Earl Yorke

The Details of My Experience at the Party…

As sure as I am that this was a great night for Nathan, it was a great night for myself as well. Shortly after arriving I came across an old buddy of mine, Rick Knight. After a brief time spent catching up on the events that had transpired in each of our lives since high school, Rick and I began to talk about my work, and he expressed an interest in writing a book of his own. Anyone who knows me well enough is aware of the joy I take in helping other aspiring writers get on their way, and I told Rick to visit my site in hopes that I might work a bit with him on his manuscript. As of today, he still has not contacted me, and as much as I would like to help him out, I will not approach him about it… if he wants my input I will leave that to him to pursue.

Shortly after Rick and I finished our conversation, I caught sight of my two year-old son running across the yard — arms flailing all over the place in excitement — toward something that obviously interested him (though I know not what it was… probably a big stick or something!). As I followed the little man I ran into Michele Adams, a librarian from York High School who coincidentally attended my baby shower — she still tells me this story every time I run into her! She is such a nice person, always interested in what I’m up to, and consistently awarding me praise for it… no matter what. After telling her about my books, and the places that they are going, she seemed literally rhapsodic! She seemed quite eager to tell various teachers at the school — who I was very close to during my years there — all about it.

I was very fortunate to have attended York High… the faculty of this school are second to none. My writing was very carefully nurtured by a number of different teachers who have made all the difference in my life… it is because of them that I am this close to seeing my books in print…

Mrs. Randolph - Thank you for allowing me to pull out my pen and paper during meditation times in “Foreign Studies China,” and always being there to listen to me babble on about my elaborate plots between classes… and after school!

Mrs. Bakke - Do you remember when, in “AP Lit,” we were visited by a certain English professor from UNH (whose name I will not disclose here), and the two of you read the first few pages of a very flawed manuscript I had written titled, “Hyperbeing”? I remember it very well… the two of you taught me what it meant to have great description in writing, and I remember every detail to this day.

Mr. Beetz - I highly doubt that any more than a handful of your students today appreciate the extremely random, yet amazingly useful vocabulary that you list upon the board each week. A significant portion of my vocabulary was built through your teaching.

Mr. Kelly (A.K.A. TIMARKELLY) - I still have yet to figure out what planet you came from, but I’m working on it. You taught me — and I know that this won’t come as any big surprise to those of you who know him — that if you are an English teacher it is perfectly okay to only show up to the first five minutes of class… leave a daily assignment, then dissappear for the remainder of the block. You are one squirley guy, and although you don’t seem to be at YHS any longer, I hope you find it to this site eventually… even though the only thing you ever said to me when I asked you to read my book was: “I’ll wait for the movie.”

COWAN - Your voice echoes through my head in the same manner that I am certain it echoes throughout the halls of YHS when classes are in session… You were the first teacher from YHS that I ever met, and nights when you would humor me by listening to my endless analogies of “The Hyperbeing” are something I will never forget. The rides into school while listening to the AM broadcast of WCSH newscenter 6, the lesson plans that I had to type up for you between blocks because your students couldn’t read your handwriting, and the rides to and from various Cross-Country and Track meets are memories so vivid and sharp in my mind that I swear they were only yesterday. Thank you for being my friend.

… THERE ARE MORE, BUT I HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO, AND THIS POST HAS ALREADY SUCKED A GOOD TWO HOURS OUT OF ME. THOSE WHO I STILL HAVE YET TO COMMENT ON:
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I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY YOU ALL… FINDING SO MANY GREAT TEACHERS IN ONE SCHOOL IS LIKE WINNING THE LOTTERY… LOOK FOR MORE IN THIS POST BY WEDNESDAY (6/15/2005).

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