Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As a novelist, I’ve written seven books. (See my literary site for more on these: Lit4u.com.)
As an education reformer, I’ve written two books. “The Education Enigma” in 2010. And now “Saving K-12” (due Nov. 17). My goal in both books is to explain to the public why the schools are mediocre. I believe we can have better schools at less cost.
The Education Establishment makes everything hard to understand. In this way, they drive the public away from being involved with their local schools. I would like to help people understand the goofy nonsense so common in our classrooms, and thereby encourage them to be more involved.
Our only hope is an informed citizenry. Everyone who reads “Saving K-12” will be informed. It is by the way, a great cheap gift for smart people.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Saving K-12 – What happened to our public schools? How do we fix them?” (Non-fiction)
American public schools are dysfunctional. So-called Progressives think of the school system as their personal lab where they can conduct experiments in social engineering. Meanwhile, they care little about academic engineering, which is the reason the schools were built in the first place. We need to reverse these priorities immediately.
So, first, I want to help the country. It’s urgent. If we don’t save the public schools, we are not going to save very much else.
On a more personal level, I enjoy explaining things that are difficult to explain. K-12 is a house of sophistry, gimmicks, propaganda, lies, disinformation, misdirection, disingenuousness, and trickery. The average citizen has no chance of understanding all this stuff. So my book is, as the cover states, “a citizen’s guide to improving public education.”
Many other people agree that the need is urgent: “Bruce Price’s SAVING K-12 is a MUST read! It is precise, concise and powerful. Action is required…for the sake of our children, our grandchildren and the future of the American Republic!”
Robert W. Sweet, Jr. President, The National Right to Read Foundation
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I was always a lousy typist so it’s fortunate I now have dictation software. That plus word processing enables me to be very prolific. In nonfiction, the titles usually come first. I dictate a rough, wait a week, edit it, wait a week, edit it some more, and so on. I actually have 10 to 20 articles in the works at any given time. At some point an article will seem to be complete, or at least as good as I can make it. Then I put it on a website.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
With regard to education, I think of myself as a colleague of Rudolf Flesch, Siegfried Engelmann, Samuel Blumenfeld, Martin Kozloff, and a dozen others. These people have led the Resistance against John Dewey’s take-over of our school system. I’ve always liked writers who are decisive and aggressive. That’s how I write.
I recently published articles on American Thinker titled “K-12: Land of Lies” and “K-12: Massive Reading Failure Explained.”
What are you working on now?
At the moment, my main work is promoting “Saving K-12.” When things settle down, I’ll go back to work on several novels.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have not figured it out. I try anything I can afford.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Only the usual stuff. Stay busy. Find what you love.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think Conrad said, pertaining to fiction, “Make them see it.”
What are you reading now?
Just by chance, I’m looking at a Balducci thriller, to see what I like, and what I don’t like.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As an education writer, “next” is the same as the past. I write as many articles as I can. I explain to the public why their kids can’t read, can’t do arithmetic, and don’t know very much. It’s an endless challenge. My forte is that I’m a really good explainer. I always liked lucid, sincere prose. As long as my brain works, I’ll continue doing this sort of writing.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would ask other people for their suggestions on the best books ever written.
Author Websites and Profiles
Bruce Deitrick Price Website
Bruce Deitrick Price Amazon Profile
Bruce Deitrick Price’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile