Engaging conversation

Reading my African-American Lit students' online theory discussions is like walking into a room where a bunch of really smart people are having a fascinating conversation and being allowed to listen in. They engage with interesting ideas, articulate coherent arguments, consider implications, explore contexts, educate and inform and even entertain each other in an enlightening and civilized manner. I wish the conversation could keep going on and on....and for some, maybe it will. That, at any rate, is the goal.