This amazing wall by Melbourne artist Adnate typifies the dreary public middle school’s transformation. Photo by Sean R. Sullivan “Our school used to look like a prison. Now it looks like a place I want to come to everyday,” a shining 13-year old girl told Miami’s Jose de Diego Middle School’s rookie principal, April Thompson-Williams. Like so many inner city schools, JdD was a sprawling, windowless bunker before one of its teachers had the brilliant yet simple idea to reach

Inspiration arrives when she damn well pleases, and when she does show her elusive face, you grab her by both cheeks and French kiss that beautiful mouth. This embrace is the rapture we all seek in our work, creative or otherwise. That is why, in her absence, we must steal our inspiration. I have a blog to crank out every week, and I admit, it’s hard to make it worth your time. I missed last week because I couldn’t find the muse. But, that’s really no excuse. It’s up to me, a

I’m driving along two sunny Sunday’s ago, blasting Ramblin Man, when my wife calls. Confusion tints her voice. “What’s up with this poem you just blogged?” “What poem? I didn’t blog today.” HACKED! I’ve had my car broken into. Credit card pilfered. Bike stolen. But something about a faceless badguy sending out my own words to you really skeeved me out. As I lay dreaming the previous night, some dirty rat in a windowless room somewhere entered my WordPress account and sent not