Teachers need not drop entirely the nonliterary aspects of classroom talk and response to put students back in touch with the aesthetic role of classroom reading. Affect is the "gut reaction" a reader experiences when his or her raw emotions are touched. This first level of response must be acknowledged, even encouraged, before moving on to the second level, that of association. Beneath the surface response lie memories and reflections, associations in the form of stories or anecdotes which can form the basis of real understanding of students' response to various pieces of literature. Students need a variety of nonthreatening opportunities to express these associations. Students can keep a reading process journal, in which entries can be handled not as finished pieces of writing to be graded, but merely as explorations and attempts to get closer to what happens during and after reading. The following categories suggest some possible prompts to help students perceive the connection between reading and writing, and respond honestly: memory, belief, feelings, sharing, and meaning. In practice, the journal entries may take on many directions, often blending emotion and analysis. Later students may be encouraged to review their entries and select one or several that they can "flesh-out" into fuller pieces of written discourse. The journals can also serve as a catalyst for open dialogue in the classroom. (HTH)