Liminal Spaces of Writing in Adolescent and Adult Education addresses the persistent gap in writing reform at the middle, secondary, and post-secondary level. Through an examination of "useful" and "liminal" writing, the book explores the intellectual and creative space where structured expectations verge with individual imagination in writing. The premise of the book is built around a multiplicity of ways to invite adolescent and adult students to enter into states of liminality where they are encouraged to experiment with style, form, genre, and voice. Through research featuring the perspectives of adolescents, classroom teachers, teacher educators, graduate students, and literacy researchers, the book offers numerous insights into fostering a liminal and useful approach to writing instruction. Each author takes the reader through a journey of finding the liminal as teachers, writers, and researchers. Taken together, this tapestry of perspectives puts forth the argument that liminal moments are necessary caveats to explore in order to cultivate fully actualized writing where students are in control of structures and traditional writing expectations but also free to imagine new ways of breaking with conventions and being as writers. Thus, the book argues liminal writing is critical in bringing about sustained writing reform.

Fiction. Eighteen year old Eddie believes finding a girlfriend will solve his loneliness. He has always been shy around girls and, because of his self doubt, he has never dated. He has spent his teenage years in his bedroom by himself, watching TV, listening to music and looking at his baseball cards. But when he meets April and her family everything changes. Eddie's love for April and his desire to break away from his past completely blind him to the serious problems with April and her family. His need to belong prevents Eddie from seeing that April's family has its own deep-rooted psychological problems. Undaunted, Eddie makes up his mind to work harder and harder to make April see that he loves her no matter what, and that nothing she does will change his mind.