Publisher's Synopsis
By the Tolsia Highway, a collection of high-school writing, is just what you would expect if you spend any time listening to teenagers-surprising, thought-provoking, amusing, heartfelt, imaginative, and just plain fun to read. But a look at the publication date, spring of 2021, tells what an achievement this represents.The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted education in the United States, from kindergarten through college. Classes were cancelled, restructured, or moved online; extracurricular programs were put on hold, and the day-to-day opportunity to cooperate and socialize was lost. With teaching and learning plunged into disarray, anything above or beyond the barest basics was quite a challenge.The students of Tolsia High School, and one teacher who believed in them, accepted the challenge, and By the Tolsia Highway is the result. THS serves the southern third of Wayne County, West Virginia, a land of small-scale farms, tiny clusters of homes, and nature. These creative works reflect both the unique time and the special place that produced them, and also the concerns of everyone who's ever been a teenager. They are a welcome affirmation of the vibrancy, creativity, and resiliency of our communities.
