Inspiring words of wisdom lift literary journal kick-off

It was a moment in Jordan Kravitz's '00 that changed him forever – a creative writing assignment in Mr. Marshall's 7th Grade English class at Friends Academy – write and illustrate a children's book. "Good children's literature," recalled Jordan of Mr. Marshall's instruction, "speaks to the soul. It's sheer playful and deadly serious, absurd and urgent. It rouses us from our habitual ways of being in the world."

Invited as one of two keynote speakers at the inaugural kick-off launch for Friends Academy's Upper School literary journal, Gnosis, Jordan and Isabella Simonetti, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, addressed a group of both students and faculty to remark upon their careers in the Humanities and the impact of their high school educations. Introduced by Gnosis' Managing Editor Charli Zhatila and Editor-in-Chief Mia Kamensky, the two guests spoke about their own formative years and careers and then responded to a Q&A.

Currently, an English teacher at Greens Farms School in Connecticut, Jordan was vice president and president of the Student Government Association during his junior and senior years at FA. He served as both Sports Editor and Managing Editor of The Inkwell, the Upper School newspaper, and matriculated to Amherst College, where he received a BA in English with honors distinction. Jordan earned his MA at Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught at several independent schools, including The Avenues School, Stuyvesant High School, and Friends Academy. He is currently on faculty at Greens Farms Academy in Connecticut.

After losing his father at age 9, writing provided Jordan with experiences and opportunities he hadn't dreamed were possible, starting with that 7th Grade English assignment. "Writing the story let loose things in me, things I'd been avoiding since my dad's death," said Jordan. "'The Drape' was the ungainly story of a seventh-grader, but it helped me find my voice. It helped me not only to borrow words from others but to use words to make a world and feel more alive."

Today, Jordan sees teaching as a way to "rattle my students from their complacencies and comfort them in their loneliness and distress," as he urges them "to wield words deliberately, powerfully, and idiosyncratically, to expand the limits of their and our worlds."

Speaking from her professional experiences as a journalist for both The New York Times and currently The Wall Street Journal, Isabella Simonetti encouraged students listening to be stubborn about pursuing a career in the humanities. "There will be room for good writers and storytellers – there will always be a need for that. If this is what you feel passionate about, don't let it deter you," she said.

In the Q&A with Mia, Ms. Simonetti shared her thoughts on how to decode the authenticity of news. "It's definitely a question I deal with and write about a lot. Even where I work, we make mistakes and have to correct them. It's about doing your due diligence and getting your news from not just one place," she recommended. "It's about having conversations with other people who think differently and who can take you out of your echo chamber."

Gnosis is an annual literary magazine that features original Upper School student poetry, essays, illustrations, and photography. This year, Gnosis is advised by Dean of Innovation Daniel Mendel, who also helped coordinate the keynote speaker launch. 

Read their full remarks:

• Jordan Kraviz '00
• Isabella Simonetti

Photography by Alvin Caal/Friends Academy