Nicole Solis Snider

Posted this before I saw the Gatsby-related news item...

I am just about to wrap up my unit on The Great Gatsby, and boy, do I love teaching that book. I've read it at least 15 times, and every time I read it and every time I teach it, I find new insights. If you haven't read it since high school, pick up a copy. (And keep a dictionary handy.)

As if on cue, @davesnider.com just popped into my office and said, "TWO thesauruses?"

Also, I am actively using both my thesauruses and wishing I had some poor unfortunate soul ask me what the difference is between them so I could expound on the benefits of each. I am super fun at parties.

One of my favorite things to do as a teacher is write letters of recommendation for students who distinguished themselves in my class. I love helping other people see how awesome these people are. But HOO BOY, each one takes a looooong time to write.

YouTube video by Real Roots Radio Billy Strings, Paul Williams, Joe Mullins - "Little White Church" (Live at Real Roots Radio)

Paul Williams is such a hoss. Man can render a gospel song like no one else. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfrY...

Jimmy Martin - It Takes One (1985) #worldofbluegrass #legends #guitar

I know I don't *need* this need this, but I *have* been looking for a small-bodied guitar for my kids to learn on, and we do like baseball... www.sweetwater.com/store/detail...

Considering how disconnected people feel these days, I'd love to see this. Reminds me of the positive, "let's use the Internet to bring people together" ethos from about 15 years ago.

Things I did today instead of practicing mandolin: Created a flyer for the jam I host, repeatedly checked @weratedogs.com, avoided the news, made dinner for my kids. NOW I can practice.

YouTube video by Dave Snider Dean the dog loves Bluegrass

My dog Dean loves to sing along when I tune. Today, I tuned my 2nd A string to his howl, checked my tuner, and discovered he was only a cent or two off. Here he is singing along with a very rusty Ragtime Annie when he was about 5 months old (he's 13.5 now). www.youtube.com/watch?v=byqU...

Fun, fun @blackeyedsuzies.bsky.social gig tonight at Maryland Hall, as part of the outdoor BloomHaven series and road to the Baygrass festival. What a great venue and crowd. The MD Hall staff were so friendly and helpful.

Larry Sparks – Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass - The Bluegrass Situation The legendary Larry Sparks, a prominent player in bluegrass for over six decades and a Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee, joins host Tom Power for this episode of Toy Heart. Sparks shares insightful ane...

Thoroughly enjoyed this Toy Heart podcast with Larry Sparks, esp. his reminiscing about his time with the Stanley Bros./Ralph Stanley, his responsibility as a steward of bluegrass, and the importance of "visioning" a song and playing the words. thebluegrasssituation.com/read/larry-s...

Wish I could go!!!

Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass did a Sunday set at the CBA's Father's Day Festival, 20 years ago or so. Lineup was Danny, T.J. Lundy, Bobby Lundy on banjo, Michael Paisley on bass, and Donnie Eldreth on mando. Their "Sweeping Through the Gates'' was some of the hard-drivingest bluegrass ever.

Where did you work as an editor/writer? (I am a longtime bluegrasser, former editor/writer, current English teacher.)

As seen on today's run. Tell me, is my darling still true?

So jealous of my son's new socks.

Great time at Grey Fox! Fabulous sets by Compton & Newberry, Sierra Hull, The Wilder Flower, Danny Paisley (always), and Woody Platt.

Superman’s Other Secret Weakness? Journalism Ethics.

I love this headline while acknowledging its utter irrelevance to most people today. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/a...

Late to post, but the Suzies (@blackeyedsuzies.bsky.social) had a great time playing the Ligonier Bluegrass Festival last weekend. Well-run fest filled with interesting, fun, and friendly people. Plus, firefighters pancake breakfast!

Super fun show last night, playing the season opener at Rob's Bluegrass Barn in MD. Best place to see bluegrass in the state. www.robsbluegrassbarn.net

Rift Widens Between Elon Musk, Anyone Who Ever Met Him AUSTIN, TX—Stressing that the billionaire’s completely erratic behavior had strained the already fraught relationships, sources confirmed Thursday that a rift was widening between Elon Musk and anyone who had ever met him. “Elon’s megalomania and tendency to lash out indiscriminately seem to have soured things with every person he’s encountered in his entire life,” said […]

Rift Widens Between Elon Musk, Anyone Who Ever Met Him
theonion.com/rift-wi...

“Better Yet, Don’t Write That Novel” | Annals of Bad Writing My friend Ray — who writes an awesome blog about beer, writing, and other things of importance — sent me the link to Laura Miller’s anti-NaNoWriMo essay, “Better Yet, Don&#8…

Just spent the last 30 minutes updating my personal website and reading blog posts dating back to 2010 and my editing career. Here's my fave: nicolesnider.me/2010/11/21/b...

Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong? With diagnoses at a record high, some experts have begun to question our assumptions about the condition — and how to treat it.

All teachers, school staff, and anyone else who works with teenagers should read Paul Tough's new article about ADHD. Everything here tracks with my experience. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/m...

Q: Shouldn’t the Trump administration be dealing with the collapsing U.S. economy and the genocide in Gaza instead of this? A: Have fun in El Salvador.

What To Know About The TikTok Sale
theonion.com/what-to...

I'm curious about how you view his character. As a teen, I read Holden as a nonconformist. But as an adult (& high school English teacher), I am saddened by how broken he is by the untimely death of his younger brother and the utter lack of support or love he gets from his family (besides Phoebe).

Slow progress is still progress. Have been stuck on the 6th video of Christopher Henry's Monroe Improvising course (basically, week 2 of 12) since last July. (I've been working on other things, too.) Powered through it today, and got some good stuff out of it. #ilikebluegrass

Picked some bluegrass fiddle tunes on my guitar for the first time in forever. Forgot how much fun hearing that sustain is.

Pope Francis Makes Public Appearance in Rome From a balcony, Francis greeted hundreds of people waiting outside the hospital where he had been treated for respiratory problems.

I feel truly grateful, in these strange strange times, that Pope Francis is on the road to recovery. We need him and his goodness right now. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/23/w...