Patricia Austin

I enjoyed reading TALES FROM A TEACHING LIFE by Patricia Austin. As someone who also teaches in a post-secondary institution, I could appreciate many of Austin's experiences and observations.

Verse was an excellent choice for this memoir: it allowed the writer to create context and background nimbly, so the memoir moved rapidly through time yet remained cohesive through voice and imagery. Austin also experiments formally with different poetic styles and engages beautifully with other contemporary (and traditional) poets, enriching the reading experience at multiple levels.

It was pleasing that a university press took a chance on the uncommon genre of verse memoir. I hope this book will turn up in many libraries and collections. People who teach and have taught — and people who will teach in the future — will benefit from Austin's insights, as they may also identify with her articulation of frustrations in the system. People who enjoy novels in verse should also enjoy this book, as there is a clear narrative arc and numerous antagonists and moments of conflict.… (más)

In Tales From a Teaching Life, we have a true, heartfelt collection of verse that attempts to reach the heart of the teaching experience. It doesn't take too much exploration of this collection to arrive at the understanding that this author has walked your walk. I found the collection to be almost completely relatable and found that each of the selections led to deeper reflection on my part. A great idea for a gift for a colleague, though I'd hold off on gifting to a new professional or recent graduate as I think to truly synch with this book, you have to have spent some time walking the walk and fighting the, sometimes good, fight!… (más)