Dear Brenda and the Lovas Family:

My thoughts are with you during this sad time.  I will miss John and the spontaneous discussions about pedagogy and campus politics he and I have engaged in over the last nine years. 

I first met John during a summer session in 1996 when we were both teaching a cohort of students from Beppu University in Japan.  John had taken the cohort to one of his poetry walks, and I was amazed at this Imaginative assignment. Just fresh out of graduate school, I was enthused about learning as much as I could about teaching writing.  I have been fortunate to have John as a mentor these past years, not only with my teaching at De Anza, but with my professional work with NCTE and the CCCCs.  I haven't met anyone who could rival John's enthusiasm and committment to teaching writing and literature.

John also humored my obsession with Halloween and my efforts to get English dept. colleagues to come to work in costume.  I have this great photo taken during my first year at De Anza:  It is of John as Richard Nixon (a mask his son made) and myself as Holly Go Lightly.  John told me that his son also loved Halloween and that it was great I was so enthusiastic about it.

Sincerely,

Rowena Tomaneng

English Dept.

De Anza College