JAC: A Journal of Composition Theory, Volume 17, Number 3, 1997 Page: 307
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In Memory of Paulo Freire 307
I began to proselytize, organizing a workshop for a College English
Association meeting with Dixie Goswami; and soon after, one for the CCCC.
The chief principles of the pedagogy of knowing I identified as "problematizing
the existential situation," generative words, dialogue as "the encounter between
men to name the world," and conscientization, critical consciousness, which
was a far cry from the usual consciousness-raising exercises of the day. Like all
missionaries, I was self-righteous: I thought that I saw more clearly than most
others the importance of Paulo Freire for teachers of rhetoric and composition.
It was outrageous to find my colleagues at UMB and elsewhere proceeding to
talk about the contemptible banking theory of education while they continued
to teach in exactly that style. They asked their students, "Do you know you're
oppressed?" They thought that having everybody sit on the (filthy) floors
dramatized the equality of teacher and taught. They went on and on about the
pedagogy of the oppressed without a clue about the role of dialogue, with no idea
of the heuristic uses of syntax, to say nothing of the heuristic value of composing
in paragraphs. Theory and practice remained alien to one another because the
theory had not been understood.
In 1981, in a NEH Summer Seminar I directed at UMB, "Philosophy and the
Composing Process," I had the seminarians read Freire; Loretta came in to tell
us about the primers used in the culture circles. The same year, Bob Boynton
published TheMaking ofMeaning, a collection of my talks followed by passages
from Montessori and Ashton-Warner, Whitehead and William James, Jane
Addams, Richards, Tolstoy-and Paulo Freire, the most important of all. I like
to think that finding him in this company led many who would not have read
him otherwise to discover his importance.
In 1984, Paulo visited UMB and we were all inspirited by his presence. He
has not always been well-served by his translators and his writing is often
graceless, suffering the effects of seeing things in both Christian and Marxist
perspectives. It was therefore a revelation to hear him speak, discovering that
the rhythm of his discourse was not that of a tract but of a virtual dialogue as he
reflected on the meanings he was framing. We decided to take advantage of this
style and prepared questions beforehand. The result was the most thrilling and
cogent presentation anyone could remember.
The next year when Paulo was to speak at the Kennedy Library, I was asked
to introduce him. While the overflow crowd was being managed, we waited with
others in a suite of rooms overlooking Boston Harbor. As he stood silently,
restlessly by the tall windows, I thought of how the lecturer's role was the
antithesis of those he had chosen in culture circles and seminar rooms, and I
hoped that our plan of pre-chosen questions from the audience, after his brief
remarks, would assure that what he had to say would be avirtual dialogue. This
scheme would also co-opt the ranters who would be unstoppable once they were
on their feet. "We hope," I said in concluding my introduction, "that this
exchange will be a virtual conversation in which we can all participate." It was
not perceived that way by some. When Freire's remarks ended and the
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Association of Teachers of Advanced Composition (U.S.). JAC: A Journal of Composition Theory, Volume 17, Number 3, 1997, periodical, 1997; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28620/m1/15/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .