In her fourth book of nonfiction, Lessons from My Teachers, playwright and poet Sarah Ruhl (Smile) celebrates the wisdom she's gained from traditional and unlikely sources. In brief, luminous essays, Ruhl shares not only what she has learned from her teachers and mentors, but how they taught: by example, presence, and "the nimble strength of connection."
Ruhl begins with her mother and her early teachers, sharing kindergarten insights such as "snacks are good" and "story time is sacred." She highlights lessons from classroom instructors, friends, students, animals, and even her childhood bookstore. She also writes about her father's death when she was in college, and finding her way to mentors whose teachings continue to ring through her life. The lessons themselves are often specific to Ruhl's experience but carry universal themes: about kindness, curiosity, grief, asking big questions, listening deeply, and believing in oneself.
Although each essay contains a kernel of joy or insight, the collection's heart lies in Ruhl's evocation of her grandmother's secret to life: "to be always and forever interested, deeply interested in other people and the world." Like her grandmother, Ruhl harbors an ardent curiosity about humans and the world they inhabit. Lessons from My Teachers is a tender, thoughtful, humorous slice of the wisdom gained from years of teaching and being taught. Readers will appreciate Ruhl's generous sharing of her own epiphanies and be moved to reflect on what they've learned--and from whom. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams