Project Read at the San Mateo Public Library is one of 106 library programs in California helping adults improve their reading, writing, and communication skills. Like many adult literacy programs, Project Read trains and matches volunteer tutors with students. About 30% of the Project Read students are men in Project 90 (P-90), a residential drug and alcohol recovery program. The P-90 approach to recovery includes extensive reading and writing assignments. Yet many of these men are convinced that they "can't read" and "can't write." The Project Read tutors make it possible for men with long-unused reading and writing skills to complete the program and to feel hopeful about continuing to improve their literacy skills. This article describes a successful approach used by Project Read tutors in teaching writing to adults. This approach is called "dividing and conquering."