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I am delighted that Cynthia Fortner has had such a positive experience in using introspective diaries in her writing course. Writing weekly diaries and hearing them read aloud in a safe and anonymous setting allows students not only to express themselves but also to create a valuable dialogue with their classmates and teacher. In an age of increasingly impersonal education, this pedagogical approach fulfills students' and teachers' hunger for interconnection.
The essay that I have coauthored with Alina M. Luna appearing in this issue of JPCS demonstrates the importance of anonymity in this process, yet it also reveals how, over a period of time, sufficient trust may be established to make anonymity unnecessary.
I look forward to reading about Cynthia Fortner's future research on the transference and countertransference issues arising from introspective diary writing. I hope that other readers of JPCS will be emboldened to use this method themselves and to share their experiences with colleagues.
Jeffrey Berman
University at Albany