Donald Graves's early professional books inspired Koshewa to look more deeply into student writing during the 1980s, and to value all phases of the writing process. Graves's perspective on uncovering and celebrating voice elevated Koshewa's writing instruction to a new plane. In this article, he writes about the impact that Donald Graves's work has on his teaching, thinking, and learning. He offers specific ideas for how he implemented Graves's ideas into his writing curriculum. (Contains 8 figures.)