Meet the annotator

Every book I own has been argued with. There are question marks next to plot holes, hearts next to perfect sentences, and at least one "absolutely not" in the margin of a chapter I still think about.

This blog is those margins, moved somewhere other people can read them.

I'm Catherine. By day I teach high school English, which means I spend a lot of time convincing fifteen-year-olds that the curtains might actually be blue for a reason. I'm also a certified reading specialist, a doctoral candidate in literacy, and a writer who can't stop making up stories about small creatures with big opinions. This is me taking a big step, because while I love writing, I never share it with anyone.

What lives here

Honest book reviews that actually take a side. Essays that take the long way around. Lessons and close reading for anyone who misses English class (or never got the good version of it). Dinner table ideas for parents who want more than "how was school?" "Fine." And my own short stories, because the characters won't leave me alone.

Read it twice

A lot of my stories have an annotated edition. Read the story first, cold. Then click "Read it again, annotated" and the margins fill in with notes on what I was up to. Some of them hide clues. Some just show their work. Either way, a good story should be better the second time.

About the crow

Why a crow? Crows are clever, they collect shiny things, and they poke at everything to see how it works. So do I. I question everything.

Read slowly. Argue with the author. Leave evidence that you were here.

Pull up a chair.