In the 1960s, prizewinning writer Philip Lopate went into an urban school to teach poetry and became a part of the school community. , first published in 1975 but out of print for many years, is Lopates classic account of his relationship to his craft and to his young students. Hailed by the as a wise and tender portrait of a small society, Lopates book explores the horrible and beautiful aspects of being with young people five hours a day, and explains why teachers persist in staying with the public schools and trying to make them into places where young people can flower.