Printer-friendly versionI have a confession to make. I’m an “intellectual stalker.” Let me explain. In her recent book “White Heat,” author Brenda Wineapple quotes Emily Dickinson in a letter addressed to Thomas Wentworth Higginson. “Are you too occupied to tell me if my verse is alive?” Dickinson asked. The poet was coyly asking Higginson for his literary advice. She wanted him to acknowledge whether or not she had anything to offer. At the time, Higginson was the more famous writer.
I engage in something similar. I call it intellectual stalking. When I read someone’s work and it stirs my soul I dig for more. This hobby of mine began 16 years ago during my first year of teaching. I was moved by one of Ted Sizer's books on education. His words spoke to me in a very profound way. Before I finished the book I knew I had to meet him—and I did.
After Sizer, there were others – Lisa Delpit, bell hooks, Herbert Kohl, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, and Deborah Meier, just to name a few. Their words spoke to me. And when I met them something inside me quickened. They inspired me and propelled me forward.
I’ve begun to realize recently that I’m not alone in this practice of intellectual stalking. Marian Wright Edelman explains in “Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors” how humans have a preternatural desire to seek out the truth in others by using their words, experiences and lives as a guide.
In the introduction of “The Herb Kohl Reader: Awakening the Heart of Teaching,” William Ayers confesses that once as a young teacher set out to meet all the educators he had read about and admired. Ayers jumped on a bus and headed to New York City. He called Herb Kohl’s apartment from the bus station and was invited over for tea and passionate conversation.
This got me thinking: Who do you follow? Whose verse do you think is alive?
Comments
What a fantastic blog! And
What a fantastic blog! And you listed my favorite and inspiring authors as well. I started doing something similar sixteen years ago too. I began to "stalk" authors to get their signatures in the works I admired. I have all the works of Alice Walker signed. And bell hooks. And Sandra Cisneros. Many children's authors that I love too. They sit on a special shelf. There is something about having the author of a work touch MY copy. It seems to attach a certain magic to the book. I mean, can you imagine that Alice Walker touched my copy of "The Color Purple"? When I teach from those books I love passing around the signed copies so that students can see and touch the author's signature. It's a great pre-reading activity to emotionally engage students with the author before they even begin reading them.
Oh! And should you feel the need to stalk another author I'd invite you to consider going after Parker J. Palmer. His works inspire me - "The Courage To Teach" and "To Know As We Are Known" are two of my favorites.
I cheer for Parker Palmer and
I cheer for Parker Palmer and the works you mentioned. He inspires me to keep educating and working with others in the field.
I like the idea about the signatures. I always wondered why someone wanted a signed copy, now I know! I might begin that effort as well.
Keep on reading and getting inspired.
Louise Derman-Sparks,
Louise Derman-Sparks, Patricia Ramsey, Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Jonathan Kozol have all spoken to my soul and called me to action.
Mine is James Borland.
Mine is James Borland. *sigh*
I was a student of Mr. Gibbs,
I was a student of Mr. Gibbs, and I am now a middle school history teacher. Mr. Gibbs words still inspire me, and I still consider myself an intellectual stalker of his. (Really, I just want to learn more about how to be the best I can be. He sets a high bar. If you haven't seen his class in East L.A., you must. It is the best of what our profession can be.)
Patrick Pearse - "Murder
Patrick Pearse - "Murder Machine" (not nearly as graphic as the title implies. It is a brief, brilliant, beautiful lecture on the destructive nature of imperial education in Ireland. And everything education could be.)
Lisa Delpit - "Silenced Dialogue" - Brilliant.
Frank Smith - "Insult to Intelligence" - Profound.
Mike Schmoker - "Results Now" - Honest insight for change.
Alfie Kohn - "Punished by Rewards" - Liberating
I can very much relate to
I can very much relate to this blog. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Ms. hooks or many of my other pedagogic heroes, but I did accidentally order a signed copy of Dr. Gates' The Signifying Monkey, which I cherish. So many books and authors mentioned here sound familiar but now I have an incentive to do a little intellectual stalking of my own. Thank you for this!
I must read poetry every once
I must read poetry every once in while to feed my soul and my professional life as an educator. I consumed this book in one sitting when I stumbled upon it a few years back: Teaching With Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach (edited by Intrator and Scribner.)
Here is a portion of a poem by Marge Piercy I found in this book that I turn to again and again when I think about my role in my school:
"I love people who harness themselves, as ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to to be done, again and again."
In addition to poetry, I am often inspired by the works of Jonathan Kozol, Barbara Kingsolver, Anne Fadiman to reach within myself, to find that better me.
I love this poem.... I think
I love this poem.... I think all teachers can identify with being a water buffalo stuck in the mud.....
Or...that we are the teachers
Or...that we are the teachers who always seem to do all the work while our colleagues leave school as soon as they can and don't seem to put in any extra effort. I guess that is why I like this poem so much. It says to me that others understand where I am and how hard I work.
Inspiration is all around
Inspiration is all around us!
I consider reading as a necessary part of my work as a an effective educator and as a caring human being. I must read other peoples perspectives and stories to grow and become a more complex person.
My latest mind-blowing book which I bought on on CD so I could "read" it while driving back and forth from work.
It is called NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman. Although it is nonfiction it is a really page-turner. I had a hard time getting out of my car because I it was mesmerizing listening.
I guarantee you will LOVE it and it will change how you work with your students, your own children, and the parents of your students.
I always have an audio book
I always have an audio book going in my car, too. I will look for this at the public library and give it a listen. Thanks for the tip.
I read and admire Parker
I read and admire Parker Palmer, especially The Courage to Teach. I drove an hour to hear him speak at Fetzger Institute and was glad listne and later to shake his hand.
Yes! I am a "stalker" too! I
Yes! I am a "stalker" too! I once followed Bev Bos into the bathroom to make sure I got her signature on a book - I was a very young teacher and she made me feel "right" in my classroom - I went on to meet her and spent an evening talking about the future of early childhood. Mimi Brodsky Chenfield - I burst into tears the first time I saw her in person. Obviously, this had happened before, she wrapped me in a big hug and said encouraging things to me. Ella Jenkins, Jonathan Kozol, among others - I also burst into tears upon meeting Marian Wright Edelman, to my friend Annie's delight. She will never let me forget it. But these are my "rock stars", and the people who validate what I do each day ...
Rethinking Schools . . . . .
Rethinking Schools . . . . . .
I can't underestimate the effect that RTS has had on my development as a crticially refelctive teachers over the years. In addition to the periodical Rethinking Schools, the same group has published some excellent teaching tools realted to globalization (Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World), the Mexican Border (The Line Between Us) and have provided other tools for connecting content areas to critical issues in the real world.
I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to travel with RTS editors Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson when they led a group of teachers on an immersion tour on both sides of the Mexican Border. The experience had such a profound effect on me that I spent several years developing a similar teachers' project on the Haitian/Dominican border to help educators gain first hand expereiences with critical global issues and to create collaborative partnerships with people in the developing world:
www.friendsbeyondborders.net
I too have a tendency to
I too have a tendency to collect works from authors who inspire me. The is the first time of I have heard of the phrase "Intellectual Stalking." I am a Sociology Instructor, and depending on the subject, I might pull from Jonathan Kozol(inequalities in education). Patricia Hill Collins, Jean Kilbourne, Toni Morrison, MLK, Jr., Alice Walker, Cornel West, (race/gender). For environmental racism, I like Al Gedicks. I recently stumbled across the movie, To Sir With Love. While recognizing that it was a made for Hollywood movie that has subtle racism embedded in it, it still find Sir to be very inspiring!