[I]f there is a single, guiding assumption that underwrites these essays, it is that within the dialogues we commence with our students, our publics, and ourselves, there is ample warrant for hope?hope that through the words we share, the world we share likewise can be revised to include more voices, can be reimagined as a meeting place where, in Terry Eagleton's phrase, people feel less helpless, fearful, and bereft of meaning'' (184).