the latest popular culture fad, and making millions in wheeling and dealing, I teach and write poetry. I am a promoter, proponent, prophet, and pedagogue of language. But for all my daily and lifelong devotion to language, I must still make a confession. I live in fear. All the time. I am afraid of upsetting others. I am afraid of offending others. I am afraid of insults and criticism and rejection. Above all, I am afraid of truth. I am a language educator, and still I am afraid of speaking and writing truth. I tell lies all the time. I am a language educator and I am afraid of language, afraid of the uncontrollable, untameable, wild energy of language. I need to attend to Betsy Warland's wisdom:
Pauline teaches me to be less frightened of the “boo” in “taboo,” to “speak the unspoken,” to know that research and education are always about seeking truth (especially in fiction) in order to avoid betraying ourselves. In Seeing Red Pauline teaches me about love, in love, how to love. So, my preface is a love note to her, offered with eager gratefulness.
References:
Freire, P. (1977). Pedagogy of the heart. (D. Macedo & A. Oliveira, Trans.). New York: Continuum.
hooks, b. (2000). All about love: New visions. New York: William Morrow.
Russo, R. (1997). Straight man. New York: Random House.
Warland, B. (1990). Proper deafinitions: Collected theorograms. Vancouver: Press Gang.