HLTA with responsibility for the LRC: Mrs S. Jessop We read to know we are not alone
C. S. Lewis
We read to know we are not alone
The Learning Resource Centre at Scissett Middle School is a busy, vibrant and exciting environment which offers a wide range of resources to promote reading, facilitate research and arouse curiosity.
Books still constitute the main resource and to date, the centre has approximately 5,000 titles which are divided into 3 categories: fiction, non-fiction and reference. In addition, the centre receives daily copies of The Huddersfield Examiner and First News is delivered on a weekly basis. We also subscribe to a wide range of educational magazines.
In an increasingly technological age, we recognise the need to embrace advances in this field and so pupils have access to an ever-growing number of computers, audio books and Kindles.
Top 15 Books Voted for by Girls in July 2018
|1||The Hunger Games||Suzanne Collins|
|2||Diary of a Wimpy Kid||Jeff Kinney|
|3||Harry Potter Series||J K Rowling|
|4||Wonder||R J Palacio|
|5||The Fault In Our Stars||John Green|
|6||Girl On Line||Zoe Sugg|
|7||Noughts and Crosses Trilogy*||Malorie Blackman|
|8||Dork Diaries Series||Rachel Renee Russell|
|10||Middle School||Tabitha Payne|
|11||The Murder Notebooks||Anne Cassidy|
|12||Double act||Jacqueline Wilson|
|13||Girl, Missing||Sophie McKenzie|
|14||Horowitz Horror Series||Anthony Horowitz|
|15||Gangsta Granny||David Walliams|
Top 15 Books Voted for by Boys in July 2018
|1||Maze Runner||James Dashner|
|2||Horowitz on Horror||Anthony Horowitz|
|4||Diary of a Wimpy Kid||Jeff Kinney|
|5||Mortal Engines||Phillip Reeve|
|6||Percy Jackson||Rick Riordan|
|8||Demon Dentist||David Walliams|
|9||Harry Potter Series||J K Rowling|
|10||Wonder||R J Palacio|
|11||Skullduggery Pleasant||Derek Landy|
|12||Heroes of Olympus Series||Rick Riordan|
|14||Tom Gates||Liz Pichon|
* Year 8 Only
A Year in the Learning Resource Centre 2016-2017
Since its launch last September, Accelerated Reader is now firmly embedded in the curriculum so as pupils returned to school, they visited the LRC in large numbers to choose new books or take a quiz.
A group of Year 6 pupils had the opportunity to take a trip to Ilkley Literature Festival where they met the author, Jeremy Strong. They proved to be an attentive audience and every pupil returned to school with a signed copy of one of the author’s books.
On Armistice Day, pupils marked the solemn occasion with a minute of silence. Year 7 pupils also spent some time in the LRC exploring the significance of the poppy and expressing their thoughts through poetry. The resulting poems were initially displayed in the entrance hall before being transferred to St Augustine’s Church for Remembrance Sunday.
With Christmas on the horizon, the Scholastic Book Fair prompted large numbers of pupils to make a purchase. The commission from sales enabled Mrs Jessop to buy a huge selection of new titles for the LRC.
In response to a fictional scenario, ‘The Burning Question,’ Year 7 pupils were asked to prepare a presentation to persuade their peers that the author of their choice should ‘be saved.’ Using a medium of their choice, the pupils produced some unique presentations and the judge, Mrs D. Mann, certainly had a difficult job. Eventually, she decided that Grace, Savannah and Charlotte were worthy of first prize for their humorous piece of Drama about Roald Dahl whilst Isobel, Natasha and Olivia were awarded second place for their interview with J. K. Rowling, which was both informative and entertaining.
In the dark days of winter, love blossomed in the LRC as pupils in two Year 8 English classes participated in Speed Dating. Armed with a title of their choice, the boys had just three minutes to promote their book and demonstrate their charm to the girls in the class. With Shakespearean love quotes on the walls, red roses on the tables and love hearts randomly sprinkled on surfaces, the scene was set.
The girls secretly awarded marks on their score sheets and at the end of the lesson everyone anxiously waited for the results to be revealed. Reuben, Jack, Josh, Nathan, Olly and Benjamin were pleased to be announced the winners and they proudly received a Valentine’s card and a small prize.
To mark World Book Day, the teachers in the Science and Maths Departments began their lessons with a starter activity related to a popular novel. Simon Mayo’s debut novel, ‘Itch’ tells the story of a young boy who is an element hunter. Activities related to the Periodic Table meant this novel was in great demand and more copies had to be hastily ordered. In Maths lessons, Year 8 pupils were introduced to the character, Christopher Boone who has an obsession with prime numbers. Delving into the subject of Asperger’s Syndrome a selection of books on this topic proved very popular.
In the afternoon of World Book Day, two teams of Year 6 pupils attended the Kirklees Literature Festival, ‘Page Turners,’ at Huddersfield Town Hall. Having won this competition on two previous occasions, the teams were really under pressure. On this occasion, the pupils were just outside the placed teams coming fourth and sixth but undeterred, they have already started to prepare for next year’s competition.
Following the launch of Radio2’s 500 Words Competition, pupils explored the winning entries from last year and many were inspired to put pen to paper.
The freelance Drama specialist, Gerry Nowicki was delighted to return to school this year to deliver a workshop for Year 8 pupils. The play, ‘The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time’ was the focus for the afternoon and under his guidance, pupils explored the key scenes of the play. There were some exceptional performances, with those of Cameron, Ava, Aaron and Lexi being particularly worthy of note.
With public examinations a distant memory, Year 6 pupils enjoyed a fabulous day at Harry Potter World, where they had the chance to step into the Great Hall, explore the Forbidden Forest and marvel at the features of Diagon Alley. In addition, they had the opportunity to see some of the amazing costumes and the beautifully crafted iconic props. For those die-hard fans, the day was simply not long enough.
The novel, ‘Wonder’ by R. J. Palacio has, once again, proved to be a firm favourite among Year 7 pupils. With the long summer holiday just around the corner, pupils were given the task of sending a precept postcard from their holiday destination. In September, these postcards will form a new display outside the LRC which will hopefully inspire other pupils to read this thought-provoking novel before the film is released in December.
A Remarkable True Story
Can you imagine not being able to speak or communicate? The silence, the loneliness, the pain. But, in your mind you disappear to magical places, and even meet your best friend there. However, most of the time you remain imprisoned within the isolation. Waiting, longing, hoping. Until someone realises your potential and discovers your key, so your unlocking can begin. Now you are free, flying like a wild bird in the open sky. A voice for the voiceless.
Jonathan Bryan has severe cerebral palsy, a condition that makes him incapable of voluntary movement or speech. He was locked inside his own mind, aware of the outside world but unable to fully communicate with it until he found a way by using his eyes to choose individual letters, and in this slow, laborious way make his thoughts known.
In Eye Can Write, we read of his intense passion for life, his mischievous sense of fun, his hopes, his fears and what it's like to be him. This is a powerful book from an incredible young writer whose writing ability defies age or physical disability - a truly inspirational figure.
MORE ABOUT JONATHAN BRYAN
Jonathan is 12 years old. This is the incredible and moving true story of a child who is locked in and his struggle to communicate with the world.
'A writer of great emotional and intellectual depth...His words tell us so much about our universal human resilience, our capacity for understanding, our longing to communicate. Jonathan has opened the door for us into his world, and reached out his hand to us in his writing. When we take his hand as we read, he is not locked in any more. And neither are we. We join him in his journey, he joins us in ours.' MICHAEL MORPURGO
'Jonathan's story is such a powerful one - and light, love, and compassion shine from everything he does. It is an honour to call him my friend' BEAR GRYLLS.
Pupils in a Year 7 class have watched a documentary about Jonathan’s life and have responded to a recent post on his blog. If you are interested, log on to his website www.eyecantalk
The Great Harry Potter Quiz
On Wednesday 1 November, twelve teams, with aptly chosen names and attired in themed clothing, participated in the Great Harry Potter Quiz. Excitement and apprehension filled the air as the teams pitted their wits against each other. In between rounds, a spot question flashed up on the screen and the first individual to jump to their feet won a prize. Mrs Francis, came out of retirement for the afternoon in order to mark the answers and announce the results. She had a difficult job on her hands as this was a tightly fought contest. However, having checked and rechecked the scores she declared a tie for second place between ‘The Death Eaters’ and’ Order Of The Phoenix’. Just nudging ahead by one mark, ‘The Horcrux’ claimed first prize with Jessica, Alfie. Bethan and Erin scooping some Harry Potter merchandise.
Deep in thought!


Welcome to the Gorefield EYFS Penguin Class page.
Mrs Tod is our teacher.
Miss Hewitt and Miss Foster are our learning assistants.
Learning in the Penguin Class
Each week, on Class Dojo you will receive information explaining what the children will be learning in Phonics and Mathematics, as well as any specific experiences they may have during the adult led teaching sessions. There will also be information on how you could support your child at home, with their learning.
At the end of each week, the children will bring home a copy of sounds and words they have learned that week, so you may use them at home to practise.
Once the children are ready, they will bring home a reading scheme book to read with you each day - "When we practise we get better and better and better." In addition to this, your child will bring home a 'choice' book, which they have chosen from a selection of picture story books. This is for you to read and share with them.
The children will do PE each Wednesday and Friday. They will need a PE kit in school each week.
We make use of our outside area throughout the year, so please ensure your child has appropriate clothing to suit the weather, ie. sun hat, waterproof coat, hat/scarf/gloves and a pair of welly boots that can stay in school.
For any queries regarding the Penguin Class please contact Mrs Tod.
Roald Dahl themed World Book Day.
The children enjoyed sharing their Story Spoons with each other. They explained which character they had created and were able to tell us the story it came from.
We read Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile - the children were captivated by the story and characters and enjoyed making predictions of what might happen next. Then, showing their creative skills, they painted, drew and crafted some of the characters from the story.
We had a great day!


My training is in lifespan developmental psychology, focusing on normal age-related changes in cognition and their differentiation from pathological changes. I have a keen interest in the interindividual variability of cognitive aging, specifically why some individuals experience rapid rates of decline, whereas others experience relatively small changes in functioning. I am interested in the factors that contribute to these individual differences, including risks factors for and early detection of pathological decline, as well as optimizing influences for achieving healthy aging. These interests are reflected in my three main research areas: 1) Intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognitive performance; 2) lifestyle engagement and cognitive performance; and 3) risk factors for cognitive decline. I also have extensive experience working with and analyzing longitudinal datasets, and have developed skills in advanced statistical methods such as multilevel modeling, and bivariate dual change score modeling.
IIV in cognitive performance refers to relatively rapid yet reversible changes in performance (e.g., moment-to-moment variation on a RT task). Among older adults, increased IIV is associated with poorer cognitive performance, neurological conditions, and undesirable structural and functional brain changes, suggesting that IIV is a sensitive measure of neurological integrity. My work has demonstrated that IIV in cognitive speed appears to be a fundamental behavioral characteristic associated with growing older, even among healthy adults (Bielak, Cherbuin, et al., 2014). Further, given the demonstrated sensitivity of IIV to predicting cognitive change, my coauthors and I investigated the number of RT trials needed to reliably predict neuropathology in adults, in the hopes of IIV eventually being used in a clinical setting (Bunce, Bielak, et al., 2013). Finally, I was invited to submit a chapter on IIV in attention across the adult lifespan for the Handbook of intraindividual variability across the lifespan, reviewing the current literature in this area, and discussing areas for future growth and direction (Bielak & Anstey, 2015). I recently received a R03 from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the utility of using IIV to evaluate lifestyle interventions of aging.
The "use it or lose it" hypothesis of cognitive aging predicts that activity engagement in older adulthood stimulates the mind and thus prevents cognitive deterioration. However, research is inconsistent in finding this positive relation. My colleagues and I have investigated whether differences exist across adulthood in the strength of the relationship between cognitive ability and activity participation. We found the size of the relationship between mental and social activity and cognition did not significantly differ across cohorts in their 20s, 40s, and 60s (Bielak, Anstey, et al., 2012), but the youngest cohort showed the strongest effects in relation to physical activity (Bielak, Cherbuin, et al., 2014). We have also showed variation in activity-cognition associations depending on cognitive domain, activity type, and stage of older adulthood, suggesting that the conclusions regarding activity engagement and cognitive ability are dependent on a series of moderating factors (Bielak, Gerstorf, et al., 2014). I have also focused my research on the lack of consensus regarding the best method to assess activity engagement, and demonstrated the benefits of including multiple measures of activity engagement in a study (Bielak, 2017). I am currently conducting a study using tablets to obtain assessments of both cognition and activity throughout the day (REACT Study).
Although we cannot create a definite list of actions for achieving healthy cognitive aging, we can identify risk factors for pathological cognitive decline and work to reduce those risks. Some of my work in this area includes examining the directionality of relations between depressive symptoms and cognitive decline. We found that the model that allowed depressive symptoms to predict subsequent change in perceptual speed provided the best fit, suggesting that depressive symptoms increase the risk of cognitive decline, rather than vice versa (Bielak, Gerstorf, et al., 2011). We have also investigated the risks associated with the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele (Bunce, Bielak et al., 2014), and traumatic brain injury (Eramudugolla, Bielak et al., 2014).
B.A., Honors, 2002, Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Canada
M.Sc., 2004, Psychology, University of Victoria, Canada
Ph.D., 2008, Psychology, University of Victoria, Canada
Honors and Awards
2013 - Springer Early Career Achievement Award in Research on Adult Development and Aging, American Psychological Association (APA) Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging).
2008-11 - Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
2009 - Doctoral Dissertation Award, American Psychological Association Division 20 (Adult Development & Aging) Retirement Research Foundation.
2008 - Age Plus Prize, Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Aging.
2006-08 - Doctoral Research Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Aging.
2005-08 - Senior Graduate Trainee Award, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research & BC Medical Services Foundation.
Current Research Projects
Using Cognitive Intraindividual Variability to Measure Interventions – Admin Supplement, R03AG055748-01S1. National Institutes of Health, 2017-2019.
Using Cognitive Intraindividual Variability to Measure Lifestyle Interventions. R03AG055748, National Institutes of Health, 2017-2019.
Recording Everyday Activity and Cognition on Tablets (REACT) study. Colorado State University, 2015-2018.
2017-present: Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University.
2011-2017: Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University.
2008-2011: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Ageing Research Unit, Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Australia.
Bielak, A. A. M., Mogle, J., & Sliwinski, M. J. (in press). What did you do today? Variability in daily activities is related to variability in daily cognitive performance. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.
Bielak, A. A. M. (2017). Different perspectives on measuring lifestyle engagement: A comparison of activity measures and their relation with cognitive performance in older adults. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 4, 435-452. doi: 10.1080/13825585.2016.1221378
Curtis, R. G., Windsor, T. D., Mogle, J. A., & Bielak, A. A. M. (2017). There's more than meets the eye: Complex associations of daily pain, physical symptoms, and self-efficacy with activity in middle and older adulthood. Gerontology, 63, 157-168. doi: 10.1159/000450786
Bielak, A. A. M. (2017). Cognitive compensation. In N. Pachana (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_277-1
Bielak, A. A. M., & Anstey, K. J. (2015). Intraindividual variability in attention across the adult lifespan. In M. Diehl., K. Hooker, & M. J. Sliwinski (Eds.), Handbook of intraindividual variability across the lifespan (pp. 160-175). New York, NY: Routledge.
Bielak, A. A. M., Cherbuin, N., Bunce, D., & Anstey, K. J. (2014). Intraindividual variability is a fundamental phenomenon of aging: Evidence from an 8-year longitudinal study across young, middle, and older adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 50, 143-151. doi: 10.1037/a0032650
Bielak, A. A. M., Gerstorf, D., Anstey, K. J., & Luszcz, M. A. (2014). Longitudinal associations between activity and cognition vary by age, activity type, and cognitive domain. Psychology and Aging, 29, 863-872. doi: 10.1037/a0036960
Bielak, A. A. M., Cherbuin, N., Bunce, D., & Anstey, K. J. (2014). Preserved differentiation between physical activity and cognitive performance across young, middle, and older adulthood over 8 years. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69, 523-532. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbu016
Bunce, D., Bielak, A. A. M., Anstey, K. J., Cherbuin, N., Batterham, P. J., & Easteal S. (2014). APOE genotype and cognitive change in young, middle-aged and older adults living in the community. Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 69, 379-386. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glt103.
Bunce, D., Bielak, A. A. M., Cherbuin, N., Batterham, P. J., Wen, W., Sachdev, P., & Anstey, K. J. (2013). Utility of intraindividual reaction time variability to predict white matter hyperintensities: A potential assessment tool for clinical contexts? Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 19, 971-976. doi: 10.1017/S1355617713000830
Bielak, A. A. M., Anstey, K. J., Christensen, H., & Windsor, T. D. (2012). Activity engagement is related to level, but not change in cognitive ability across adulthood. Psychology & Aging, 27, 219-228.
Bielak, A. A. M., Hultsch, D. F., Strauss, E., MacDonald, S. W. S., & Hunter, M. A. (2010). Intraindividual variability in reaction time predicts cognitive outcomes 5 years later. Neuropsychology, 24, 731-741.
Bielak, A. A. M., Hultsch, D. F., Strauss, E., MacDonald, S. W. S., & Hunter, M. A. (2010). Intraindividual variability is related to cognitive change in older adults: Evidence for within-person coupling. Psychology & Aging, 25, 575-586.
Bielak, A. A. M. (2010). How can we not ‘lose it’ if we still don’t understand how to ‘use it’? Unanswered questions about the influence of activity participation on cognitive performance in older age: A mini-review. Gerontology, 56, 507–519.Thematic Research Areas


This evening a new moon hung low in the sky, reborn after a 3 day absence, a sliver of a crescent sinking until it appeared hazy and almost red. I stopped as I drove across Abberton reservoir to drink in the view. To the left of it hung Mars, shining brightly, their reflections glowing in the almost still waters like smudges on a painters canvas. The sky was clear and Orion to the South, the Pleiades overhead, and the Milky Way were clearly visible. Behind me the glow of Colchester, like a distant fire, lit the sky and the shores of the reservoir.
It was one of those sights I could have gazed at for hours, but the moon was sinking fast and as I neared home it was so low in the sky it disappeared now and again behind the gentle undulations of the Essex countryside.


Rust. Above the loose tailpipe, a crumpled corner of the plumber’s van is rusting. Margo worries from the attic window, if a man cannot maintain his vehicle, could he be a good plumber?
She told Robert to take care of this issue, claiming she had deadlines, backlogs, was already overburdened. Yet, here she is, chewing a hangnail, wondering if she should call Patrick’s Plumbing.
The front door slams and she peers over the windowsill. She is surprised the plumber is a woman. She pauses en route to her van, shakes down a cascade of copper-blonde hair, like some tawdry shampoo commercial, Margo thinks. The plumber neatly sweeps her locks into a chignon and tucks it back under her cap.
Ouch. Margo has drawn blood. She spits a brittle crisp of fingernail into the wastebasket.
Ping. Alex would like to chat.
Margo steps closer to the window to watch as Robert approaches the van. He leans upon it, casually chatting with the plumber. Margo cannot hear their conversation but she can see Robert’s smile. The plumber reappears, arching her back like a cat, thrusting her midriff toward Robert, her apple-round breasts straining at her overalls. She accepts a cup of coffee from Margo’s husband.
Ping. Alex is persistent.
Margo is profoundly annoyed. A vehement self-proclaimed feminist, she is irritated with herself for wondering what this pinup-cum-plumber knows about plumbing.
The front door opens and she hears a feminine voice, throaty, thick with coffee and maybe cigarettes too, a Lauren Bacall in her foyer. Then she hears Robert’s laugh. Earnest, not the cheap “ha” he employs at dinner parties or PTA meetings. Footfalls, two pairs, taking the basement steps.
Margo closes her laptop. She trundles down two flights of stairs. Standing at the top of the basement, she hears easy banter. Wine. Robert is talking about orange wine from Austria. Margo smirks; he’s trying to impress the help but then Lauren Bacall rattles off her three, three, favorite wineries in Austria. An oenophile centerfold plumber.
Margo goes to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and finds the pot empty. Fine, she thinks; I’ll have tea. She puts on the kettle. Ping. Her phone buzzes in her pocket. She is looking at the text from Alex and does not notice Robert enter the room. He clears his clears his throat. They stare awkwardly at each other.
“I’ve just come to make more coffee”, he says.
“Oh, I’ll just have tea”, Margo responds.
“Right. Well, Daphne wants another cup.”
Margo slides her phone into her pocket. Robert stands with two empty coffee cups. The blue cup, the one with a bold black M embossed on it, bears a heavy frost of red lipstick on the rim. Robert looks at his feet but does not take an inch toward the coffee maker.
Lauren Bacall huskily calls Robert’s name from the basement.
The spouses of nine and a half years lock eyes, briefly, briefly… like the last flash of a firefly. There is a multitude of grievances in this house –unperformed chores, broken dishes, unaired complaints, and vicious words that no amount of cleansing could purge from the fabric of their life.
“Right”, Margo says; “get on with it.”
I am grateful to Full House Literary for first publishing this work in January 2022. You can visit their site directly using the following link to hear me narrate this story. https://www.fullhouseliterary.com/prose/beyond-repair-by-fannie-h-gray


A variety of books which showcase Toledo's rich history at your fingertips
The Blade is proud to publish this retrospective honoring the 77th Anniversary of Jeep and the town that started it all: Toledo!
The 8.5x11", glossy, full color coffee-table book is the second edition of the 75th Anniversary book originally published in 2016. Sure to be a collector's item itself, it contains several new stories, including exclusive pictures and info on the 2018 Wrangler.
Compiled and designed by Blade Staff, it includes stories and historic photos on:
The Willys-Overland plant
Jeep at war
Jeep’s local workforce
Community efforts to retain jeep in Toledo
Cataloging of Jeep makes and models produced in Toledo
A look at the Jeep today… and more!
Willys Jeep Overland in Toledo, Ohio. Blade historical archive photo. Jeeps parked for dispatch, "Rossford Ordinance"; Toledo Times photo by Clarence Bailey from November 28, 1947


Why you should Never Give up on your Dreams?
Everyone has dreams. I’m not talking about wishful thinking or daydreaming. I’m talking about the real passion you have, things you really care about in this world.
Are you the one who has given up on their dreams and resolved to mediocrity?
Truth is that each one of us is capable to achieve our dreams. We are no different than others who have achieved their dreams. This world belongs to dreamers, The GIANTs. Whatever we see in our surroundings it was someone’s dream at some point in time and they made it a reality. People who dreamed and followed, they are the one who achieved it.
Alexander Graham Bell saw a dream and created telephone. Henry Ford saw a dream and created Ford car company.
There are millions of examples. You are no different in any way. Walt Disney said all dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Most of the people give up on their dreams because of Fear- Fear of Failure or Fear of not coming out of comfort zone.
Here is my story When I was around 15 years of age I had a dream to do something of my own. Something where I can put in place my ideas. didn’t know what I wanted to do, but something where I can contribute to others life. The problem was I never believed that I can do something because of conditioning I had.
After graduation, I joined an IT company, then another company and it goes on. After few years in office, it became a routine, same project, same people. It felt like life has come to standstill, no enthusiasm, no energy and feeling of emptiness inside. I kept on dragging for few years but a time came when I said enough is enough. I realized that I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do, Start my own company. Within a year I planned to quit my job (was working with an MNC at that time) and then started following my dream. As there is a saying journey is better than the destination. It’s true in my case. I’m enjoying every moment of it.
I will give you three compelling reasons why you must work towards achieving your dreams.
We got only ONE LIFE– I don’t believe in reincarnation. Do you? 90% of the people die without achieving their dreams. They live in a comfort zone and they die in a comfort zone without unleashing their full potential. Anyway, life is a one-way journey, no one gets another chance.
You will not be TRULY HAPPY– when we have a dream, a desire. if we don’t work towards achieving that dream, it feels like a failure. Does it happen to you? then you can feel what I’m talking about.
Your Dreams tells you about the real potential you have– Walt Disney also said if you can dream it you can achieve it. What it means is that if you are capable to dream something you have everything to achieve that dream.
I will ask you to perform a small exercise. Sit alone in a quiet place and close your eyes. Imagine you are on your deathbed and it’s your last day of your life. What kind of feeling would you have if you do not follow your dreams?
Feeling of regret or Feeling of Fulfillment?
If you don’t follow your dreams now, it will be too late if you realize it on your deathbed. I urge you to ask this question until you get the clarity. Trust me it will transform your life.


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Andrew Chambliss is a staff writer on Dollhouse.
Chambliss was a staff writer on Bionic Woman (2007). Before that, he worked as an assistant to Tim Kring on the first season of Heroes (2006-2007) and on the last season of Crossing Jordan (2007). He has also written two graphic novels for Heroes, "Fathers & Daughters" and "War Buddies, Part 2".
Chambliss joined the Dollhouse writing team in April 2008. His writing credits include:
- 1x09 "A Spy in the House of Love"


To be Included in Faculty Handbook
NEPN/NSBA Code: EGAD-E
When a proposed use of photocopied material requires a faculty member to request permission, communication of complete and accurate information to the copyright owner will facilitate the request. The Association of American Publishers suggests that the following information be included to expedite the process:
Title, author, and/or editor, and edition of materials to be duplicated.
Exact material to be used, giving amount, page numbers, chapters and, if possible a photocopy of the material.
Number of copies to be made.
Use to be made of duplicated materials (including time period or duration if copying on an on-going basis is desired).
Form of distribution (classroom, newsletter, etc.)
Whether or not the material is to be sold.
Type of reprint (ditto, photocopy, offset, typeset).
When the copyright owner is the publisher of the work, the request should be sent, together with a self-addressed return envelope, to the permissions department of the publisher in question. If the address of the publisher does not appear at the front of the material, it may be obtained from The Literary Marketplace (for books) or Ulrich’s International Periodicals (for journals), both published by the R.R. Bowker Company. When the copyright owner is the author, the request should be directed to the author either in care of the publisher’s permissions department, as set forth above, or at the author’s address. For purposes of proof, and to define the scope of the permission, it is important that the permission be in writing. Many publishers have registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970. This organization can facilitate obtaining permission to copy. Check with your campus library about the use of this service.
The process of requesting permission directly from the publisher requires time, as the publisher must check the status and ownership of rights and related matters, and evaluate the request. It is advisable, therefore, to allow sufficient lead time. In some instances the publisher may assess a fee for permission, which may be passed on to students who receive copies of the photocopied material.
Material Permissions Department
Academic Book Company
200 Park Ave.
New York NY 10016
Dear Sir or Madam:
I would like permission to copy the following for use in my class (name of class)(next
semester) or (next semester and subsequent semesters during which the course is offered.)
Copyright: Academic Book Co., 1965, 1971.
Author: John Smith
Material to be duplicated: Chapter 9 (photocopy enclosed)
Number of copies: 50
Distribution: The material will be distributed to students in my class free of charge.
Type of reprint: Photocopy
Use: The chapter will be used as supplementary teaching materials.
I have enclosed a self-addressed envelope for your convenience in replying to this request.
Conditions if any,


In the wake of the first draft of the full mouse genome sequence, large-scale mutagenesis programmes are underway that will produce mice with gene knockouts/point mutations for each of the approximately 25,000 genes in the mouse genome. Analysis of these mice in coming years will give new insights into the genetic basis of human disease and biology, as novel genes are identified that impact upon mammalian physiology and morphology. This studentship will develop non-invasive imaging of live mice to reduce the numbers of mice generated in high-throughput mutagenesis programs and start to refine experimental strategies for working with mouse models. We will use non-invasive in-vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to assess if this imaging technology can help us understand the function of genes within the brain, which will enable us remove major "bottlenecks" in the development of new diagnosis tests for genetic disease and human gene therapies.
Ma D et al. (2019). Study the Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Brain Volume Difference for Disease Progression and Treatment Effect on Mouse Model of Tauopathy Using Automated MRI Structural Parcellation. Frontiers in Neuroscience 13:11. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00011
Colgan N et al. (2017). Imaging of Tau Pathology Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Textural Analysis. Frontiers in Neuroscience 11:599. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00599
Colgan N et al. (2016). Application of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to a tau pathology model of Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimage 125:739-44. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.10.043
Wells JA et al. (2015). Increased cerebral vascular reactivity in the tau expressing rTg4510 mouse: evidence against the role of tau pathology to impair vascular health in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 35(3):359-62. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.224
O'Callaghan J et al. (2014). Is your system calibrated? MRI gradient system calibration for pre-clinical, high-resolution imaging. PLoS One 9(5):e96568. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096568


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The opening lines of The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett tell us all we need to know.
They give us an insight into the personality of the two principal characters Mr. and Mrs. Ransome.
They give us the setting - their house.
They give us the nature and extent of the conflict taking place - their house has been burgled and whoever burgled it took away everything, leaving no clue as to their identity.
And ultimately these lines whet our appetite for discovering what, if any, resolution there can be to such a surreal state of affairs.
In this novel, Alan Bennett shows us how our lives are dependent on property to give it meaning.
And by sympathizing with a couple who are suddenly stripped of all their possessions, Bennett reminds us that we too live in a fool’s paradise. One where we take comfort, not from who we are, or from what we do, but from that which we own.
And this would be a bitter pill to swallow if it weren’t for Bennett’s humour, which permeates all and reminds us that the ability to laugh at ourselves is probably our most valuable possession.
"The Ransomes had been burgled. "Robbed," Mrs. Ransome said. "Burgled," Mr. Ransome corrected. Premises were burgled; persons were robbed. Mr. Ransome was a solicitor by profession and thought words mattered. Though "burgled" was the wrong word too. Burglars select; they pick; they remove one item and ignore others. There is a limit to what burglars can take: they seldom take easy chairs, for example, and even more seldom settees. These burglars did. They took everything."
Opening lines of The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett


Oh, the General’s dream, that noble scheme,
Gives John Jones work to do.
He’ll have a bed and be well fed
When the General’s dream comes true.
For the hungry starving homeless wrecks
The scheme allows that either sex
Shall have a cab horse fare.
A cab horse has work you’ll find,
With food and shelter too.
Man shall no longer be behind
When the General’s dreams come true.1
He was called “The General.” General William Booth was a man on a mission, a mission of salvation. He had a vision for both the spiritual and temporal salvation of nineteenth-century England’s poorest citizens. There were many who stood with him, fully embracing his vision, and bearing the name he chose for them, “The Salvation Army.” How was Booth’s vision expressed? It was expressed in many ways, but one very significant way that his heart and mission were revealed was in the publication of his book, “In Darkest England and The Way Out” (published in 1890).
What was “Darkest England?” Nineteenth-century Englishmen had a fascination with the continent of Africa. This fascination was fed by the well-known book, “Darkest Africa,” written by Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904). This book captured the intrigue and sense of mystery which surrounded the largely unexplored dark continent of Africa. Stanley described in vivid language his journeys into the untamed forests, jungles and rolling plains of this adventure-rich land. Africa was considered to be “dark” because it was so under-explored, underdeveloped and dangerous. Ironically, England, which was in so many ways progressive, had its own dark corners. It is these dark corners that General Booth spent his life shedding light into. To Booth, Darkest England was the desperate world of England’s slums. His book not only drew attention to this desperate world, but proposed a way out.
Booth’s burden for England’s poor, his efforts to draw attention to their desperate plight, and his optimism and hope for their deliverance is encapsulated in these gripping words taken from the preface to his book:
When but a mere child the degradation and helpless misery of the poor Stockingers of
my native town, wandering gaunt and hunger-stricken through the streets droning
out their melancholy ditties, crowding the Union or toiling like galley slaves on relief
works for a bare subsistence, kindled in my heart yearnings to help the poor which have
continued to this day and which have had a powerful influence on my whole life. At last
I may be going to see my longings to help the workless realized. I think I am.
The commiseration then awakened by the misery of this class has been an impelling
force which has never ceased to make itself felt during forty years of active service in the salvation of men. During this time I am thankful that I have been able, by the good hand of God upon me, to do something in mitigation of the miseries of this class, and to bring not only heavenly hopes and earthly gladness to the hearts of multitudes of these wretched crowds, but also many material blessings, including such commonplace things as food, raiment, home, and work, the parent of so many other temporal benefits.
… I have boldly asserted that whatever his peculiar character or circumstances might be, if the prodigal would come home to his Heavenly Father, he would find enough and to spare in the Father’s house to supply all his need both for this world and the next, and I have known thousands, nay, I can say tens of thousands, who have literally proved this to be true, having, with little or no temporal assistance, come out of the darkest depths of destitution, vice and crime, to be happy and honest citizens and true sons and servants of God.
And yet all the way through my career I have keenly felt the remedial measures usually enunciated in Christian programs and ordinarily employed by Christian philanthropy to be
lamentably inadequate for any effectual dealing with the despairing miseries of these outcast classes. The rescued are appallingly few – a ghastly minority compared with the multitudes who struggle and sink in the open-mouthed abyss. Alike, therefore, my humanity and my Christianity, if I may speak of them in any way as separate one from the other, have cried out for some more comprehensive method of reaching and saving the perishing crowds.
No doubt it is good for men to climb unaided out of the whirlpool on to the rock of
deliverance in the very presence of the temptations which have hitherto mastered them, and
to maintain a footing there with the same billows of temptation washing over them. But, alas! with many this seems to be literally impossible. That decisiveness of character, that moral nerve which takes hold of the rope thrown for the rescue and keeps its hold amidst all the resistances that have to be encountered, is wanting. It is gone. The general wreck has shattered and disorganized the whole man.
Alas, what multitudes there are around us everywhere, many known to my readers
personally, and any number who may be known to them by a very short walk from their own dwellings, who are in this very plight! Their vicious habits and destitute circumstances make it certain that, without some kind of extraordinary help, they must hunger and sin, and sin
and hunger, until, having multiplied their kind, and filled up the measure of their miseries, the gaunt fingers of death will close upon them and terminate their wretchedness. And all this will happen this very winter in the midst of the un-paralleled wealth, and civilization, and philanthropy of this professedly most Christian land.
Now, I propose to go straight for these sinking classes, and in doing so shall continue
to aim at the heart. … My only hope for the permanent deliverance of mankind from misery, either in this world or the next, is the regeneration or remaking of the individual by the power of the Holy Ghost through Jesus Christ. But in providing for the relief of temporal misery I reckon that I am only making it easy where it is now difficult, and possible where it is now all but impossible, for men and women to find their way to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That I have confidence in my proposals goes without saying. I believe they will work. In miniature many of them are working already. But I do not claim that my Scheme is either perfect in its details or complete in the sense of being adequate to combat all forms of the gigantic evils against which it is in the main directed. Like other human things it must be perfected through suffering. But it is a sincere endeavor to do something, and to do it on principles which can be instantly applied and universally developed. 2
So, in trudging, foraging and bushwhacking his way through the social jungle of Darkest England, Booth did so, with a hopeful heart that expected to see God’s victory. In writing his book, he explained his optimism in these words:
But this book is no mere lamentation of despair. For Darkest England, as for Darkest Africa, there is a light beyond. I think I see my way out, a way by which these wretched ones may escape from the gloom of their miserable existence into a higher and happier life. Long wandering in the Forest of the Shadow of Death at our doors, has familiarized me with its horrors; but while the realization is a vigorous spur to action it has never been so oppressive as to extinguish hope. Mr. Stanley never succumbed to the terrors which oppressed his followers. He had lived in a larger life, and knew that the forest, though long, was not interminable. Every step forward brought him nearer his destined goal, nearer to the light of the sun, the clear sky, and the rolling uplands of the grazing land. Therefore he did not despair. The Equatorial Forest was, after all, a mere corner of one quarter of the world. In the knowledge of the light outside, in the confidence begotten by past experience of successful endeavor, he pressed forward; and when the hundred and sixty days’ struggle was over, he and his men came out into a pleasant place where the land smiled with peace and plenty, and their hardships and hunger were forgotten in the joy of a great deliverance.
So I venture to believe it will be with us. 3
Having declared his optimism for change, Booth reminded his readers that they had not yet achieved the victory. They were still in the spot where the jungle was densest and the scene was darkest. Booth was not writing with light-heartedness but, instead, would use every word he knew to communicate the pain of England’s poor and to communicate the call to action on their behalf. “Is it not time?” Booth asked and “can nothing be done?” For those who considered the plight of the poor to be hopeless, they would accept as fate the condition of England’s poor. However, for Booth, and others like him, who saw the hope of help to be bright, they would act on this belief and lead a “revolt against the fatalism of despair.” They would call fatalism for what it was, an unacceptable excuse. They would declare that “it is time, and high time, that the question were faced in no mere dilettante spirit, but with a resolute determination to make an end of the crying scandal of our age.”4
Booth was calling for immediate action. To all who would listen, Booth gave the illustration of a London cab horse who, while pulling a coach-load of passengers down a busy street, all of a sudden stumbles and collapses onto the hard road. The cab horse represented broken-down humanity which needed thorough, complete and practical aid. Booth said, “If you put him on his feet without altering his conditions, it would only be to give him another dose of agony; but first of all you’ll have to pick him up again. It may have been through overwork or underfeeding, or it may have been all his own fault that he has broken his knees and smashed the shaft, but that does not matter.”5 How is the horse helped? Booth said, “The load is taken off, the harness is unbuckled, or, if need be, cut, and everything is done to help him up.”6 Then, the horse can return to his round of work. Again, the horse represented the struggling poor. A literal cab horse had the provision of “a shelter for the night, food for its stomach, and work allotted to it by which it can earn its corn.”7 Not all of England’s poor had these necessities.
While they didn’t have these basic necessities, they did have a friend in William Booth who was doing everything he could to make their plight known. According to Booth, Darkest England, this shunned sub-culture within larger England, was numbered at three million persons. Booth describes them as “men, women, and children, a vast despairing multitude in a condition nominally free, but really enslaved.”8 Booth pictured Darkest England as three circles, one within the other. The outer and widest circle represented the starving and homeless poor who lived honest, law-respecting lives. The second, smaller circle represented those who survived by adopting sinful practices. The third, and smallest, circle represented those who survived by out-and-out criminal activities. Booth maintained that “the borders of this great lost land are not sharply defined. They are continually expanding or contracting.”9 In times of depression, the borders of the dark forest of Darkest England would expand, pulling into the outer circle many who previously led self-sufficient lives. There was no class of persons that could not fall into this situation. Booth cautioned:
So far as individuals are concerned, there are none among the hundreds of thousands who
live upon the outskirts of the dark forest who can truly say that they or their children are
secure from being hopelessly entangled in its labyrinth. The death of the bread-winner, a
long illness, a failure in the city, or any one of a thousand other causes which might be named, will bring within the first circle those who at present imagine themselves free from all danger of actual want.” 10
Want and need were not only a danger, but a reality for multitudes in England. Booth was a loud voice on their behalf. He declared that:
There is hardly any more pathetic figure than that of the strong, able worker crying plaintively in the midst of our palaces and churches, not for charity, but for work, asking only to be allowed the privilege of perpetual hard labor that, thereby he may earn wherewith to fill his empty belly and silence the cry of his children for food. Crying for it and not getting it, seeking for labor as lost treasure and finding it not, until at last, all spirit and vigor worn out in the weary quest, the once willing worker becomes a broken-down drudge, sodden with wretchedness and despairing of all help in this world or in that which is to come. 11
They could not be ignored; their situation was too desperate and their plight too serious. Again, Booth said of them; “They die and make no sign, or, worse still, they continue to exist, carrying about with them, year after year, the bitter ashes of a life from which the furnace of misfortune has burnt away all joy, and hope, and strength.”12
William Booth simply had a tremendous heart for the poor. He was the General who would sound the charge into the battle of saving England’s poor. They were to him the sinking ones who were reaching for help. They needed help to rescue them from impossible situations which were pulling them deeper and deeper into poverty and also into crime as many desperately tried anything they could to survive. Booth wrote a book to trumpet their needs to all who would hear and to extend to them the message that there is a way out.
1. Hell No! : The Birth of a Mighty Army, Roberts Liardon Ministries, Audiocassette A0063.
William Booth, In Darkest England and The Way Out (Atlanta: The Salvation Army, 1984), Preface.
2. Ibid., 21-22.
3. Ibid., 22-23.
4. Ibid., 26
5. Ibid., 27.
6. Ibid., 27.
7. Ibid., 31.
8. Ibid., 32.
9. Ibid., 32.
10. Ibid., 40.
11. Ibid., 50.
Barnes, Cyril. God’s Army. Illinois: David Cook Publishing Co., 1978.
Booth, William. In Darkest England and The Way Out. Atlanta: The Salvation Army, 1984.
Hosier, Helen K. William and Catherine Booth : Founders of The Salvation Army.
Uhrichsville: Barbour Publishing, 1982.
Liardon, Roberts. Hell No! : The Birth of a Mighty Army. Roberts Liardon Ministries.
WHEN THE GENERAL’S DREAM COMES TRUE – PART TWO
What could be done for those in 19th century England who had lost all joy, hope and strength in their struggle to survive? William Booth maintained that we must not only preach to them the gospel, but we must do something to relieve their intense, immediate pain so that they could even hear the gospel that we preach. He argued that it was useless to preach to those “whose whole attention is concentrated upon a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive.”1 Booth argued that such a one won’t listen to our preaching because he is like a drowning man whose head is being held under water. It is not until he is brought to the surface, and receives air in his lungs, that he can calm himself enough to hear what we are saying.2
Could the plight and misery of England’s poor be paralleled to the desperate struggle of a drowning man? Booth made known the shocking truth that, in the metropolitan district, over four hundred persons every year were actually arrested for trying to commit suicide. To them, life had become an unbearable burden.3 Booth boldly declared; “But we who call ourselves by the name of Christ are not worthy to profess to be his disciples until we have set an open door before the least and worst of these who are now apparently in prison for life in a horrible dungeon of misery and despair.” 4 Booth was committed to seeing them released from this terrible prison.
As well as being a voice for those who were out of work, Booth cried out on behalf of working families which could barely function as families because of their poverty. He said, “The home is largely destroyed where the mother follows the father into the factory, and where the hours of labor are so long that they have no time to see their children.”5 He put forward the question; “How can a man who is on his omnibus from fourteen to sixteen hours a day have time to be a father to his children in any sense of the word?”6 Booth pointed out that technology did not necessarily better the condition of the working poor but, sometimes, made it possible to extract more work out of them. He said, “In the town gas and the electric light enable the employer to rob the children of the whole of their father’s waking hours, and in some cases he takes the mothers also. Under some of the conditions of modern industry, children are not so much as born into a home as they are spawned into the world like fish, with the result which we see.”7
Suicide, unemployment and the stealing away of family time were all problems plaguing Darkest England. Were the problems that Darkest England faced being tackled by other organizations and institutions? Were there other answers to the dilemma outside of the spiritual, Christian help that Booth was, both living out and, calling for? The government of England did have a program of poor houses in operation. However, Booth saw shortcomings in the help that they provided. Recipients of this help came to the poor houses, or casual wards, weak and undernourished. Here, they would receive shelter and a meagre amount of food. Having received help, they were required to stay at the casual ward for a couple of days, in which time they would be given hard, physically exhausting work. Some would be given the task of picking oakum and others engaged in stone-breaking. Booth protested that even criminals in jail were not worked as hard as casual ward recipients. He said, “These tasks are expected from all corners, starved, ill-clad, half-fed, creatures from the streets, foot-sore and worn out, …” 8 Even from women recipients, onerous work was required. They would put in long hours picking oakum. They were expected to get up at 5:45 A.M. and retire for bed at 7:00 P.M. If they had not finished picking by this time, they would stay up until their work was completed. They were also under the close watch of inspectors who gave them very little privacy. Once they had agreed to receive the help offered, they would be required to stay a couple of nights. 9
If poor houses were insufficient, then what about trade unions? Booth acknowledged that trade unions had helped many people. However, Booth pointed out that only one-and-a-half million Englishmen were a part of their organizations. They only helped a fraction of the labouring classes and they could not assist those who were outside of their membership. In most cases, they were unhelpful to unskilled labor and they, in no way, could handle the breadth of the problem that Booth was expressing. He pointed out that women were also poorly represented in them. Respecting their contribution to society, Booth still wanted to know what would be done for those unassisted by trade unions. 10
While trade unions were insufficient to manage the problems of Darkest England, what about England’s larger efforts of socialism in general? Again, Booth acknowledged socialism’s good intentions but was skeptical that they could create the utopia that they seemed to claim. He said that the utopia “must be within range of my fingertips” if it is any use to me. 11 At the same time, Booth maintained that his plan should not upset socialists unless those same socialists held anti-Christian sentiments against him and his work. He said:
There is nothing in my scheme which will bring it into collision either with Socialists
of the State, or Socialists of the Municipality, with Individualists or Nationalists, or any
of the various schools of thought in the great field of social economics – except only those
anti-Christian economists who hold that it is an offense against the doctrine of the survival
of the fittest who try to save the weakest from going to the wall, … 12
Booth knew that not everyone would accept his Christian faith and mercy-for-the-weak based plan for assistance. There were many in England who wanted to see poverty come to an end but did not appreciate Booth’s Christian stand and spiritual answers. Some of them were radicals, promoting revolution. Booth was clear that he was opposed to revolution which overturned institutions. He wanted to be a constructive, not destructive, force in society. Many revolutionaries hoped to see the discontentment and misery of the masses increase until it erupted to overthrow institutions and governments which did not share its ideology. Many believed that things had to get worse before they could get better, and they hoped to see this process accelerate to this desired end.13 Booth’s hope was for the spiritual and temporal salvation of people and he was already living and seeing this hope slowly develop within the existing society of England.
Despite the fact that many of England’s poor were finding spiritual and temporal salvation as they responded to Booth’s ministry, many Englishmen were apathetic. Booth called to all who would hear him that we must recognize that we are our brother’s keepers and that we must make this world more like home for our brothers.14 How was this to come about? Booth maintained that, firstly, Darkest England had spiritual issues which must be resolved. He said:
The first essential that must be borne in mind as governing every Scheme that may be put
forward is that it must change the man when it is his character and conduct which constitute the
reasons for his failure in the battle of life. No change in circumstances, no revolution in social
conditions, can possibly transform the nature of man. Some of the worst men and women in the
world, whose names are chronicled by history with a shudder of horror, were those who had
all the advantages that wealth, education and station could confer or ambition could attain.
The supreme test of any scheme for benefiting humanity lies in the answer to the question,
What does it make of the individual? Does it quicken his conscience, does it soften his heart,
does it enlighten his mind, does it, in short, make more of a true man of him, because only by such
influences can he be enabled to lead a human life? 15
Desiring to see the nature of men change, Booth and his Salvation Army proclaimed the gospel and salvation that is found through faith in Christ. It is through this narrow way that both the inner and the outer life of a man or woman is transformed in a spiritual and victorious way. It is through living faith in Jesus Christ that men and women submit to God’s rule and begin to experience an overcoming life which not only helps them in their situations, personally, but brightens and assists the lives of others. This spiritual provision is the most important provision in remedying the problems of Darkest England.
While spiritual provision was needed in tackling the problems of Darkest England, practical provisions were also important. Booth observed that the hard conditions of life in Darkest England contributed to people moving from the outer circle of honest poverty to the inner circles of participating in sinful and even criminal activities in order to survive. He argued that practical support must be given to the struggling poor in order to stabilize their life enough so that they would be able to see that a good and godly life is possible for them through Jesus Christ. He said:
It is no use standing on the firm bank of the quaking morass and anathematizing these poor
wretches; if you are to do them any good, you must give them another chance to get on their
feet, you must give them firm foothold upon which they can once more stand upright, and
you must build stepping-stones across the bog to enable them safely to reach the other side.
Favorable circumstances will not change a man’s heart or transform his nature, but unpropitious
circumstances may render it absolutely impossible for him to escape, no matter how he may
desire to extricate himself. 16
William Booth extended a hand to the struggling poor of his day. The help that he extended was both spiritual and practical. Booth preached salvation through Jesus Christ to all who would hear. He also helped the struggling poor by advocating their cause and in many ways supplying their needs. He proposed solutions which trade unions and socialists could not match. He saw victories as God granted them. He pressed for the best.
1. William Booth, In Darkest England and The Way Out (Atlanta: The Salvation Army Supplies and Purchasing Department, 1984), 53.
2. Ibid., 53.
3. Ibid., 66.
4. Ibid., 44.
5. Ibid., 72.
6. Ibid., 72.
7. Ibid., 72.
8. Ibid., 77.
9. Ibid., 77-78.
10. Ibid., 85-86.
11. Ibid., 87.
12. Ibid., 25.
13. Ibid., 89.
14. Ibid., 91.
15. Ibid., 93.
16. Ibid., 94.
“The substance of old ropes untwisted and pulled into loose hemp, used for calking the seams of ships, stopping leaks, etc.” The Websters Unabridged International Dictionary of The English Language (New York: The Publishers Guild, Inc. 1976), 1231.
WHEN THE GENERAL’S DREAM COMES TRUE – PART THREE
William Booth and his Salvation Army did not shrink back from the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel and providing spiritual counsel to those within their continually expanding circle of influence. Neither did they shrink back from giving sacrificially towards tangible, practical aid to the needy. While courageously accepting responsibility for action, they also called the government of England to take responsibility and action. Booth’s book, “In Darkest England and The Way Out,” laid out a plan or, as he preferred to call it, a “Scheme,” by which poverty could be eliminated in England through the work of the Salvation Army. Darkest England had spiritual, temporal and practical needs. The practical part of Booth’s plan could be assisted by government support.
What was Booth proposing? He envisioned a three-component plan which would help lift the down-and-out into an environment where they could progressively advance themselves out of their poverty situation. He chose to call each component of the plan a “colony.” The first component was the “city colony.” The city colony was simply a set-up of institutions which would provide refuge for the struggling inner-city poor, providing for them immediate necessities such as food, shelter and employment.1 Booth’s “Cheap Food Depot” had already been in operation for over two years and was expanding. By the time of the writing of his book, they had supplied more than three-and-a-half million meals. This program served as a model of what could be implemented on an even larger scale. For recipients of the program there would be a workshop, or labor yard, by which they could earn their bed and board.2 Again, Booth already had a working model. The Salvation Army had erected an industrial factory at Whitechapel which, by the time of the writing of the book, was providing work for almost ninety men. Here, the men were occupied in work such as carpentry, bench making and mat making. Their rations were earned and earned within the reasonable framework of an eight-hour day. 3 What was Booth proposing to do on a larger scale for the out-of-work person who came to his doors? Booth explained:
I propose to take that man, put a strong arm around him, and extricate him from the mire
in which he is all but suffocated. As a first step we will say to him, ‘You are hungry, here
is food; you are homeless, here is shelter for your head; but remember you must work for
your rations. This is not charity; it is work for the workless, help for those who cannot help
themselves. There is the labor shed, go and earn your fourpence, and then come in out of
the cold and the wet into the warm shelter; here is your mug of coffee and your great chunk of
bread, and after you have finished these there is a meeting going on in full swing with its joyful music and hearty human intercourse. There are those who pray for you and with you, and make you feel yourself a brother among men. There is your shake-down on the floor, where you will have your warm, quiet bed, undisturbed by the ribaldry and curses with which you have been familiar too long. Here’s the washhouse, where you can have a thorough wash-up at last, after all these days of unwashedness. There is plenty of soap and warm water and clean towels; there, too, you can wash your shirt and have it dried while you sleep. In the morning when you get up there will be breakfast for you, and your shirt will be dry and clean. Then when you are washed and rested, and are no longer faint with hunger, you can go and seek a job, or go back to the labor shop until something better turns up. 4
Once participants of the city colony were stabilized in their situation, they would be given the option of moving to the second component, the “farm colony.” This would be a large area outside of the urban center, where participants would be assisted and trained in agricultural life.5 Booth had in mind the set-up of a farm estate which would be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 acres. The land would have to be suitable for market gardening with a variety of soil types. It would be freehold land and, ideally, would be close to a railway, the sea or to a river. Participants in the colony would be active in the construction of their own homes. Of prime importance, it would need to be a considerable distance away from any city which would have the allurement of bars and liquor. Booth’s farm colony would be free of any intoxicating liquor. Booth argued against the opinion of some that the inner-city poor were not capable of such agricultural life. Many considered them to be worthless.6 However, Booth said; “Worthless under the present conditions, exposed to constant temptations to intemperance no doubt they are, but some of the brightest men in London, with some of the smartest pairs of hands, and the cleverest brains, are at the present moment weltering helplessly in the sludge from which we propose to rescue them.” 7
Again, once established in the farm colony, participants would have the option of continuing on to the third component, the “over-sea colony.” For those who wanted it, provision would be made to reestablish them in other colonies of the British Empire.8 The over-sea colony would be similar to the farm colony. A large tract of land would be utilized for settlement and agricultural work. A competent body of workers, working under skilled supervision, would set up buildings, break up the land, plant crops and store adequate supplies for the future of the colony. A strong and efficient government would be set up to administer rules and discipline. Once established, the colony would become productive and revenues would be used to purchase from England machinery and other implements which could not be acquired locally. 9
Booth summed up his plan in these words:
The Scheme, in its entirety, may aptly be compared to A Great Machine, foundationed
in the lowest slums and purlieus of our great towns and cities, drawing up into its embrace
the depraved and destitute of all classes; receiving thieves, harlots, paupers, drunkards,
prodigals, all alike, on the simple conditions of their being willing to work and to conform
to discipline. Drawing up these poor outcasts, reforming them, and creating in them habits
of industry, honesty, and truth; teaching them methods by which alike the bread that perishes
and that which endures to Everlasting Life can be won. Forwarding them from the city to the
country, and there continuing the process of regeneration, and then pouring them forth on to
the virgin soils that await their coming in other lands, keeping hold of them with strong
government, and yet making them free men and women; and so laying the foundations, perchance,
of another Empire to swell to vast proportions in latter times. Why not? 10
In addition to Booth’s plan of the three colonies, he had other ideas to improve the conditions of the inner-city poor. For one, he wanted to set up a “traveling hospital.” This would involve pony-drawn carriages equipped with basic medical supplies, which would be administered by nurses. They would service many ailing inner-city recipients who otherwise would not make it to hospitals. 11
As well as traveling hospitals, Booth wanted a program set up to reform prisoners who had completed their sentences. First, he wanted permission for the Salvation Army to have access to the prisons to work with inmates. Next, recognizing that the transition from prison to society was very difficult, he proposed setting up homes which would serve as an intermediate step in this process. Immediately upon discharge from prison, the men or women would be met at the prison gates and invited to participate in the homes. Here, men and women would have not only shelter but work provided by means of workshops. 12
Booth not only planned the set-up of homes for released prisoners, but he also planned homes for women trying to escape the life-style of a prostitute. Booth had set up thirteen homes in England for this purpose. These homes were helping 307 women make the transition to a better life. The houses were run by 132 Salvation Army officers. Booth wanted to greatly increase the number of these homes and provide for these women the options of factory training, domestic training or admittance into the farm colony. 13 Booth wanted to “cheer these girls forward” and give them options by which he hoped “they will be much more likely to fight their way through seasons of darkness and temptation than as at present.” 14
In addition to the set-up of more homes, Booth was running an inquiry office for lost people. Thousands of persons every year went missing in England. Those who were poor could not afford the services of a private detective. All too often, their separation from family would be permanent. At the inquiry office, family members could come and report the absence of their kin and receive help in locating them. 15
While England’s poor needed missing-persons search services, they also needed accessible legal aid. One initiative that Booth wanted to create was a court of counsel where anyone whose rights of liberty, property, or otherwise, had been violated could receive legal assistance. Booth was especially concerned that poor widows would have access to this service. 16
In addition to accessible legal aid, Booth even wished to set up an ocean-side recreation area where those struggling in the harsh environment of England’s inner cities could escape for a few days of rest. Here, they and their children would have a brief rest from the crowded cities, sunless alleys and grim streets. 17
Booth concludes his book with the firm assertion that this can all be accomplished. He said; “I believe that it can be done by the Salvation Army, because it has ready to hand an organization of men and women, numerous enough and zealous enough to grapple with the enormous undertaking.”18 By the time of the printing of his book, the Salvation Army had been in operation for twenty-five years. It was the largest home and foreign missionary society in the Protestant world. It had close to 10,000 officers, 4,600 of whom were in Great Britain. 19 What would Booth’s proposed program cost? He was asking the British government for 100,000 pounds to set up the program and an annual funding of 30,000 pounds. These figures were the result of intense research. Booth felt that this experiment would not only be realistic but would be worthy to undertake. He pointed out how every year the government spent tens of thousands of pounds on economic ventures, such as boring for coal, searching for minerals and sinking for water. How much more worthy a goal was the elimination of poverty in Britain? Booth had already spent his life in the service of England’s suffering poor and he had done so with tremendous success. With this appeal he pointed out that:
I am now sixty-one years of age. … I feel already something of the pressure which led
the dying Emperor of Germany to say, ‘I have no time to be weary.’ If I am to see the
accomplishment in any considerable degree of these life-long hopes, I must be enabled to embark upon the enterprise without delay, and with the worldwide burden constantly upon me in connection with the universal mission of our Army I cannot be expected to struggle in this matter alone. 20
The British government responded to Booth’s request and implemented the plan. The first stage continued late into the 20th century and the final two stages were in operation until 1906. By 1906, as a result of the program, 188,684 people had found employment. 21
Dr. Wilbur Chapman, in an interview with Booth, asked him what was the secret of his success. With tears in his eyes, Booth answered:
I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater
opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what
Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up my mind that God would have all of
William Booth that there was. And if there is anything of power in The Salvation Army of
today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life. 22
Reflecting on this, Chapman concluded; “I learned from William Booth that the greatness of a man’s power is in the measure of his surrender. It is not a question of who you are or of what you are, but of whether God controls you.” 23
Under the control of God, the humble and large-hearted life of General William Booth rushed into Darkest England on a mission to bring salvation, both spiritual and temporal, to the poorest of England’s poor. Darkest England was a fearful place but there was a way out. Booth brought to them the message of life and hope through faith in Jesus Christ, and the practical help which would get the “cab horse” of struggling humanity again to its feet. The desperate man, the desperate woman, the desperate child, the desperate prostitute and the desperate one who has been separated from his family were all embraced and aided by Booth and his Army. The desperate ones, whose struggle was like that of a man who’s head has been held under water, were lifted to a secure place of care where a strong arm was put around them and they were fed, sheltered and loved. You are hungry; here is food. You are homeless; here is shelter for your head. A mug of coffee, a great chunk of bread, a washhouse, clean clothing, a warm and dry bed, and lastly, a meeting place where the love and gospel of Jesus Christ was shared, were all gifts from the General to the destitute ones who populated England’s slums. Darkest England was a despairing jungle of horror and pain. However, Booth and his Army trudged through the thick of it, seeing a light beyond. No set-backs could extinguish their hope. Every hardship became a vigorous spur to faith and further action. Their eyes were on the deliverance just ahead of them. Oh, the General’s dream, that noble scheme, gives John Jones work to do. He’ll have a bed and be well-fed when the General’s dream comes true. What began as a dream in the heart of Booth became for many the concrete deliverance from Darkest England’s doom. With every caring act, Darkest England was lighted bright. Those who in despair found themselves on England’s lowest bottom had hope generously handed to them. The love that they were showered with was the same love that sent Jesus Christ from heaven to earth. The acceptance that they were embraced with was the same acceptance that Jesus Christ showed to the ones who came to Him for prayer and teaching. The salvation that they found was the salvation that was paid for by the bleeding Savior on the Cross. The rescue that they experienced was one that put their life on a solid rock where they now could move forward, and upward too, for man shall no longer be behind when the General’s dream comes true.
1. William Booth, In Darkest England and The Way Out (Atlanta: The Salvation Army, 1984), 99-100.
2. Ibid., 102, 113.
3. Ibid., 115.
4. Ibid., 114.
5. Ibid., 100.
6. Ibid., 136-137, 140.
7. Ibid., 136-137.
8. Ibid., 101.
9. Ibid., 153-154.
10. Ibid., 101.
11. Ibid., 178.
12. Ibid., 181,183.
13. Ibid., 196-197.
14. Ibid., 198.
15. Ibid., 202-203.
16. Ibid., 229.
17. Ibid., 245.
18. Ibid., 249.
19. Ibid., 250-251.
20. Ibid., 293.
21. Cyril Barnes, God’s Army (Illinois: David Cook Publishing Co., 1978), 73.
22. William Booth, quoted in Helen K. Hosier, William and Catherine Booth : Founders of The Salvation Army (Uhrichsville: Barbour Publishing, 1982), 201.
23. Dr. Wilbur Chapman, quoted in Helen K. Hosier, William and Catherine Booth : Founders of The Salvation Army, 202.
Art by Ramona Stevens
For this piece of art I was inspired by two which can be found at the following: http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bilerico.com/2010/11/salvation-army.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.bilerico.com/2010/11/why_you_shouldnt_give_to_the_salvation_army.php&h=527&w=570&sz=100&tbnid=wIG5BYs4Er7hAM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=95&zoom=1&usg=__BXWDnakeIMjMSfudas_ehusSI4o=&docid=O1oI7H3bMYt-5M&sa=X&ei=zPhtUZCjKqvOigKik4H4Aw&ved=0CFsQ9QEwDQ&dur=576 and
Barnes, Cyril. God’s Army. Illinois: David Cook Publishing Co., 1978.
Booth, William. In Darkest England and The Way Out. Atlanta: The Salvation Army, 1984.
Hosier, Helen K. William and Catherine Booth : Founders of The Salvation Army.
Uhrichsville: Barbour Publishing, 1982.
Liardon, Roberts. Hell No! : The Birth of a Mighty Army. Roberts Liardon Ministries.


- since Apr. 2020: Assistant researcher at the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), German Aerospace Center (DLR)
- 2018 - 2020: Guest lecturer at Augsburg University. Course: "Applied Geodata Analysis and Machine learning in R".
- since Apr. 2017: PhD Student at the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), German Aerospace Center (DLR), funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU)
- Oct. 2014 - Feb. 2017: Master Geoinformatics (M.Sc.) at University Augsburg, Germany.
- Oct. 2010 - Jul. 2014: Bachelor Geography (B.Sc.) at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Germany.
- Weigand, M., J. Staab, M. Wurm, and H. Taubenböck, "LandcoverDE" - Data Publication, 2020, https://doi.org/10.15489/1ccmlap3mn39.
- Weigand, M., J. Staab, M. Wurm, and H. Taubenböck, "Spatial and semantic effects of LUCAS samples on fully automated land use/land cover classification in high-resolution Sentinel-2 data," International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, vol. 88, p. 102065, Jun. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2020.102065.
- Weigand, M., M. Wurm, S. Dech, and H. Taubenböck, "Remote Sensing in Environmental Justice Research – a Review," ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, vol. 8, no. 20, p. 28, 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi8010020.


I am President and CEO of JTA Wellness as well as a mother of 4 children and 3 stepchildren, a grandmother ‘JJ’ to 17 grandchildren, wife to a man that I adore sharing life with, and daughter to my very active but aging mom who continues to serve as my mentor and friend.
In addition to leading my fast-paced personal life, I have the pleasure of working with an amazing team of nutrition experts at JTA Wellness, a highly respected private practice nutrition clinic in San Antonio with a new branch in Austin. I hold a Masters degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of diverse experiences in the food and nutrition industry. As I continued to grow and develop as a dietitian, I was looking to do something in dietetics where I could have real impact.
I began JTA thirteen years ago out of my desire to create a science-based practice offering hope and health to give clients a practical solution to manage chronic health issues.
During my career, I have been surrounded by incredible people who have helped propel me to the next level as a dietitian. I have had the privilege to become known as a national leader in nutrition counseling, wellness and chronic disease management. I have been recognized by many organizations including being awarded the Texas Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics State Media Award highlighting an individual who has made a positive impact on the promotion of nutrition through the media. In 2014, I was delighted to be chosen for the National Association of Women Business Owners Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. I’ve been featured on multiple television and radio shows, and have been interviewed in SA Woman, Women’s Day and Fortune Magazine.
Much of my career has been in culinary so I always say I am a foodie first and a dietitian second! I have written numerous cookbooks and created hundreds of nutritious recipes that are available on my website at www.lifebyjan.com.My best-selling cookbook, Healthy Meals for Hurried Families, is a collection of delicious family-favorite recipes that have been featured numerous times in print and other media.
In my first book, Getting Your Second Wind, I openly share my life story in hopes it will bring encouragement and healing to readers giving them a fresh start toward creating a positive attitude and balanced lifestyle. My latest book, Eat Well to Be Well was born out of my passion to encourage readers to take personal responsibility for their own health by giving them the tools needed to live their best life through the power of anti-inflammatory food. It walks readers through how to eat, move, sleep and manage stress to decrease inflammation and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
The center of the book contains delicious anti-inflammatory recipes I have tweaked to perfection and photographed creating a beautiful, practical handbook to wellness.
So you must be wondering why I’m taking this next step in my life! I have become aware in my own second half of life that health and wellness can be harder to find as we age. While the additional aches and pains that come with age can be disruptive, I believe that good health is the greatest gift we can give ourselves! My experience so far in my second half of life has been incredible. It takes work and determination to make the most of your life experience. As a clinician, I see patients who have taken charge of their life and worked to make it the best it can be, and then I’ve see those who have not found their motivation for making healthy changes. It is easy to see from these two groups who is going to age well and truly have the health to enjoy their second half.
This blog and new website
contain valuable, life-changing information that can help you live your very best life – right now! I am excited to bring all that I’ve learned and experienced to help restore your zest for life.
I will be presenting weekly video blogs to speak to topics that are relevant in my life and hopefully in yours. There will be a variety of formats to include cooking demos, interviews with experts on current wellness topics, or quick inspirations on how to effectively deal with pressing life issues. In addition to the weekly video blog, I will offer private counseling, webinars, and virtual classes on chronic health issues.
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I know your time is precious so my goal is to make our brief time together fun, informative and useful. Be sure to sign up at www.lifebyjan.com to receive these weekly blogs. Most of us have family and friends who could use encouragement to pursue health.
I encourage you to share these with everyone you think could benefit from this reliable, powerful information!


SculpSure is a non-invasive body contouring system for the reduction of stubborn fat in areas, such as the abdomen and love handles.
The 25 minute procedure destroys 24%1 of treated fat cells without surgery. SculpSure is ideal for people with trouble spots, particularly those that seem resistant to diet and exercise.
How does SculpSure work?
What should I expect during the 25 minute treatment?
When will I see results?
How long will the results last?
How much does it cost?
*2 treatments 6 weeks apart
1 area: $2,000
2 areas: $3,000
3 areas: $4,000
Individual results may vary and are not guaranteed. SculpSure is intended for non-invasive fat reduction for the ankles and abdomen. SculpSure is not a weight loss solution for people who are obese.
1 Average reduction in fat volume following single treatment as measured by MRI; Clinical and Histological Evaluations of a 1060nm Laser Device for Non-Invasive Fat Reduction, John W. Decorato, M.D., FACS. Rafael Sierra, Ph.D., Bo Chen, Ph.D., Westford, MA, 2014.
2 Katz B, Doherty S. A multicenter study of the safety and e cacy of a non-invasive 1060 nm diode laser for fat reduction of the anks. Paper presented at: 2015 Annual American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Conference; April 22-26; Kissimmee, FL.
3 Average patient discomfort rating of 3.7 on a scale of 1-10; Bass L, Doherty S. Non-Invasive Fat Reduction Of The Abdomen With A 1060nm Diode Laser. Paper presented at: 2015 Annual American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Conference; April 22-26; Kissimmee, FL.


Reading and Phonics
At St George’s we want all children to enjoy reading, be fluent and competent and to have read widely so that they have a growing understanding of the world. The overarching aim of the National Curriculum is to support children in developing a love of reading and we believe that as adults we must read children’s literature so we can become the experts who will open every child’s door to being a reader.
At St George’s we take a whole class and group approach to the teaching of phonics. We follow the Letters and Sounds scheme, through this structured approach we ensure that all children are supported. There are 5 sessions taught per week in KS1. Any children requiring additional phonic support in KS2 will be given an appropriate phonics intervention – such as Nessy, Rapid Phonics, Rapid Reading, Precision Teaching. Close monitoring and evaluation will ensure these children make progress.
The school's main reading schemes are Oxford Reading Tree and Project X. We also use a range of phonetically decodable texts to support the early stages of reading. Once pupils are confident, we encourage teachers to use a wider variety of quality texts to support the teaching of reading skills.
Children are taught reading skills in both whole class and small groups, they are introduced to a wide range of texts covering a variety of different genres to engage and enhance reading skills. Children are formally assessed 3 times a year and regular meetings are held to monitor children’s attainment and progress. Any children falling behind are targeted with appropriate interventions and monitored accordingly. For our higher ability children we use Just Imagine’s Reading Gladiators™ - a book club designed to challenge and motivate readers who are reading, or have the potential to read, at greater depth in the year 2, year 4 and year 6. We also use Accelerated Reader in KS2 to further support our reading skills, children complete a star reader test every half term to receive a book level that is appropriate to their level of understanding. Children are then encouraged to be regular users of our school library, we are very fortunate to have our own librarian who is continually developing our wide selection of texts. As well as use of the library, children in KS1 have access to a wealth of books on Bug Club. Children in KS2 are encouraged to use the Junior Librarian Reading Cloud to review and recommend books to each other.
Reading is encouraged across the curriculum and children are able to research topics through books and online.
Good reading habits are rewarded at St George’s. To motivate the children to read at home we have Read to Succeed (KS1) and Reading Karate (KS2) – the aim of which is to encourage daily reading and increase their reading miles. It is the expectation that parents or older siblings read with their children or talk about the books they are reading and sign their Read to Succeed or Reading Karate daily. Successes are celebrated weekly in Collective Worship.


His wife, author Elizabeth Cox, confirmed his death and said he had kidney failure, pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus, among other ailments.
During a 57-year career at the Atlantic, Mr. Curtis was renowned by colleagues and the literary world writ large for spotting and nurturing talent, often corresponding with writers he turned down multiple times before finally saying yes — a narrative arc of rejection to acceptance sometimes spanning two decades.
“We’d rather invest the effort, even at the risk of wasting time with bad work, to find the improbable, utterly unexpected story by a writer we’ve never heard of,” Mr. Curtis said in a 2005 interview published in an all-fiction issue of the Atlantic.
Among the hundreds of submissions Mr. Curtis received every week, he found Oates, Beattie and Erdrich and many more writers who went on to long careers: Bobbie Ann Mason, Ethan Canin, James Alan McPherson, Michael Cunningham, Raymond Carver and Tobias Wolff.
Mr. Curtis was partial to work submitted directly from writers, not agents or publishers. “We prefer unagented work,” he said at a 2016 writers conference in North Carolina, according to the Salisbury Post. “We like to feel we discovered somebody.”
In 2005, Mr. Curtis discovered Lauren Groff, saying yes to her story “L. DeBard and Aliette.”
“I was in my first semester in graduate school,” she recalled in the Atlantic in 2020. “… In the years since I’d graduated from college, I’d been a bartender and administrative assistant and had worked my brain and fingers raw, trying and mostly failing to write well on my own.”
Groff’s story was selected for the annual “Best American Short Stories” anthology. Her career took off.
“My agent contacted me after he read it and we fell into our long and affectionate relationship; not long afterward, he sold my first novel,” she said. “My entire life as a writer unfolded from that moment of acceptance from C. Michael Curtis and the Atlantic, and the sheer luck of that snip in time feels holy to me.”
Mr. Curtis prized one quality among all others in writing: action.
“I want something to happen,” he recalled in the 2005 interview. “I prefer a story that concerns itself with events and their consequences in the lives of principal characters. I’m not partial to what you might call a sketch or a glimpse. I also read every story looking for distinctive dialogue, strong mechanics and skillful use of figurative language — things that create a sense of artfulness rather than just a plodding working-through of plot.”
Though the New Yorker, the Atlantic’s chief competitor in fiction, published many of the same writers — Beattie’s work emerged there around the same time in the early 1970s — Mr. Curtis thought the Atlantic’s short stories were more focused on “a sense of story,” he told the Missouri Review in 1984.
“I think the New Yorker is much more willing than we are to publish what I would call a sketch, or a portrait, or simply a reflective memoir,” he continued. “… We really do like a well-organized, focused, organic narrative. And we will rarely want to publish what we acknowledge is a very fine or elegant piece of writing just because it’s nicely written.”
Christopher Michael Curtis was born in New York on May 7, 1934. His father was Ely Kahn, a prominent Manhattan architect, and his mother, Dorothy Curtis, was an assistant with whom he was having an affair, Mr. Curtis’s wife said. He was 4 when his mother sent him to foster homes and boarding schools while she attended medical school, and he would return home to New York during the summers.
He went to high school in Magnolia, Ark. After graduating, he worked as a fry cook at a local restaurant. He had no plans to attend college.
“But I read an article in Reader’s Digest about the Cornell School of Hotel Management, where you didn’t have to take regular courses,” he told the Boston Globe. “I actually went up to Ithaca to see if I could talk my way into the school. A dean there suggested I take some high school courses at Ithaca High, which I did, and the hotel school eventually admitted me.”
One night during his sophomore year, he attended a party and spotted a collection of Franz Kafka’s short stories on a bookshelf.
“I opened one, and I began to read it and was so taken with it, I sat down on the floor with my back to the wall while the party sort of swirled around me and kept on reading,” Mr. Curtis recalled to the Hartford Courant. He changed his major to English, began working for campus literary publications and briefly became roommates with Thomas Pynchon, the reclusive author of “The Crying of Lot 49” and “Gravity’s Rainbow.”
After graduating in 1956, Mr. Curtis worked as a reporter at the Ithaca Journal and Newsweek but decided to pursue a doctorate in political science at Cornell while writing poetry in his spare time. In 1961, Peter Davison, the Atlantic’s poetry editor, visited campus for a reading. Mr. Curtis gave him some poems to read. Davison offered him a summer job that turned into a permanent position in 1963. The doctorate was never completed.
Mr. Curtis’s connection to the magazine began winding down in 2005 when the magazine ceased regular publication of fiction, opting to publish special fiction issues instead. A year later, when the magazine moved from Boston to Washington, Mr. Curtis and his wife relocated to South Carolina, where they taught at Wofford College.
A previous marriage, to Jean Getchell, ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife of 29 years; two children from his first marriage, Hilary Curtis Osmer of Ayer, Mass., and Hans Curtis of Acton, Mass.; two stepchildren, Elizabeth Morrow of Windsor, Colo., and Michael Cox of Denver; two brothers; and five grandchildren. A son from his first marriage, Christopher Curtis, died in 2013.
Mr. Curtis, who also wrote short stories of his own, fully retired from the Atlantic in 2020. After his death, the magazine published a remembrance of him, including reflections by several of his writers.
“He was such an astute reader, and, in his interactions with writers, a listener,” Beattie said. “Watchful. Helpful and kind. He just assumed that reading and writing were important, essential pursuits, and that it was his role to encourage things along, spreading the good word. In many senses, he was a true believer.”


I have been working extensively with Sami Viitamäki on a new book we are writing: Cloud Company: Redesigning Strategy, Management, and Communications for the Digital Age (working title).
We are glad to inform you that a free e-book outlining some of the key concepts regarding our upcoming book is now available for download.
The central argument of Cloud Company is that social technologies and distributed practices – utilized on the fields of strategy formation and leadership, work and management, as well as external communications and interactions – can make an organization infinitely more agile, intelligent, and responsive. Their usage thus enables an organization to anticipate, lead, and exploit changes in the environment, instead of being thrown at their mercy.
Furthermore, the book sets out a practical framework for redesigning these essential functions of an organization to meet today’s needs.