Student: Excuse me Miss. Do we really have to study this?
Ms. Honeybun: Yes, Zenith. It’s written by a great writer. It will stretch your imagination. It will open your eyes to possibilities.
Student: But we have already studied his novel and poems, and now we’re expected to study his short stories. Why can’t we study someone interesting, like Shakespeare or Emily Bronte or Thorkel X. Kaftan. (Note: Thorkel X. Kaftan didn’t appear on the literary scene until around 2098 CE).
Ms. Honeybun: Shakespeare is so very yesterday and greatly overrated. In my opinion we are studying the greatest writer since Euripides.
Student: But Euripides wrote plays. This stupid idiot didn’t write plays.
Ms. Honeybun: He’s not a stupid idiot, Zenith. And oh yes, he did write plays. His plays are the next thing on the syllabus we will be studying.
Student: I hate having things shoved down my throat.
Ms. Honeybun: When you are older you will thank me for having so forcibly introduced you to this lustrous author. Euripides and Bruce Goodman are undoubtedly the two greatest writers in the history of the world.
Second Student: Speaking on behalf of the rest of the class, we simply adore what you are teaching us, Miss Honeybun.
Ms. Honeybun: Thank you, Echinacea. I’m glad most of the class recognize greatness when they see it. Now could you please all turn to Story 1795: Future classroom dialogue.
Footnote: See the links at the top of the blog page!
Weave a Web 
I used to tell my kids, “Well, it could happen that way.”
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A fantasy, Herb!! (At least for lesser beings!)
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I wish I’d have thought of it.
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!!
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Ahead of his time he was, unappreciated until years after he’d gone…
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Start of my autobiography: “Andrea was a prophetic woman.”
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Andrea, you’re a teacher’s pet.
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Thanks for the apple Andrea. You are special.
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Andrea better watch her back at recess.
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She’s on detention.
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Shush don’t let him hear you or I’ll end up as a murder victim in one of his stories!
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Too late!
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Bruce, are you paying attention?
Andrea, you might turn up as a dear, sweet villain.
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Yes I saw that! Andrea has nothing to fear. She is not afraid to turn the most winsome creature into something ghoulish.
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Miss Honeybun seems like a very sensible teacher, and her appreciation of Goodman shows excellent taste. It’s such a bummer how he died, being tossed from the burning walls of Troy and all.
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Some people – Miss Honeybun included – make terrific sacrifices for the sake of good literature. And I took great pleasure in helping with the tossing – catapulting her over the wall in a similar manner to what Euripides did to the king in “The Bacchus”.
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Oops – I tossed Miss Honeybun in my comment and I see it was Goodman what was tossed. Oh well… nothing new in that!
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Ahh well, she was bound to die sometime.
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Good riddance to the old hag I say.
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As I recall, your opinion of her was shared by Thorkel X. Kaftan. So you’re certainly not alone in your dislike of her.
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I believe Thorkell changed his name from Ian or something.
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That was kind of dumb of him, in my opinion.
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Did this Mr. Goodman pay Ms. Honeybun anything on the side? Bribe is such a dirty word but a…payment?
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Ms. Honeybun is not saying. (Incidentally, I taught students whose last name was Honeybun – I mention this so you can realize that I don’t deal in fiction and make things up).
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I would have never thought that Bruce. You are not a fiction writer. I understand you more than I do Shakespeare…
But you are talking to a guy that misspelled Shakespeare the first time and had to google it…so take it for what it’s worth.
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Ha ha! Bruce Springboard //Springstone ///springworth///… whatever… (THE BOSS) would know how to spell it probably.
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The Boss knows all… from New Jersey to New Joi-zee!.. I’ll let you be on this note…I still can’t believe you had students named Honeybun.
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And in the same class was a student with the surname of Painkiller.
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You are killing me Bruce… incredible.
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Not the same class, but there was a kid called Catsprick.
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Damn…. they just keep coming. I’m trying to suppress a laugh over that one…the poor person.
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I hope the comments are included in the study for the immense enlightenment they afford to the context, theme, character and the author of the stories.
Let there be reflected glory unto the followers!
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Remember the hey day of commentators: Cynthia, yourself, and a multitude of since gone away personages!
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Oh goodness. I got laughs from the story and laughs from the comments. At this point, Bruce, your oeuvre is huge. Those kids will be studying for years….
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Ha ha! Poor kids! Years and years of boredom. They will pine for those lockdown days!
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I could have used Miss Honeybun in one of my classes. And who is this writer Bruce Goodman?
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Ha Ha! You probably will have to wait until he’s dead before uttering his name in admiration.
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