Dev’n Goodman is a local teacher, advocate, and community organizer who is always trying to find ways to engage and grow the community culturally and equitably. No matter the initiative, the goal is always to provide access and opportunity to those whose voices and talents have too often not been amplified.
FW: What inspired you to be a high school English teacher, and what do you enjoy most about your job?
DG: I actually went to school to study educational law. Realized I need to understand the classroom before I could truly advocate for changes and resources, and as a lifelong reader, English was the subject for me without a doubt. Recently, I’ve moved to teaching humanities, and this history enthusiast in me has found what I’ve been missing when it comes to bringing everything together when it comes to helping students understand the human condition.
FW: How do you think literature shapes your students and their perspectives?
DG: Literature allows students to know worlds and engage with people far outside their own identity and community, and because of the discussions surrounding the literature we read in class, students are able to process critically the world around them and say, “Where do I fit, and how can I leave it better?”
FW: What do you think are important considerations when choosing writings to be learned and studied?
DG: It’s important to provide literature that gives students a deeper knowledge of themselves, how the world around them came to be, and acknowledges that in many humans there lives a spirit to not just survive but thrive.
FW: How do you approach literature with students who don’t enjoy reading?
DG: In all my years of teaching, I’ve not had one student who didn’t like to read. But I’ve had plenty who, after years of being told what’s appropriate and not appropriate to read, just avoid reading all together. Or ones that have difficulty reading for reasons beyond their control. And I’m willing and ready to give those students time, advice, recommendations, connection to resources, and even challenges to help them find their reading style and genres of interest.
FW: What have you read recently that you would recommend and why?
DG: First, if you’ve not interacted with Octavia E. Butler, please do so sooner rather than later. Also, I read a lot of Young Adult because I teach those who fall in that category, so I’d recommend either Seraphina (and its sequel) by Rachel Hartman and Scythe (and its sequels) by Neal Shusterman because both show youth in revolt of the systems around them that need to be changed for the better. But it’s none of the tropes that have taken over dystopian novels, and they’re very honest with the reality of who their characters are and are growing to be as they also work to change the world.
For Your List...

Kindred
by Octavia E. Butler
Dana, a newly married young African-American woman, is suddenly transported to a pre-Civil War plantation to save a young white boy named Rufus from drowning. When she completes that task, she returns to her present-day life and believes everything to have returned to normal — until she is pulled back again, and again, to get Rufus out of trouble. Dana must grapple with what she experiences, as well as figure out why she continues to be pulled to the past.

Little Family
by Ishmael Beah
Five children, brought together by the ravages of war, create a home in an abandoned airplane. Together they have formed a new family, working together to make money, bring in food, and take care of each other. However, as they consider their individual futures, their aspirations reveal that the family can’t stay together forever. An incredible coming-of-age story about survival, family, and dreams.

The Hilarious World of Depression
by John Moe
An excellent book exploring depression — the discovery of having it and the effect of living with it — mixed with both funny commentary and thought-provoking insight. Moe brings a perspective as both someone who suffers from depression himself and as a family member of one who was depressed, plus stories of those he has interviewed on his podcast. Mental illness is an important topic to discuss, and the more courageous folks like John Moe are willing to speak up about their experience, the better we can support and love those who are dealing with it.