The people that are familiar with my book will notice that I begin with a quote from Walt Whitman, where the book is my “Barbaric YAWP” that I sound over the roofs of the world. Indeed, that poem was one of the inspirations for writing the book in the first place.

You see Walt Whitman is a “Dead Poet”. The first time in my life I ever heard that line about the “YAWP” was in the film the “Dead Poets Society”. Seeing that outstanding film as a young man changed my life forever. I would encourage every teacher and every parent and every student to watch that film and think about it.