Mystery Guest!

You know how it is.

You go to high school.

You get some mediocre teachers. Maybe even a couple of lousy teachers.

But you also get a really great teacher.

Years go by.

Something wonderful happens in your life and you know it's related to this really great teacher.

And then your best friend from high school (Hi DM!) tracks down this really great teacher for you. First, she tries the internet. No go. Then she phones your high school. No go. Then she phones the Ontario Teachers Federation. (That's the teachers' union.) Where some clerk totally bends the rules and gives her the really great teacher's current phone number. Which she dials. There's an exchange of emails.

And, voila, I'm in touch with my really great high school English teacher. I might even wangle a visit with him when I'm back home this summer. But I'm skipping ahead.



THANK YOU MISTER PETER MAGEE!

Thank you for teaching me to think outside the box. Thank you for encouraging me to take risks with writing. Thank you for making me read stuff I would never have read otherwise. And written essays I would never have written otherwise. The same goes for poetry and short stories. Thank you for giving me the courage to believe in myself. I would not be a writer today if it weren't for you.


Tomorrow: an interview with Peter (Do you see how I honoured your wishes and dropped the Mister?!) conducted by the incorrigible KELLY Couric. Which is what Peter specifically requested. No, no, don't worry about my feelings; I'm fine with it. I can be the bigger person. Yeah, it's MY blog. And, yeah, you were MY teacher. But, hey, it's cool if you want Kelly to do the interview. I won't even interrupt....too much. :)

For those of you just tuning in, KELLY Couric is Katie Couric's less famous twin. She's like Katie, only less perfect. KELLY's a little chubby, a little white trash and a little brash. She has interviewed on the blog before.

I'll also post a more up-to-date pic of Mr. Magee tomorrow. See. I do read all your emails.