I spent yesterday morning working on a poem draft that is making me feel as if something real and new is going on inside my head.

I spent yesterday afternoon with one of my favorite high school teachers: Ian Ramsey, founder of the Kauffmann Summer Writing Seminar, which I've co-directed with him for the past three years. Ian is a poet who teaches music, environmental writing, and wellness at North Yarmouth Academy, and has made an  extraordinary commitment to nurturing imagination, moral engagement, and self-awareness in young people. He teaches students about brain science, including strategies for managing anxiety and developing stamina and focus, all of which are crucial for artists. I get very excited when I hear him talk about his plans and curiosities, and I'm looking forward to hosting him up in Monson so that my students can try out some of his methods.

Ian gives me hope for the future. Amid all of the dreadful portents, this world is filled with young people overflowing with energy and intelligence and love. May their bright eyes carry us through.