Michael Cunningham
I just spent my first afternoon as a guest writer at Still Waters in a Storm. I very much hope it won’t be my last.
It’s a remarkable and, yes, an inspiring program. One gets far too few opportunities to use the word “inspiring,” these days.
Stephen Haff and his cadre of young volunteers produce more excitement about reading and writing than I’ve ever seen in a roomful of children. The kids understand, right away, that they’ve been invited to be part of an exchange, with adults and with each other; that it’s nothing like a traditional classroom, where the teacher teaches and the students listen (often, and understandably, without much enthusiasm).
And oh, by the way, the children are currently reading Milton’s Paradise Lost.
It’s proof of what can be done by people who’ve got vision and determination and little else – that is, no government funding, no friends in high places, or any such.
One leaves there feeling enriched, enlivened, and reminded – in an actually profound way – of the fact that we can, really and truly, make a difference, simply by feeling sure that making a difference is possible.
One leaves there eager to return.