Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present

In a series of short, one- to three-page essays, award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl offers a guided memoir of her life, acknowledging the people and events that have shaped her personality and influenced her vision. First and foremost, she was blessed with a talented and encouraging family; however, she was also fortunate to meet mentors during her schooling who became trusted advisors and lifelong friends. She recounts her growth and development spurred not only by her elders but also by her students, her children, her cohorts, and especially by her Buddhist nanny. She describes the painstaking struggles that challenged her during her writing career and the steps she took to overcome these obstacles. The story of the principal who cried prompts the reader to pause and reflect on the helplessness of humanity, while it opens one’s view into the heart. Another incident examines death and her child’s insistence that while dolls and humans unfortunately age, the conclusion that dolls do not die brings some measure of reassurance. There are meetings with feminists, discussions about writing, and the challenges faced fighting an undiagnosed Lyme infection for more than a dozen years. It is a fascinating selection of sketches about the people and events that influenced the author. The stories will prompt the reader to reflect on parallel lessons from their teachers that have shaped their lives.