RAE’S READS

recent posts

about

This year (2025) finds me with 53 years of teaching “under my belt.” I have taught all levels from pre-K “(library lady” or “book lady”–volunteer) to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Writing class at the university where I have just completed 34 years. My first paying teaching job was junior high, and I spent 13 years with ages 12-13, the “difficult years.” I had some of the “funnest” experiences with this age group. When I was no longer the “young, fun teacher,” I taught in an elementary school setting before sixth graders went on to junior high, teaching language arts blocs, an assignment that was a “dream-fit” for me. After completing graduate school in my 40s, I went on to community college, then university teaching. This past fall I accepted a part-time teaching job at Apogee Gulf Coast Schools in its first year at the Alvin campus. After my Better Half died n 2022, I achieved a lifelong dream: opening a bookstore of my own, Rae’s Reads. A year later, I sold the house we had lived in for 47 years and moved into the bookstore. My goal is to circulate and repurpose books. Just as teaching is “in my blood,” so is a passion for reading, writing, libraries, and everything bookish. This blog will be open to anyone who loves books, promotes literacy and wants to “come out and play.”

October 20th, NATIONAL DAY OF WRITING

Here I am, a day late (and a dollar short as the old saying goes) ready to celebrate the National Council Teachers of English’s annual celebration of writing. It was designated to allow people to appreciate the value of writing in our personal and societal lives. The NCTE states,”…writing is critical to literacy but needs greater attention and celebration.” How true!

In honor of the day, here are a few quotes about writing:

“Why do I write? To investigate the mystery of existence. To tolerate myself. To get closer to everything that is outside of me.” (Jhumpa Labiri, Pulitzer Prize Winner)

“…What do average people gain by writing? I think that any time you make something and the refining and revising of that something to the best it can be, brings great satisfaction,” [which is what writing does]. (Paraphrased from Houston’s Executive Director of Imprint, a yearly scheduled series of readings and lectures by contemporary writers)

“Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up.” (John Edgar Wideman, author)

“In both writing and sleeping, we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives.” (Stephen King) (a shout out of thanks to Maria Popova’s blog, Brain Pickings, via way of the blog Bookish Fame, which collected favorite quotes on writing)

Writing is important at all ages, and best learned young.

Celebrate writing in some way today, even if we are a day late. LOL And, isn’t this day a great lead-in to November, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Until next time, keep reading and do some writing!

Posted in

3 responses to “October 20th, NATIONAL DAY OF WRITING”

  1. Jee Wan Avatar
    Jee Wan

    Lovely quotes on writing! Thank you for sharing, Rae!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Carla Avatar
    Carla

    I love that Stephen King quote. I am not one to write poetry or stories, but I do put together newsletters for my church each month and three times a year for a Senior Sports Group, so I guess that counts.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Rae Longest Avatar
      Rae Longest

      That definitely counts!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a reply to Rae Longest Cancel reply