Living The Questions: Essays Inspired By The Work And Life Of Parker J. Palmer

Parker J. Palmer--who for forty years has written and spoken about subjects ranging from contemplation to community, the inner life to public life, education to social change--is known as one of the nation’s most thoughtful voices, calling us all to ways of being in the world that honor the human heart and promote a humane society. Living the Questions, a celebration of Palmer’s long and distinguished career, explores the dynamic interplay between the inner life of spirit and the outer life of work. The equally distinguished contributors, who come from a wide range of professions--university presidents, scientists, physicians, religious leaders, business consultants, public school educators, philanthropists, and community organizers--bear witness to the depth, breadth, and reach of Palmer’s work. All of them have been personally touched by his courage and determination to live a life congruent with the ideas and principles he writes about and by his candor in acknowledging his own flaws.

Sam M. Intrator is an assistant professor of education and child study at Smith College. A former high school teacher and administrator and the son of two public school teachers, he is the editor of Stories of the Courage to Teach: Honoring the Teacher's Heart, author of Tuned In and Fired Up: How Teaching Can Inspire Real Learning in the Classroom, and coeditor (with Megan Scribner) of Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach.