All Posts By

Dana VanderLugt

Blog

The Discipline of Specificity

“Be more specific,” I used to tell my writing students. “Don’t say cereal when you could say Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Don’t say your character walked

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Blog

The First Hill

I had to learn how to enjoy rollercoasters. I was a cautious kid, not one to take risks, and it wasn’t until high school that

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Attached

I remember a pastor once telling me that children who have an attachment item — a blankie, a teddy, a snuggly — are more likely

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Blog

Losing My Way

I. “Those who stutter win, in the painful pauses of their demonstration that speech isn’t entirely natural, a respectful attention, a tender alertness. Words are,

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Subtracting from the Noise

In my classroom, a groggy eighth-grade student confesses that he was up until 2 a.m. watching YouTube videos. My seventh-grade son declares his parents “the

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Blog

Being Seen

I remember the day so clearly. I left a staff meeting during which our district announced plans to cut $2 million from our budget after

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Intentional

By Dana VanderLugt inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective: done on purpose; deliberate. Synonyms: calculated, conscious, intended, purposeful I talk to my writing students about audience all the time

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Blog

Turn

by Dana Vander Lugt I’m a sucker for all things nostalgic — old photo albums, worn notes or ticket stubs. I can’t resist the “On

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