Teacher feature: Teneice Durrant on the pleasure of choice in writing

Teacher feature
Date Posted:
2/6/2020

Writing toward Balance and Wholeness teacher Teneice Durrant shares some insights into both her teaching and creative processes.

Director Stacia M. Fleegal: What excites you, inspires you, makes you grin from ear to ear about your Center class? Where is the joy for you in the teaching? Is there any relationship between the pleasure you feel teaching and the pleasure you feel when you’re writing?

TD:  For me, the pleasure that comes from writing and the pleasure that comes from teaching are two halves of the same coin. As a writer, I take pleasure in selecting the best words to convey the emotional truth of a moment; as an instructor, I take pleasure in selecting readings and exercises that help the student realize the emotional truth of the moment they want to convey. The joy for me comes when my students find that one, perfectly resonant image that captures the nuances of emotion in their experience, or when a bolt of inspiration reveals a perfectly broken line. Those moments are what makes me thrilled to teach with The Center.

Writers, what about writing brings you joy? Share with us in the comments!

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Comments

What brings me joy in writing is when someone says, I totally related to your essay. And what brings me even more joy is if it makes them laugh to during this connection. A shared moment, a connection brings me joy.

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