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Dave Eggers' The Wild Things is available for preorder, in regular hardcover and
limited-edition fur-covered.
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- - - - McSweeney's and 826 Valencia are producing a book about teacher salaries, why they are too low, and why they should be raised substantially. The book will be published next year by The New Press. A huge portion of the book will tell the stories of teachers who work weekends at second and third jobs, who are trying to get by and raise a family, who are priced out of the housing markets where they teach and are forced to commute great distances. We're looking for current and former public school teachers outside of California who would like to be interviewed. If you find any of the following questions or themes relevant, please send an email to Daniel Moulthrop at dpm@berkeley.edu. —Did you find that your choice to become a teacher came with surprising social costs? (For instance, your future father-in-law can't understand why you'd settle for such a low-earning profession, or the woman you're dating thinks you're a good guy but just not marriageable, or people you meet think it's the only job you could get.) —You've had a crisis of faith, a moment (long or short-lived) when you felt like you just weren't paid enough to do everything you're expected to do, like it just wasn't worth it anymore, that you wanted to move into a career with more earning potential? —The district where you teach can't/won't substantially raise your salary, but they've convinced local business owners to offer you discounts on dry cleaning or shoe repair or a used car — strange perks like that. —Your district has resorted to recruiting teachers from unlikely places (Bangladesh, Austria, etc). —Your district pay is fabulous/they're beginning to experiment with real pay reform and you have strong feelings about it. Did something above resonate with you? You want to tell us about it? Write us an email telling us your name, where you teach (school, town, state (sample below)), how long you've been teaching and a brief (two-three sentence) summary of the story you'd like to tell. Now, send it to Daniel Moulthrop: dpm@berkeley.edu. After receiving this information, we will be in touch to set up a 20-minute phone interview. (sample)
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