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Essay: Aldous Thompson York

We were seniors in high school with an English teacher named Miss Smith. She didn’t seem to know very much and we were bored, restless, rebellious.

Then, two members of the class approached Miss Smith about giving a special report.

They had discovered a remarkable British writer who had not received the attention he deserved. His name was Aldous Thompson York.

Our teacher had not heard of Mr. York herself, but was impressed by this display of initiative and gave the young men permission to present the report.

I listened carefully and agreed that Aldous Thompson York was well worth learning about. Copies of his novels and plays were spread out on the table and we heard excerpts from a review of his work in TIME Magazine.

At the end of the report, we all clapped and Miss Smith made a speech about how the two presenters were models of what can be accomplished when one goes above and beyond class assignments.

What I knew—and Miss Smith did not—was that Aldous Thompson York was a complete fiction. She found out, finally, and I don’t know what punishment the two young men received.

I do know that they both graduated a few months later, with honors.