Stories are woven so tightly into the fabric of our everyday lives that it's easy to overlook their significance in framing how we think about ourselves and the world. Stories are meaning making, providing a means of structuring and reflecting on our experiences in order to understand their significance. Story is also life making, a way of knowing. Educators are often so focused on using literature to teach something else that they lose sight of literature as having value in and of itself in illuminating what it means to be human. In addition, story is world making, inviting readers to participate in another's vision of the world and to "live through," not just gain knowledge about, life. This vision provides a way for students to imagine and live within and across global cultures. Finally, story defines our professional identities and possibilities as teachers, creating the basis for a true democracy of the intellect.