CCCC 2007: New York
Carrie Finn
carrielynn.finn@gmail.com
You, presenter, in your
smart black suit and sensible shoes,
stand too close to – too far away from –
the microphone, and tell us all
the story of your challenges and successes.
You’ve given me a stack of handouts
that I clutch in my hands and then
peruse late into the night
before I fall asleep on the air mattress
on the floor of a friend’s apartment in Astoria.
What you’ve really given me is the inspiration
to refresh, renew, rewrite, revise,
relearn, and recognize
how little I know about
the words, the books, the possibilities.
You’ve shown me,
while I was sitting in Gramercy South,
that we all share the same
frustration, experiences, and
passion about our students and our subject.
You remind me that it’s been
six years since I sat in the classroom.
Now I stand behind the podium, sit in front of the computer screen,
lean against the chalkboard, and wander among my students
imparting some knowledge about content, unity, audience.
You, presenter, make me want to buy
new pens and notebooks,
browse through a college bookstore
for a new semester’s study, and spend
the time and money
to learn more
from the people who know.
Comments?
2007 CCCC Reviews Index
2007 CCCC Reviews Overivew
