№ 2007.014 — Syracuse University — Commencement address

Frank McCourt

Field: letters

Transcript

Frank McCourt reflects humorously on his 30-year career teaching high school in New York City, describing how he learned about himself by shedding the 'teacher mask' and admitting his own ignorance. He recounts how his students' constant questions about his life eventually inspired him to write his books after retirement. He closes by urging graduates to free themselves from imposed dogma, to find what they love and do it, rather than chasing security and comfort.

Key moments

01 Mocking the cliché command to 'go forth' at commencements
02 Describing learning from his 12,000 high school students and removing the teacher mask
03 Recounting how students' questions led him to become a writer
04 Advising graduates to find what they love and reject dogma and smugness

Transcript

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Provenance

Imported from NPR commencement archive; cross-referenced with Open Commencement DB

NPR archive last updated in 2015; destination availability has not been exhaustively rechecked | Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording