Feb 12 2007
Writing Inspiration from Teacher Man
Frank McCourt almost got fired on the first day of his teaching career for eating the sandwich of a high school boy during class. The owner of the sandwich threw the sandwich at a classmate who criticized the hapless sandwich. Amidst shouts of “Fight, fight,” by a classroom of American teen-agers, Frank pondered on what he ought to do.
Professors of education at NYU never lectured on how to handle flying-sandwich situations.
So what did he do? He picked up the sandwich from the floor, removed its wrapping, and ate it. Yes, Mr. Frank McCourt ate the sandwich, in full view of his students, two pieces of thick homemade Italian bread, baloney and all. Unfortunately, the principal happened to pass by and caught him and he almost got fired.
Such are the stories of the third installment of the memoirs of Frank McCourt, the poor boy from Ireland, self-confessed failure and fraud. His first book, Angela’s Ashes, about his miserable poverty-ridden childhood in Ireland and about his alcoholic father who abandoned them and his poor mother who had to beg so they could have coal to protect them from the cold balmy Irish weather, became a best seller. His second book ‘Tis is about his life in America. And now, in Teacher Man, Frank McCourt tells of his thirty years of teaching English in the public schools of New York City.
Instead of teaching. I told stories.
Anything to keep them quiet and in their seats.
So he told them about how he arrived in America when he was nineteen.
Except for the book in the suitcase, everything I wore or carried off the ship was secondhand.
He told them about how he slept through four years as a working student at the New York University and then eventually got his license to teach.
I scraped through the teacher’s license examination. I scraped through everything. Passing score on the teacher examination was sixty-five; mine was sixty-nine.
And the students ate it all up. They kept asking for more.
Hey teacher man, you got any more stories?
So he told them…
All I did from the day I arrived in New York to this day… was to meander from one thing to another: emigrate, work at dead-end jobs, drink in Germany and New York, chase women, sleep through four years at NYU, drift from one teaching job to another, marry and wish I was single, have another drink, hit a cul-de-sac in teaching, sail for Ireland with the hope that life would behave itself.
And to us the readers, he told us how he brought 28 black rowdy teen-aged girls who talked about nothing but sex to the movies at Times Square; about how during warm spring days, “each class is a vista of breasts and biceps“; how on his demo class, he made his students write a suicide note; how he made one class read recipes out of a cookbook while other students sang, played the flute, the oboe, and the bongos.
He remembered their names… Ray Brown, Sal Battaglia, Kevin Dunne, Serena…
He talked about his classes and his students,
You think of the day ahead: five classes, up to 177 American adolescents; moody, hungry, in love, anxious, horny, energetic, challenging.
And then he would say,
Where did I get the nerve to think I could handle American teenagers? Ignorance.
And for all that, he would think he was a fraud… for telling stories instead of teaching.
A failed everything. I looked for my place in the world.
I love this book. I love his stories, so detailed, romping, sincere. He gives us into the peek of this specie called the American teen-ager and what he thinks of them.
There’s so much teen unhappiness they form gangs and fight other gangs, not rumbles like the ones you see in movies with star-crossed romances and dramatic music in the background, but mean fights where they grunt and curse one another, where Italians, Blacks, Irish, Puerto Ricans attack with knives, chains, baseball bats in Central Park and Prospect Park and stain the grass with their blood, which is always red no matter where it came from.
I like reading books that inspire me to write. And they inspire me to write because they use language so simple I could have written them myself. They use topics commonplace enough I feel that even my own boring life could be turned into a book. I don’t like books which use long poetic words. They discourage me from writing because I think I would never be able to like that. As Mr. McCourt’s students would say,
Why did Shakespeare have to write in that old language nobody could understand?
And I don’t like books which deal with deep sublime topics. I can’t relate. I’m not an adventurer, an alien, an astronaut, an abused child, nor a detective.
And that’s why I like Teacher Man and Frank McCourt. As he said about one of the books he read, the autobiography of Sean O’Casey, I like McCourt because of “the natural way he writes.” And so I like reading and writing about him. As he said about Oliver St. John Gogarty, about whom he wrote a thesis,
If I read him and wrote about him, some of his charm, talent and learning would surely rub off on me. I might develop some of his dash and flair, his flamboyant air.
But me? What would I write about? Sure, like Frank McCourt, I taught high school students too… for a year at this all-girls Catholic school. I could talk about how on the first month, I fought with four nuns, and my soul was cursed to eternal damnation. But who would want to read about that? As the Creative Writing students of Frank McCourt told him,
Mr. McCourt, you’re lucky. You had that miserable childhood so you have something to write about. What are we gonna write about? All we do is get born, go to school, go on vacation, go to college, fall in love or something, graduate and go into some kind of profession, get married, have the two point three kids you’re always talking about, send the kids to school, get divorced like fifty percent of the population, get fat, get the first heart attack, retire, die.
And he replied,
You know the ingredients of the McCourt life. You have your ingredients, too, what you’ll use if you write about your life. List your ingredients in your notebook.
And what are my ingredients? Filipino, middle class, Kamuning, Matabungkay, St. Joseph, Maryknoll, piano lessons, Mrs. Segundo (my old piano teacher), swimming lessons, big brothers and sisters, Marcos, People Power, the Socratic method, Glorietta and Greenbelt, courting during cadetship, Phnom Penh…
What about you? what are the ingredients of your life?
Frank McCourt writes about the last day of his thirty years of teaching,
The bell rings and they sprinkle me with confetti. I am told to have a good life. I wish them the same. I walk, color speckled, along the hallway.
Someone calls, Hey, Mr. McCourt, you should write a book.
After that comes the last chapter, only two words,
I’ll try.
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Fought with four nun?! Hey, I’ll read that.
Anyway, sounds like you’re itching to write a book. 
Hmmm, wanna know a secret? I’ve always dreamt of becoming a writer. Heck, I even went as far as imagining myself as an author. But is clueless on how and what the book is going to be about. So I guess my blog is the nearest thing to achieving that stupid dream…
wwI was just thinking while reading your blog if I have seen the movie “Angelas ashes” maybe about 2 years ago. I remeber the name Frank McCourt. A lot of us can identify with Mr. McCourt’s writings. You got me curious about the guy now. One of the perks I enjoy working for a book and film repository is the easy acces to BOOKS! a whole lot of books and films, DVD’s CD’s. I will now end my comment of your blog and look for Mr. Frank McCourt’s books and writings. Thank you for sharing.
I would be the first to get a copy of your book! I think you write simply but unforgettably. Me, I am hoping to get this little vampire slayer story I’ve been trying to finish all these years. So far I have 5 chapters. Ngek!
Wil, yes those nuns stepped right out of the medieval ages.
Snglguy,
From the Prologue of Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Noypetes, what an amazing job. I would love to have access to all books and videos. Good books and videos are hard to come by here. Yes, read Teacher Man. I think you’ll like McCourt… pareho kayong may pagka sira ulo.
Pinayhekmi, thanks. That means a lot to me. Wow, five chapters already?! Amazing! I only have sketches here and there. We really should have a writing support-group… all of us wanna-be-writers bloggers. I think there’s plenty of us.
YOu know many years ago, when the PC wasn’t what it is today, there was a program that sold in the PC magazines that allowed you to write a book about yourself. I could recall the name but was something like Story of My Life. What the program did was to ask you a litany of questions starting from your childhood and you can stop whenever you want. What the program did in the end was compile your answers, embellish and convert it into a book ! I never had the chance to look at it but I thought the concept was real cool
don’t sit in the mud staring at the stars. Just write the d–n book!!
And why is your left margin off-screen?
and to think I consider Central Park to be this beautiful place na may factor na “let me tell you ’bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees and the moon up above, and the thing called love”…yun pala may nagpapatayan doon hehehehehe
When it comes to Shakespearian novels/writings, I agree with Frank (o ha first name basis..leveling hehe) I never comprehend that kind of writing…ang lalalim. What’s the point of writing if you can’t connect with your readers, right? Kaya mabuhay ka Toe dahil hindi ka ala-Shakespeare sumulat hrhrhrhr
Btw notice mo…seryoso comment ni Noypetes? Si Frank lang pala katapat hihihihihihi
I have his memoir – Angela’s Ashes. Very moving. That’s usually the effect of personal accounts. I just love his books. Thanks for sharing.
**Another must-be. The problem is when to read?
*Toe, di ko ma-view left margin or is it just my old pc.
I read both Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis – they were really depressing but also triumphant as Frank McCourt persevered to better his life in America. Teacher Man seems interesting, I would look out for it.
As for the ingredients of my life well they are really far too many to mention.
I like to think it has a little bit of everything that makes me human. Some tinge of sadness coupled with utter bliss. Throw in some spicy tidbits as well as dark secrets which I rather not reveal to anyone.
BW, that sounds like a really cool program. A story of one’s life is a great gift for the next generation.
Koyang, what left margin? There’s nothing on my left margin… hmmmm…. I do write… at least an hour on week nights and two hours on weekends… that’s on top of blogging. Can’t do that anymore when we go back to Manila.
Verns, when I was in New York when I was 19 years old, there was this thing that often happens in Central Park. They called it “wilding.” Gangs would gang rape a girl they find in the park for fun. But I think it’s safer there now when Guiliani became mayor. Oo nga… hehe… baka nasapian si Noypetes.
Yeah… I never like Shakespeare… except for this movie “Much Ado About Nothing.” Love that movie. 
Ipanema, my brother is having the same problem. I don’t know what it’s about though.
Yeah, I read Angela’s Ashes too… nakakaiyak sobra. He’s really a great read yet you know he’s sincere. I usually read myself to sleep at night.
Daphne, I haven’t read ‘Tis. Is it good? Teacher Man is much lighter than Angela’s Ashes. Ooooh… would I love your secret diary about your spicy tidbits!
Toe at saka Verns: kayo ha pinag-uusapan niyo ang pagka-serious ko ha! Ari mo gid ay….May serious side din naman ako ah!…Panoorin niyo rin yung pelikulang “Angelas Ashes” na nasa DVD na, maganda kasi may “bomba” scene din. Sa totoo lang, masarap mag-basa ng libro kasi lumilipad ang isip mo sa istorya, minsan umi-iyak ka, minsan naman humahagikgik ka na parang sint-sinto.
ayan tuloy nakalimutan ko na i=lista yung ingredients ng layf-istori ko! O eto na: 1) ASIN-dahil asin-asin ako parati nuong bata pa ako(walang pera) 2)PAMINTA- Para sa mga hapdi ng sugat sa buhay ko 3)SIBUYAS- Episode ng buhay ko ng mag-ka gerlpren akong Bumbay 4)BAWANG-Gamit ko na pang-alis ng anan at taghiyawat nuong binata na ako 5) KAMATIS- Ito ang nangyari nuong tinuli ako ng 8 years old na ako..”Na-ngamatis”. 6)PATIS-yun ang amoy ng paa ko katapos ng mag-hapong basketbolan sa mainit na semento sa mga kalsada ng Sampaloc. Kanin na lang ang kulang tsibugan na!
A very well written post indeed, Toe
you make me want to grab that Frank Mccourt book and read it. I’ve seen Angela’s ashes ’twas a very good film; but now (that is, if I’ve got time), I’ll read it
I’ll look this book up sa library
sounds interesting.
I read the blog about your dad. Beautiful blog entry.
Noypetes, ahahahaha… pinag-uusapan ka namin kc natutuwa kami sayo. Ibang klase kc humor mo e. Nakakashock tuloy pagka serious.
Ayan… yang ingredients ng layf-istori mo… dyan kami sanay! 
Haha! Bawang pang-alis ng anan at tighiyawat? Hindi ko alam yon ah! Mahilig ka pala sa mala-sibuyas na taga Bollywood. 
At alam ko yang amoy ng patis na yan. 
Pining, Frank McCourt is easy reading (I don’t like those deep sophisticated ones). And he can make you laugh and cry and at the same time gives you a lot of deep insights.
Thanks Senorito_ako!
Frank McCourt is indeed recommended reading. 
So you were a teacher din pala ha. I also like his style of writing. Read his first two books. I might check out Teacher Man too. I also can’t view the left margin and can’t see part of the comments that I’m writing right now. So let’s hope I typed the right words.
Sis is that my copy you read? The cover is with me but I can’t find the hard bound book….. And btw you should also read “Monk Swimming” written by Malachy, Frank’s brother. Malachy always thought the prayer went “Hail Mary, full of grace, the monk swimming….”
Mali pala, he thought- Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou, the monk swimming..
Gee, Niceheart. I have no idea why my left margin is like that.
It’s looks fine from my browser though. Hmmm… I may need to change themes again if this goes on. 
Yes, I know that you blogged about Angela’s Ashes. You also noticed it in a photo of mine of a bunch of books. 
Yes, I was a teacher… I lasted a year. I like teaching but the admin was so medieval so I hated it.
Sixter, yup! It’s your book all right.
Where’s my book review????!!!! What a waste reading all those books and not being able to share what you’ve read. Okay, lend to me Monk Swimming. That sounds funny. 
Magaling ka na? 
The man’s a good writer. His story-telling is engaging. I like his memoir “Angela’s Ashes.” I think I should get a copy of this book too. Thanks for mentioning it here.
Abaniko, yes I love the way he writes… so natural and riveting. I loved “Angela’s Ashes” too. Nakakaiyak.