Teaching From Afar

Sometimes it seems like writing is such a waste of time. Like all the hard work that goes into it, the hours of study, rewrites and modifications, are all for nothing. Just when I’m at my WTF am I doing moment, that’s when inspiration hits.

I took a semester of English Literature way back in high school, taught by Mr. Ed Finch. Some teachers teach so they can flap their gums. They love to hear themselves speak, and the head classroom is the perfect soapbox. Finch didn’t preach. What I liked about him was his quiet personality. He spoke when there was something important to say, but most of the time he would direct the student conversation, and made us kids conduct an organized discussion.

We read and discussed each other’s writing, a term called ‘workshop’ that I would later use in college. One paper I wrote was very personal, about the quick effect of cancer and the eventual death of my father. I described my dad’s eyes as shining like fresh snow on a sunny day. Many of the kids in class said the simile was too easy, bordering on cliché, but Finch didn’t mind. He gave me an A, a grade he didn’t give out easily. He must have seen that I was using writing as therapy, a habit he wanted to encourage. The healing power of writing is one I’ve practiced ever since.

Maybe that’s why Finch wrote too, or why he started. I don’t recall reading any of his work in the classroom, but I recently picked up his latest publication. It’s called Assassin Town, based on my hometown of Freeport, IL, where Charles Guiteau, killer of President Garfield once lived. Finch’s novella is a murder mystery, with a Dan Brown/Grisham vibe. The narrative is driven by dialog, but the descriptive passages are great too, especially when they remind me of home.

Assassin Town isn’t a national best seller. My mom bought it for me at the local bookstore. Finch used a vanity publisher, which is no major success, but it is to me. Mr. Finch never gave up, and he finished his book and put it out there for all to see. I know it’s been years since I sat in his classroom, but in some ways, I feel like the teacher has shown by example, so the student knows what to do next. And I dive back into my own writing with new focus and excitement.