[The Stage is on Fire] is a page-turner in which, much like life, there are no easy answers and yet each step of the journey yields insight and hope. This work of heart must not be missed!
Melanie Faith
Creative Writing Teacher, Essayist & Poet.
Katie Steedly’s first-person piece [The Unspeakable Gift] is a riveting retelling of her participation in a National Institutes of Health study that aided her quest to come to grips with her life of living with a rare genetic disorder. Her writing is superb.
The Society of Professional Journalists
In recognition of receiving the Dateline Award for the Washingtonian Magazine essay, The Unspeakable Gift.
I thank you … It is the authenticity of your “class notes”; and it is the delicacy and skill with which you present the nuances of classroom life and the actuality of your students’ and fellow teachers’ lives.
Maxine Greene
Philosopher and Education Scholar
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Ireland: Day Two — Dublin
Day Two began after a short night filled with jet lag and watching the Democratic National Convention on CNN far too late into the night. We woke up and had to pack and check out of the Merrion. All of our stuff had been neatly arrangedfor us — toiletries gently placed on small towels on perfect bathroom shelves, charger cords carefully wrapped in small velcro bands, suitcases conveniently situated on just-right stands — by hotel staff the afternoon before, so it was a fast process to get ready and go and head downstairs for tea.
Art Tea at The Merrion
Our first stop of the day was Art Tea at the Merrion. The experience was simply perfect. It started with a glass of champagne and progressed through two courses of treats and teas. Surrounded by art in Drawing Rooms fit for royalty, delicate finger sandwiches rejected simple definitions. Egg salad. Cucumber. Salmon. Chicken. Sweet and savory scones and pastries rested on tiered stands, allowing us to see and choose every bite with intention. The second course was pastries designed to represent art from the hotel’s collection. I am not exaggerating to say I was being walked slowly through an exhibit of decadent tastes through the entire two-hour experience.
The Spencer
Following tea, we traveled to The Spencer, the hotel we will call home for three nights. We arrived, and two shots of Bushmills Whiskey welcomed us to our room. The Spencer has a modern feel and happened to be the headquarters of the Georgia Tech Alumni group in Dublin.
Amy Austin
Amy Austin is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in the heart of Dublin, nestled in a parking garage in the Southwest part of the City Center. There are probably 20 to 25 seats in the restaurant. We shared a bottle of Spanish Vinho Verde, Prawn Agua Chile, Scallop Crudo, Iberico Pork Cheek, and Chili Garlic Cabbage — a delicious twist on traditional Spanish cuisine.
The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
After dinner, we experienced the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Dublin’s literary history was told in this four-stop, actor-guided narration of Dublin’s literary history. We visited The Duke, Oneill’s, and the Old Stand. I knew it was going to be a fun crawl when, at the first stop, the actors were performing a scene from Beckett’s Waiting for Godot with their backs turned to us (just because of the way the crowd happened to be arranged in the pub), and “waiting” was still funny.
Our night ended at the infamous Toner’s Pub.
About Katie
From Louisville. Live in Atlanta. Curious by nature. Researcher by education. Writer by practice. Grateful heart by desire.
Buy the Book!
The Stage Is On Fire, a memoir about hope and change, reasons for voyaging, and dreams burning down can be purchased on Amazon.
