From the Diary of an English Teacher

More than ten years ago, Shirley Chew and Anna Rutherford invited me to contribute to their volume Unbecoming Daughters of the ^m/^/re (1993).Writing that piece about my childhood turned out to be more fun than anything else I had done earlier and while reading the other accounts in the book I became keenly aware how each of our lives are part of a larger cultural narrative. For the special issue dedicated to Shirley, I wanted to write something in the same mood — rather than another solemn academic paper. I share a warm bond of friendship with Shirley, and while I find her scholarly work impressive, what endears her to me most is the mischievous glint in her eyes as she recounts with verve some amusing anecdote concerning our profession. I wanted to share with her some of my experiences as a fellow English teacher.