Myself and my colleague and friend, Lauren Waukau-Villagomez, recently presented some of the ideas in our new book (currently in press), Teaching Native America Across the Curriculum: A Critical Inquiry (Peter Lang) at the Native American Indian Education Association of New York State at the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca, NY.

Our hearts are heavy to learn of the death of the lovely, brilliant, and energetic Augusto Boal, the father of The Theatre of the Oppressed.  A dear friend of Paulo's, Augusto was also a member of our own Scholar's Board.  Augusto was a tireless fighter for the disenfranchised and used th

Just wanted to give a heads up about a new book: Rocking Your World: The Emotional Journey into Critical Discourses, Sense publishers, 2008.<!--StartFragment-->

I had the pleasure of editing this book with Joe’s mentorship and contributions from numerous bloggers from this site.  Below, please find the requisite 250 word description as well as excerpts from Joe’s foreword and from the final chapter entitled, “A conversation amongst the authors.”  This last chapter was an online discussion amongst the authors about their experience writing the book and their perceptions about its potential values and uses.

Last Monday on my three hour drive home from NYC to Boston after Joe’s memorial celebration, I was speeding through the dark, iPod blaring through my car stereo, bouncing from one ambient yet upbeat song to another and trying to make sense of my experiences with Joe and the critical pedagogy world, not just from that night, but over the past months and years.  I kept fixing on and then shifting from the word “closure,” which just felt so… wrong.  There was a certain lingering sense of security from being able to share my memories and grief with others, but by no means did I feel, “closure.”  This wasn’t an ending; it wasn’t a book being shut and re-shelved or a letter being sealed; it was something else.

My introduction to Dr. V. Janesick was through a class I did with her - Critical Pedagogy - in the fall of '08. Because of her new windows were opened and exisiting ones where looked at through new lens. She inspired me and from the interaction with her I was made to unravel new regimes of truth of myself, of my family, of my community, of the world. The following is an exerpt of an assignment - a critical view of one's self - I had to present, and like my poem was totally unaware where this article would lead me to. As you read, try to seeing your first image of yourself and critically analysis the 'true' you. Are you there in the image that you have constucted of yourself?

First Image –Being

I am so ridiculously privileged to have the opportunity to travel around the world speaking, listening, learning, and making friends with so many wonderful people. Shirley and I just got back from Iceland and the UK where we spoke about the bricolage and critical research, critical pedagogy, the Freire Project, and other issues. I am so grateful to the many, many people in these countries who had such profound insights about these topics and their relationship to doing good things in the world and how we can work together internationally to further the causes of transformative research, good teaching, social justice, and a revolution of the heart.

Reply to this blog if you're in Valerie Janesick's class.

                  I have been pursuing critical pedagogy and genuine democracy since I experienced them through a small number of professors and reading references. I never believe the ideologies and the practices from them are universal truths that more people must believe. However, they at least have given me a lot of critical and transformative ideas in my daily and academic lives to fight against and overcome subordinating and oppressing social and educational systems and stand for the people who need empowerment.

FIGHT! An eye for an eye. Right or wrong it doesn't matter. This is the message we send to the children of the world.

Is talking about difference now totally out of the question?

Should we stop and ponder what motivates violence?

What part does each individual play in allowing violent acts to occur in the world?

Questions, questions, questions! Are we ready for answers/alternatives? I would argue that alternatives are within each of us and we have an obligation to the children of the world and ourselves to constantly strive for alternatives.