Erin Schweng has been principal of Berkeley High School since the 2016-17 school year. Prior to that she was a vice principal, coach, and teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District.
What are your earliest memories of books? Do you remember the first books that were read to you? The first books you read on your own?
I have loved books for as long as I can remember. I have a very clear memory of when I was four years old, sitting on the couch with my mom, and I read Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss all by myself for the first time. I also remember my parents reading to me from Winnie the Pooh, which was a huge favorite.
What books were most central to you growing up? What books did you take the most pleasure in reading? What books most impacted your perspective on the world?
I was a big fan of series books, and I think the ones that impacted me most were Anne of Green Gables, Narnia, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, The Borrowers, and the “Shoes” series by Noel Streatfeild. For some reason I gravitated toward stories that were set in England and I dreamed about traveling there when I was older. I made my way to the U.K. as an adult, and I remember walking around London just smiling because I was finally getting to see all of these places I had read about!
Did you ever try writing fiction or poetry when you were growing up? How did it go?
Yes, my best friend in elementary school and I were always planning to write a book called “The Log Cabin” that was going to be about a log cabin that became surrounded by the growing city around it. Somehow we missed that Virginia Lee Burton had done this exact thing much better than we ever could in her book The Little House.
In high school, I loved writing short stories for English classes. I tried writing poetry, and I still remember my junior year English teacher gently telling me it just wasn’t that good and I should probably stick to prose. I love reading poetry but I don’t think I’ll ever be much of a poet.
You majored in history at U.C. Berkeley. What do you like about reading history?
I love that moment when you realize that so much of what is happening in the world is foreshadowed by what came before; we just don’t often realize it. At U.C. Berkeley I focused especially on 20th-century history and I’m always thinking about that as I read the news these days; the connections are definitely there.
You’ve worked in education for over 20 years. Have you seen changes in students’ attitudes toward reading?
I suppose almost all of us are reading a little less now that there is so much to read online, but I have also noticed that even in the era of short attention spans and quick click-bait articles on the internet, there are always students at Berkeley High with a huge interest in reading, carrying books around wherever they go. I’m so glad to see that.
What kinds of books are you drawn to now — because of your job, this time in your life, or this moment in history?
I keep a list of every book I read each year, and I’ve noticed the last few years that I’ve tended more toward fiction than nonfiction. Each year, I’ll read a few really serious and important nonfiction texts (this year it was White Fragility and The Color of Law), but those are more and more interspersed with good fiction that takes my mind far away from Berkeley High. Recent favorites are Pachinko and Beloved.
Are there any musicians whose lyrics have been especially meaningful to you?
Such a good question; I love songs that tell a story, so the folk artist Dar Williams is a particular favorite.
If you could save one book from your home, what would it be?
Probably my 1926 edition of Winnie the Pooh. It’s this small, green leather-bound book that I’ve had for a long time and I love it.
What are your earliest memories of books? Do you remember the first books that were read to you? The first books you read on your own?
I have loved books for as long as I can remember. I have a very clear memory of when I was four years old, sitting on the couch with my mom, and I read Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss all by myself for the first time. I also remember my parents reading to me from Winnie the Pooh, which was a huge favorite.
What books were most central to you growing up? What books did you take the most pleasure in reading? What books most impacted your perspective on the world?
I was a big fan of series books, and I think the ones that impacted me most were Anne of Green Gables, Narnia, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, The Borrowers, and the “Shoes” series by Noel Streatfeild. For some reason I gravitated toward stories that were set in England and I dreamed about traveling there when I was older. I made my way to the U.K. as an adult, and I remember walking around London just smiling because I was finally getting to see all of these places I had read about!
Did you ever try writing fiction or poetry when you were growing up? How did it go?
Yes, my best friend in elementary school and I were always planning to write a book called “The Log Cabin” that was going to be about a log cabin that became surrounded by the growing city around it. Somehow we missed that Virginia Lee Burton had done this exact thing much better than we ever could in her book The Little House.
In high school, I loved writing short stories for English classes. I tried writing poetry, and I still remember my junior year English teacher gently telling me it just wasn’t that good and I should probably stick to prose. I love reading poetry but I don’t think I’ll ever be much of a poet.
You majored in history at U.C. Berkeley. What do you like about reading history?
I love that moment when you realize that so much of what is happening in the world is foreshadowed by what came before; we just don’t often realize it. At U.C. Berkeley I focused especially on 20th-century history and I’m always thinking about that as I read the news these days; the connections are definitely there.
You’ve worked in education for over 20 years. Have you seen changes in students’ attitudes toward reading?
I suppose almost all of us are reading a little less now that there is so much to read online, but I have also noticed that even in the era of short attention spans and quick click-bait articles on the internet, there are always students at Berkeley High with a huge interest in reading, carrying books around wherever they go. I’m so glad to see that.
What kinds of books are you drawn to now — because of your job, this time in your life, or this moment in history?
I keep a list of every book I read each year, and I’ve noticed the last few years that I’ve tended more toward fiction than nonfiction. Each year, I’ll read a few really serious and important nonfiction texts (this year it was White Fragility and The Color of Law), but those are more and more interspersed with good fiction that takes my mind far away from Berkeley High. Recent favorites are Pachinko and Beloved.
Are there any musicians whose lyrics have been especially meaningful to you?
Such a good question; I love songs that tell a story, so the folk artist Dar Williams is a particular favorite.
If you could save one book from your home, what would it be?
Probably my 1926 edition of Winnie the Pooh. It’s this small, green leather-bound book that I’ve had for a long time and I love it.