ABSTRACT
Once upon a time, many years ago, a time when the youngest faculty member at most colleges and universities today had not yet entered puberty, a young assistant professor at one of those colleges was assigned a task that was in those days de rigueur for low level English Department types. He was asked to become Director of Freshman English. Feeling flattered, having a modicum of interest in teaching writing, but lacking even the most rudimentary sense of caution, and in any case not having a great deal of choice in the matter, he agreed. The year was 1971. The college was Brooklyn College. The young assistant professor was me. And at the City University of New York, of which Brooklyn College is a constituent campus, 1970 turned out to be the first year of open admissions.
