title: Amish Literacy: What and How it Means
author:  Andrea Fishman 
description: ANDREA FISHMAN has taught high school English in a variety of settings for over ten years. In 1982, she left the classroom to do research among the Amish and received her doctorate in writing from the University of Pennsylvania. She has since returned to her teaching position at Carlisle Senior High School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Fishmans articles on literacy and education have been published in English Journal and Language Arts.
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  ![Illustration](e9781420141276_cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I WANTED TO TALK . . . THAT’S ALL.”
  
  
  She clutched her dusting cloth tightly. “I thanked you already for saving me.
  You said you wanted nothing for paying my hospital fee. Have you changed your
  mind?” Because I’m not for sale . . . Not, not, not . . .
  
  
  “Nee, sei se gut—I mean, no, I haven’t.”
  
  
  “Why,” she exclaimed, studying him more carefully, “you’re Amish . . .”
  
  
  Stephen swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, but I guess I don’t spread that around so
  much.”
  
  
  “Where is your Amish community?”
  
  
  “You—you know about the Amish?”
  
  
  She smiled faintly, and he felt like warmed syrup was running down his spine
  at the endearing glimpse of her pearl white teeth. “When I was—when I was
  traveling here, the train had a stopover for a few hours at a town called
  Renew. I was sort of hungry, and a kind Amish woman had a small stand at the
  depot. She seemed to know that I didn’t have much money, and she gave me a
  cheese sandwich and a ripe