Philosophy and Nonsense Home Page Forrest D. Poston

Philosophy and Nonsense Thoughts About Education, Writing, and Experience Presented by Forrest D. Poston The first goal of teaching is to strengthen, deepen and refine our intrinsic love of learning. All other goals and all methods must stem from that idea. Any that do not support that goal must at least be questioned and adjusted, if not eliminated. Otherwise, we are not teaching but training. Contact
Writing and Education Autobiography Challenge Considering Conclusions Considering Introductions Four Meanings of Life Godot and the Great Pumpkin A Major is More Minor Than You Think The Poetry Process (A look at 4 versions of a poem.) Thoughts About Picking a Major Quick Points About Education Quick Points About Writing Reading Poetry and Cloud Watching Revising Revision Reviving Experience Reviving Symbolism Using an Audience What Makes a Story True? What's the Subject of This Class? (Being revised.) Why Write? Writing and Einstein (The Difference Between Information and Meaning) Writing and the Goldilocks Dilemma Links to Other Sites	Introduction Years ago a teacher said that he enjoyed conversations with me because I was "lucid." Other people don't always seem to agree. This site isn't likely to resolve the dispute, but spreading the confusion to a wider audience should produce some good conversation, one of life's greatest delights. I'll be posting ideas about general philosophy, education, composition, and bits of quirkiness that may occur late at night. This site is for both students and teachers, anyone who likes to think, who wants life and education to be more than memorize, regurgitate and forget. Feel free to use or adapt the ideas here. Of course, I wouldn't mind getting credit, especially when the ideas work, but more than that I'd like people to get in touch. Let me know what you tried and what happened (or didn't). Ideas are like clay: the more you work it, twist it, squash it down and start over, the more workable and useful it becomes. One friend with insight said that I'm at my most serious when I appear to be joking. I'm also at my most irritating when my pompous aspect takes control. Just pretend that it's really an attempt at humor. In the picture above, I'm the one with the longest fur over the least of my body. Forrest D. Poston, teacher, student, writer, auction junky, idealist, and cat cushion. I've slipped past 50, still writing my dissertation, and hoping to find a college that lets me teach students to do more than memorize, regurgitate, and forget. In the classroom, I do look marginally more professional, and just because I have long hair doesn't mean that I'm a revolutionary. Then again, it doesn't mean that I'm not. Once upon a time (high school actually), I had short hair, black plastic glasses and wore plaid polyester way too often. I was no more or less revolutionary in my philosophy. Still, I do have a tendency to bring out latent insecurities in some people without trying. The site includes a variety of narrative non-fiction essays on a wide range of subjects, essays directly related to education issues (some theory, some application), poetry and thoughts about writing poetry, plus some essays and scraps from my students. Some of the essays were written several years ago and could use revision. One or two are here despite being in revision, even incomplete. That's the advantage and disadvantage of being writer, editor, and publisher all in one. If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to get in touch. ---------------------------------- From time to time, a student decides to use some of my ideas, or perhaps they even quote me in a paper. Great, I'll take what fame and traces of immortality I can get. However, I should also warn such students that my ideas are not always the things that your teachers want to hear. I'm a stubborn idealist, and that puts me at odds with quite a bit of education theory and literary criticism. Sure, I think I'm right about some things, and I'm sometimes convinced of my own brilliance, but don't jump into the fire blindfolded. FDP ginfor@earthlink.net E-mail	Other Essays and Poetry Something Somewhat Vaguely Like a Resume Most Recent Essay: The Cat With a Bucket List Being Like Children The Blessing and the Blues Change, Church and Paranoia (a bit of silliness but true to the best of my memory) David and the Revelation The Dawn, the Dark, and the Horse I Didn't Ride In On (an odd, meandering, semi-romantic story) Ghost Dancer in the Twilight Zone The Hair Connection and the Nature of Choices The Mug, the Magic, and the Mistake Trumpet Player, USDA Approved Poetry Selected Poems The Poetry Process Writing by Current or Former Students Ms. Write Meets Her Match in Jr. Ms. Write Now by Heide Perry I'll Just Have Cats by Cara Hummel Toys to Toys by Allyson Bowlds Scribbles and Bits Links to Other Sites