Douglas DuBrin is a teacher and chair of the English department at Woodlands Academy in Lake Forest. He’s also a playwright and has had his work produced in the Midtown International Theater Festival in New York City. He has taught the speeches and writings of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., as works of literature and has developed lesson plans based on King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Q. What play are you writing now?
A. An apocalyptic comedy. Most of my works tend to be dark comedy.
Q. Which came first for you, teaching or writing?
A. Writing, definitely. As far as making any money, teaching. The first income-generating job I got was teaching as a Latin teacher, part-time.
Q. Do you recall the first time you heard the “I Have a Dream” speech by King?
A. Between my teens and 20s. He and all civil rights activities have been a part of me. I was raised in a family – my mother, grandfather and grandmother – who were Civil Rights activists. My grandmother was an active labor leader and feminist.
Q. Is it fair to say “I Have a Dream” is King’s best-known speech?
A. It’s a phenomenal piece of spoken rhetoric. I don’t think it’s his best piece of writing. He improvised a lot. I believe “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is his best piece of written work.
Q. From a literary perspective, what stands out about the “I Have a Dream” speech?
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A. His use of certain literary elements. The pause or break between lines. The use of repetition. His historical allusions.
Q. What do you think your students get out of King’s work?
A. They are moved palpably by the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” How calm he is and how he remains in control while in jail. His patience but his sense of urgency for ending segregation.
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