Thank you to a great mentor, historian and teacher

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Thank you to a great mentor, historian and teacher topic started 6/16/2005; 8:36:14 PM last post 6/16/2005; 8:36:14 PM

alvesdelimadiana@f... - Thank you to a great mentor, historian and teacher   6/16/2005; 7:36:14 PM (reads: 3992, responses: 0) John was on my hiring committee, was one of the first people at De Anza with whom I had a long, heartfelt discussion of "De Anza culture" and for the time I've been here has been a forceful presence. John's advice to me my first day was something like, "If you have a great idea, just do it. You can do anything here. Don't get bogged down in the day-to-day bureaucracy." This sense of exuberance and possibility, and critique,comes through in every one of John's comments, both oral and written, in meetings, at parties, on his blog...there are so many outlets for his pouring out of words! I don't think I have ever been to a meeting with John when he didn't speak up. Often he sought to give an historical or theoretical perspective to the discussion, to change the tone, to question the goals and assumptions. ;John's comments are never small. It's clear from reading John's own words, and the words written here about him, that over the years he has inspired many, many students, colleagues and friends...if a fraction of them are a fraction as prolific as he has been, the tendrils of his writings, and his ideas about writing and the teaching of writing will extend for decades if not centuries. Thanks, and I will miss you. Diana Discuss