Scott B. Smith and Linda Dehnad

I was a student of Linda Dehnad at Kansai Gaidai Hawaii College from 95-97.
When I first met Linda at her class, I think that was my 3rd term, I encountered “freedom” for the first time in my life.
She did give us homework, of course, and she graded us although she trully hated doing so.
She let us write whatever came up to our minds; and I did, and she liked it. She was and always was encouraging.
Once she showed in class a video about the Statue of Liberty, and I was struck somehow by James Baldwin describing as emancipation of slaves as an “irony to slaves.” I became interested in African American literature.

We stayed in touch even after I transferred to Univ. of Georgia. I wrote my troubles, and she always wrote back.
She always wrote long emails; which was fun to read and beautifully written. Her writing had a rhythm and I learned so much about writing, unconsciously, from her emails.
When I had hard time writing essays, blaming myself, she always came up to my mind saying “Daisuke! you're writing very well” with a big “Linda” smile that makes her look like she was astonished.
After graduation, I visisted Linda in LA on my way back home to Japan. She kept open her apartment's door so that I could get into her place as I arrived there at 11pm or so. I spent several days with her, driving her BMW and also washing it.
We laughed a lot. (and I was coughing a lot maybe because of her cat. I do not remember she had only one cat or two.)

We stayed in touch even after I came back to Japan. She told me about SNCC reunion in Raleigh in April 2000, and I went there. The reunion was a blast, songs start from nowhere and enveloped all of us, with a sense of unity and so much love.
I and Linda stayed in the same room. Once I was calling the desk from the room, and she complimented me how fluent I sounded as I hung up the phone saying, “appreciate it.” As SNCC reunion days ended, we parted at the hotel lobby. That became my last moment that I physically saw Linda.

Until a few weeks before her death, we wrote each other. and I cherish her emails, and I always remember Linda as a wonderful teacher and person, and a person who loved me and who influenced my life.