Librarians don't mess around

"I really didn't realize the librarians were, you know, such a dangerous group. ... You think they're just sitting at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn't mess with them." (Michael Moore)

"Blending Time" as a High School Discussion Book

It seems a couple of high schools have chosen "The Blending Time" as a discussion book for their students. I didn't expect that to happen, but am pleased because I think the book (and the rest of the trilogy) has a lot of social issues that teens should be concerned with and discuss. The book is a near-future dystopia in which a lot of things might indeed happen. Global climate change; famines and the subsequent battles for resources are already happening in parts of Africa. The next 50 years could see chaos or not--depending on the actions we take locally and globally.

Questions teachers might want to have their students discuss:

-- How might climate change effect them in 10-20 years?
-- Would climate change and scarce resources cause a breakdown of technology?
-- Can you think of a 'magic bullet' that might 'fix' such a dysfunctional world?
-- Could a world government (Like the Global Alliance) be effective... sort of a 'super' United Nations with teeth? What pitfalls might such a global government have?
-- How can we avoid such a future as portrayed in "The Blending Time?"
-- Any thoughts on the racial issues raised in the book? Will we become or or less racial and class tolerant in the future?

Cowgirls, Critters, & Cusses-- great writing material

Just got back from a camping and ranch vacation in Wyoming and had a blast. Did a ranch photoshoot and had to get up at 5:00 each morning to catch the sunrise on pounding herds of horses and wranglers--cowboys and cowgirls. Dramatic stuff. Did the same a sunset to catch that 'golden light.' In the towns we met old cowboys that looked like they just stepped out of True Grit. Handlebar mustaches, battered cowboy hats, and well worn shit-kickers.

Alone the way I was fascinated by the names of towns, canyons, cafes. Examples: Dirty Annie's; Crazy Woman Canyon; Dead Man Creek; etc. I jot these kind of things down, as well as descriptions of the characters we meet, to use as fodder for writing. I could never make up some of these names or characters. People watching in a local cafe and drinking the local (strong!) coffee and chatting with the waitress is great material for dialogue and character description.