No Place But Here Four Generations of American Literary Friendship and Influence: Melville & Hawthorne, James & Wharton, Porter & Welty, Bishop & Lowell

by Garret Keizer

Weaving anecdotal narrative with trenchant reflections on his profession, Garret Keizer offers one teacher's answer to the hue and cry over the crisis in education. An English teacher in rural Vermont, he writes of the opposing realities he faces every the promise and energy of the young and the oppressive effect of their economic disadvantages; the beauty of the countryside and its people and the harsh, sometimes ugly edge of life there; the need for discipline and the importance of rebellion. In exploring the demands peculiar to his own community, Keizer movingly depicts the difficulties-some triumphantly overcome, some overwhelming-that form the heart of teaching anywhere.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Memoir

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Garret Keizer is the author of eight books, the most recent of which are Getting Schooled and Privacy. A contributing editor of Harper's Magazine and a Guggenheim Fellow, he has written for Lapham's Quarterly, the Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Virginia Quarterly Review, among other publications.

You can learn more about Keizer's work and also contact him at his website:

http://www.garretkeizer.com

The website of his current publisher is here:

http://us.macmillan.com/author/garret...

Reviews

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Place But Here by Garret Keizer is a memoir about a teacher's time teaching in rural America. He recounts some personal stories and talks about how teenagers work and how teachers should teach.

This book is great for future teachers. It's really interesting and Keizer makes great points. The book starts off by addressing how rural teenagers are unique, but really the points in the memoir can be applied to all teenagers. Keizer encourages teachers to believe in their students and expect more of them, and he provides great stories that she help and encourage pre-service teachers. I really enjoyed reading it, and I'm interested to talk about it in my education class that I had to read it for. Get this book if you're going to be a teacher!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight-from-the-heart must read for educators.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it, although the Northeast Kingdom insights are a bit dated now perhaps. Wonderful look at teaching in a rural community.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's no surprise that Garret Keizer abandoned his teaching "vocation" as soon as the world started paying him to write. What English teacher wouldn't, if given half a chance? Still, the literature of teaching was fortunate that he did spend a few years in the classroom early in his professional life. He has some thought-provoking things to say on the subject, and he says them very prettily. And I can attest to the fact that the rural Vermont he wrote about 30 years ago remains very much the same to this day, despite the fact that the rest of the world doesn't know (or care) that it exists.

[Jenna ( Chicken Mama ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for my college class and would re-read it again.

[Shana]

Lovely, thoughtful, sad--both this and the sequel are must-reads for any educator.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's rare that I don't finish a book, but I could never find myself wanting to read more. Not the most modern version of the northeast kingdom. While the author's intention was to compliment the lifestyle, I found it sometimes condescending.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, as it gives a teacher's perspective of a small rural school in Vermont. It did get a bit preachy at the end.

[Cathy Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

a wonderful collection of essays about teaching in Vermont in the 1980's; the essay on the Future Farmers of America brought back many memories;

[Carl Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of essays from an English teacher/minister in northern Vermont reflecting on teaching, students, and his philosophy. It's approach and his stance were not especially my "cup of tea."