Trigger Warning
William J. Burghardt is the author of two produced plays, “Just Before the Snow Melts” and “Shadow Stock”. A former journalist and theater critic, his articles and reviews have appeared in several Chicago-area publications, including The Chicago Tribune, and he is a winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Outstanding Journalism, an honor bestowed annually by Chicago Headline Club to candidates in the seven-county Chicago area. He is an actor and director, former radio host, and recently completed a 15-year career as a high school teacher, a second career he began at the age of 45. William has completed his new book “When Mongrel Dogs Teach”: a memorable glance into the mind of one man.
Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, William J. Burghardt’s well-rounded and sensitive book highlights the author’s most memorable experiences, peppered with insight into the detail and care espoused by the best educators.
What happens when a 45-year-old Baby Boomer goes back to teach high school and finds the students are more in touch with reality then his colleagues and supervisors?
“When Mongrel Dogs Teach” features a narrator reflecting on certain real-life and imagined experiences guiding young people to better understand the world around them and their potential role in it. Set inside a near 15-year period (1998-2013), the novel is not just an indictment of the current educational system, but focuses on the evaluation of teachers by people ill-equipped to evaluate anyone; at the same time, it is a book bursting with ideas about life, roads taken and not taken, the magic of maps, overcoming anxiety and panic attacks brought on by incessant “observations”, why women were doomed by the church’s attacks on Mary Magdalene, mysteries lingering regarding the JFK assassination, fighting a movement to “kill” Huckleberry Finn, and an educational environment in need of drastic changes. The narrator is also guided by the input of three ghosts from his past.
Readers who wish to experience this powerful work can purchase “When Mongrel Dogs Teach” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play or Barnes and Noble.