This book examines, via a case study involving fifth, sixth, and seventh graders: (1) the struggle of teaching literacy in a racially divided society, (2) the importance of story and storytelling in the educational process, and (3) how storytelling is an interactive experience for both the teller and listener. In addition, the book reveals how cultural values and cultural differences affect education in today's American schools. The book describes the history of the Dewey Center Community Writing Project in Detroit's (Michigan) inner city and offers samples of the students' writing about their lives in a troubled neighborhood, as well as the teachers' versions of events and their personal histories and work as educators. These stories illustrate how talking across multiple perspectives can enrich the student's learning process as well as the community-building process outside the classroom. (Contains over 175 references.) (GLR)