Remembering Two Giants

I’ll be walking into my W250 class tomorrow night. I’m thinking how I might start. I know all the writers that are my friends have one thing in common: Each of them  do not think they have anything to write and it’s been said before, are common sentiments about writing.

What shocks me is the fact that the “giants of writing”, such as Donald Murray, felt the same way, even after many books under his belt. Donald Murray had said, shortly before he passed, that he too feared writing:

“Each time I sit down to write I don’t know if I can do it,” he wrote. “The flow of writing is always a surprise and a challenge. Click the computer on and I am 17 again, wanting to write and not knowing if I can.” ~ Donald Murray

Perhaps it will console my 20 year old students for them to know that even the proliflic writers share their fears.

Donald Graves and Donald Murray were two huge losses to those that love the teaching of writing. We miss you.