| Teacher Man: A Memoir Contributor(s): McCourt, Frank (Author) |
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ISBN: 0743243773 ISBN-13: 9780743243773 Publisher: Scribner Book Company
WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD! Click here for our low price guarantee Binding Type: Hardcover - See All Available Formats & Editions Published: November 2005 Annotation: Nearly a decade ago Frank McCourt became an unlikely star when, at the age of sixty-six, he burst onto the literary scene with "Angela's Ashes," the Pulitzer Prize -- winning memoir of his childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Then came "'Tis," his glorious account of his early years in New York. Now, here at last, is McCourt's long-awaited book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. "Teacher Man" is also an urgent tribute to teachers everywhere. In bold and spirited prose featuring his irreverent wit and heartbreaking honesty, McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises he faces in public high schools around New York City. His methods anything but conventional, McCourt creates a lasting impact on his students through imaginative assignments (he instructs one class to write "An Excuse Note from Adam or Eve to God"), singalongs (featuring recipe ingredients as lyrics), and field trips (imagine taking twenty-nine rowdy girls to a movie in Times Square!). McCourt struggles to find his way in the classroom and spends his evenings drinking with writers and dreaming of one day putting his own story to paper. "Teacher Man" shows McCourt developing his unparalleled ability to tell a great story as, five days a week, five periods per day, he works to gain the attention and respect of unruly, hormonally charged or indifferent adolescents. McCourt's rocky marriage, his failed attempt to get a Ph.D. at Trinity College, Dublin, and his repeated firings due to his propensity to talk back to his superiors ironically lead him to New York's most prestigious school, Stuyvesant High School, where he finally finds a place and a voice. "Doggedness," he says, is "not as glamorous as ambition or talent or intellect or charm, but still the one thing that got me through the days and nights." For McCourt, storytelling itself is the source of salvation, and in "Teacher Man" the journey to redemption -- and literary fame -- is an exhilarating adventure.
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| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Educators - Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures - Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 2005054113 |
| Lexile Measure: 920(Not Available) |
| Series: Frank McCourt Memoirs |
| Physical Information: 0.96" H x 6.36" W x 9.54" L (1.14 lbs) 272 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 20th Century |
| Features: Dust Cover, Ikids, Price on Product |
| Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 09/12/2005 pg. 60 Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2005 pg. 1014 Booklist 09/15/2005 pg. 4 Library Journal Prepub Alert 07/01/2005 pg. 55 Library Journal 11/01/2005 pg. 86 People Weekly 11/21/2005 pg. 57 |
| Accelerated Reader Info |
| Quiz #: 105982 Reading Level: 5.9 Interest Level: Upper Grades Point Value: 14.0 |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Nearly a decade ago Frank McCourt became an unlikely star when, at the age of sixty-six, he burst onto the literary scene with Angela's Ashes, the Pulitzer Prize -- winning memoir of his childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Then came 'Tis, his glorious account of his early years in New York. Now, here at last, is McCourt's long-awaited book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. Teacher Man is also an urgent tribute to teachers everywhere. In bold and spirited prose featuring his irreverent wit and heartbreaking honesty, McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises he faces in public high schools around New York City. His methods anything but conventional, McCourt creates a lasting impact on his students through imaginative assignments (he instructs one class to write An Excuse Note from Adam or Eve to God), singalongs (featuring recipe ingredients as lyrics), and field trips (imagine taking twenty-nine rowdy girls to a movie in Times Square!). McCourt struggles to find his way in the classroom and spends his evenings drinking with writers and dreaming of one day putting his own story to paper. Teacher Man shows McCourt developing his unparalleled ability to tell a great story as, five days a week, five periods per day, he works to gain the attention and respect of unruly, hormonally charged or indifferent adolescents. McCourt's rocky marriage, his failed attempt to get a Ph.D. at Trinity College, Dublin, and his repeated firings due to his propensity to talk back to his superiors ironically lead him to New York's most prestigious school, Stuyvesant High School, where he finally finds a place and a voice. Doggedness, he says, is not as glamorous as ambition or talent or intellect or charm, but still the one thing that got me through the days and nights. For McCourt, storytelling itself is the source of salvation, and in Teacher Man the journey to redemption -- and literary fame -- is an exhilarating adventure. |
Contributor Bio(s): McCourt, Frank: - Frank McCourt (1930-2009) was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Irish immigrant parents, grew up in Limerick, Ireland, and returned to America in 1949. For thirty years he taught in New York City high schools. His first book, Angela's Ashes, won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Award. In 2006, he won the prestigious Ellis Island Family Heritage Award for Exemplary Service in the Field of the Arts and the United Federation of Teachers John Dewey Award for Excellence in Education. |
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