James Cottage uses a form of poetry anyone could write to describe teaching as only he can. Spanning over twenty years in the country's largest public school system, Cottage shares the day-to-day thoughts and feelings that race through his mind while meeting the needs of dozens of schoolchildren all at once, also while explaining how issues like bureaucratic politics, high-stakes testing, and navigating the coronavirus affected his mental health. As uplifting as it is frustrating, funny as it is contemplative, 1,001 Haikus to Start With is for anyone who cares about American education.

Cottage holds a critical lens for school leaders, all while acknowledging his own vulnerabilities and shortcomings as an educator. Brutally honest yet stubbornly optimistic, 1,001 Haikus to Start With leaves an impression on its reader well beyond when it is finished. Describing the gravity of teaching in New York City with the lightheartedness of haikus results in Cottage producing a uniquely original work, the likes of which we have never seen.