What happens in classrooms when we create the time and space for authentic talk about texts? Extended, collaborative conversations that allow understanding to unfold over time can be messy and dynamic. As students wrestle with complex texts and ideas, talk can become lively--and predictable problems can arise. In this article, Marie Nichols uses classroom examples to illustrate some of these problems and their solutions. What should the teacher/facilitator do when everyone tries to talk at once, when students don't listen to one another, when some students dominate the conversation, or when other students remain silent? In each case, Nichols recommends that teachers avoid asserting their own control or guiding the conversation to the "right" answers. The goal is to teach students to negotiate their own conversations, respect different perspectives, and learn how to learn from one another.