Lessons from My Teachers
From Preschool to the Present
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- 16,99 €
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- 16,99 €
Publisher Description
An inspiring collection of “pristine, perfect” (Elizabeth Strout) essays on the life-altering bonds between teacher and student and the timeless wisdom imparted both inside and outside the classroom—from critically acclaimed author, MacArthur genius, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Tony Award–nominated playwright and author, Sarah Ruhl.
Based on her popular class at Yale, this “tender and profound” (Booklist) essay collection from one of our greatest living playwrights and teachers, Sarah Ruhl, is a testament to the singular impact of teachers across every stage of our lives. Anchored in stories both personal and universal, drawing on Sarah’s experiences with her parents and children, with schoolteachers, creative influences, and beyond, Lessons from My Teachers is a “a true tribute to those who teach… [that] masterfully captures the ineffable essence of all that passes between teacher and student” (Sharon Salzberg).
Perfect for sharing with loved ones and role models alike and meant for marking important seasons and milestones, Lessons from My Teachers is a collection “told by a master storyteller…Anyone who learns and teaches will find affirmation in this book.” (Kirkus Reviews).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Playwright and essayist Ruhl (Smile) provides a heartfelt reflection on her life's many teachers. Adapted from her Yale course of the same name, the book was also inspired by Ruhl's desire to break away from doomscrolling, which yields "few answers... only very loud opinions." In short essays, she recaps lessons in the "powerful art of listening" from Gloria Steinem and on how to make the best sunny-side up egg from her grandfather. She offers moving ruminations on the strong impression made by childhood teachers, like the piano instructor who taught her how to "make a mistake" yet "keep moving forward." Some essays delight in their unexpectedness, such as the one about "the falafel maker" whose advice that "every good story has to have a love story" Ruhl followed in subsequent plays. The book strays into slightly off-topic personal musings, though these sometimes offer Ruhl's own cogent lessons on the creative process ("Ride the Amtrak quiet car" to battle writer's block, she advises) and end up giving an intriguing if truncated glimpse of the playwright's life, from her struggles with chronic illness to her study of Buddhism. Throughout, Ruhl couches her reminiscences on learning within a passionate critique of America's cultural obsession with self-reliance. The result is an inspiring tribute to the supportive communities that make creative life possible.
