Really? Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's a shame. I'll tell you what though... why don't you check out Issue One of Writing. The entire issue is devoted to helping you through your angst. And if you don't already receive Writing in your classroom, ask... no... beg your teacher to click this link and order it for you! In the meantime, read how Tommy Angelopoulous feels about the subject.

Why I Hate Writing

by Tommy Angelopoulous, Grade 11

"I used to think I could write good." That one sentence is the backbone of why I find the idea of writing so absurd and pointless. It would be one thing if I were to be free to express myself in any writing form...

Like this!!!!!

Or this.

oR tHiS.

But that is incorrect. "The formatting is all wrong!" My teachers say, yet I find myself asking, why? Why are there rules that we have to follow when trying to express ourselves? Why is it improper grammar to be able to "write good?" I say if you have understood what I am trying to say, then I have wrote right.

If you asked someone if a certain action went "good," no one would reply, "What, I don't understand the question, what do you mean 'good?'"  If they have any common sense they would let the grammar mistake slide, because they know what you're talking about. However, if said person is brainwashed by the incoherent idea of "grammar," they will most likely reply in a condescending attitude, "WELL."  And you now feel stupid because this person has beat into you their knowledge of grammar.  By the way I'm talking in first and second person to be ironic, because this, as well, is taboo in the writing world.

The concept of grammar does make sense to me, don't get me wrong, I understand grammar completely. It is the idea behind the invention of grammar that makes me question our values as a society. I don't understand why we need it. Why put rules on something as pure and as open as writing? Writing should be a way of expressing yourself in whatever way you want. I bet before the invention of grammar, writing was intelligent, well thought out, and creative, because writers didn't have to worry about someone criticizing their lack of  grammar skills. What bothers me most is that as I am writing this, I am thinking of all the ways I should (will) be corrected according to the almighty rules for writing, because I too have been indoctrinated by that which they call, "grammar."

Now you've reached my conclusion, and no, I am not going to restate my thesis. I don't even remember what my thesis is at this moment but I will tell you this: I do not care for writing. I do not care for the way it has been ruined. I do not care for the way teachers grade my essays. I do not care for how we are "supposed" to write. I do not care for how we are graded on our writing, when it is the teachers who have taught us how to do so. I do not care for the past present participle. I do not care for the indicative. I do not care for anything I read anymore, because I'll have to write about it later in the semester. I do not care for repetition. I do not care for footnotes. I do not care for indentation. I care for creativity.

I think I read A Wrinkle in Time in sixth grade. Maybe seventh. Although I have forgotten many of the details of that book, I have never forgotten the powerful effect it had on me. So when I heard that its author, Madeleine L'Engle, 88, had died on Thursday, September 6, I had a moment of grateful reflection.

Wrinkle is the story of 12-year-old Meg Murry, a girl who thinks she's stupid--but who, of course, is anything but. She, her strange little brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin embark on a dangerous journey across the universe to try to find Meg's missing father. The children travel across time and space, through folds in the space-time continuum called tesseracts. Along the way, they are shadowed by an evil force called the Dark Thing.

L'Engle introduced me to concepts of physics that stretched my young mind in new ways. If I'd thought I understood the nature of reality at that point in my life, I suddenly realized that the universe is a far more mysterious and complex thing than I could possibly imagine or understand. The battles of good and evil that permeate and define the novel also made me think in ways that went beyond the black-and-white catechism view of the world that I had held up until then. And yet, at the same time, the book reinforced that view, with the compelling truth that love alone can conquer evil--that love is the ultimate salvation.

In short, A Wrinkle In Time was the first book that really made me think. And what a wonderfully shivery feeling it gave me to ponder such thoughts! It was like jumping into dark but inviting waters of infinite depth. The sense of weightlessness it gave my mind was a new form of freedom, never before experienced. And I wanted more.

Though L'Engle wrote many books, poems, and plays, A Wrinkle in Time was her masterpiece. It was rejected by 26 publishers before Farrar, Straus & Giroux accepted it in 1962. The novel went on to win the prestigious John Newbery Medal as the best children’s book of 1963, and still holds its own today.

Part science-fiction adventure, part coming-of-age story, part religious allegory, A Wrinkle in Time expressed L'Engle’s "faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically."

Madeleine L'Engle, you changed my life. Thanks.

PS: Because A Wrinkle in Time was and is a frequently banned book, Madeleine L'Engle's official web site, madeleinelengle.com, suggests we honor the author's memory by reading a banned book.

It's Monday. How did you spend your weekend? Enjoying the few remaining days of summer at the beach? Going to a baseball game? (Go Yankees!) Well, how about by reading? If you're a guy, according to an article on NPR, the answer is probably no.

The article claims that girls read way more than guys. While guys are more likely to read books such as Harry Potter, girls read more in general.

I'm all for girl power. I even have some old Spice Girls songs in my itunes. (Hey, I'm sure you have some songs you're embarrassed about as well!) But in this case, I'm all for equality. Everyone should be reading! Seriously now. There are so many things that you can read about. Like fantasy? Read some Tolkien. Want to be scared? Check out Stephen King (you can even read an interview with him here.)

There's a book written on just about anything you can think of. You have no excuse. It doesn't even have to be something "educational." For example, I love celebrities. Can't get enough of them. I also love writing (hence my job). So I found a book that has all of those aspects. I just finished reading But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn. This is a memoir about the career of a former Rolling Stone reporter. (It's an awesome book, by the way. Definitely check it out, if you're into that sort of thing.) Rock and roll, celebrities--none of it was educational. But it got me reading. See, it's easy.

Come on, guys. You know you love reading. Don't you? And girls, just because you're ahead, doesn't mean you can slack off. Keep on reading! 

The following interview with Scott Francis was conducted by READ magazine's Associate Editor, Audra Pace. Scott's book, Monster Spotter's Guide To North America is in stores now.

Click here for READ's special Monster issue.

READ: When did you start monster spotting?

Scott Francis: A couple of years ago. I invented the term "monster spotting" when I came up with the book idea. But, as a kid I always loved monsters and ghost stories--I used to check out books of scary local legends from the library. The idea of "monster spotting" sort of sprang from that.

READ: Can you tell us a memory of one of your favorite monster spotting expeditions?

Francis: My wife and I were searching for evidence of the Loveland Frogman along the banks of the Little Miami River. We brought our dog with us, which seemed like a Scooby Doo kind of thing to do at the time. He ended up sliding down a mudbank into the water and got completely filthy.

READ: Have you ever found yourself face to face with a monster?

Francis: Not exactly. I had a bat get into my house once, though. I caught it with a laundry basket.

READ: Please tell us your top three favorite monsters, and what makes them great.

Francis: I like the obscure legends that really smack of authentic folklore. For example the Black Dog of the West Peak is an incredibly creepy ghostly dog in Connecticut that is supposedly an omen of death. The legend literally gave me chills when I read about it. And there's a giant turtle that is reported to live in a lake in Indiana named the Beast of Busco. He is supposed to have a farmer's initials carved in his shell, which I think is a very quaint detail. But probably my favorite is the Appalachian legend of the Wampus Cat because I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and heard tales of it as a kid. That, and it has a funny name.

READ: You cover all of North America, and cross national borders in this comprehensive guide. Do you think there is any specific region in the country, the continent, or maybe in the world that is particularly monster-prone?

Francis: I haven't researched other continents in depth enough to compare, but in North America I'd say that it's a toss up between the Midwest and Canada, just based on variety of kinds of monsters. Almost anywhere has it's own Bigfoot legend.

READ: How do your friends and family feel about your hobbies? You mention your wife both in your book and on your blog as "patient and understanding." How does she feel about monster spotting?

Francis: Everyone wants to be involved actually. My sister sends me monster spotting reports from her vacations. My friends forward me links to monster sightings they read about online. I tease my wife about putting up with me, but the truth is she loves this stuff just as much as I do. At least I think she does...

READ: Finally, the unavoidable topic: skepticism. How do you feel about it?

Francis: Skepticism is healthy. If you don't question things then you're simply not thinking for yourself. But at the same time, if you don't consider fringe possiblities then you're limiting yourself as well. My own stance is that some of the monster legends could be true, many of them probably are just good stories... but, who doesn't love a good story?

READ: Any last words of advice for a novice monster spotter?

Francis: Don't take yourself too seriously. It's not all that important what you are looking for, as much as it is that you are enjoying the search.

Don't forget to check out READ's special electronic issue:

MONSTERS