ABSTRACT
Prior to visiting Parker Palmer at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, where this interview was done, I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at a Boulder, Colorado, conference on Spirituality in Education in 1997 and at a day-long presentation in Seattle. Parker fulfilled all the expectations I had of him from reading his many books, as a person truly big in heart, courage, and wisdom. He has evolved a language that makes self and spirituality accessible and relevant to both teaching and learning. Palmer is author of To Know as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey; The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring; and Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. He is best known among K-12 educators for his book The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life and for the Courage to Teach teacher formation programs that he initiated with support from the Fetzer Institute. Reading over this interview, I have been amazed at how fluidly and coherently he speaks about the importance of joining soul and role as teachers and learners.
