rural-areas – Dr. Parton's Literacy In Place

Rachel Bird by Becky Citra | Author Talk

Today’s episode is brought to you by…the snow day! It’s been another long while since I posted an episode of my podcast. Being back in the secondary classroom has left me still trying to find my groove. But! Today’s snow day seemed like the perfect opportunity to edit and post another episode. Thanks, Snow! ItContinue reading “Rachel Bird by Becky Citra | Author Talk”

The Precipitation that Earned My Appreciation by Genevieve Frander | Honorable Mention 2024 Rural Teen Writing Contest

My eyes drifted open to see that the early morning’s light had already seeped through my flimsy, beige curtains. Sleep still smothering my senses like a thick cloud of fog, I reluctantly heaved my body out of bed. Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks, any remnants of sleep evaporating in an instant. I breathedContinue reading “The Precipitation that Earned My Appreciation by Genevieve Frander | Honorable Mention 2024 Rural Teen Writing Contest”

Of Goats and Kids by Sallie Choi | Runner-Up Rural Teen Writing Contest

I’ve never liked petting zoos. Growing up, I would always find myself sneezing through clouds of alpaca fur and sheep wool to illuminate the way, like Moses parting the Red Sea. IT was always the goats that scared me the most; something about their beady-eyed glares and ever-greasy fur was deeply unsettling in a wayContinue reading “Of Goats and Kids by Sallie Choi | Runner-Up Rural Teen Writing Contest”

The Ribcage by Britta Nilsson | Winner of 2024 Rural Teen Writing Contest

We’re lying in the road letting the end of the sun soak into us and you say, “Is my ribcage showing?”I roll over and see the stretched flesh, the gentle pulse, the boneslike a door ajar and oh I’m starving. I answer yes andyou sit up to pull a jacket over them.“Sorry. I don’t knowContinue reading “The Ribcage by Britta Nilsson | Winner of 2024 Rural Teen Writing Contest”

2023: A Year in Review

I’m currently sitting in my childhood living room while my three kids play with their uncles’ assortment of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars collected over a couple decades. Sometimes it’s collaborative; sometimes it’s not. The youngest frequently breaks off to play in the 30-year-old Playskool kitchen we all used at my Mamaw and Papaw’s house.Continue reading “2023: A Year in Review”