I owe a lot of who I am to Maplewood, New Jersey, the small town where I grew up. A 30-minute drive from New York City, this diverse, artistic and socially conscious community fostered my passions for creative writing and social activism. I loved to read at the library a short distance from my house, listened when friends with different experiences of race [...]
As a young child, Dr. Seuss was my best friend. In the bright early mornings I would climb onto my fern-green couch and read. Surrounded by a pile of books and stuffed animals, I would read his rhythmic stories aloud. With my chest puffed out proudly, I spoke in the best adult voice I could muster. According to that little girl, I was [...]
I was raised by a writer mother and an accountant father, who equally encouraged me and my sister in both reading and math. Instead of becoming conglomerates of the two subjects, however, my sister developed into a mathematical genius, while I was gifted with a strong ability in writing. I’ve known from the young age of six that I take mostly after my [...]
From my various tattoos to my partially shaved hairstyle, you could say I’ve come out of my shell a lot since college. One of the first things people notice about me is my red hair, but I always leave a lasting impression of someone who’s hardworking, courageous and who overall loves life. I graduated just last May from Stonehill College with a degree [...]
I have seen many changes in the industry since entering educational publishing in 1979. After teaching elementary school for five years—I was the big guy with the long hair and curly beard towering over the first and second graders—I moved to educational publishing, a typical career change for many teachers. I’ve worked for major publishers, including Scott Foresman (now Pearson), Zaner-Bloser/Highlights for Children [...]
by Abby Murphy Senior at Wakefield High School Four months after job shadowing at PSG last March, I was lucky enough to become a contractor for the company this summer. The opportunity provided me with insight into the educational publishing field and allowed me to gain a great deal of knowledge through hands-on experiences. During my time at PSG, I was able to [...]
I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post that one of the hats I wear for the company is that of an instructor. That is to say, I hold regular sessions with interns and junior staff members on topics related to our profession, much like the topics in the series of blog posts we publish. This semester I met with our 2014 fall interns to discuss [...]
Though I’ve been out of the classroom (as student and teacher) for almost 35 years, I still learn something new just about every day. The fact that I’m no longer working within the boundaries of an institution of learning does not mean that I’m finished with acquiring new information to fit into an already-crowded brain. It’s no stretch to admit that I am [...]
Over the past four years, I’ve spent a large amount of time in poetry workshops. At Emerson College, classes are usually no more than 30 people, and the writing workshops are even smaller. As a Writing, Literature & Publishing major with a focus in poetry, I took full advantage of the writer stereotype. At any given time, I more than likely had a [...]
This summer, Lori surprised the staff with a party bus trip to Kimball Farm in Westford, MA. The party bus was filled with gift bags of snacks and the music we played from our own devices. The team enjoyed some (unexpectedly competitive) mini golf, bumper boats, batting cages, and other activities. It was a hot, sunny day, and we topped off the afternoon [...]