Monthly Archives: November 2016

Since this Election, people are being their worst selves– no hyperbole

Posted on November 22, 2016 by forstegrupp

I just had a negative interaction with a fellow dog-walker. She had two dogs. I had two dogs. She was turning the corner as I was mid-way down the block. She was clearly going to keep walking toward me. My … Continue reading →

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Help! This Election is Ruining My Marriage

Posted on November 21, 2016 by forstegrupp

Well, I will say that hyperbole got your attention! I am kidding but not kidding. SH says I have been distracted and distant. He is right. The outcome of this election has forced me inward to examine what I believe, … Continue reading →

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Remember Gratitude

Posted on November 18, 2016 by forstegrupp

This gratitude wreath was made by my advisory yesterday. It was not my idea. I stole it from a gracious, creative, sharing colleague. I need to keep all these things in mind these days.

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When Literature Offers Hope against the Times

Posted on November 16, 2016 by forstegrupp

Since last Tuesday, I have treated the classroom as my safe zone. For a short while, I focus on the girls in front of me and what they need to learn. But sometimes the literature addresses our times in most … Continue reading →

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Election anger channeled 

Posted on November 15, 2016 by forstegrupp

The results of this election are catastrophic. It is not enough that we lost the presidency but also the Senate and the House. People are doing plenty of hand wringing and finger pointing. The protests continue in urban centers. But … Continue reading →

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What would I trade to preserve the Paris Agreement?

Posted on November 11, 2016 by forstegrupp

This is heresy. But let’s pretend. Let’s pretend that I could strike a binding deal with the man who was elected president — and this is like bargaining with the angry djinn released from a bottle after several centuries. Here … Continue reading →

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Surviving the Election Anguish

Posted on November 10, 2016 by forstegrupp

The election is over and Pennsylvania went red as did the rest of the country. Hillary Clinton gritted her teeth and conceded yesterday with grace and dignity and generosity and pain. What an admirable woman. Hillary Clinton encouraged girls to not … Continue reading →

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The Woodcarver: A Fairy Tale

Posted on November 3, 2016 by forstegrupp

Once upon a time, a youth was sent to make his fortune. It was past time, for he had reached the age of independence. His mother wrapped in a napkin two braided loaves of bread, a wheel of cheese, and … Continue reading →

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What is a definition of “fairy tale”?

Posted on November 2, 2016 by forstegrupp

You would think this a simple question, but I have looked in several books about fairy tales and not found a clear direct definition. The 2nd edition of The Harper Handbook to Literature (1997) which I saved from my graduate … Continue reading →

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Who is the astrologer in “Tebaldo”?

Posted on November 1, 2016 by forstegrupp

For the second year, I am teaching a senior elective in fairy tales. Recently, we read Giovan Francesco Straparola’s story “Tebaldo” (1550 CE). Like many fairy tales, this one begins with an intact nuclear family and everything is fine until … Continue reading →

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