January 18th, 2024

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be, friends and idler wheels wiser than the drive of the screw and the whipping cords that serve you more than ropes ever will do, alike,

             I sincerely hope you are all having a sane end to the semester and are excited for the times that lie ahead! The year’s young and it’s awfully mature for it’s age, and I look forward to another semester of book club with you all! Thank you to those who were able to make it to the january meeting. It was a tremendous discussion and among my favorite book club meetings to this point. I’ll use now to inform you all that there is now a book club remind! Text @bokclub to 81010, or type bokclub in the join class box on remind. That said, here’s the info you’ll need for the feburuary meeting!

This february we’ll be reading Fences by August Wilson. This is among Ms. Parks and I’s favorite books of all time, and we’re incredibly excited to discuss it. Fences is a play that follows the relationship between a father and a son in 1950’s Pittsburgh. August Wilson is one of my personal favorite writers, and Fences is an installment in his Century Cycle, which is a series of plays over every decade of the twentieth century, following the experiences of African Americans, all taking place in Pittsburgh. I’m incredibly excited to read this book and I think the skin walker that does Ted Cruz impressions in the air vents in the 2500’s will, as well. 

             The meeting will be held after school, February 22nd in the Media Center. If anything about this changes I will send the info out about it on the remind. There’s not much more to share than that on the time and place of the meeting or anything. Obviously, as per usual, here on the website you will find a full online text, as well as a full performance of the play, if that’s how you decide to take it in. I also have multiple copies and we have a class set here at the school, so everyone will have a copy. If you need a copy, let me know. I discourage just watching the performance and reading it as well, but upon reading it, watching it is a wonderful experience. I think Chance The Rapper would probably give good hugs.

             I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything, I am easy to find, I’ll always be around, and, of course, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                          Ian :)

November 24, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you are, all, friends and That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control… S**t Was Wild by André 3000 alike,

             I sincerely hope you are all thoroughly enjoying your break! You may be wondering exactly why I’m a week late on this announcement, and, to that, I suggest: why aren’t we talking about the political and economic state of the world right now? When he was two years old, the young Herbert Hoover contracted laryngotracheobronchitis, known more commonly as “croup,” and was thought, momentarily, to have died until he was resuscitated by his uncle. For a number of reasons, the last book club meeting was slightly skewed—things coming up, members not feeling well, Bryan Phoebus, et all. However, hopefully this meeting we will all have the chance to come! I sincerely hope so, considering our book for this month, Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, is one Ms. Lindsey and I have been looking forward to for quite some time now, and I think it should be a fun one, to say the very least. Also, courtesy of the request of some… outspoken… members, all the information you need will be bolded in this announcement. I’m squinting at that sentence right now menacingly, don’t worry.

             As I mentioned, the December book club pick is Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi! Many of you have already gotten your copies from me directly—I will touch on that in a moment—but, as per usual, there is information here on the website in the event you need a copy. This book is split up into four stories—we thought this would be a nice format considering the cozy atmosphere of the pre-winter break meeting. The book also takes place in a cafe! Do you ever think fire extinguishers consider their reality in such cruelty? Only present for disaster—rusting and dusting away on the walls of every rooms only there, and for no other reason, than to try and wade off death for a temporary fullness of life. I think the cafe setting will be well acclimating to the December meeting—hopefully it should be a quite comfy one. I’ve long held admiration for the word comfy. Here on the website is the audiobook for the first of the four stories, Part I: The Lovers. The premise of Before The Coffee Gets Cold is that there is a cafe where you can go back in time and speak with the dead. Nothing but the most joyous, feel-good reads for book club. Part I and Part IV are online—other than that, the audiobook is not accessible for free. I do not currently know why it is not available in the online libraries, but I’ll be poking into that more. Aside from that, if you need a copy of the book, text or email or find me somewhere and I will get you one! We were able to reserve a book club kit for this book, so we have copies for anybody and everybody! Many of you have already received your copies, but this must be said for the library copies being given out: please be extra careful and vigilant for the library copies. They cannot be hurt or damaged, and can definitely not be lost. Those are the county’s books, not mine. Please be careful with them and, no matter what, do not lose them. If you won’t be able to make the meeting, please return the book to me before the meeting. And, if you’ll be there, bring the book!

             Speaking of the meeting, our next meeting will be held after school in the media center on Tuesday, December 12th, 2:30-4. If you have any friends or acquaintances—enemies also welcome—who may be interested in attending, have them tag along! This book should have great potential for discussion, and I sincerely look forward to seeing you all there. Myself? I’m inviting the starling that sits outside of my first period every morning that once asked me what the bridge between earth and heaven is. When I told him my answer he shook his head. He told me there’s still time for me to learn. I’ll also be inviting the spider that spun it’s own kingdom of web in the far window seat upstairs in the coffee shop downtown, the one on the right, the one near where the easel used to be, the one with the great web up in the corner of one of it’s panes. It’s been there for years. I wonder how long ago the spider died. I wonder if, when making it’s eidolon, it got caught in it’s own creation. So lost in the great spectre of it’s many worlds that it buried itself in space, in it’s own home. And I wonder what it thought—what was going through it’s mind as it sat, waiting. How long does one wait? Everybody has to let go someday, right? Do we? Are we that brave? Are we that strong? How many stars have to fall before we realize that ours won’t? Will we reach on our tippy toes? Try to grab at the varnish of the night, crinkle it between our fingers, try to pull the stars down closer to us? How long does one wait? When does one let go?

             Right now, too, Ms. Lindsey and I are brainstorming another potential aspect of this meeting, but I will send out another announcement if that comes to life. Thank you all so much, sincerely, for reading and for, day by day, entertaining this club! Again, my dearest apologies for the belatedness of the announcement. I think, often, of a poem written by one of my favorite writers—it doubles as both a poem and a song, he writes them both ways, interchangeably, and they’re both published in verse and preformed in music. The poem is called Stay Happy There by Jordan Dreyer. He wrote once that, perhaps, his favorite line he’s ever written was in that poem, or song. And it confused me, at first, because I didn’t know what lyric it would have been. It was the line “Everything is happening at once.” It caught me off guard, because I never would’ve expected it. Not in a song with the lines “If I could play back every moment to you now/Spent lovesick and swollen on/Mornings mincing garlic in the counter by the sink.” But with time I’ve begun to realize why he loves that line as much as he does. There is no moment the ice breaks, the ice is always getting thinner, always being tempted by our weight. There is no sudden flame, the heat rises and grows and billows before bursting. There is no one heartache, we are composed of the whole of the world around us—of the things we do, the people we love. There is no moment the ice breaks. Everything is happening at once. Forgive the tangent, I got a good grade on my economics project that I did not, in any way, deserve. These things are thought provoking. I hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful rest of your break. Hold the things you love close to you. Don’t let them go. Don’t stop waiting. I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything, I am easy to find, I’ll always be around, and, of course, dream safely. 

In Catharsis,

                          Ian :)

October 23, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be, friends and honorary laureates of the POWF (Possums of Wake Forest), alike,

             I sincerely hope you are all well and in fine health, and have been safe in the interim of the past month. I understand and recognize my being fashionably late—it’s because I simply have too much “drip”, which I’ve been told is a sign of high fashion. The rats have been remarkably active since it got cold here, and they’ve been in desperate need of a messiah to guide them on pilgrimage to the sewers, working on modern miracles like bringing joy to Mudville, or stopping Jeremy. In any event, I’m writing to you now for information on this month’s read and our meeting date for this month. I cannot promise verbosity, but I can promise circumlocution. There comes a day when you rectify the importance of both.

             Our November book club book is Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Most of you have likely heard from me by now about the book or received a copy, but, nonetheless, the information is here on the website for anything you may need. A (legal) copy of it online from a pretentious California school system, an audiobook is on Youtube from a dude who just wanted to read it one day, as well as available copies on Libby in the online libraries, both eBook and audiobook, are all ways of reading the book. If you refuse pacifism, you can also ask me for a physical copy and I will get you one. The book is about a boy and a girl and a kingdom—I highly encourage, even if you can’t make the meeting, reading the book this month, it certainly won’t take long, with a runtime of about a hundred pages. One point of discussion at the meeting will be allotted to the application of Juvenile Fiction as a vessel for storytelling, and what a kid’s book is capable of—quite a lot, as the homie Katherine so kindly proves to us. I hope you all enjoy this one, I know I do, and I think there will be a lot to discuss in the upcoming meeting.

             Speaking of which, the next book club meeting will be after school in the Media Center from 2:30-4 on Thursday, November 16th. On the front page of the website you will see a small tab for the book and the information on it, as well as the meeting information just under it. Please don’t bring your pet Honda Civic this time, be mindful of who might be in the room. You never know what someone else is going through. As per usual, we’ll meet in the center part of the library due to the floor on the periphery, quite literally, becoming lava. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. How does one come to terms with the violence of the world surrounding one’s system of reality? Do we maintain in everyday life such a belief in myth of normalcy that we can live in denial to the surrounding branches of life? Are we wild animals? Was the Sears tower collapse the end of the industrial revolution? Is there any life on Mars? 

             I believe that’s all I got for this announcement. Again, my sincerest apologies for the belated announcement, the rats just won’t quit. I’ve been trying to find inspiration in them. Thank you all genuinely not just for the last meeting, but also for partaking in the collective delusion of reality. You all deserve cookies that track your data and site use. I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything, I am easy to find, I’ll always be around, and, of course, now potentially more than ever, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

Ian :)

September 18, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be, friends and preordered copies of the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, alike,

             I hope you are all holding on today. It is what one may call a partly cloudy day for gaming and the haunting specter of the physical manifestation of Yahoo Finance is hovering just out of sight on the roof of the school. And, we have a new book club book! Some of you may have already seen it here on the website, but our October read will be The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Ann Shaffer. A title that should be just as fun to read as it is to say. I think this book should be a really good fit for this month and I sincerely hope we all enjoy it. How could we not with a book that has the same vibe as someone who still types www when looking up a website. I wanted to also thank all of you who attended the September meeting for Everything I Never Told You. It was incredibly fun and I’m so glad we got to talk about the book, considering there was quite a bit to discuss. 

             As per usual, all the information that you need is here on the website. As with the last book, there are eBook and audiobook copies available on Libby, in the online libraries. I know that most of us prefer reading a physical copy, but it’s a really good resource for those who are open to it. Alternatively, if any of you need a copy and aren’t getting one yourselves, we will offer a copy. If you need a copy, please fill out the form here on the website. That is how I know how many copies we need. I’ve already ordered some, and they should be here by the end of the week. If you need a copy, fill out the form. This is a threat. Also, I will be looking into lending copies from the libraries if there is high demand. If you want to find a copy at your local library, I can find which ones have copies. Don’t forget, we have all the information you need about getting a library card and finding a library here on the website. 

             The next meeting will be held in the Media Center after school on Thursday, October 12th. Same time and place as the last meeting, 2:30-4. That means 2:30-4, Addyson. Also, for my friends in band, if you have practice, just let me know and I can talk to MC. Him and I fought together back in the battle of jazz antelopes (you know where they got their groove now) in ’97. If you need a ride, let us know and we will see what we can arrange—if you’re willing to let the rats carry you through the underworld. It may seem like I’m repeating myself but we still get the same questions every time! Never forget! In any event, that’s what you need to know about the time and place. Always feel free to ask me questions but be careful with Ms. Lindsey on Wednesdays lest she assume her cat in the hat form.

             That should be all for today, my friends. I sincerely look forward to seeing you all at this next meeting. Again, if you need a copy or any help accessing the book, fill out the form. Ask me if you have any questions. Alright, I’m off now. If you need me, I’ll be here somewhere. I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything, I am easy to find, I’ll always be around, and, of course, and don’t you forget, dream safely. 

In Catharsis, 

                          Ian :)

September 12, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be, friends and Mrs. Gillespie’s Refrigerators alike,

I sincerely hope you have all had a safe and enthralling beginning of the school year. We are creeping up on our first meeting of the school year this week and I hope you’ve all carved holes in your bedsheets so we can scare it. This announcement, more or less, serves as a reminder and filling in on the information you may need for the meeting. I have nothing new to share, so this one will probably be on the shorter side, and it’s length has absolutely nothing to do with burnout, the rats just got hungry so I transferred them two percent of my power, hence the shortened announcements lately. 

Our first meeting of the year is after school this upcoming Thursday, September 14th, in the media center. The meeting will likely run ’til about 3:30-4. If you need a ride, find me. I’m probably in the room with you right now. If you haven’t been to a meeting before, it might be a bit different than other book clubs you might’ve seen or heard about. See, we read the book, right? And then afterwards, at the meeting, after the obvious stuff like the bimonthly sacrifice to Ms. Payne’s eldritch god in the library walls that hungers for human knowledge, we talk about the book. We will also discuss, towards the end of the meeting, what our next book might be. We are completely up to suggestions and we will vote on next months book, and possibly the month after that. If not, we have options and ideas of what we might read. If we do end up doing a poll, you will find it here on the website. If you don’t yet have the link to this website tattooed on your ribcage, get on that, or bookmark it. If anyone asks you any questions about book club, this website has everything that anyone would need to know. You can also direct them to me, I am not hard to find. I just might need to cast the club spell on someone before they join, is all.

Our read for September is Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng. A pretty sad book, as I hear it. Just letting you know that it’s a little sad. Everyone who told me they needed a copy should have gotten one, but there is also still copies of the audiobook available in the online Wake County libraries through Libby. If you need access to the libraries—be that getting a library card, visiting any of the libraries, or getting into Libby or creating an account—all information you’d need is either here on the website or carved into the outer layer of my skull. I can help you get to any library you may need to visit or whatever works best for you. Also, if I leant you a copy of the book, your physical form will be present at every meeting from this point onward due to the stitches in the binding that I cursed and wove into the spines. Too, however, you can return the copy I leant you after the meeting or at any point in the near future, I won’t perch in your kitchen cabinets in the wee small hours of the morning asking through the drywall for it back. And, if you particularly enjoyed the book, you can keep it, just talk to me about it beforehand. 

Finally, a quick prompt and note to leave off on before I head out for now: we think it might be fun or interesting to hold a book drive here at the school sometime this year. Would anyone be interested in helping organize or run this? Would anyone have any suggestions as to what we may want to do? Let me know these things, because I think that’d be fun. 

Thank you all so much, as always, for reading my delusioned ramblings and being a part of what is, far and away, the best club at this school. If you’re new, don’t worry, everyone’s first time with the vulture is a little nerve wracking, but you will get used to it. It is a bright day for the future of gaming, and I sincerely look forward to seeing you all at the meeting. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything, I am easy to find, I’ll always be around, and, of course, and I cannot stress this enough, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

Ian :)

August 24, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be, friends and crescent moons with receding hairlines, alike,

            I am more than perhaps a little elated to be reporting back to all of you lovely people, and to the new critters in our midst, for the beginning of the ‘23-24 school year! We’re bound for a brilliant and truly curtain calling school year ahead of us and I look forward to spending it with all of you as we read and laugh and cry a little and cry a lot. This upcoming Monday will be the first day of the new school year so I hope you all have your timbers well tended and prepared for the shivering due to unfold. 

            The first read of this school year is a little book by the name of Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. I say this in step with the fact that this is a pretty sad book! You’ve been warned! Seriously, be prepared! That said, all the information for this new book is found here on the Book Club website under the ‘23-24 tab! Upon clicking on that page you will find our resources for reading the book this year, in the event that you need assistance in reading or getting your hands on a copy. On the left you’ll find an intro page to Libby, the online library! All you need is your library card and you can have access to the whole digital Wake County catalogue, which includes both ebook and audiobook copies of Everything I Never Told You. If you don’t have a library card, you’ll also find linked the Library Resources page here on the website, where you can sign up to get one! If you have any questions at all about the libraries, online or in person, I can answer anything you have on them. I have people on the inside. I’ll know if you don’t return a book. Don’t make the same mistake as the unspeakable one. On the right, as well, you’ll find a very quick and easy form to fill out to sign up for a physical copy that we will lend you. Never worry about not having access to our books! Those wings I sprouted back in sophomore year have given me connections!

            The meeting date of our first discussion will be after school on Thursday, September 14th, in the media center, from 2:30-4pm. If you have any questions at all in the interim you will, no doubt, see me either crawling along in the cabinets in the English department rooms or you’ll see my silhouette in the ceiling panels as I move from room to room. Be prepared to bring any interest finds, quotes, discussion points, bodily organs, or questions for the group! I have no doubt this will be a fruitful and interesting conversation, and this book will give us plenty to talk about!

            That said, while this is, perhaps, uncharacteristically brief, that is all the information I have for all of you today! Again, I sincerely look forward, feet moving back and forth in the air with anticipation for this year and all our lovely meetings for book club! If you are new, don’t be scared. If you are old, you should be. Much love to everyone and I hope tomorrow is brighter than today. I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything, I am easy to find, I’ll always be around, and, of course, now more than ever, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                        Ian :)

July 1, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be reading this, all, friends and copies of Tall, Duke, and Dangerous by Megan Frampton, alike, 

            I must first congratulate you all for making it through June—this is not and never has been as easy feat.  There’s a reason why the other months try not to cross paths with it too much; there’s a reason why it’s always the worst of what summer has to offer. This is in the nature of June, but it is over now. For that I applaud each and every one of you, making it out safe, and, more or less, sound. 

            Though I’ve seen a few of you once or twice, I’ve grown rather lovesick for all of you! For over a month now I have gone without seeing the goldfish that appear in unlimited quantities from an unknown area of Tobi’s bag. This, especially, has been a hard blow for me. I haven’t been able to disrupt Ms. Lindsey’s instructional time for a month! Can you believe this? I certainly can’t. This is in the nature of June, and summer on whole, unfortunately. 

            That said, there is little to actually report on from earth that would pertain in any way to book club, though that has never stopped me. There are ideas, of course, but ideas are how we ended up with the Persian Gulf war, so I wouldn’t entirely put my trust in them as a concept. Right now the poltergeist in a John Lennon halloween costume is getting out a chess board and setting up the pieces—this is largely how we pass the days. Actually, this is a book club, I can talk about books. Much to my thorough dismay I have been reading so much this month but have finished remarkably little. I could’ve finished the ninety page book on grief I was reading this week but instead I thought it high time I start a seven hundred page book instead. This is in the nature of June, and summer on whole, remarkable bouts of indecision. 

            I will say, in actual relevancy to book club, there has been talk among the anteaters—who’ve been doing great by the way, they began moving last week, actually—that we could work on a book drive, along with maybe a couple of other clubs, around the holidays. It’s something the school used to do but, in fine fashion, stopped. It’s okay, maybe we can get chair donations so people don’t have to sit at Johnny Walter’s desk next year, or sell one (1) promethean board. This is all jokes, Wake County will probably just take the lowest bidder the way we did with Canvas and start buying futons for classrooms instead. Regardless, I think a book drive would be a fun time and would suit book club well, it would just be a bit of an endeavor. There is much to think about. This is in the nature of June, and summer on whole. 

            One other note that’s actually relevant to book club is the question of what our first read of next year will be. We won’t have the opportunity to meet up and decide the book in all likelihood—it’d probably be best to decide this at some point over the summer. But this is still a way’s beyond us. Think in the meantime of what our next read could be, I am floating somewhere in the atmosphere tied to balloon strings, I am not hard to find. I’m sure some of you are enjoying summer, especially now that it is July. Forgive my lack of things to say this fine morning. It is in the nature of June, and summer on whole, I am left speechless in spite of everything in the world to discuss.

            Apologies again for the uneventful announcement, there is, again, little out there I find to tell you all about. Hopefully the next one will offer more solace to my plight. I should also make a point to mention—if any of you need any copy of any book, I can get it to you. Just as long as you don’t ask any questions. Keep this in mind if there’s something you’d like to read but can’t find a copy of. Reminder that here on the website is links to get yourself a library card and access to the online Wake County Libraries, as well as a list of all Wake County library locations. Use them. Go to the library. Unless it’s Cary Regional Library. You know what you did Cary Regional Library. 

            This said, I will leave you all with a quote from an old friend of mine, in the event you’re finding any difficulty in mustering the exigence to pick up a story today.

“The impulse to dream was slowly beaten out of me by experience. Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking and seeing.”

    -Richard Wright

            I hope you are all having and continue to have a wonderful summer; feel free to contact me if you need anything at all; I am easy to find, I’ll always be around; and, of course, as always, dream safely. 

In Catharsis,

                        Ian :)

June 9, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be reading this, friends and ant eaters of northern Michigan,

            This is the final book club announcement of the '22-23 school year and the final classroom announcement period. I, for one, love when Wake County gets bought out at the detriment to it's students and staff, so Google Classroom will no longer be available to any school email address by sometime this summer. That said, if there's anything else you may want to grab from any of your archived classrooms or anything, go grab it, this will be your last chance. That also means that everything on the book club classroom will go *poof*—however, Wake County severely underestimates what two percent of my power can do, so, instead, we have something else for book club. 

            Below is attached the Book Club website. This website includes everything from the classroom—the library resources, all our reads, and all of the announcements. On there you will find online texts and audiobooks for all of our previous reads in book club as well as all future reads that may be added. Announcements will be posted there, resources will be found there, transmutation circles to resurrect forest spirits will be drawn there, the whole shebang. The website is accesible to anyone with the link (but won't show up on search engines, so there shouldn't be any unwanted visitors), that includes our seniors or anyone who is graduating! Y'all will continue to have access to book club shenanigans and resources. I tried to barter with ancient gods of memory to stop you all from growing up but I, unfortunately, failed. So, this is a way for y'all to still keep in touch with book club.

            Right now I am reading up through books of old (went to the second page of a google search) to figure out how to make an email list for the website to give regular notifications of announcements or material for y'all, so I will probably contact many of you about that if I figure that out. Too, god spares no haste in enacting his wrath upon me, and I have tried and failed a handful of times now to start a remind. In the event that we succeed in making one it will be on the website, and I will try to add y'all to it. That way we can keep in contact with updates. That will become more important at the beginning of next year, as there won't be much stuff added over the summer, but there won't be nothing.

            We thought it'd be fun to add a little thing to the website that will be regular community book recs! Probably to be updated at the beginning of every month, these will give everyone in the club the opportunity to share the stuff we're reading and give a little extra fun community over the summer and beyond. Each month there will be new books on there from members of the club including little blips of why we liked it and why we reccomend it. There will likely be one from Ms. Lindsey and I each month, and I will reach out to each of you seperately in the event any of you have reads you'd like to share. I don't know, if nothing else it will give me recs, and that's exciting. We're not quite done making it yet (it's been a busy couple weeks), so eventually it will be up and be a thing on the website, and I think that'll be fun. Maybe it's just me? I'm not sure. 

            This has been the _________ year I've ever had, and it's been a wild ride all throughout. I wanted to, one more time, thank each and every single one of you for participating and making this club what it is—in an attempt to be as cliche as possible, this club couldn't have happened without all of you, and thank you for making this such a cool place! For those graduating, I'll cast a spell over the west (I'll text you) about everything onward from here and about book club stuff (if you're interested, of course). And for those who have at least one more year (or semester: Tobi), we will continue to have fun and read and keep gods up at night over the course of next year. Thank you all again, go to the website, bookmark it, save it, tattoo the link or qr code onto your forearm, whatever you need to do. I hope you all have a wonderful summer, feel free to contact me about anything you need, I'll always be around, and, of course, as always, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                        Ian :)

May 29, 2023

Good morning or good night, whenever you may be reading, all, friends and teenage hand models alike,

           This announcement is almost comically overdue, and I sincerely apologize for that. There's been very little to discuss by and large in the book club world (of course in the library world the Alexandria Accords have been in discussion for the past two weeks, now), but when I set out to write a reminder on Friday that Tuesday was going to be the date of our meeting, I happened to be swamped with oval office levels of paperwork and multiple customer service complaints from two pirates who just visited Davey Jones' Locker for the first time, and someone thought it'd be funny to give them my email. Thus, I had to put my faith in everyone that they accordingly kept track of the meeting and the book and, if not, hopefully my current announcement will suffice. There's still rather little to discuss— as you may be able to tell, given the three dot important information tab— but I figured I might as well issue one last check up before our last meeting of the year.

           Our book for this month, in the event you missed it, or just did not check the classroom recently, is Maus by Art Spiegelman— specifically the first volume, My Father Bleeds History, though anyone is welcome to read the second volume And Here My Troubles Began if they so please. Neither of them are too terribly long, though given finals season and general burnout we thought best to go with specifically the first volume— too, considering the subject matter being a tad easier to swallow in the first one. In the event that anybody thus far did not know or had their memory wiped in the last twenty nine days, Maus is a graphic novel about the holocaust. The first part in particular tells the story of a survivor through to the liquidation of the Srodula ghetto— thus our choosing the first volume, as we will be avoiding discussion and imagery of the death camps— though, of course, if anyone read the second part, there'd obviously also be the story of the death camps as well. Now, there can be no doubt that we try to keep a relatively comedic tone through this club, as I don't think anyone wants to unpack why multiple of us gave The Bell Jar  five stars, and while we won't be calling for strictly professional order in the meeting tomorrow, we're not going to make jokes about the holocaust. I shouldn't have to say that, but, for the record, especially if at the expense of the victims in the story, we will not be making jokes. I understand the tendency to deal with serious matters in a comedic way, it's practically a religion to me, but we don't know the histories of everyone in the room at any given time, and we owe it to the survivors to discuss these matters with a certain respect. A laugh to break the silence is fine, but we're not going to do a stand up bit for the holocaust. Cool? Cool. (That said, if it's a joke at the expense of the nazis or Hitler, it is more than welcome).

           As I previously stated our meeting for Maus, and our final meeting of the school year, is going to be after school tomorrow, May 30th, in the media center. I sincerely hope that everyone is able to make it. We will likely go on to about 3:30-4, as per usual (though I'd budget 'til four if possible, due to it being their last meeting of the year and I don't know when to shut up). Too— and I'll no doubt be going into more details tomorrow and beyond— starting in July, all school accounts will be locked out of Google Classroom, as I'm sure many of you have heard. We will be creating a book club Canvas— I don't think there's enough adjectives, metaphors, or analogies to describe what this has done to my pride— where all the material from this year will be put, and where more will be added next year. That's also probably where we'll put any information over the summer, in the event anyone has interest piqued in any book-related shenanigans in the creepy crawly sweaty months, but that's for us to find out, and  the forty foot goddess statue under Heritage to wonder. Also also— and this will no doubt be discussed further tomorrow, *buzz lightyear voice* and beyond— next year, if you know or meet anyone who may be interested in book club or who might enjoy the madness of our shenanigans, if you let them know about it or find their exact home coordinates for me, that would be swell! We have ideas buzzing around every which way, and we'll see what the future will bring us. Last summer I actually got breakfast in a diner just south of Cincinnati with the future and, aside from letters (they come less and less each year), I haven't seen him since, though we've discussed the possibility of him visiting for a little while now.

           I sincerely hope you all had a relatively calm and collected finals season and you're emerging safe, and more or less sound. For those of you who have teacher made exams coming up, I wish you all the best, and I trust your abilities to excel and strive diligently to prepare for your futures. It seems everyone has some wildly descriptive and extreme adjective for this year— the spectrum of positivity of which vary wildly— though I hope that, in the rubble of whatever your year may have been, there was something that made you smile enough to get through. Things are changing and showing no sign of stopping, but I believe in all of you and your ability to face the world ahead of you, and, regardless of what we're facing, at least we have each other. I am incredibly excited for our meeting tomorrow, and hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful week ahead of you. I hope you all have a good one, if you need anything I am easy to find, I'll always be around, and, of course, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

May 1, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and poltergeists in a John Lennon halloween costume alike,

           By extremely popular demand, I have included an important information tab at the beginning of each announcement so you all don't have to read these, though I remain eternally grateful to those who do. I should hope you all had quite the fruitful and enjoyable weekend, and are slated for a safe, and more or less sound, week(s) of AP Exams. I, personally, had a most enlightening conversation over the weekend with a soap dispenser with a picture of John Quincy Adams taped on it, how he lost his friends in that jungle in Korea. It is a new month and, hopefully, a good one. Eliot was right about April, but it's over now. So, despite the most important information being listed above, I hope you will listen to my delusions and the details, as brevity has a bad attitude, and we don't talk the way we used to. By the way, just to caution everyone, as it gets warmer you might see Ms. Lindsey on all fours wandering around the roads at night. Don't be scared, she can smell fear.

           I should begin by sincerely thanking everyone who attended the meeting for The Poet X, despite our most futile attempts not to have a mental breakdown the whole time, it was a very fun discussion, and an incredible book. In the event that you missed the meeting, I still highly recommend and encourage you to read the book, It's worth the read regardless of a book club meeting. That said, our book for the month of May, and the final read for this year, is Maus by Art Spiegelman! Specifically, we will be reading and discussing Part One of two, My Father Bleeds History. I posted in the material a pdf of the book— it's legality I cannot verify— but, also, Ms. Lindsey has copies of the book, so if you let her or I know I can bring the copy to you lickedy-splickedy. This is a graphic novel about the holocaust, because we wanted to keep it lighthearted for this month. I touched on this briefly in the material post for the book, but, in being about the holocaust, this is a pretty graphic book. Now, in reading Part One, we will not be reading (or seeing) the actual death camps. As this is history I feel alright giving what would otherwise be "spoilers" as to the timeline. My Father Bleeds History takes place between the mid 1930's to the winter of 1944, through the liquidation of the Srodula ghetto. That said, while we will be skipping the most violent parts of the story, in not reading part two, the first part is still incredibly violent, so please keep that in mind. You can feel free to read Part Two, And Here My Troubles Began, if you'd like, though Ms. Lindsey does not have copies nor do I have such easily accessible a pdf. We have in the school library, however, a copy of both volumes, if you'd like to read them.The discussion will be focused around My Father Bleeds History, but I do not discourage reading both parts of the book. I understand, however, that with AP Exams and the end of the year upon us, you might not have as easy an opportunity to read, hence our reading a graphic novel, and only the first part. In the event that you have any other material or sources on the holocaust, or any stories you or your family or someone you know may have, feel free to bring them for discussion. Remember we will be discussing the holocaust. This is not my saying we will have the lights dimmed and be pensively looking out over the distance without so much as a hint of a smile or laughter, but this is a very serious topic, so I ask that everyone please try not to make too many jokes about it. Also, though I cannot fathom any need for my saying this, but you can't be too careful, there will be no holocaust denial or romanticization. Not that I expect that from any of you, but I must make myself perfectly clear in that before we move onward with our discussion of this book and the holocaust on whole.

           So, as the material and information for each book is posted, so is a meeting date for each book. Right now, what is posted is Tuesday, the thirtieth of May, around the very end of the book. Please take this with a grain of salt, as it's just a rough estimate as to when we will meet. Neither I nor Ms. Lindsey can issue any assurance of a meeting date, as I'm sure many of you have seen over the course of this year, so please keep an ear or eye out for any updates on the meeting date. I will make a post here in the event that there be any changes, You can also check the meeting calendar, which I always keep up to date on meeting dates, locations, and information. Unfortunately, the pack day this month is a bit earlier than we'd like for the meeting to be held, so we will most definitely be meeting after school toward the end of the month. Usually for meetings I have ways of speaking to each of you in person, or I can have the rats deliver any information that may need to be, but also feel free to email I or Ms. Lindsey if you have any questions, I will not bite, Ms. Lindsey won't on business days. As per usual, the meeting will likely be held after school in the media center, but, again, especially with the end of the year and testing occurring, I cannot promise the sanctity of these plans. Ms. Payne is also getting more powerful, and she begins to glow with radiation when she reaches five percent power levels, so I may advise against close proximity in that time. 

           Also, as you may notice an attachment below or may be curious as to the point in the notes at the beginning, below is an interest form for a potential Writing Club here at Heritage. Whether or not this idea will come to fruition, I am entirely unsure. However, in the event of it's creation, it would likely begin around late fall/early winter of next year, as the school was so graceful in their failing to share the club application window to students and staff, so it would likely come around some time in quarter two of next year. So, if you'd be interested in a potential Writing Club, or any discussions on writing here at the school, as we will not be having a Creative Writing class on the course registration next year. However, in the event that the Writing Club does reach it's creation, it will not in any way detract from participation in and events related to Book Club. Nor will the announcements likely grow any shorter. So, I would sincerely appreciate your taking the survey— it's incredibly short, and anonymous— as it would help us gauge student interest for the club. Ms. Rumsey as well as the whole of the English department, as well as our friends in the library, have been so incredibly helpful in the planning of this club and their support of it's creation, so even if you don't like writing and just wanna hang out with the cool kids, that's also cool. I'll be trying to get a qr code of this form to the English teachers as well as the Advisory presentation, along with the sliding announcements in the commons. I would really and sincerely appreciate any interest you all may hold!

           That's about all for now! I will keep you all posted, as per usual, on any information that may surface on the club and the next meeting. Good luck to you all on your AP Exams as well as the big final projects your teachers are, no doubt, issuing right now. Thank you all for listening, reading, and participating in the book club, as per usual. I'm playing my role well as a cheesy and insincere-sounding school administrator in saying this wouldn't be possible, or nearly as fun, without you, so thank you. I hope you all have a wonderful day, if you need anything I am easy to find, I'll always be around, and, of course, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

April 25, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and millenia old babylonian tablets alike,

           It is meeting day! I am beyond ecstatic to see everyone's faces today. I sincerely hope you all had a good day yesterday, and have a bright week ahead of you. It's nearly May, and exams are upon us. There isn't much to talk about today, or this week, or this month. I sincerely wish you all good luck on your upcoming exams and the projects that teachers are no doubt composing in the time before said exams.

           In the event that you happened to miss it, today's meeting is on The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, both in celebration of national poetry month but also the escape of writing through dark times. Our meeting today will be in the media center until about 3:30-4, the last half hour likely dedicated to our deciding of the next and final book of the year. I quite hope that you all enjoyed this book, I quite did, and it sparked enough interest to engage discussion! The road is endless, and there is no sky here. I think this book, perhaps more than any other that we've read up to this point, has in it a lot of things to talk about in it, especially the ways our lives move around us, our systems of realities, and where art finds itself in each and every one of our lives. If, however, any of you want to channel Xiomara in the meeting and decide to play Drake, there will be consequences. There is a bunker under the media center to the den of an ancient eldritch god— it showed up when Ms. Payne did— and I have been given express warning not to have Drake played in it's general vicinity. It is hungry, and it is waiting. I think this book has some of the most fascinating discussions to be had of nearly any book we've read thus far, and I look forward to getting to discuss it today.

           I should say, as we near on our last read of the year, thank you all for your participation and interest in the book club. Getting to meet so many of you through this and getting to share laughter— and nihilistic dread in the case of The Bell Jar— has been a much needed solace this year, and I can only hope some semblance of that has found it's way for you as well. As our seniors leave us, we bid you all good harvest and enjoy your old age— watch out for stairs in the coming months. It has been asked a few times now what book club will look like next year, and if it will still be around. The rats worry, but, save for the universe's inertia stood in front of each and every one of my prospects, the book club should still exist through all of next year. As far as I am aware, the school has no plans to discontinue the club nor do I or Ms. Lindsey (I think). What will happen the year after that when we shall depart, I'm unsure— I must assume role as the lord rat speaker after graduation— but that's a very long way away now, and there is always much more time ahead of us. My gratitude for sitting through these announcements or attending the meetings or reading the books at all is unfathomable to the mind of your average elephant— the experiment went terribly, I didn't mean for this to happen— and book club wouldn't still be reaching it's amoeba stages in the tubes in one of the science closets reaching it's sentience as a new god of a new world without y'all coming out to the meetings, so thank you.

           Unfortunately, as it's meeting day, I've run short on things to say here and now, and I apologize for any incoherence, as I'm quite tired. There'll be time for all the things to say later. I really do look forward to seeing you all today, and hope the meeting will be fruitful and exciting, as I've no doubt it will be. I hope you all have a wonderful day, thank you again, if you need anything I am easy to find, and, of course, dream safely. 

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

April 13, 2023

Good afternoon, all, friends and great recessions of the 2008 housing market crash alike,

           I apologize for the belated announcement coming out of spring break, as it's been a busy week, but there is a plethora of important information for everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful break— I'm sure Ms. Lindsey enjoyed the air conditioning considering her classroom is still running on a plug in fan— and also got a chance to read! Unfortunately I didn't get much opportunity, but things got busy at the imitation crab convention, and the lobster debates took up all three days, and even after the panel ended we had the q&a, then coffee with the astral project of Joe Biden that lives in the attic, it was all a whole shebang. This announcement was meant for the beginning of this week but then Joe needed help with his casserole— these things happen. But, I come bearing updates as to the time and place of our next meeting, and I will do my best to keep this brief.

           I should begin by saying, in the event that you missed it, our read for this month is The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo! In honor of national poetry month, in an educational environment that continues to struggle acknowledging poetry, getting to read such a wonderful and topical book in poetry and about poetry out of a love for poetry is heart warming, like the defrost button on a microwave because there will never be enough hours of darkness to keep him at bay. Initially the plan for our meeting was to be on the pack day, but peace of mind was not prescribed on the cards dame fortuna has dealt me, and so the pack day didn't work out. Instead, our meeting will be after school on Tuesday, April 25th, after school in the media center. Again, resources are here on the google classroom to read the book, including a full pdf of it— if you need a copy of the book or don't have a way to read it, as always, just let me know and I should be able to help get it for you. As per usual, the meeting calendar here on the classroom always stays up to date on meeting stuff, so you can always consult that in the event you need any information on the meeting. The meeting after school will probably run until about 3:30, so you can take that accordingly in planning, but obviously these things fluctuate so there may be wiggle room in that. The discussion itself should run until about then.

           The year is coming to a close here and the AP exams are coming right up, and I know that this is a stressful month for classes, so I understand if it's difficult to get around to reading or make it to the meeting, but I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Utility in us reading a poetry book makes it a much easier read to get through for everyone. I know it's a rigorous time, so, as per usual, no pressure if you don't get the opportunity to read the book. I sincerely thank all of you for sticking around and participating in the club! The fog is coming, we best not let it linger much longer. Also, if there are any poems that stick out to you while reading the book, and you're comfortable with it, I think it would be wonderful if anyone wanted to read one! Of course there's no pressure yadda yadda yadda. It's been an altogether tiresome and transition of a week, but I hope everyone has adjusted and gotten back into the groove well. 

           That should be everything for this fine and dandy little Thursday, thank you all for listening and please don't use these announcements against me in court or bring them to a psychiatric facility. I hope you all have a lovely day, thank you again, if you have any questions I am easy to find, and, of course, dream safely. 

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

March 27, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and grandfathers standing on the shoulders of fathers while they're deep sea fishing alike,

           I hope you are all well on this fine and beautiful day. It's becoming increasingly likely that there won't be another frost this season, and it feels like the day before something important. It's not an altogether comforting prospect, but it feels like things are changing. We can only hope they will be changing for the better. Do any of you have any exciting plans for break? Is there anything you're looking forward to? I hope you're all to have a wonderful day.

           Thank you, really and sincerely, to all who came to our meeting on Friday! It was quite an exciting meeting, and an interesting one, in discussing Murder On The Orient Express, and it's,,, intricasies. It was a very fun meeting, and I'm so glad that everyone came, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, it being national poetry month, and my legally changing political parties, we're going to set aside democracy this month and leave out the poll this time. We discussed at the meeting any qualms anyone may have for the book this month, and everyone seemed to be alright, reaching consensus. So, our book for this month will be, *drumroll please*... For Peeta, by Mariah Lindsey! Jokes aside, as I hate comedy, we're going to be reading the narrative poetry book The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. We don't have much opportunity to talk about poetry here at the school— as we've no poetry class, and there isn't much room in the curriculum for it— so we wanted to make room for a poetry book at some point for the book club, and I'm happy to say that we have. The material for the book is already posted, with a little bit of information, but I'll take some time now to go into some more detail.

           As per usual, in the event anyone may need a physical copy of the book, you need only email me, or find me— if you can't locate me, the rats will tell you— and I will do my very best to get you a copy. That said, this is a much newer book, so it's a little harder to get our hands on than the classics we've read thus far. However, comma, that does not mean we're without accessible material— everyday is an ongoing battle, trying to spell material— as we've some digital resources in our holster! First, as per usual, there are always resources here on the classroom to get a library card and information on the digital library in Libby. In true girlbossery, the digital Wake Country library has many copies of both the eBook and the audiobook. There are four total copies of the eBook, two are available right now, and five copies of the audiobook, of which four are currently available. I highly recommend utilizing the library as a resource, it's always good to support our public libraries, keeping them alive and breathing in our communities. Next, there is attached a pdf of the book on the material. Now, now, I understand some hesitance toward an online pdf of a book, but it is, actually, a trustworthy and reputable resource to use! It's from the Oasis Academy South Bank, which is a legal online school in London. British creatures offering resources and a social safety net for their people is wholly unamerican, but it happens to be useful, just this once. So, the entire book is attached— legal, free, and safe. After that, there's the online audiobook. Now, there is no full audiobook online from what I could find— however, comma, there is attached a playlist on youtube with the audiobook in it's nine different parts. So, you can listen to the audiobook if you'd like! Finally, as I prefaced, you can always contact me if you need a copy, and I'd be happy to get you a copy swiftly.

           Now, as to the time and place of the meeting, our current forecast is pretty loose, and subject to change. Right now our rough idea is the twenty sixth of April, the next pack day. We don't know the specific period yet— we can't do third again because of lunches— but that's currently our estimated date. It might not stay that way— again, I'm unsure what put me under the scrutiny of god's municipal judgement by the witness of the martyrs and the guise of the gargoyles among the walls of notre dame, but I digress— so, I will, of course, keep everyone up to date in the event that anything may change. Too, the meeting calendar will remain updated as well, if you check that out. Too, our meeting will likely be in the media center, but, of course, neither I nor Ms. Lindsey can predict the future, only Mr. Lyons can and he's got a booked schedule.

           That should be all for today! Again, I will keep everyone up to date as best I can— I quite enjoy writing these announcements and interacting with you all lovely people. I hardly expect you to read them, lest they resemble the manifesto of a goat on the eve of his baptism— I have no idea what I just wrote— but, even so, I hope you get all the information you need. I hope you all have a lovely day, thank you, if you have any questions I am easy to find, and, of course, dream safely,

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

March 23, 2023

Good afternoon, all, friends and articles anonymously written in foreign affairs, alike,

           Tomorrow is the day of our next meeting, our discussion of Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie! There are a few important announcements/reminders to get through before I work on my apush assignment, so I'll do my best to be concise. There's a picture of Richard Nixon looking right at me and every time I look up I make direct eye contact with it, and it's on the precipice of sending me into fight or flight. I hope everyone is having an altogether pleasant day and you are enjoying the warmth— spring's insecurity and failure to believe in herself has left it cold here far too long, we're working through that right now.

           For one, I should hope that everyone has had the opportunity to, and enjoyed, Murder On The Orient Express. No doubt it is a much different read compared to our previous books, but I think it will prove interesting to discuss. I know some people have various things to say be it the writing, the descriptions, or the ending, I look forward to discussing this book with everyone during the meeting. Of particular hilarity, personally, is the description of Americans— in taking place, being populated by, and being written by brit(s)— and the unrelenting consistency that Christie takes to have the characters express their distaste for, and humor of, the Americans. Very rarely have I felt so patriotic and defensive of this great nation, this glittering republic; as if British people have any merit in making fun of America when they talk like that. 

           For two, and, perhaps, most importantly— I probably should've led with this— the location for our meeting tomorrow has changed. Due to entirely unforeseen circumstances— God spares no haste imparting his wrath upon me— we will no longer be able to hold our meeting in the media center. Still, we will not be kicked to the curb— no foreman sending us away, tossing us our final week's pay before slamming the door behind him— we will have place for our meeting. Thankfully, Ms. Tucker, kindly and in our good graces, has offered us her room for the meeting. So, the new location will be room 518. I will be standing outside the door collecting tickets and pay stubs before the game— I should be awfully hard to miss. We will not, however, have a hot dog stand, much in spite of my pleas to Mr. Lyons. Reminder that it will be during third period, and your first period teacher should give you your activity passes in the morning. If, for some reason, your teacher doesn't— or if your third period teacher, for one reason or another, won't let you leave— shoot me or Ms. Lindsey an email and we should be able to help. If you can't access your email, the rats will likely tell us.

           For three, in the event that you have missed any of our prior announcements or had a change of heart, and you'd like to attend the meeting tomorrow, had you not previously planned to do so, this is your last chance to tell us before tomorrow that you would like to come. I've no doubt it will be a joyful, albeit brief, meeting, and I so dearly look forward to seeing you all there. Too, thank you to all you lovely humans who have joined recently, as well as all of you who have stuck around for this long in lieu of my delusional ramblings at odds with space and time. I love and appreciate all of you, and I thank you so sincerely for being interested enough to be a part of this wonderful little group we have. Unfortunately Richard Nixon feeds off of any positive emotions of any marginalized American, so the sappy and sentimental talk will have to end there.

           I look forward to seeing y'all tomorrow, thank you, if you have any questions I am easy to find, and, of course, dream safely,

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

March 16, 2023

Good afternoon, all, friends and Glencoe Science's Biology: The Dynamics of Life textbooks alike,

          It has been quite some time since our last announcement as there has not been much to say— of importance, that is; I've no shortage of things to talk about— but, today, there are a number of things to talk about leading up to our next meeting. I hope you all saw a lovely end to your February and a thus far fruitful March— keeping your eye out for any leprechauns around and about, they won't forgive you. 

          In the event that you happened to miss it, this month's book is Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie! A bit different this month, in being a murder mystery, but a good read nonetheless. If you're reading the book, don't make the same mistake as me, I thought it was a tutorial— big mistake. Our meeting will be held in the media center during third period on the next pack day, on the twenty fourth, in just over a week! Below is linked the pack day sign up link, though you won't be able to sign up for the meeting there— I'll get to it— I wanted to leave it here regardless. The discussion for this book might pan out a bit differently, as it is a bit different genre wise compared to our other reads thus far, but I think it has the potential to be nevertheless enjoyable, be that discussing theories or the events, I hope you all will read and attend still and enjoy the read!

          This is not a trip up to get y'all to read these, but the pack day sign up is going to be a bit different this time around. Due to technical stuff and the process of signing up through pack days and yadda yadda yadda, the meeting is a closed group on the sign up site. That does not mean that anyone is prohibited from attending— quite the opposite, in fact! A big part of us being under closed group is due to our low number of spots and wanting everyone to have room. So, if you are planning on attending the meeting, even if you're still on the fence and/or unsure about your attendance, leave a comment on this announcement that you would like to come so that Ms. Lindsey can add everyone into the meeting. I cannot stress enough how important this is; I will be making another announcement, possibly multiple, about this next week. Please comment here saying that you are planning on attending— again, even if you're still unsure, tell us anyway— so that we can get everyone in. We're trying it out for this meeting, and hopefully it should be smooth. I look forward to seeing y'all there and getting to discuss this book with you, as always. Seeing your lovely faces is enough to keep the leprechauns away, and I hope to see you all there. 

          I sincerely hope you've all had some good reads recently— I personally have a chill first period and have gotten to read a lot more this past month, reading up on chemical weapons and insecticides to pour on four leaf clovers— and continue to enjoy reading (or not) in the coming week. I look forward to seeing your names in the comments and faces in the meeting. Thank you for reading, if you have any questions I'm easy to find, have a good one, and dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                 Ian :)

February 23, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and roman dancing plagues alike,

           I hope you are all having a lovely day and week thus far, and will close it just as lovely-ly. I want to thank everyone that came to the February meeting— while strictly professional and not at all comedic, I think it was quite a fun discussion. I should hope that next month we will have just as exciting a meeting when discussing the next book, Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie! I hope y'all read and enjoy this one, and don't get too many ideas!

           You might have noticed the material post for the book here on the classroom a couple days ago— I understand I'm a bit late on the announcement, the ghost of Henry Ford lost his keys to his cell in hell, and I had to help him find them— my apologies. But there you will find the same information as usual, an audiobook, information about the online library— see the helpful resources tab on the classroom to get a library card if you haven't already— a pdf that may or may not summon the ghost of Henry Ford, as well as the usual notice about getting a copy. In the event that anyone, for any reason, needs or wants a physical copy of the book, we actually have a class set here at the school, and I will happily get any and all of you a copy, as long as you return it. If you don't know much about the book, or voted on the poll playing eenie-meanie-minie-moe, we're going to be reading a murder mystery! If it so tickles your fancy, you can even track your theories as you read along and bring bulletin boards with witness sketches and a ball of red yarn to the meeting whilst discussing the book. I'm positive this will be a nice change of pace, reading a mystery this month, and I look forward to hearing everyone's theories leading up to the meeting itself. In case you're wondering, no, it was not Henry Ford, I already asked.

           The March meeting will— assuming everything goes as planned, as it so terribly often does— once again be held on a pack day this month! There are two pack days in March, and we will be meeting on the second of the two, Friday the twenty fourth. It's an early release day, but I still encourage everyone to come or else it will upset me deeply, I can only talk to the walls for so long before they get bored. Of course, as per usual, there is no obligation to come to the meeting, but it would be great to see any and all of you there. This time around we will likely be in the third period spot, due to that being Ms. Lindsey's planning period and lunch break at the Jersey Devil's seminar on ethical consumption, so it should be more convenient for everyone involved. As per usual, it will be in the media center at the high tables. I will send out the pack day sign up link as soon as we get our hands on it; though it probably won't be until about a week before the meeting, as was the case last time. If there are any changes in plans for any reason, I will let y'all know, and you can always check the meeting calendar here on the classroom if you need to know when and where the next meeting is.

           I hope you all have a lovely day, hope that you all enjoy the book, and hope to see y'all at the meeting. If you see Henry Ford anywhere, don't call a doctor,  just let me know. All of you, have a good one ([not a] threat), if you have any questions, I'm easy to find, and, of course, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

February 16, 2023

Good afternoon, all, friends and forlorn leghorn alike, 

           I hope that, thus far, you have all had a wonderful week in February, and are enjoying our brief glimpses of spring— hopefully, sometime soon, she comes around to stay, it's been a rascal winter. If for no other reason, it should be a good day for it is everyone's favorite forest spirit, Ms. Lindey's, birthday! Please— I cannot beg of you enough— bombard her with happy birthday emails. I'm currently waiting on an email back from the vultures for surprise birthday party plans— no one can tell her!— but I'm not sure if they already have plans. If there are any reports of smiling red billed vultures perched on window sills with string cone party hats on, they're celebrating Ms. Lindsey!

           Friendly reminder that tomorrow is the February meeting of the book club, for To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf! If you have not yet signed up on the pack day sign up form, do it! I hope your imagination can capture the tone I just said that in! If you can't make it or don't feel up to coming, don't worry about it. If you didn't get to read the book, I still recommend coming! I think the discussion will be incredibly interesting, and I look forward to talking about the themes and topics in this book, as it's a beautifully written novel with just as beautiful, and tragic, themes. The discussion is universal and has the capacity for discussion with or without the book— even if you don't want to talk and just hang around and listen or vibe, that's also okay! I'm not gonna pull out the library's battle axe if you don't engage.

           On another hand, along with the pack day sign up link below, there are some surveys for different student projects from members of the book club. Ashton's survey for AP Research, and Danielle's for Sociology, are both linked below. Both are incredibly short and anonymous, and would really help them with their research! It would be greatly appreciated if you could take them and help them out. No obligation— no lightbulbs will bully you if you don't take them— but it would be cool!

           To end, and to usher some excitement, put y'all on the edge of your seats, I'm going to include an exceptionally beautiful quote from To The Lighthouse, before I go:

                      "He looked at her, let his arm down and looked at her; 

                      for the first time in his life he felt an extraordinary pride; 

                      felt the wind and the cyclamen and the violets for he was 

                      walking with a beautiful woman"

           Thank you all, I hope to see you tomorrow, have a good one, and, of course, dream safely,

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

February 10, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past alike,

           I sincerely hope that you are all, thus far, having a good and peaceful morning, and have had a safe and, more or less, sound week to this point. Hopefully there was something of excitement or joy at some point over the past week for all of you— I had the pleasure of witnessing the crowning of the new fungi gladiator. It was a wonderful sight, all the trees clapping their hands, not to mention the slow dance. That brought some light to my Tuesday, at least; I can only hope all of you have had as enjoyable— or, at least, solaceable— a week. 

           In case anyone happened to miss it, the next meeting for the book club is next Friday, February 17th, in the media center, during second period. We've the pleasure of occupying a spot for the pack day! Ms. Lindsey already posted the link once yesterday, but I am including it here, as well. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is, in the event you plan on attending the meeting, you complete the pack day sign up. It's quick, though not entirely efficient, and secures place in the meeting! Thus far there have been twelve people sign up— some new-comers to the book club!— so make sure to get signed up as soon as possible— one may even say asap. 

           Reminder that the book we will be discussing is To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf! The book is quite wonderful, and I cannot recommend enough that everyone read it. Even if you do not make it to the meeting, the book is worth the reading. If you don't get to finish or read the book before the meeting, I still vehemently suggest coming to the meeting, merely for the discussion that this book may spur. The concepts here present should prove a great fun to discuss with everyone, and I sincerely look forward to seeing y'all there. I'm positive there will be discussions on family, beauty, love, time, and— of this I've absolutely no doubt— lighthouses. If anyone needs a copy of the book, I can readily provide you with one. 

           Too, if anyone feels so inclined, I would be incredibly interesting in knowing what everyone has been reading! Unfortunately, I didn't read much in January, for a number of reasons, not the least of which the bobble head of Andrew Jackson that began asking me how the White Sox were doing this season, but hope to read more this month and onward. So, if you feel so inclined, feel free to comment! As I'm writing this, I find it not entirely a poor idea to maybe have a discussion board for everyone's current reads! Of course, we must see, I have to study White Sox stats before Sunday.

           I do believe that should be everything. Again, please do sign up for the pack day if you'd like to come to the meeting, it would be merely a joy to see any of you. While it would be foolish to underestimate the insightfulness of the media center chairs, somedays the conversation gets awkward, and I am positive they would enjoy someone else to speak with.

           I sincerely hope that I may see you all there, have a good one, and, of course, dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                      Ian :)

January 26, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and supa scoopa & the mighty scoops,

           I hope you are all, thus far, having good and happy finals or are otherwise enjoying your week off. Personally, I’ve taken the time to find the grave of one Christopher Sholes for entirely legal and ethical purposes before journeying to the wild wastes of Montana to visit a well in the spring beneath Trapper Peak. This is also a good time to read! If that’s what’s most relaxing to you, of course. In any case, I’m here to talk about To The Lighthouse, our next book!

           Some of you may already have seen the post I made for the book including information on the meeting date, the book itself, and the resources for it. I won’t entirely repeat myself here, but I will give a fundamental rundown. Our book is To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, known feminist and dog biographer, following a family over the span of a handful of years, their dynamics and how they shift, and dissertations on the passing of time. This book in lieu of the January book poll, which, for quite some time, remained a tie between this and The Bell Jar, before meeting the time limit and the tie-breaker going in favor of The Bell Jar. However, only after the book was decided, the poll actually swung in favor of To The Lighthouse, hence my promising that we’d read the book, and explaining the lack of a poll this month. 

           My sincerest apologies for the belated posting of the book and the announcement, we were trying to figure out how to set up the meeting date due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback on the pack day poll— thank you all so very much to those who took it, I’ll tell him to come out from under your beds. However, we have now submitted the request for the pack day, and, in theory, we should be good to go. The meeting is on Friday, the 17th of February, during second period on the pack day. If this, for any reason, happens to change, I will make it abundantly clear and bombard everyone with announcements, in case you thought it unlike me to do so. Too, I will keep the live meeting calendar under helpful resources in the classroom, here, updated on the time, place, or star alignments of the given meeting dates. When it is released, I will be posting the pack day sign up, which everyone must fill out. So, once we get our hands on that, it will get to everyone. I should hope to see you all there, too as I hope— by the temple and the arch, I hope— that your teachers do not give you work on the pack days. The structural integrity of “no new material” for pack days is in the same ballpark as an elementary school bendy pencil, but I hope it’s of no cause for concern. 

           I believe that covers all the necessary bases before I leave— I should call her— and I look sincerely forward to seeing everyone at the meeting! I do hope that the book is enjoyable for everyone and holds in it some poignant interest of discussion. In the event that anything changes, again, I will keep you all informed. Now, a fox just ran out from the wood and began talking about the impact of municipal politics on local bingo, so I believe that this is where I should depart. 

           I hope you all enjoy the book, have a good one, enjoy the rest of your week, and, above all, dream safely. 

In Catharsis,

                                 Ian :)

January 18, 2023

Good morning, all, friends and pagan angels and borrowed cars alike,

           Today is the day of the January meeting for The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath! This book proved to be wildly fascinating to read and I think will prove just as interesting to discuss. I am sincerely looking forward to seeing you all there, I hope you'll be able to make it! If you didn't get a chance to read the book or can't attend the meeting for any reason, it's no worries! If this is your first meeting, as well, that's perfectly alright. I won't send six foot tall frogs after you if you can't attend a meeting.

           However— and I must make this incandescently clear— as with all meetings, but especially this one, considering the subject matter, I request that everyone be considerate of discussions and others. This book is difficult, and is mentioned with a myriad of difficult topics doing the hokey-pokey along with it. In the event that a reminder could be of use, this book contains, and we will probably be discussing, topics of rape, suicide, self-harm, depression, and death. If you at all feel uncomfortable discussing these things then you've no obligation whatsoever to attend the meeting. Too, if during the meeting you grow uncomfortable or upset by any of the subject matter, expected or not, there is, under no circumstances, any shame in stepping away from the discussion. 

           I should say that, again, we will be meeting in the media center shortly after school— start time around 2:30, just to let everyone come in— and will run discussion until about 3:30, with discussing options for our next book being from then 'til about four. When choosing the book we will also be discussing opportunity of a pack day or possibly options for a pack day meeting in the future!

           Consider a crumb of food for thought on this front, with a quote from the book that the title derives itself from (mild spoilers, fair warning):

           "I knew I should be grateful to Mrs. Guinea, only I couldn't feel a thing. If Mrs. Guinea had given me a ticket to Europe, or a round-the-world cruise, it wouldn't have made one scrap of difference to me, because wherever I sat— on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok— I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air."

           I look forward to (hopefully) seeing y'all today, have a good one, and dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                                 Ian :)

January 11, 2023

Good afternoon all, friends and tuxedo cat deniers alike,

           I hope you are all well on this fine, and chilly, day. There are a few things to discuss, so I will try to be relatively brief, though I cannot, under any circumstances, make any promises, or they'll find me. 

           For one, I hope you are all enjoying the The Bell Jar. Our discussion meeting is a week from today, after school, in the media center, Wednesday, the 18th of January. I think that there will be some good and fun conversations to be had with this book, and I look forward to seeing as many of you there as can be! Email me if there are any problems with attending the meeting or if there are any discrepancies with the subject matter. Don't be afraid to email I or Ms. Lindsay about anything! We are not creatures of the night handing out rulings on judgement day— if you saw me with the jersey devil, no you didn't.

           For two, and of much more pressing subject matter, below is a poll on everyone's potential interest in holding a meeting on a pack day. Now, not to cause a collective sigh, I understand that pack days are a controversial subject among the student body, a lot of teachers give work when they are not supposed to, et cetera, et cetera. However, hear me out. The next pack day is the 17th of February, on a friday, as well as a full day. The proposition here is that the February meeting for the club be held that day, in either second or fourth period. The exact logisitcs would be determined later, but that would be our option. This will give us in-school time to discuss the book, whatever that book may be, and not cause the inconvenience or trouble of staying after. This would be held in the media center, again in either second or fourth period, whichever works better. Please, please, please take the poll, as this could impact meeting dates and decisions further down the line as well. I understand it's far out, however, this is stuff we have to plan now. It's a short poll with just if you'd be up to it and what period you may want it to be. The book for this meeting will be decided at this upcoming meeting next Wednesday, where we will also discuss the pack day question in person. Please do take it, or Mr. Pack Day (real) will get hungry.

           That's all. Again, please do fill out the survey! It'll be very useful for future reference with the book club. Hope you have a good one, y'all, and dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                                 Ian :)

January 3, 2023

Good morning all, friends and polunochnayan riffraff alike,

              I do sincerely hope you all had a wonderful and restful break! I could only hope that everyone is well rested and ready to finish the semester safe, and more or less sound. 

              Needless to say the break was a well-needed period away from school and learning, and I hope that the whiplash now, back in school, isn't all too bad. Too, I hope everyone had ample opportunity to read over break! (if you wanted to). If you read some rather exceptional books, I encourage you to comment about them! Book recommendations are always excitable and welcome. I want to hear about the books you liked! Too, if you want to share your favorite books that you read last year, that'd be amazing as well! For such a fast and troubled year, I hope, at least, y'all got to read some good stuff. I've high hopes this year will hold some phenomenal books for us all.

              As a reminder, in the event that one may be of any use or assistance to you, our next meeting will be held on wednesday the eighteenth of January, same time and place, media center after school until about 3:30. We will be discussing The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Again, if you in any way need a copy of the book or don't have access to one I will gladly get you a copy. Too, I encourage you to check the material posted here in the classroom for access to the book. Again, I suggest you look at the assignment for notice on the book's subject matter. Troubling would be a word for it. If you're at all uncomfortable with the subject matter or topics of the books, as always there's no obligation to come to this meeting. That said, I sincerely hope you all enjoy the book. I look forward to seeing y'all at the meeting, and the discussions to be had on the book.

              Have a good one, y'all, and dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                         Ian :)

December 14, 2022

Good morning, all, friends and goblins alike,

             A reminder that this afternoon is our first meeting in the media center, after school, to discuss The Alchemist! I look forward to our meeting and discussing this book with y'all. I should hope that you all enjoyed this book as much as I did, and I think, regardless, it will be a fun conversation. The meeting will be from shortly after school— 2:30, so everyone gets a chance to shuffle in— to about 3:30-4:00. It'd be best to prepare for four, in the event of any inevitable colloquy.

             For the discussion, I look forward to hearing any quotes, moments, or themes that you enjoyed in or about the book, or just how you felt about it, and get to talk about the greater idea of dreams and of destiny. Fully annotated or just enjoyed read, I'm excited to hear everyone's thoughts and perspectives on the book!

             Have a good one, y'all, and dream safely.

In Catharsis,

                          Ian :)

December 9, 2022

A good morning to you all on this fine and beautiful day! I hope y'all are well, and have an excellent friday ahead of you.

             Reminder that our first meeting of the club will be held this upcoming Wednesday, the fourteenth, after school in the library. We will be discussing The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you have yet to read the book, I highly recommend it. Removed from it being the book for the month, even if you miss the meeting or don't get to read it, I encourage everyone to give this book a read— it's absolutely beautiful. Links to the audiobook are here on the google classroom, and if you'd like a physical copy I can work with you to get one! 

             If there are any parts, moments, or quotes that you like, please bring them to the discussion! No one is forced to talk, but I invite you to share your thoughts and feelings about the book— good or bad— as that's what we're here to do! I hope you all find some solace and enjoy the book and the discussion, even just listening, if you'd like. I am excited to see all of you and look forward to being able to discuss this book and dreams of all things bright and beautiful.

             Have a good one, all, and dream safely.

In Catharsis, 

                          Ian :)