Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

Liz Murray

Author, Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

Exclusively WSB

From homeless to Harvard . . . it is an unlikely turn of events. Liz Murray’s life is a triumph over adversity and a stunning example of the importance of dreaming big. Murray’s life as the child of cocaine-addicted parents in the Bronx was bitterly grim. There was never food in the house, everything was filthy, drugs were everywhere and the welfare checks were spent before they arrived. By age 15, Murray’s mom had died and she was homeless—living on the streets, riding the subway all night and eating from dumpsters. Amidst this pain, Murray always imagined her life could be much better than it was. “I started to grasp the value of the lessons learned while living on the streets. I knew, after overcoming those daily obstacles that next to nothing could hold me down.” Determined to take charge of her life, Murray finished high school in just two years while camping out in New York City parks and subway stations. Murray’s story is exhilarating and her delivery innocently honest, as she takes audiences on a very personal journey where she achieves the improbable. Her story sounds like a Hollywood movie—and it practically is. Lifetime Television produced a movie about Murray’s life story entitled From Homeless to Harvard, which premiered in April 2003. Murray is the recipient of Oprah Winfrey’s first ever Chutzpah Award. Her memoir, Breaking Night, was released in September 2010 and within a week landed on The New York Times best-seller list.Murray received her B.S. in Psychology from Harvard University in June 2009.



http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/speakers/speaker.cfm?SpeakerID=3821 Follow this link to learn more about Liz Murray and listen to some of her speeches.

www.facebook.com/lizmurraybreakingnight?filter=3 Follow her on Facebook

http://www.fspa.org/news/archives/lizmurray.html More information on Liz Murray

November 25, 2013 The Knoxville Journal:  The Lincoln's Christmas Turkey by Michael Williams

Although Thanksgiving had been observed sporadically throughout the nation since the administration of George Washington, the day was never observed as a national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation making it a legal holiday.
The nation was set to observe the first national day of giving thanks in November of 1863. Ironically, the day would not go off without a hitch. Thanks to the compassionate spirit of a precocious, yet mischievous child, the holiday took an unusual twist and a new tradition was born that is carried on to this day.
Late in 1863, a live turkey was brought to the White House. The turkey was intended to be dinner for the Lincoln family as they celebrated their first official Thanksgiving.
Tad Lincoln, the president’s youngest child, noticed the bird ambling around in a pen on the lawn. The 10-year-old loved animals and began taking up time with the bird unaware of the turkey’s impending doom. He named his new found friend, Jack.
Early on Thanksgiving morning Tad arose and went outside to find his feathered friend missing. He searched the grounds of the White House and failed to find the bird. He later found Jack in a cage in the White House kitchen. The diminutive child asked the cook why Jack was caged. The cook responded that Jack was to be killed and served for dinner.
Tad was horrified. He implored the cook not to kill Jack until he had a chance to speak to his father. The youth rushed upstairs to the President’s conference room where he was having a staff meeting. Tad burst into the room with tears in his eyes and begged his father to spare Jack’s life. He explained that he had asked the “executioner” to delay killing Jack until he spoke on his behalf.
President Lincoln explained to the child that Jack had been brought there specifically to be eaten by the family.
Tad pleaded “He’s a good turkey, and I don’t want him killed. He must not be killed. It is wicked.”
Historians have long debated President Lincoln’s motivation. But, his actions inspired an unusual holiday tradition.
As a child, young Abraham Lincoln went out to hunt for food. He was about Tad’s age when he shot what would be the only turkey he ever killed. He was later overcome with remorse after he saw the lifeless eyes of the bird. His guilt traumatized the youth and he never hunted for game again.
Whether he saw an opportunity to appease his child and play a good-natured joke on the White House chef or if he remembered his own earlier hunting experiences as a child that left him traumatized, no one will ever know.
After a moment of thought Lincoln wrote a note to the chef that Jack the Turkey was to be spared and released to Tad Lincoln.
The grateful child thanked his father and rushed downstairs hoping it was not too late. He approached the chef and handed him the presidential order sparing Jack’s life. The chef read the note, rolled his eyes and released the bird to Tad’s custody. Jack lived out his remaining years as Tad’s pet on the grounds of the White House.
Remembering the story of Tad, President Harry S. Truman started the tradition of pardoning a Presidential Thanksgiving Turkey in 1947. In a ceremony held at the White House, Truman read Tad’s story to an audience then ceremoniously issued a pardon to the fortunate turkey.
Every year since, the National Turkey Federation has raised a turkey to participate in the annual event. Following his pardon, the turkey is released to Frying Pan Park’s Kidwell Farm where they live out the remaining years of their lives. The farm is a petting farm where kids get to meet the turkeys that dodged the butcher’s cleaver.

 

EXTRA CREDIT: WHAT WERE THE NAMES OF THE TWO TURKEYS THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA PARDONED ON NOVEMBER 27, 2013?

 

EMAIL YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME WITH YOUR ANSWERS TO: wrichards@camden.k12.nc.us

 

 

This is due no later than Wednesday, December 4 at 7:40 A.M. Any answers received after that date and time will not be accepted. 



EDGAR ALLAN POE

There is so much to write about Edgar Allan Poe. It would take this entire blog to digress his character. Here are some links to his works and their explanations. I hope that you'll be able to learn from each of these postings and further understand not just Edgar Allan Poe, but his writings as well.

The first link is to the museum of Poe that is located in Richmond, Virginia. I took a class of eighth graders there one year and learned a great deal. It was a very enlightening field trip.

http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php

http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160
Go to the above link for a mini video biography on Edgar Allan Poe!!

The following link is a website to Poe's literature: http://poestories.com/

Edgar's wife, Virginia Clemm Poe

"THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW"

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Book by Washington Irving

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Wikipedia

Published: 1820

Author: Washington Irving

Genre: Speculative fiction

Characters: Brom Van Brunt, Katrina Van Tassel, Van Ripper, Baltus Van Tassel, Constable Ichabod Crane

Adaptations: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

 

 

FOLLOW THESE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WASHINGTON IRVING'S "THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW"

 

http://historicaldigression.com/2011/10/31/the-story-behind-sleepy-hollow/

 

 

WATCH THE DISNEY VERSION AT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxX66vLSZoQ

 

 

VISIT THIS SITE TO SEE LANDMARKS IN THE REAL TOWN OF SLEEPY HOLLOW: http://www.sleepyholloween.org/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow/

 

Nobel Peace Prize for Literature

The Nobel Peace Prize for Literature was announced Thursday, October 10, 2013. This is a 1.2 million dollar award that is given annually to an author from any country who has in the words of Alfred Nobel, produced "in
the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction."  There are five Nobel Prizes given out in early October each year. The others include Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, and Economics. 

This years Nobel Peace Prize for Literature was awarded to Alice Munro. She was given this award for being the "master of the contemporary short story." Munro is 82 years old and lives in Canada. Some of her works include: Who Do You Think You Are? (1978), The Moons of Jupiter (1982), Runaway (2004), The View From Castle Rock (2006) and Too Much Happiness (2009). Her most recent collection is Dear Life.

For more information on Alice Munro visit http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57606843/alice-munro-wins-nobel-prize-in-literature/

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

Good afternoon students!! What did you think about today's short story? Make sure to comment below! Also make sure to read the analysis of "The Lottery" written by Lori Voth. This is a great paper to help you understand some of the themes and irony in the story, as well as, the characters. http://voices.yahoo.com/analysis-lottery-short-story-shirley-jackson-11252.html

If you liked the short story "Charles" and "The Lottery," both by Shirley Jackson, make sure to read the following:

                                 The Haunting of Hill House
                                 Raising Demons
                                Life Among the Savages
 



 

REVIEW FOR THE DAY!!

Good afternoon students!! What did you think of today's class? Hmm, not sure I really want to know the answer to that question; however, if you learned something, I'm so glad you did. I just wanted to go over a few things in case you missed it today.

Action Verbs: what the subject is doing in the sentence    

                 Example: The dog chewed a hole in my shoe
                 What did the dog do? chew

Sentences: contain a subject and a predicate (verb)

                Example:  Your mother and I went shopping together yesterday.
               
Fragment: a part of a sentence; it's missing a subject, verb, or both

               Example: went to the store              

Hopefully, you'll be able to identify these on your test!

Thank You M'am by Langston Hughes

What do you think of our latest short story? It's always been one of my favorites, and Langston Hughes is a great author. Check out some of his poetry at http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/langston.html

QUESTION OF THE DAY!!

What is the theme of the story "Thank You, M'am?" Leave your comments in the comment box. I can't wait to read your responses!!

See you tomorrow!!  


  

THE BEGINNING

WELCOME TO MRS. RICHARDS' LANGUAGE ARTS BLOG!!

I can't wait for you to visit, comment, and learn from this site. I decided to create this blog in hopes of getting more students involved with technology, but also to help you interact more with the class as a whole. I want your thoughts and ideas on the material that we read in class, but I also want to introduce you to more books, links, and other websites that will help you succeed as a better reader! Hopefully, this will be as fun for you as it is for me! Talk to you soon!