I
thoroughly enjoy traveling, and especially going to writing conferences. There
is always some difficulty in making the adjustment back to teaching after
writing. Writers have a love and appreciation of words, of putting them
together just so. A precise turn of phrase is a wonderful thing, and not just
how it turns out in fiction. Properly constructed non-fiction stories and
essays are just as beautiful.
So when I
come back and I see so many students who see language and writing as something
to be avoided, something to be feared, my heart sinks. It’s heart to watch
people trample on what you love.
My only
solace is that perhaps, just maybe, I can instill the love of writing and
language in one student. It’s very rare that I get more than one, which is
another sadness altogether.