Author Archives: sheilawill

The inconvenient truth about education

Posted on March 20, 2012 by sheilawill

I needed a large iced coffee to head to the Loft Cinema on a sunshiny Saturday morning  a movie, a documentary at that.  “The Inconvenient Truth behind Waiting for Superman” was too New Yorky, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some … Continue reading →

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Quickie on context

Posted on March 18, 2012 by sheilawill

The story’s in the details, says Gus, city editor at the Baltimore Sun in the last season of “The Wire.” We’re doing an all-day watch of the last 10 episodes so no spoiler alerts please! Wish I could start all … Continue reading →

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Tucson Festival of Books Afterglow

Posted on March 13, 2012 by sheilawill

When I come to the last sentence of a book I’ve loved, there’s a little sadness and quiet exhilaration. I sigh. I sit quietly. I may say wow or dang that was good!  Today I had all those feelings. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Tucson Festival of Books/good books, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Children’s books/authors are on my mind

Posted on March 6, 2012 by sheilawill

Maybe it’s owning a bookstore for all those years, maybe it’s remembering all the fun we had with authors at Oz Books in Southwest Harbor, maybe it’s the impact that author friends and books have had on me my whole … Continue reading →

Posted in Mount Desert Island/Maine, Tucson Festival of Books/good books | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Restored Faith: an Independent and a Republican

Posted on February 29, 2012 by sheilawill

A brain is a terrible thing to waste. Education isn’t about being a “snob”; it’s about questioning your own views and considering those of others, reading and listening and evaluating. It’s called critical thinking, not making up your mind about … Continue reading →

Posted in Fight wimpiness, Mount Desert Island/Maine, politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Brains, tradition and family history

Posted on February 19, 2012 by sheilawill

Mayim Bialik is intense — and not that different from the geeky scientist she plays on TV’s #1 sitcom  “Big Bang Theory.” I resisted the show for a long time because of its canned laughter, which for me indicates phony … Continue reading →

Posted in Neuroscience needs me | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“The Way” is authentic, worth seeing

Posted on February 17, 2012 by sheilawill

I have a stuffy head, so I cancelled all my appointments and went to the Loft Cinema. Maybe I wanted some clarity, or at least to focus on something other than myself. My friend Kathleen walked the Camino de Santiago through … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rest of the World, Visual Entertainment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Like a snowflake…Noam Chomsky

Posted on February 11, 2012 by sheilawill

I’ve been reeling from my heavy-duty Noam Chomsky experience: to write or not to write, my responsibility as an educator, my loyalty to the ’60s and my mentor Howard Zinn, the need for more open-mindedness in the world, speaking the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bopping Around Tucson, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who’s a V.I.P. anyway?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by sheilawill

I don’t mind rich people, I really don’t. It’s the snooty ones that bother me. And a friend reminded this morning that everyone I know is financially rich compared to everyone else in the world. But sometimes I get confused. … Continue reading →

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Only five weeks till the Tucson Festival of Books!

Posted on January 31, 2012 by sheilawill

Proud mama that I am, I’m thrilled that my daughter, Brook Wilensky-Lanford, author of “Paradise Lust: Searching for the Garden of Eden” — a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice — will be coming from back east to participate … Continue reading →

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