An Open Letter of Thanks

Thank you for your support. I don’t think there is anything I can say beyond that to show my gratitude. Not only have you supported me in ways I never expected, but you have supported and encouraged my students as they take on challenges which most students would never accept.

I sponsor a group of middle school students who take on the NaNoWriMo challenge, to write a novel in just 30 days. These young men and women are putting their heart and souls on the page for people to read, and -- as scary as it is -- critique. Through the generous donations of pens, pencils, and journals from throughout the writing community, many students are excited about putting pen (or pencil) to paper to write their own novels.

I get excited every year as November draws close, to see all of the returning students as they prepare for their writing challenge. Even more exciting are the new writers who crowd around my office windows, staring in amazement at the pens displayed there. They plot and devise ways to win the pen of their choice, and ask questions about the pens or how to get one.

Your donations mean the world to these students, some of which may never have had the opportunity to own something as nice as what you all have given. You are helping me to make new, lifelong writers and learners out of these students. Thank you. I could never do what I do without your help.