As some of you already know, Mrs. Fraser had a baby and is on maternity leave for the rest of the year. I recently had the opportunity to interview her long-term substitute teacher, Robert Battle. Mr. Battle likes storytelling and said writing was “always something [he] had a knack for.” He also shared one of his favorite books, Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy. According to Mr. Battle, this book “has some of the most vivid and disturbing kinds of imagery in a book” that he has ever seen. The book takes place on the American frontier, with a narrative following a fictional Tennessee teen who is a part of the “Glanton Gang.” Switching gears, I asked Mr. Battle who he would have dinner with out of anybody in the history of the world — dead or alive. He’s a massive fan of Lana Del Rey and her music. He would “ask her about her inspirations” along with “her taste in cinema” because of her “eccentric old school influences on her music videos.” His favorites from the singer are “Born to Die” and “Body Electric.” Mr. Battle has also traveled extensively and visited Istanbul, Turkey. He said it “is probably the neatest place” he has visited and named the Hagia Sophia as the trip’s highlight. Whether you have Mr. Battle while Mrs. Fraser is away or not, stop in and introduce yourself!