Pat Austin, University of New Orleans professor emerita and decades-long curator of the UNO Children’s and Young Adult Library, is celebrating the release of her memoir about teaching, “Tales of a Teaching Life.” The book launch will be held on Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Earl K. Long Library, Room 407, at 5 p.m.
The event is co-sponsored by Friends of the University of New Orleans Library and The School of Education at UNO.
Austin’s career as a primary school teacher was followed by a move to higher education, including a stint at Tulane and 26 years as professor of children’s literature at UNO.
After four decades of teaching and teaching how to teach, Austin once again shares her wisdom, this time in “Tales of a Teaching Life: Vignettes in Verse,” a curation of poetry about her singular career as an educator.
What’s the day-to-day, decade-to-decade life of a teacher like? “Tales from a Teaching Life: Vignettes in Verse” invites readers along on a chronological journey through elementary and university classrooms. Austin captures various modes, moods and moments of teaching, from a stumbling entry into the profession to an unexpected dive into the brave new world of online instruction. These poems testify to the strength and profound impact of teachers everywhere.
The collection comes three years after the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, in partnership with State Library of Louisiana’s Center for the Book, selected Austin for their Light Up for Literacy award, which honors individuals who have gone to exceptional efforts to promote literacy in the state of Louisiana.
Austin did so not only via direct instruction in the classroom for 16 years but, further, by preparing future educators for careers of inspiring young readers, in her capacity as professor of children’s literature.
As the curator for the Children’s Literature Collection at UNO for 20 years, Austin worked to ensure that reading material was well-archived, accessible and researchable.
“Tales of a Teaching Life,” is set for release Nov. 19.
