The overwhelming sensation I felt while talking about my novel at Canby High the other day was passion, a sort of urgency to explicate and learn, to share and listen. It’s close to the same feelings I often experienced when I taught “Prufrock,” The Great Gatsby, “The Scarlet Ibis,” The Lord of the Flies, Hamlet, Crime and Punishment and so many other fines stories and poems. Long live the passion!
Paul Allen Dage … etc.
"That's what fiction is for. It's for getting at the truth when the truth isn't sufficient for the truth."–Tim O'Brien
Paul Allen Dage ... etc. 
Hello Paul,
While teaching some of the same novels you listed I had the feeling that one of my biggest challenges was to transfer my “passion” for those works into the hearts and minds of the high school students in my classes. I felt ike a relic from the library generation trying to infuse enthusiasm into the computer, smart phone, text/tweet generation. Of course a talented teacher can make the classics come alive, to some extent. Good to see you are staying connected to your old campus.
Doug Edwards
Cal State San Bernardino, BA English
Claremont Graduate School, MA Eng./American Lit.
C+P, Gatsby, and Hamlet were among my favorites in AP. The Rosencrantz + Guildenstern assignment was a fun one too I recall!