Overview
Now in paperback, Walking on Water is a startling and provocative look at teaching, writing, creativity, and life by a writer increasingly recognized for his passionate and articulate critique of modern civilization. Derrick Jensen brings us into his classroom where he teaches writing. He reveals how schools perpetuate the great illusion that happiness lies outside of ourselves and that learning to please and submit to those in power makes us into lifelong clock-watchers.About the Author: Derrick Jensen is a prize-winning author and was one of two finalists for the 2003 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, which cited The Culture of Make Believe as "a passionate and provocative meditation on the nexus of racism, genocide, environmental destruction, and corporate malfeasance, where civilization meets its discontents." He lives on the coast of northern California.
Synopsis
A prolific critic of modern civilization, Jensen argues that schools are central to perpetuating the illusion that happiness lies outside ourselves. He describes how, as a teacher of writing in universities and prisons, he guides his students out of the confines of traditional education to find their own voices, freedom, and creativity. He does not provide an index. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Publishers Weekly
Writing teacher Jensen doesn't believe in the traditional grading system, which he calls "a cudgel to bludgeon the unwilling into doing what they don't want to do," so he opts instead to give his students at Eastern Washington University check marks: one check mark for turning in a piece of writing, four for editing that writing into perfection. For this opinionated offering on writing, teaching and the state of the world, Jensen deserves four checkmarks for courage. His ideas are always radical and often inspiring. He rails against the public education system frequently and with refreshing humor, telling students their papers "have to be good enough-interesting enough-that I would rather read them than make love." Drawing on his personal experience, he castigates what he sees as formal education's lack of creativity and flexibility for personal style. Jensen's strength lies in his honest, provocative, passionate approach. The rawness of his ideas is this book's virtue, but it's also its vice. When Jensen makes seemingly random forays into commentary on the demise of the environment or political consciousness (subjects he explored in earlier books like The Culture of Make Believe), his writing becomes long-winded and unfocused. He loses sight of his own seventh rule of writing, which he so dramatically relays to his students: clarity. But more importantly, Jensen's first, second, third and fourth rules of writing are "Don't bore the reader." In that effort, he succeeds masterfully. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Writing teacher Jensen doesn't believe in the traditional grading system, which he calls "a cudgel to bludgeon the unwilling into doing what they don't want to do," so he opts instead to give his students at Eastern Washington University check marks: one check mark for turning in a piece of writing, four for editing that writing into perfection. For this opinionated offering on writing, teaching and the state of the world, Jensen deserves four checkmarks for courage. His ideas are always radical and often inspiring. He rails against the public education system frequently and with refreshing humor, telling students their papers "have to be good enough-interesting enough-that I would rather read them than make love." Drawing on his personal experience, he castigates what he sees as formal education's lack of creativity and flexibility for personal style. Jensen's strength lies in his honest, provocative, passionate approach. The rawness of his ideas is this book's virtue, but it's also its vice. When Jensen makes seemingly random forays into commentary on the demise of the environment or political consciousness (subjects he explored in earlier books like The Culture of Make Believe), his writing becomes long-winded and unfocused. He loses sight of his own seventh rule of writing, which he so dramatically relays to his students: clarity. But more importantly, Jensen's first, second, third and fourth rules of writing are "Don't bore the reader." In that effort, he succeeds masterfully. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.VOYA
"As is true for most people I know, I've always loved learning. As is also true for most people I know, I always hated school. Why is that?" Jensen's book starts off with a bang and goes full throttle until the very end. He presents a strong case that public education results in people becoming inflexible and boring. He explains that most people love learning, but that they become defensive about education. In describing his experiences of teaching writing to college students and prisoners, Jensen stresses that there are few rules of writing, but the most important is that writers should not bore their readers. Through vignettes, Jensen describes writing exercises and how they have resulted in his students being able to freely express their creativity. The chapter titled "Giving Up Control" is especially intriguing because Jensen describes the Great Chalkboard War of 1995. It involved Jensen's written battle with another teacher via a chalkboard for several days because his classroom chairs were arranged in a circle instead of in rows. In one exercise, Jensen requires students to write about walking on water; some students stood in bathtubs while others walked across frozen ponds, and all were able to write about the experience. The author, who seems like a friend by the end of the book, presents his ideas in a humorous, radical, and upfront approach. Although useful for educators and librarians, this book is a true treasure for teens. It is highly recommended for public libraries, academic libraries, and budding writers. 2004, Chelsea Green, 226p.; Biblio., Ages adult professional.—Sheila Anderson