Chris Weber should have known as a kid that publishing would be a part of his life. When he was nine years old, Chris started his street’s first newspaper. With the help of his brother and a friend, they made it the old-fashioned way. Using tweezers, they picked type face and lined up individual pieces onto blocks, rolled ink onto the pads, and then stamped them on paper. That newspaper came and went but writing and publishing stayed with him.

For more than twenty years of his teaching career, Chris has been working with students on their publications in and out of the classroom. These publications have ranged from classroom books, newspapers, and calendars to international anthologies. He has also supervised student editors in creating the award-winning Treasures series, anthologies of student writing and art used in the U.S. and abroad. The latest volume has been published in English and in Japanese. Each and every student publication project has been like a barn-raising—teachers and students working together.

He has written numerous articles for professional journals and magazines. Chris’ work has appeared in local, state, and international newspapers, and he has been interviewed on radio and television shows and news segments. He has given workshops to teachers, parents, and students.

Chris has been teaching full-time and writing for so long now that it’s a part of his life. It doesn’t strike him as unusual, but people are amazed. Several years ago, he met with a vice president of SONY in his Tokyo office. They discussed the Treasures 3: Stories & Art by Students in Japan & Oregon publication project. At the end of their hour-long meeting, the vice president leaned over mouth open, incredulous with surprise saying, “And you teach, too?”

What keeps Chris going year after year? For several years now, he has trekked in the Himalayas and is reborn living a simple life, one step at a time. Chris’ teaching and writing take a backseat to his sons Mark and Jackson. His little mountain climbers bring him so much happiness and laughter, especially when they invade his office to remind him of what’s important in life.

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