All the Best, Neill: Letters from Summerhill

by A.S. Neill, Jonathan Croall (Editor)

A. S. Neill, founder of Summerhill, the most admired and most feared of all progressive schools, was famous as a schoolteacher, educational reformer, and author of illuminating and stylish books about education and the mind of the child. But few people know he was also a dedicated, prolific, uninhibited, witty and often mischievous letter writer. This selection of gems, first published in 1983, has been chosen from hundreds of his letters by his biographer. It includes letters about education, children, politics, writing, fatherhood, the Bomb, old age and death. 'All the best, Neill' was the familiar ending of his letters to the famous - H. G. Wells, Bertrand Russell, Henry Miller, Paul Goodman, Wilhelm Reich, Homer Lane; to important educators - W. B. Curry of Dartington, John Aitkenhead of Kilquhanity, Bob Mackenzie of Braehead, Dora Russell of Beacon Hill; to unknown friends, parents, and even casual correspondents. To read these letters is to share the company of a great and always delightful man, who wrote each one with the same commitment and gaiety.

Genres: Education, Psychology

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Alexander Sutherland Neill was a Scottish progressive educator, author and founder of Summerhill school and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion and its community self-governance, which remains open and continues to follow his educational philosophy to this day. He is best known as an advocate of personal freedom for children.

Reviews

[Joerg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is too real!

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars

[Branden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Jonathan Croall for putting this work together. After reading Neill's works and visiting Summerhill, this book presents more content on how Neill thought and communicated to others in his private writing.

This book also highlights a history that the internet is absent on the progression from Neill's ideas and Summerhill to the progressive, self-directed, democratic schools of today. I was specifically surprised to see that a great many of schools predated Sudbury Valley School of 68' in the early 60's, even in New York specifically. Closed schools often get no mention or credit in history.

Some of those schools being the Fifteenth Street School, New York; First Street School, New York; Lewis-Wadhams, New York; and Summerlane, New York. Schools founded by teachers, visitors of Summerhill, and stating their inspiration by Summerhill.

I think this is my favorite work on Neill & Summerhill so far.