Little Poem, who made thee?

Check your facts was one of the three rules my father said to me every day when I was growing up, sandwiched between know that I love you and stand up for what you believe in. My beloved husband and partner in crime hereafter refered to as The Amazing Spiderman has been doing a bit of research on what happens when you take something you read on the internet as gospel without checking your facts.

There is poem, found in countless online lesson plans for teachers, used in countless schools which claims to be written by that old master William Blake. It is in fact written by contemporary author Nancy Willard in her Newberry award winning book A Visit to William Blake's Inn.

The Amazing Spiderman with his spidey sense and excellent reference librarian skills has uncovered this fact and was featured in the news today.

 

** School librarian finds fake Blake **
A school librarian has discovered that a poem widely attributed to William Blake, including in official reading lists, was not really written by him.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/education-22971225 >

I am so proud of him I could burst! He's been fielding calls from the media all day (a rather shy and retiring flower, is my Spiderman) so that hasn't been easy. But I am so pleased for him.

You can see his blog here to read the whole tale. http://thelibraryspider.blogspot.co.uk/

happy reading...oh and check your facts!

edited to add: The next day he had a small one paragraph article in the Telegraph (which always makes me think of that sexist joke--How do you spread the news? Telephone, Telegraph, tell a woman) and a longer one in the Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-librarian-puts-the-world-straight-on-fake-william-blake-poem-8667575.html

I love how they said that he "modestly refused to answer and queries"--I told you he was shy!