Clare Rossini - Teachers Make a Difference - Jane Cooper & Don Justice

The speaker reflects on their upbringing in a working-class neighborhood near a prairie, where they learned valuable life lessons from nature. They discuss the influence of two key mentors from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop: Jane Cooper, who encouraged them to find their voice and overcome self-doubt, and Donald Justice, who emphasized the importance of meaning and craft in poetry. These mentors shaped the speaker's understanding of the connection between technique and truth in writing.

What was Donald Justice's perspective on the role of poetry in civilization?

How did the author's view on perfectionism relate to their experience with Donald Justice?