Touring Literacy’s Democratic Roots with Tom Newkirk

Episode description Tom Newkirk is a New Hampshire literary treasure who has spent a career teaching writing to scores of teachers. He believes deeply that the printed word helps to sustain democracy, and he articulates that belief in his latest book, due out in September, Literacy’s Democratic Roots – A Personal Tour Through 8 Big Ideas. In this episode, we explore the theme of his book in light of our current educational reality. About our Guest Tom is the author of numerous Heinemann titles, including Embarrassment, Minds Made for Stories, The Art of Slow Reading, The Performance of Self in Student Writing (winner of the NCTE's David H. Russell Award), and Misreading Masculinity. For almost three decades, Tom taught writing at the University of New Hampshire, where he founded the New Hampshire Literacy Institute, a summer program for teachers. In addition to working as a teacher, writer, and editor, he currently serves on his local school board. Links and show notes Tom’s Bio Tom’s Amazon author page Tom on Twitter NHASCD ASCD