Terribly Strange and Wonderfully Real

Book excerpt: 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.