Buy used:
$7.12
$8.39 delivery October 30 - November 22. Details
Used: Like New | Details
Sold by ThriftBooks-Seattle
Condition: Used: Like New
Comment: Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Other sellers on Amazon
New & Used (15) from   $3.99
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Taylor Mali
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

What Learning Leaves Paperback – Unknown format, July 1, 2002

by Taylor Mali (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 62 ratings
See all formats and editions
Taylor Mali speaks of the world of the teacher with poer and grace. His work is filled with the energy, joy, pathos, and humor of everyday life in the classroom. Strong and compassionate, his voice is our voice. He's been there. (Michele Foreman, 2001 U.S. Teacher of the Year)
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    88 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Words Worth Ink
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.25 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1887012176
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1887012171
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mali is a ranting comic showman and a literary provocateur. -- The New York Times

Taylor Mali speaks of the world of the teacher with power and grace. His voice is our voice. -- Michele Forman, 2001 National Teacher of the Year

From the Inside Flap

The New York Times "Mali is a ranting comic showman and a literary provocateur." Michele Forman, 2001 National Teacher of the Year "Taylor Mali speaks of the world of the teacher with power and grace. His voice is our voice."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Words Worth Ink; 0 edition (July 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 88 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1887012176
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1887012171
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.25 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Taylor Mali is one of the most well-known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement. He is one of the few people in the world to have no job other than that of "poet." Articulate, accessible, passionate, and downright funny, Mali studied drama in Oxford with members of The Royal Shakespeare Company and puts those skills of presentation to work in all his performances. He was one of the original poets to appear on the HBO series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry and was the "Armani-clad villain" of Paul Devlin's 1997 documentary film SlamNation.

Born in New York City into a family some of whose members have lived there since the early 1600s, Taylor Mali is an unapologetic WASP, making him a rare entity in spoken word, which is often considered to be an art form influenced by the inner city and dominated either by poets of color or otherwise imbued with the spirit of hip-hop.

Mali is vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, having spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English and history to math and S.A.T. test preparation. He has performed and lectured for teachers all over the world and has a goal of creating 1,000 new teachers through "poetry, persuasion, and perseverance."

He is the author of two books of poetry, The Last Time As We Are (Write Bloody Books 2009) and What Learning Leaves (Hanover 2002), and four CDs of spoken word. He received a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant in 2001 to develop "Teacher! Teacher!" a one-man show about poetry, teaching, and math which won the jury prize for best solo performance at the 2001 U. S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Formerly president of Poetry Slam Incorporated, the non-profit organization that oversees all poetry slams in North America, Taylor Mali makes his living entirely as a spoken-word and voiceover artist these days, traveling around the country performing and teaching workshops as well as doing occasional commercial voiceover work. He has narrated several books on tape, including "The Great Fire" (for which he won the Golden Earphones Award for children's narration).

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
62 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book wonderful, sublime, and accessible. They also find the poetry inspiring, poignant, and timeless in its message. Readers appreciate the wit and ability to move from comedy to insight. They describe the author as passionate, creative, and a great writer.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityInspirationWitPoetry quality
10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book wonderful, sublime, poignant, and accessible. They say it's a worthy collection of his works.

"......" Read more

"...of the struggles of teaching and the rewards that accompany it are worth reading...." Read more

"...All are equally sublime, poignant, and accessible...." Read more

"...Great stuff, and worth any thoughtful parent or educator having on the shelf and pulling down...often." Read more

8 customers mention "Inspiration"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the poetry in the book inspiring, poignant, and insightful. They say it makes them proud of their jobs and brings back great memories. Readers also appreciate the honesty and commitment of Mr. Mali's words.

"...and for those who are and have been teachers it will bring back some great memories...." Read more

"...The stories he tells through his poetry are timeless in their message...." Read more

"...Some are funny; some angry; some quite poignant. As a previous middle-school teacher, he captures the joys and frustrations of teachers...." Read more

"...So clever, & as a teacher very inspiring. Teachers! You must have Mail on your shelf. Even the students will appreciate it!!" Read more

6 customers mention "Wit"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the poetry funny, clever, and witty. They say it makes them laugh and cry. Readers also mention that Taylor Mali is a poet of extraordinary talent and the poems read well.

"...His poetry touches my heart, makes me laugh and cry. The stories he tells through his poetry are timeless in their message...." Read more

"...Some are funny; some angry; some quite poignant. As a previous middle-school teacher, he captures the joys and frustrations of teachers...." Read more

"...So clever, & as a teacher very inspiring. Teachers! You must have Mail on your shelf. Even the students will appreciate it!!" Read more

"...poems in this collection, as is the passion, the poignant examples, the wit, and the ability to move from comedy to insight and back, or best of all..." Read more

5 customers mention "Poetry quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the poetry in the book great. They also say Taylor Mali is passionate, creative, and a great writer.

"...His poetry touches my heart, makes me laugh and cry. The stories he tells through his poetry are timeless in their message...." Read more

"Taylor Mali is a great stand-up performance poet, but his poems read well also. Some are funny; some angry; some quite poignant...." Read more

"...He's passionate, shoots from the hip, creative, and a great writer." Read more

"This collection of poems is clever, fresh, and accesssible for people of all ages. Here's a poet that will appeal to page and stage poets alike!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

JB
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, inspirational.
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2010
Verified Purchase
I am just a few months from graduating college and becoming a teacher. I am teacher #523 on Taylor Mali's list of 1000 teachers. If you don't know what that is you should check out his website and see what he is about, but since your here, I know you've at least heard of him or you've seen a video on you tube.

This book is a compilation of some of Taylor poems that are majorly based towards teachers. Its got most of his best ones including 'What teachers make', 'Like Lilly Like Wilson', 'Like you know...', 'the impotence of proofreading', and lots of others.

Its a short book, and you don't have to even LIKE poetry to read this and enjoy it. In fact, if you read this and don't feel inspired, then I would think there is something wrong with you.

I would recommend this to people who want to be teachers, and people who are teachers. It will most assuredly inspire you to teach even if you're not teaching professionally, and for those who are and have been teachers it will bring back some great memories. It may even rekindle the flame of a teacher who has forgotten why they started teaching in the first place. As teachers we all need a little boost once in awhile. This would be great to have in the desk and take out on those rough days and remind you who you are.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sandra Coan
5.0 out of 5 stars Taylor Mali is my favorite modern poet!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
He was a teacher, and I am also a teacher. He has marvelous insight into people and especially children. His poetry touches my heart, makes me laugh and cry. The stories he tells through his poetry are timeless in their message. I loan most of my books, but I do not loan Mali's books because I want them to be in my hand when I need his wisdom, his kindness, his compassion. Truly, his poems have been a blessing to me.
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars ... someone read a Taylor Mali poem that I thoroughly enjoyed. I had never heard of him so I ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
This past spring I attended an open mic poetry session where someone read a Taylor Mali poem that I thoroughly enjoyed. I had never heard of him so I looked him up on the internet and bought his book "What Teachers Make." A mixture of poetry and prose, it was delightful and I wanted more. "What Learning Leaves." is poetry only and is also absolutely excellent. Mali blends humor with a deep love for education and the students and teachers involved with it. My two favorites in this collection are the title poem from "What Teachers Make" and a wonderfully whimsical commentary "On Girls Lending Pens." I keep it by my bedside to read whenever I need a laugh or inspiration. I never fail to find both.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
crepemyrtle
5.0 out of 5 stars Taylor Mali is a great stand-up performance poet
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2015
Verified Purchase
Taylor Mali is a great stand-up performance poet, but his poems read well also. Some are funny; some angry; some quite poignant. As a previous middle-school teacher, he captures the joys and frustrations of teachers. His poetry style sometimes reminds me of that of Billy Collins.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
SZBlack
5.0 out of 5 stars Must-own for educators!! World's best teacher's poetry
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
I wish I could have been a student in Taylor MALI's classroom. As it is, I settle for being a student of his teachings through his writing. So clever, & as a teacher very inspiring. Teachers! You must have Mail on your shelf. Even the students will appreciate it!!
Helpful
 Report
ReaderReader
5.0 out of 5 stars Taylor Mali fan for life
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2011
Verified Purchase
Taylor Mali should be knighted, if there were such a thing for teachers. His honest portrayal of the struggles of teaching and the rewards that accompany it are worth reading. I first saw him on YouTube and laughed so hard that I sprayed water all over my keyboard. Yet some of his pieces make me want cry because they so accurately reflect what it means to be a teacher, in charge of the future generations of students that parents don't necessarily know what to do with.

If you're a teacher, or have one in your family, buy this book!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
rmckee
5.0 out of 5 stars These poems do the heart of this teacher's daughter good.
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
The poems that left the biggest impression on me from "What Learning Leaves" drill down to the heart of why many people become teachers. They're not "in it for the paycheck," for "the short days" or "having their summers off," which are all common accusations against teachers. (My mother worked half the night and many weekend hours grading papers and writing lesson plans, and took classes and prepped for the coming school year in the summers.) Mali's poems talk about the real difference teachers can make in kids' lives. I highly recommend this book, whether you're the child of a teacher or not.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Walton Burns
4.0 out of 5 stars Humor and Insight in the Spirit of Billy Collins or Thomas Lux
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
This collection of poetry is so very funny and clever and witty, and also deeply insightful. "What teachers make" has quite deservedly gone viral. The play on words "making money" vs. "being productive" is typical of all the poems in this collection, as is the passion, the poignant examples, the wit, and the ability to move from comedy to insight and back, or best of all, to use comedy to provoke insight!

Certainly, this collection will appeal to teachers more than others. As a teacher, I sometimes open it, flip to a page, and just read a poem, or even point to a line at random! The book never stops giving and it makes me proud of my job. But there are poems on other topics: love (some love poems, some meditations on love), loss, naptime. All are equally sublime, poignant, and accessible. I cited Lux and Collins in my title because both make poetry so accessible without dumbing it down. Mali has that rare and beautiful gift. I'm sure you'll finish this collection and look for more.
Helpful
 Report