A Coffee Maven Literary Interlude
Having enjoyed Matt Haig's Midnight Library, which we had read together, librarian Pam has been reading his How to Stop Time, which she describes as light science fiction. A few days ago, she said she needed to read the following passage to me. She was, of course, correct.
'I understand you've done a lot of great things here,' I say, trying to get the conversation back on track.
'I try. We all try. It's sometimes a losing battle, though. That's my only concern about your application. Your references are amazing. And I've had them all checked ...'
I feel relieved. Not that she has checked for references, but that there had been someone who had picked up the phone, or emailed back.
'... but this isn't a rural comprehensive in Suffolk. This is London. This is Tower Hamlets.'
'Kids are kids.'
'And they're great kids. But this is a different area. They don't have the same privileges. My concern is that you've lived a rather sheltered life.'
'You might be surprised.'
'And many students here struggle hard enough with the present, let alone with history. They just care about the world around them. Getting them engaged is the key. How would you make history come alive?'
There is no easier question in the world. 'History isn't something you need to bring to life. History already is alive. We are history. History isn't politicians or kings and queens. History is everyone. it is everything. It's that coffee. You could explain much of the whole history of capitalism and empire and slavery just by talking about coffee. The amount of blood and misery that has taken place for us to sit here and sip coffee out of paper cups is incredible.'
'You've put me right off my drink.'
