From the new Introduction by William Ayers, education activist :

“Here is Maxine Greene in full―in her astonishingly distinctive voice she urges us to challenge all the clichés and received 'truths' that clutter our minds and senses, to open our eyes!”

For 25 years, Maxine Greene was the philosopher-in-residence at the innovative Lincoln Center Institute, where her work formed the foundation of the Institute's aesthetic education practice. Each summer she addressed teachers from across the country, representing all grade levels, through LCI's intensive professional development sessions.

Variations on a Blue Guitar contains a selection of these never-before-published lectures touching on the topics of aesthetic education, imagination and transformation, educational renewal and reform, excellence, standards, and cultural diversity―powerful ideas for today’s educators.

From the Lincoln Center Institute's lectures on professional development, these essays touch on various topics, including: aesthetic education; imagination and transformation; educational renewal and reform; excellence; and standards and cultural diversity.