First published 1980
Clarke draws readers into the daily rhythms of McGregor School through carefully observed poems. Students navigate hallways, teachers manage classrooms, and small dramas unfold in cafeterias and playgrounds. The verses move between different voices and perspectives, capturing moments of childhood confusion, adolescent discovery, and adult reflection. Some poems focus on individual students facing challenges, others on the broader community that forms within school walls. Clarke writes with attention to the specific details that make institutional life both universal and particular. The collection explores how education shapes young minds and how schools become stages for the fundamental experiences of growing up. Through accessible language and vivid imagery, these poems reveal the emotional landscape of learning.
Genres: 20th-century, school-stories, poetry, education, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, multiple-perspectives
Setting: McGregor School
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Hardcover · The Golden Quill Press