(Hedy Weiss’s article appeared in the Chicago Sun-Time, 8/1.)
Maybe it is the class about “The Great Gatsby,” in which a super-smart boy whose first language is Spanish painfully struggles to answer questions in English and breaks down in frustration. Or maybe it is the math test that left my palms sweating exactly as such tests invariably did throughout high school. But then there is that enigmatic solo dancer in the stairwell. And the girls’ basketball team joyfully practicing its moves in a locker room. And the scene about a great romantic’s prom invitation. And the dart-playing session with the subtly manipulative Army recruitment officer. And the fearsome hall guards. And the otherworldly library complete with a purple velvet armchair.