“That’s All Folks”

By Susan December 20, 2021

“That’s All Folks”

“As a state, we shouldn’t be forcing teachers to crawl around on an ice rink to get the money they need to fund their classrooms.”

–Loren Paul, president of the S. Dakota Education Assoc.

Sometimes I forget what day of the week it is—because I can—and some days I just don’t care, a wonderful perk of “retirement.” Those of you who know me know how important children’s education is to me. Video of the teachers jostling for dollars ignited outrage around the country. I will say this once:

Teachers should never have to grovel for money that’s needed for classroom improvements.

South Dakota teachers have one of the lowest average salaries in the country.

“Netflix’ Squid Game has turned teacher funding shortages into a spectacle, critics cry out. “This is horrible. We call educators heroes and treat them like court jesters?”

That’s it for today, folks.

Last updated on December 20, 2021

In 2006, researching for my last literature paper at Oxford, I stumbled onto the late 17th-century court of Queen Mary of Modena, consort to James II. I was intrigued because she had so many female writers in her court—rare for the 17th century. Before heading back to the states, I met with my professor, Peter McCullough, to discuss a book idea stemming from that research. Peter had stunned me with his compliment of my paper—“One of the most beautiful Bread Loaf papers I’ve read . . . The work of an artist by an artist.” He was encouraging about my book idea and later agreed to be one of my Beta readers. Rain Dodging follows my quest for a sense of Mary’s spaces, to breathe the same air, to imagine their lives, visiting palaces and manor houses in England and Scotland and exploring their sublime back roads. Rain Dodging is a kaleidoscope of memoir and mystery, a collage of images and events. As I travel through Britain, I take you on a journey through my life and into a 17th-century royal court. You'll watch the connections unfold, from tales of a troubled childhood to wild days of college and young adulthood, the music scenes in Los Angeles & Nashville, and to my growth as mother, teacher, writer, lover, and solo traveler.