Recently, a new poem appeared on the outdoor board amongst collages of years of outdoor trips, a compilation of six languages constructed to form a poem that painted the Central California coastline. This peculiar addition to the outdoor board, lost among sign-up sheets and precious memories, found a new home for itself, defining the beauty we all seek to capture on our outdoor trips.
This mysterious poem grabbed the attention of the student body, many of the freshman enthralled by this unknown name: William Bradford. But for the upperclassmen, this long-familiar name was a welcome surprise – it’s English teacher Brad Weidlich’s pen name. The poem embodies Mr. Weidlich’s experience near Morro Bay camping with school at the end of August.
“[I] find these little moments- pockets to try to execute the writing process,” Weidlich said of his writing process. “If I’m reading something in my free time, and I see a phrase or something that’s new to me, or some idea I have a small notebook that I keep ideas in.”
Brad Weidlich is not the man of few words that students often see him to be. His moments are calculated, so that when he does speak, no one misses out on what he says.
Over his 16 year tenure, Brad Weidlich has been known to spit bars whenever he feels the words flowing, saying that if he could choose a stage name it would be “B-Rad.” But when did Mr. Weidlich, our resident muse, develop an interest for English Literature, the subject that he teaches so passionately?
The answer to this question lies in his upbringing. “My mother was a teacher, my older sister was a voracious reader, my uncle was a book publisher, my father was a lawyer, so books were everywhere,” Mr. Weidlich said.
This love for English literature translated well into Weidlich’s role as a teacher. Within the classroom, Weidlich says that he likes to challenge his students academically. Outside of the classroom, Weidlich’s poetic recaps capture the enthralling essence of sporting games.
“[I hope to make the students] aware that the things that [they] think are most important need time and attention and care from the individual student,” Weidlich said.
By demonstrating to his students that there is a side to literature beyond basic analysis, he teaches them to hone their skills and discover their own meaning with written works, taking their interest to another level.
“I just tried to absorb the nature around me,” Mr. Weidlich said in regards to the poem he wrote while camping. For Weidlich, a lifetime penman who sees and hears poetry, he not only finds inspiration, but most importantly he does something others should take note of: he takes the time to capture it.