Re: Checking the Personals

[Profsteven@aol.com]

Paula,

I haven't read High _Tide in Tucson_ yet (it's on my summer list, though), but
I know what you mean about students' reactions to published personal essays
and to the act of writing them.  A few years ago my students fell in love with
Dillard's _Pilgrim at Tinker Creek_.  The idea of creating an anthology of the
students' writing is a good one.  I've done several times, and perhaps the
most consistently effective assignment I've ever given is to have them write a
personal review of the anthology of their own class's writing.  Talk about
knock my socks off!  Some students who had never quite taken that next step
took it in a big stride with that assignment.  

And that acknowledgement to you sounds like it deserved goosebumps!

Steve