forward, great leap

some hurried notes about writing (in no particular order and with a heavy emphasis on "notes")

it can't be taught. writing can't be taught. and i say this as a teacher of writing--

someone who earns a living teaching students to write in school.

yes, of course, people can be taught how to write. but Writing--

with all the rich and multiple meanings associated with phrasing it that way--cannot be taught.

do i mean voice? perhaps.

perhaps that's what can't be taught.

or maybe i mean a word close to voice, but not voice exactly.

i'm not sure.

i only mean this:

the great leap forward--the thing that can't be taught--is when we finally let go of "being wrong in words" and instead begin to look around with our writing, using our print to learn, explore, relax, create, share.

that's what can't be taught.

and it's the only thing we should be teaching:

by which, i mean...it's the thing we should finally free the students to learn.