Working in the Shadows author Gabriel Thompson visits The Richard Stockton College of NJ

My 11:20 Rhetoric and Composition class met Gabriel Thompson, the author of one of their assigned novels . This is the second semester that I have included his book, Working in the Shadows, in my syllabus. During the winter break I emailed Gabriel to see if maybe he would be interested in making the journey down the GSP from NYC to speak to my class. I was thrilled when he promptly wrote back.

Hi Rosemarie,

Definitely intrigued! I'm relocating to California in May, so wonder about doing something before then, perhaps in early April? I wonder if the school could pay for travel? I don't own a car and so would buy train ticket I assume, and would be great if school could cover that.

Let me know!
Gabriel

What luck to catch him before he leaves for California! I thought.

After several back and forth notes and the basic red-tape forms from the college, which agreed to pay him a stipend, we settled on March 21. Well that was yesterday, and Gabriel enthralled a room full of normally sleepy, distracted, fidgeting undergrads. He sat comfortably at the front table and spoke to the 35 plus students in attendance as if they were sharing a meal while swapping stories. He had an innate sensitivity to the group, stopping here and there to answer questions. Good questions! As the "teacher on the sidelines" I enjoyed an unusual perspective and left class that day with a bit more bounce in my step. Too many times I think we teachers misread our students' faces as lackluster, bored, disinterested, puzzled, impatient. Yesterday I was able to interpret those same faces as intent, processing, weighing, connecting.

To my colleagues: I highly recommend adding flesh and blood author time to your curriculum.

To Gabriel: Thank you for taking the time to inspire my class.

To my class: Take that inspiration and continue to add to it! Keep reading!!