I have enjoyed “Sidewalks,” by Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood, for some time now. I especially liked “Poetry in Commotion” [Nov. 23], featuring Poetry Slam inventor Marc Smith. The last line stated, “Osgood and I will be among the first to buy [Smith’s upcoming book] in the hope it ends up making our favorite poet a few bucks.”
I hope so too, seeing how he once gave me a half-dollar. In the spring of 2000, during my last term at North Central College in Naperville, Smith was a guest of a poetry class I was taking. He knew my professor, David Starkey, and stopped by to talk to us about slams and poetry and such. Among other things, Smith had several of us engage in a screaming contest. He would supply the winner with a dollar.
The final round had one of my classmates and myself yelling as loud as we could, and the class was evenly split–so instead of having just one winner, we both won. Smith tore his dollar in half and we each got a piece. The classmate and I joked that we’d have to get together sometime to spend our dollar.
I still have my half-dollar. Thanks for rekindling a fond memory.
Jennifer Wojcik / Batavia
Anatomy of a failure
Regarding “Analyze This” [Nov. 23], the dunce cap should go not to Dubya but to Arnie, Richie and Debbie for failing–failing to produce even a modicum of schools that meet the No Child Left Behind standards. It is not just No Child Left Behind; the Chicago Public Schools system has been left behind.
Things will not change until the family head firmly believes that education is an economic good and gets involved with help and motivation at home. Unfortunately, Chicago and other systems are faced with parents who are unequipped or unwilling, which leaves the children overwhelmed by peers for whom failure, or mediocrity at best, is a badge of honor.
Dubya is a convenient scapegoat for those who would prefer to cover the mirror of responsibility. But thanks for publishing a true report card on Chicago Public Schools.
Paul D. Speer Jr. / Indian Creek
Bush as dunce
I found your pictorial reference to the president (or as you refer to him, Dubya) with a dunce cap to be highly offensive.
Your point is, I guess, that Chicago’s failing education process is his fault rather than the teachers’ education priorities, or even the students themselves, or even the education unions, or many other obvious possibilities.
Your position is precisely why a broken system is never mended but just continues year after year.
Russell R. Miller / La Grange
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