"I suspect it'll be back in time to give us a white nondenominational holiday of our choice," Alasdair says dryly. December is the month when his classroom is at it's emptiest; on the plus side, he usually gets a lot of writing done.

Then he nods at the hat. "Matt would like that one." Matt being Matthew Hamilton, fellow member of the Town School English department. "I think he likes to try to actually be Allen Ginsberg."