spike gillespie

I have known Spike Gillespie since we both worked as waitresses at Ella Guru's in Knoxville, TN. She was a much better waitress than I was.

She's a wonderful person, an amazing writer and a kick-ass mama. I am so furious on her behalf that she has been uninvited from leading a writing workshop for kids (something she does a lot) because some of the parents don't like either her politics or her more-adult writing (which was not, of course, going to be read to or discussed with the kids.)

This is a lot like the teachers who are getting in trouble all over the country for mentioning in class that they oppose the war in Iraq, and the others who have been censured for showing Michael Moore's movies in class (in the context of larger discussions on issues like political propaganda).