First Person: May I ask you a question?

Abstract

Anne Bruder recalls how, when she was in 5th grade, she asked so many questions, so frequently, that she was put on a behavior contract that required her to limit the number of questions she asked. She began to see questions as something to budget carefully, an attitude that shifted when a college professor welcomed her questions and encouraged her to keep asking, without seeking permission. Today, as an associate professor of literature at Berea College, she uses questions to invite students into conversation, and she seeks to help them craft questions that get beyond simple facts to find more complex meanings.