But many of us seek community solely to escape the fear of being alone. Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be al… - bell hooks

Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.

When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as an escape.

Students who excel in active listening also contribute much to the formation of community. This is also true of students who may not speak often but when they speak (sometimes only when reading required writing) the significance of what they have to say far exceeds those of other students who may always openly discuss ideas. And of course there are times when an active silence, one that includes pausing to think before one speaks, adds much to classroom dynamics.

The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is-it’s to imagine what is possible.

…consider New Age logic, which suggests that the poor have chosen to be poor, have chosen their suffering. Such thinking removes from all of us who are privileged the burden of accountability.