old vocabulary. Great story, Clancy.
So fun to read. Steven the Smartass.
Thanks Anna. He's def got issues.
Oof, this one immediately transported me to my own days of being a “why try” smartass and refusal to study for the SAT. I only have minor regrets.
i doubt steven studied for the SATs. I did a bit, but it definitely didn’t help. i guess i don’t regret it and it seems like SATs and shit are becoming less and less relevant thankfully. thanks for reading sudana
“The truth was that my success in the spelling bee seemed more a matter of chance. So many of the words I received were ones I happened to know through exposure.”
That’s a lot of life, I think - so much is chance and exposure. But he doesn’t give himself enough credit for being an avid reader - a big contributor to the “chance and exposure”!Sweet and relatable story. Now I’m aware of how badly I’d do in a spelling bee.
thanks for reading steph. very true and what I was going for. i think it contrasts nicely with the girl finalist, who learned from flash cards. i think maybe life needs a little of both types of learning!
Agreed!
Truly enjoyed it, was a smart kid in school, but never made any spelling bees.
thanks Sharon! glad you enjoyed. we can’t all be so lucky as steven
Clancy, this was so well done. I kinda got teary because of how relatable it got and the end line just killed me. You are a frickin magician, playing with my emotions and all.
thanks hridaya! sorry about that, but I assume it’s a good thing. i love that last line too and I think it will be quite relatable to many
Definitely a good thing. All the burnt out gifted kids are here on substack, there is no way someone will not love this one.