My Public School Education Failed Me

I grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts--a small suburb of Boston that, I was led to believe growing up, was most notable for its Victorian architecture and for being the only dry town in Middlesex County. But I've discovered within the past week that Melrose is the home town of Elizabeth George Speare, author of the YA classic The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and NYT theater critic Brooks Atkinson. I ask you: why was I not told these things in elementary school? Oh, okay, maybe the Atkinson info could have waited until we were a little older, but still, we could have at least been assigned some Speare at some point, maybe instead of Johnny Tremaine. I mean, Esther Forbes was born all the way out in Westborough, for crying out loud.

Watch, now, as it will turn out I was assigned The Witch of Blackbird Pond in fourth grade and have completely forgotten.