Canadian Poetry; Wet Ink Books; Canada; Canadian Literature; publishing; www.WetInkBooks.com; Devour; Devour: Art & Lit Canada; Find all of our mags; “Devour” and “The Ambassador” –www.issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/bc11ecdd1e7646c4b1fac2bb7aef11ef
 

 

Brian T.W. Way Ph.D.

 

 
Canadian Poetry; Hidden Brook Press; Canada; Canadian Literature; publishing; www.hiddenbrookpress.com; Devour; Devour: Art & Lit Canada; Find all of our mags; “Devour” and “The Ambassador” –www.issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/bc11ecdd1e7646c4b1fac2bb7aef11ef
 

 

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92 Words

Hickory Tunes is a book about school. Recollections of one person’s journey—as student, teacher, professor and teacher of teachers—from a first kiss long ago to the contemporary Data-Child, memories of escapades reminiscent of the kind you had, along with analyses of prevailing educational trends. Hickory Tunes presents a clarion portrait of school, what it is, what shaped it and where it may be bound. Read and enjoy its lessons, but don’t chew gum or speak out of turn for the hickory stick always awaits, always near that cranky teacher’s hand.

 

146 Words

Way’s own trajectory, from shy farm-boy pupil, to increasingly aware university student, to English teacher and professor, mirrors the growth he seeks to describe in the educational system itself. One will enjoy reading this book on its primary memoiresque level as well as enjoying the pedagogical presented perspective. Way’s reflections on English Studies, in particular, form a quiet manifesto for a humanistic approach to teaching. You will discover that Way favours methods rooted in questioning, dialogue, and imagination rather than rote learning, measurement and conformity. Way grapples with the legacy of post-structuralism and critical theory in education, often applauding how these ideas have reshaped the roles of both teacher and student. It is not a stretch to suggest that such perspectives illuminate his scholarly engagement with the educational discourses of his time. If you were ever a student or a teacher you will enjoy this book.

 

170 Words

I found one of the most compelling aspects of Hickory Tunes to be its clear interlacing of personal experience with broader societal transformations. The book spans decades, from the postwar era of the 1950s through the educational reforms of the 1970s to the digital age of the 2000s. I was born in 1953 and have lived through the shifting sand of these Western schooling eras that Way describes. I found it interesting that he does not merely reflect on change, one might say that he interrogates it. Take a look at chapter 2 and dare to take the “test” he includes from 1895, a Grade Eight Examination from Kansas. He does not present this as a nostalgic longing for “better days,” but rather a pointed critique of rote learning. He notes how such tests privileged the student with a high capacity for memorization–personally, I would have failed such a test as rote memory skills never served me well. See how you would do!

Richard M. Grove

Author, Publisher, Editor

 
Canadian Poetry; Wet Ink Books; Canada; Canadian Literature; publishing; www.WetInkBooks.com; Devour; Devour: Art & Lit Canada; Find all of our mags; “Devour” and “The Ambassador” –www.issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/bc11ecdd1e7646c4b1fac2bb7aef11ef