I'm not big on crime stories, fictional or documentary. So when Weez recommended Gangstories, I shied away from it. The weblog was wonderfully written, powerful autobiographical stuff...but it was too far away from my world for me to own it, and too dark for me to want to.
When D (the author) ended Gangstories last week, however, my curiousity was piqued. "Email me if you want the last story," he wrote in his last entry. How could I not?
What I got back from him was something that bridged the gap between his world and mine. I've read his "last story" several times now. It's something I'll save, and read again. And again. Because it's a story of hope, a story of reclamation, a story that makes me remember that what I do as a teacher can make a difference in ways I may never know.
Thanks, D.
I just read D's "last story" and it is powerful stuff, in part for the reasons you describe. It's nice to know that teachers still make a difference (sometimes in ways we never realize).