THE EDITOR: In my sleepless hours between 3.13 am and 4.30 am I am thinking about Head Space. Anu Lakhan's Head Space.

Not of her undeniable expertise in her chosen profession, but in her exquisite use of words and her style of writing. It would be difficult to find another writer so brilliantly combining the two.

Anu Lakhan writes a weekly article for Newsday.

As usual at that time of morning thoughts ramble along and sometimes produce ideas, some feasible. Some not.

So why are newspapers not more widely used in the classroom?

Newspapers can offset the dire dearth of reading resource materials we are faced with in the classrooms.

Just think about it.

Newspapers. What a valuable cross section of information available every day.

Civics. Politics. Food and nutrition. Personalities. Commentaries. Comedy. Tragedy. Sports. Local news. International news. Outer space. The good. Bad. Ugly. Life current.

Newspapers in the classroom and in the home, parents. Read. Think. React. Respond. Discuss. Newspapers can encourage research and debate.

Good teachers will say to me been there. Done that. That would be fantastic.

A book $100 +. Newspapers $4.

Lakhan's column can offer an oasis of calm to troubled young students. Others can be inspired to write beautiful prose. Make a career choice.

So next day I read Monique Roffey's review (Newsday) of Anthony Joseph, Trinidadian writer, winner of the TS Elliot Prize, the world's most prestigious prize for poetry. Herself a brilliant writer, her article covers friendship, respect, his work.

Now I have to find African Origins of UFOs...written by Anthony Joseph in 'futuristic Afropunk.'

See where newspapers can lead.

JULIE MORTON

via e-mail