In 1967, she sang along with Paul McCartney, wondering what life would be like when she turned sixty-four. Now, at age seventy, Laurie Levy doesn't listen to that song anymore. After all, she's far from the old fogey described in the Beatles' lyrics. Following a lifetime of experience, she remains an educator, innovator, and advocate for a variety of causes.
But after seventy years of experience on this earth, she knows one thing for sure: The journey is terribly strange-and often far too real.
In Levy's debut collection of essays, you'll find a diverse and captivating selection of insights and personal experiences on everything from being a part of the baby boom generation to fighting for developmentally appropriate educational practices to advocating for children with special needs to coping with the loss of loved ones. Heartfelt and often humorous, these glimpses at a lifetime of experience incorporate issues we can all relate to-the process of growing older, learning to forgive, screwing up, and surviving all the same.
Terribly Strange and Wonderfully Real is a portrait of the educator and advocate as a woman, with a decidedly human touch that will appeal to readers regardless of gender or generation.
About the Author: Laurie Levy is a passionate advocate for diversity, community, and the rights of children with special needs. She has been an educator, school administrator, and community leader for over thirty years. Before embarking on her encore career as a writer, she founded and directed Warren W. Cherry Preschool in Evanston, Illinois. The innovative preschool uses developmentally appropriate practices that are inclusive of all children, creating an environment where children and families can truly thrive.
Levy is a prolific writer and blogger who shares her work through various outlets, including the Huffington Post, AlterNet, and ChicagoNow. On her Facebook page, Still Advocating, she reaches more than 1,700 followers. She has also been published in the Washington Post and the Forward and continues to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves through her advocacy work.
Currently, she lives in Evanston with Fred, her husband of forty-seven years.
