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I am now on Upwork and Fiverr

I don’t just make words! I also make other people’s words better!

I just joined two freelancing sites, Upwork and Fiverr, to increase my visibility and availability. I will help with any sort of proofreading or editing you may need, but my specialty is critiquing and revising application letters and personal statements. Students (and parents) often spend hundreds of dollars to apply to universities and prestigious schools and programs (and then thousands or tens of thousands on tuition), so a modest investment (like, the cost of going out for a lunch) is well worth it to ensure that application letter hits all the right notes.

Here are links to find me on these two sites:

Upwork

Fiverr

As always, I am working on my fiction, but I really enjoy helping people– especially young people who want to seek out the challenge of advancing their education — find their voices and present themselves with clarity and distinction.

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#NationalWalkoutDay

On Wednesday, thousands of students across America walked out of their classrooms in protest. Some acting with the sanction of their districts, some without, they abandoned classrooms at 10:00 AM and gathered for 17 minutes to recognize the 17 people killed in the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The protests are meant to speak out against the lack of legislative action to curb gun violence. These students interrupted the flow of the school day, caused logistical and safety concerns, and in some cases defied the direct commands of superintendents who told them not to protest.

Good for them. America’s future seems brighter with these young people as the next wave of voters and leaders.

I am a middle school teacher, and am fortunate that my district not only permitted students to protest, but helped them organize it. The town police were there, administrators, board members, and nearly all teachers from the middle and high schools. As a district, we spoke with unity. But many more students in other places were ordered not to protest and were threatened with suspension if they did. This is horribly oppressive and, frankly, backwards and foolish. It is a gesture doomed to make the district look bad. The protests were nonviolent and highly organized. If Americans cannot protest like that, tell me, what is a better way?

Judging from some of the vile things I’ve read online, the public’s objections come down to two things:

  1. These kids are being used as pawns of the left to push an anti-gun agenda.
  2. These kids should shut their mouths and get back to class.

Okay. First of all, the students in Florida who began the movement were working independently. Outraged that a mentally ill gunman had easily bought weapons legally, they united to stop this from ever happening again. They aren’t pawns; they’re freaking knights, leaping over the less nimble pieces and charging into the fray that they very much have a stake in.

And the “get back to class” cry? Tell me, what should they be doing in class instead? Reading a textbook? Taking notes in civics class about different forms of civic engagement? Folks, it doesn’t get more engaged that this. Participating in an actual protest about an issue they care about is a learning experience far surpassing anything they’ll learn behind a desk.

Time will tell if this protest will incite the changes our country and our schools need. These students are not going away quietly. Enough is enough, and I think if this past week is any sign, our future will be in good hands.

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If you could tell your younger self to do one thing differently…

Yes, nearly a year and a half has passed since my previous post. There are two main reasons for this. One, I am terrible at keeping this site updated. I am trying to do better, but I feel that unless have something worth posting, I’m not going to waste anyone’s time, my own included, to post emptiness. Secondly, I have been working hard on my fiction, and “add new post to website” has sat on my to-do list, gathering dust.

Have you ever wondered how your life would be different if you could tell your younger self to make one different choice? Of course you have! Everyone has! Several years ago, I took this idea and it became a short story, one I am incredibly proud of. A high school freshman has a very common assignment– to write a letter to his future self, to be read after high school graduation. But temptation gets the best of him, and he opens the letter early. To his surprise, his older self has written back! The younger and older selves write back and forth to one another, and their correspondence changes the course of both of their lives.

The story took more than five years of submission before finding a home. It was a finalist for the Arcturus Review Fall Fiction Contest. Read it for free here, and leave your comments below!

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New Story out in Enchanted Conversation!

I have a new story out, called “The Hanged Man’s Touch,” in Enchanted Conversation magazine. It’s a ghost story with a twist at the end. Please check it out (free to read)!

 

 

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Working Through the Suck

Ira Glass explains briefly and brilliantly why beginning artists quit so often and so soon. 

This aspect of creative life is so rarely discussed openly. Experienced artists and teachers will talk about the joy of creating, and maybe about the struggle of creating, but rarely about the gap between ambition and ability, which is pronounced in the beginner.

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Welcome to adamknightbooks.com, the website of Adam Knight

Welcome to my new website, which is currently under construction. Feel free to look around and contact me at adamknightbooks@gmail.com!

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