Interview with CPS Teacher Author
By Jim Vail
Second City Teachers news blog reports on schools and politics both here in Chicago and around the world. We focus on investigative reporting and taking a critical political look at the world of education and how it affects fellow teachers.
We would also like to highlight some of the many fantastic Chicago Public School teachers who are also authors. Some have written wonderful books about what it is like to teach or fictional stories that can be used in the classroom. We will review some of these books being written and feature an interview with the author.
If you know of any teacher authors, please forward them to us so we can promote the book that may be a future gem in a CPS classroom library.
Our first book is by Carol Etheridge, a CPS teacher at Hammond Elementary School on the SW Side. She has written a wonderful fictional story called The Girl Who Howled at the Moon, which is based on native American folklore, natural elements and fantastical events. We first interviewed her about the book that she self published and encourage fellow teachers to check it out because students at her school enjoyed reading and discussing it.
Second City Teachers: Can you tell us a little about yourself and background?
Carol Etheridge: I was born in Chicago and was a CPS student from kindergarten all the way to my graduation from Lane Tech. H.S. My mom and dad instilled an appreciation for nature in me at
a young age and took my family on vacations in the great outdoors. I enjoyed hiking and catching glimpses of wildlife in their natural environments. I grew up loving animals and have had the opportunity to reunite lost dogs with their owners on several occasions. It’s a pleasure to help animals and I cannot imagine living without a dog. Throughout my teaching career, I’ve
enjoyed sharing stories of my pets, a beagle named Molly and my current dog, a golden doodle named Maggie. I affectionately call her Shaggy Maggie and her favorite trick is to roll over.
I first learned about animal conservation while watching Animal Planet and PBS in the 1990’s and have always liked to impart the knowledge from their programming onto my students. I received my Master’s Degree in Special Education in 2004 from Northeastern Illinois University and have been working as a special education teacher for the Chicago Public Schools
ever since.
SCT: How did a get the idea to write a book? What started it?
CE: I got the idea for my book in a one-room schoolhouse in West Virginia in 1999 while visiting relatives in West Virginia. My uncle took my dad and I to a historic, one-room schoolhouse on a
mountain where he lived and read us a book that was written by his sister who had passed away. She was a teacher and wrote a story about bears. Her love and affinity for the bear inspired me to write about animals too. A picture of a wolf popped into my head and so I decided that would be the animal in my story. When I got back home to Chicago, I began reading about wolves and watching documentaries. It broke my heart when I discovered how they were hunted to extinction in the American West. As I was writing this novel, it was important for me to share the message of their plight of coexisting with humans in order to survive in the wild.
SCT: How did you write your book? What do you need to do to write a book?
CE: I wrote my book while taking a fiction writing course at the Writer’s Loft with bestselling author and writing coach, Mary Carter. I learned literary devises and applied them into my
manuscript while taking writing classes for four years.
SCT: Can you tell us about the research you did for the book?
CE: When I got back home to Chicago from my vacation in West Virginia with my mom and dad in 1999, I began researching wolves and learned from animal conservationists how they had been demonized and misunderstood throughout history and hunted to extinction in the American West in the 1930’s. I read books from wildlife biologists, wolf conservationists as well as acquired information from animal conservation websites. The wolves’ reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 after decades of being wiped out from that region was gratifying and intriguing. After learning about the wolves, I have come to appreciate the
importance of this apex animal in the ecosystem and the balance they have restored to the Northern Rockies since their reintroduction. I admire their loyalty to their pack members and ability to work together in a cohesive unit. I love the wolves and some day I want to take a trip to Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park to hear them howl or maybe even be lucky enough to catch a distant glimpse of this majestic animal.
SCT: Are you planning to write a sequel or more books?
CE: I started writing a sequel for The Girl Who Howled at the Moon. I made an outline and have written a few chapters but got sidetracked with an idea for another novel about a dog that was
just as misunderstood as the wolf. There is never a shortage of stories about animals in need of our help and the incredible bonds we forge by essentially helping each other. It’s very rewarding helping animals, just like helping students. I plan to finish both books but don’t have a timeline. Writing is my hobby and I don’t have deadlines. So, I do it when it’s convenient.
SCT: How did you self-publish? How difficult is it to find a publisher?
CE: I self-published with Lulu. They were helpful and easy to contact when I had questions during the publishing process. I edited it myself. That wasn’t easy for a 95,000-word novel. However, self-publishing is much easier than finding a traditional publisher. Many traditional publishers will not accept submissions without an agent. I don’t have a literary agent and it's difficult to acquire one. They accept very few authors for representation after reading tons of submissions.
SCT: Did your students read your book and what did they think?
CE: Some of my students read the book for independent reading and enjoyed it. One of my students kept talking about it after reading each chapter. He connected with the protagonist, Hyacinth, and the wolves. He wanted me to write a sequel. It was very rewarding for me.
Sometimes, I’ll be in the hallway at school and students will tell me they liked reading my novel and encourage me to keep writing. It’s not easy writing a novel, but after hearing that, I am
inspired to continue to the next story and the adventures they unfold. Now, I’ve been writing at a much slower pace on my spare time but still love doing it.
SCT: What advice to have for someone who wants to write a book?
CE: I advise an aspiring author to be an avid reader of the genre they love or any thing else that sparks their interest. Reading produces great writing. Writing courses will also teach the literary
devices needed to become a writer. Do research on writing coaches or fine arts programs in colleges to find one that will be best for you.
SCT: Can you describe your book as fantasy and Native American Folklore? How so?
CE: I wrote a middle-grade fantasy novel that has elements of Native American Folklore. I layered the story with historical events, fantasy and folklore. The setting is the American West
in the 1920’s before the wolves became extinct. The Seven Devils Mountains is a real mountain range in Idaho but through world building, I created a fictional place where magic is real. I
incorporated the Native American Folklore of spirit animals and the wolf, which is wise and teaches humans lessons. The protagonist, Hyacinth, who wants to become a shaman to heal others through herbs and other natural materials, is guided by Dreamcatcher, her spirit animal as she comes of age during the trials along her quest to lead his pack to safety. Through my layering of fantasy, I used healing herbs in magical ways.
SCT: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
CE: I always wanted to write a novel and discovered the journey I took along the way was just as rewarding as the finished work. I’m glad I was able to share it with others. I encourage everyone to have a hobby they are passionate about and have fun with it.
You can order the book from her website: http://www.caroljetheridge.com/
By Jim Vail
 |
| Carol Etheridge |
Second City Teachers news blog reports on schools and politics both here in Chicago and around the world. We focus on investigative reporting and taking a critical political look at the world of education and how it affects fellow teachers.
We would also like to highlight some of the many fantastic Chicago Public School teachers who are also authors. Some have written wonderful books about what it is like to teach or fictional stories that can be used in the classroom. We will review some of these books being written and feature an interview with the author.
If you know of any teacher authors, please forward them to us so we can promote the book that may be a future gem in a CPS classroom library.
Our first book is by Carol Etheridge, a CPS teacher at Hammond Elementary School on the SW Side. She has written a wonderful fictional story called The Girl Who Howled at the Moon, which is based on native American folklore, natural elements and fantastical events. We first interviewed her about the book that she self published and encourage fellow teachers to check it out because students at her school enjoyed reading and discussing it.
Second City Teachers: Can you tell us a little about yourself and background?
Carol Etheridge: I was born in Chicago and was a CPS student from kindergarten all the way to my graduation from Lane Tech. H.S. My mom and dad instilled an appreciation for nature in me at
a young age and took my family on vacations in the great outdoors. I enjoyed hiking and catching glimpses of wildlife in their natural environments. I grew up loving animals and have had the opportunity to reunite lost dogs with their owners on several occasions. It’s a pleasure to help animals and I cannot imagine living without a dog. Throughout my teaching career, I’ve
enjoyed sharing stories of my pets, a beagle named Molly and my current dog, a golden doodle named Maggie. I affectionately call her Shaggy Maggie and her favorite trick is to roll over.
I first learned about animal conservation while watching Animal Planet and PBS in the 1990’s and have always liked to impart the knowledge from their programming onto my students. I received my Master’s Degree in Special Education in 2004 from Northeastern Illinois University and have been working as a special education teacher for the Chicago Public Schools
ever since.
SCT: How did a get the idea to write a book? What started it?
CE: I got the idea for my book in a one-room schoolhouse in West Virginia in 1999 while visiting relatives in West Virginia. My uncle took my dad and I to a historic, one-room schoolhouse on a
mountain where he lived and read us a book that was written by his sister who had passed away. She was a teacher and wrote a story about bears. Her love and affinity for the bear inspired me to write about animals too. A picture of a wolf popped into my head and so I decided that would be the animal in my story. When I got back home to Chicago, I began reading about wolves and watching documentaries. It broke my heart when I discovered how they were hunted to extinction in the American West. As I was writing this novel, it was important for me to share the message of their plight of coexisting with humans in order to survive in the wild.
SCT: How did you write your book? What do you need to do to write a book?
CE: I wrote my book while taking a fiction writing course at the Writer’s Loft with bestselling author and writing coach, Mary Carter. I learned literary devises and applied them into my
manuscript while taking writing classes for four years.
SCT: Can you tell us about the research you did for the book?
CE: When I got back home to Chicago from my vacation in West Virginia with my mom and dad in 1999, I began researching wolves and learned from animal conservationists how they had been demonized and misunderstood throughout history and hunted to extinction in the American West in the 1930’s. I read books from wildlife biologists, wolf conservationists as well as acquired information from animal conservation websites. The wolves’ reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 after decades of being wiped out from that region was gratifying and intriguing. After learning about the wolves, I have come to appreciate the
importance of this apex animal in the ecosystem and the balance they have restored to the Northern Rockies since their reintroduction. I admire their loyalty to their pack members and ability to work together in a cohesive unit. I love the wolves and some day I want to take a trip to Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park to hear them howl or maybe even be lucky enough to catch a distant glimpse of this majestic animal.
SCT: Are you planning to write a sequel or more books?
CE: I started writing a sequel for The Girl Who Howled at the Moon. I made an outline and have written a few chapters but got sidetracked with an idea for another novel about a dog that was
just as misunderstood as the wolf. There is never a shortage of stories about animals in need of our help and the incredible bonds we forge by essentially helping each other. It’s very rewarding helping animals, just like helping students. I plan to finish both books but don’t have a timeline. Writing is my hobby and I don’t have deadlines. So, I do it when it’s convenient.
SCT: How did you self-publish? How difficult is it to find a publisher?
CE: I self-published with Lulu. They were helpful and easy to contact when I had questions during the publishing process. I edited it myself. That wasn’t easy for a 95,000-word novel. However, self-publishing is much easier than finding a traditional publisher. Many traditional publishers will not accept submissions without an agent. I don’t have a literary agent and it's difficult to acquire one. They accept very few authors for representation after reading tons of submissions.
SCT: Did your students read your book and what did they think?
CE: Some of my students read the book for independent reading and enjoyed it. One of my students kept talking about it after reading each chapter. He connected with the protagonist, Hyacinth, and the wolves. He wanted me to write a sequel. It was very rewarding for me.
Sometimes, I’ll be in the hallway at school and students will tell me they liked reading my novel and encourage me to keep writing. It’s not easy writing a novel, but after hearing that, I am
inspired to continue to the next story and the adventures they unfold. Now, I’ve been writing at a much slower pace on my spare time but still love doing it.
SCT: What advice to have for someone who wants to write a book?
CE: I advise an aspiring author to be an avid reader of the genre they love or any thing else that sparks their interest. Reading produces great writing. Writing courses will also teach the literary
devices needed to become a writer. Do research on writing coaches or fine arts programs in colleges to find one that will be best for you.
SCT: Can you describe your book as fantasy and Native American Folklore? How so?
CE: I wrote a middle-grade fantasy novel that has elements of Native American Folklore. I layered the story with historical events, fantasy and folklore. The setting is the American West
in the 1920’s before the wolves became extinct. The Seven Devils Mountains is a real mountain range in Idaho but through world building, I created a fictional place where magic is real. I
incorporated the Native American Folklore of spirit animals and the wolf, which is wise and teaches humans lessons. The protagonist, Hyacinth, who wants to become a shaman to heal others through herbs and other natural materials, is guided by Dreamcatcher, her spirit animal as she comes of age during the trials along her quest to lead his pack to safety. Through my layering of fantasy, I used healing herbs in magical ways.
SCT: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
CE: I always wanted to write a novel and discovered the journey I took along the way was just as rewarding as the finished work. I’m glad I was able to share it with others. I encourage everyone to have a hobby they are passionate about and have fun with it.
You can order the book from her website: http://www.caroljetheridge.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment