Scowling Inspiration for Young Writers

In high school English classrooms all across the nation, you'll see these wonderfully executed sketches of literary greats. These particular shots came from a friend's room. I took over her 12th grade classes last week. We worked on diction.

In any case, this dour parade of lettered folk don't inspire me to write, and I like to write. I even write for money. Or chickens. I am pretty sure they don't inspire high school kids to write.


I mean look at their faces. James Thurber, a "celebrated humorist" looks like he's ready for his close up as Pink Floyd's schoolmaster from The Wall.

A couple look like they might be getting ready to have a good time. Vonnegut is wearing a modest smirk and Fitzgerald looks like he might have heard something funny, like someone told him he would be taped to a Las Vegas classroom wall one day.


But Emily Dickinson is almost certainly hiding a hickory switch behind the whiteboard and Willa Cather is about as warm as a catheter-wielding nurse.

Hurry up and write, kids, or Frost will come for you in your sleep.

Remember teachers, just because you get free posters from publishing houses doesn't mean you should put them up.