i never expected to be amen-ing about an introduction to a book but:

She learns from her students that they have more difficult lives than her storyteller's imagination can invent. her life have been comfortable and privileged compared to theirs. She never had to worry about feeding her babies before she went to class. she never had a father or boyfriend who beat her at night and left her bruised in the morning. She didn't have to plan an alternative route to avoid gangs in the school hallway. Her parents didn't plead with her to drop out of school so she could help them earn money.

How can art make a difference in this world? should she be teaching these students to write poetry when they need to know how to defend themselves from someone beating them up. can a memoir by Malcolm  X or a novel by Garica Marquez save them from the daily blows? And what about those who have such learning problems they can't even manage a book by Dr. Seuss but can weave a spoken story so wondrous, she wants to take notes. How can she teach her students to take control of their own destiny? She loves these students . What should she be doing to save their lives.