Teacher Pens Collection Of Books About Resilient Teen Students

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A teacher, writer and Howard County resident has been penning stories based on the resilient teens he's taught in the classroom.

His debut collection of stories, "The Rest of the World," won the Washington Writers’ Publishing House 2020 prize for fiction and in late October. All eight stories in this collection are set in Baltimore.

"As our country grapples with who we are and the ideals we claim to aspire to, my book offers stories about resilient kids growing up in neighborhoods sabotaged by systemic inequities. These teen and young adult characters rescue loved ones, betray one another, seek redemption, plot hustles, reckon with moral ambiguities and struggle to find meaning in a city that owes them better," Adam Schwartz told Patch.

After more than two decades spent in the classroom, Schwartz said he's learned to view the world through the eyes of his students.

"Baltimore is hard on children. It’s a city that puts a lot of kids through a wringer — through grief and loss and trauma and all kinds of instabilities. These challenges force many children to navigate a minefield of choices. And, yet, many of the teenagers who come through my classroom are engaged learners who remain hopeful and determined and generous. You don’t have to be a writer to be moved by children in turmoil, but watching kids strive for better in the face of steep obstacles is inspiring," he said.

Schwartz's stories have won prizes sponsored by Poets & Writers, Philadelphia Stories and Baltimore City Paper and have appeared in Mississippi Review, December Magazine, Arkansas Review and elsewhere. His non-fiction pieces have appeared in the Sewanee Review, Baltimore Sun, New York Daily News and other publications.

"Winning the Washington Writers’ Publishing House award was a delightful surprise. Getting to this point has been a bit of a slog. The book had a couple close calls — it was a finalist in the Orison Book Contest; several agents liked the book but wanted a novel. Also, over the course of many years, the stories in the collection were published in literary magazines, but seeing them all assembled in one book and sitting on the shelf at Barnes and Noble has been exhilarating," Schwartz said.

When he isn't delving deep into his writing pieces, Schwartz truly enjoys spending time with his students.

"I’m grateful to have found a career that continues to feel meaningful and fulfilling. I have no illusions about saving the world, but the work is still rewarding most days. And of all the plates teachers are expected to keep in the air, getting to know students in my classroom is far and away the best part of the job," he said.