This week many of my classes are are writing tuff-stuff, cause and effect essays. I’ve asked my students to analyze difficult experiences in their lives. They are to explore why things happen. They are to examine consequences. They’ve selected heartbreaking topics: drug addiction, family separation, domestic violence. OMG! Right now their writing is uncensored, deeply personal. They are writing up a storm. Next week, we shape and share our lessons learned in our classroom workshops.

Below I write about a painful experience that hasn’t really happened to me yet, but I know it’s getting close. When the time comes, you can read about it in my blog. I try to write something every week, I tell my students. Here I share my most recent post for my reading of Beth Alvarado’s Not A Matter of Love and Other Stories.

Below I share with my soundtrack selection for this book.  It's Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done" sung by Chrissy Hynde.