石海兰：
Glen老师也给我们七班上过写作课，就像你说的，他总是花样翻新的用各种方法激发学生的潜力，而且不仅仔细修改作文也不吝大力表扬以鼓励学生的学习热情，有次他来上课，他和Tim老师一起来的，二话不说拿来一卷录音带，让我们听，是个题目叫the
zoo 的play，要求听完后马上写感想，那是一个以人性为主题的play
，听的我很感动，随后飞快的写着[Chuckle]好像停不下来，然后交了上去，过了一天我收到Glen的批改，wow！unbelievable，Glen不仅耐心的在我手写的蛛蛛爬似的字迹全文多处修改并不时在文中给出他自己的看法，到最后还给了我一个大大的表扬的评语，从而激发了我学习的上进心，我因此珍藏至今，后来老师与我们班每个同学都约了一对一的交谈，他仍提起我的那个感想作文，再次表扬我，鼓励我多读书勤思考多动笔，我非常感激Glen老师对我的教诲。
唐和：
看了张芸的提议，挑起了许多我对Glen老师的回忆。虽然我只上过他的一门写作课，但他对我的帮助很大，让我对他心怀感激。如果没有那门课，我后来的人生轨迹，也许就会不同了。
Glen开的写作课是选修课，上课的同学不分班，因此我认识了几个其他班对写作有兴趣的同学，有时下完课后，大家会讨论一下，互相借看各自的课堂作业，共同提高写作能力。在那个年代，Glen的教学方法确实与众不同，题材广泛，生动活泼，一点也不枯燥，能够极大地激发学生的思想和写作欲望。我在上完他的第一节课后，便产生了给自己加压，多写多练笔的想法。于是，就利用课余时间，将我自己下乡务农的经历用英文写下来，每个星期写一篇，前后大概写了六、七个小故事。文章是用手写的，错误当然很多，于他而言，那是个额外的负担和工作，会占用他许多精力和时间。但他对我很有耐心，每篇文章都看得很仔细，不单修改拼字文法，有时还会提些意见。记得有一次他认真地跟我说：你是在写小说啊，好好写吧，会有出息的。他还问，能不能复印我的作文，以后带回国去作为他的教学资料。我说没问题。当年他有一部便携式的复印机，是我从未见过的小机器，只见原稿从一边放进去，复印稿就从另一边印出来了，感觉十分新鲜，不可思议。
我那时候读书读得很辛苦，为了完成基本的课业，已经忙得焦头烂额了，并没有太多的时间去做其他的事情，因此，并没有听他的话，坚持把故事一直写下去。等到上完他的课后，我就停笔了。现在想起来，不免有点遗憾。因为不管你读了多少别人写的文章，只有你自己写的才算数，那才是你自己的思想，是自己最宝贵的东西。
到了四年级下半学期，学校要求我们写毕业论文。这时候，许多同学都苦于找不到题目，不知从何写起。我突然想起Glen的写作课，就去问我的论文指导何自然老师，说能不能利用我们同学的课堂作业，加上参考国内外的教学理论，来讨论Glen的教学方法，从更高的层次来总结高年级学生的写作课。何老师说行。
就这样，我就去找来几个一起上过写作课的同学，把他们的作业抄下来，作为我的论文素材，然后再去图书馆借来几本写作理论方面的书，东抄西写，对比分析，思路清晰，既有理论，又有实例，下笔顺畅，言之有物，论文写得轻松，花费的时间也不多，当别人还在日夜加班苦思冥想之时，我的论文早就已经写好了。何老师看后，也很满意。
我从内心感激Glen，是他的写作课，帮我顺利完成我的大学毕业论文。
毕业后，我利用空闲时间，把那几篇写给Glen看的短文整理出来，取名为《My
Country Life》，用打字机打印好了，找机会送给几位外籍老师看，听取他们的意见。当时国家刚刚对外开放不久，外面的人不大了解中国的农村生活，所以，他们读后都觉得很有趣，鼓励我应当多写一点。
1984年初，关闭多年国门悄悄开启，先知先觉者抢先一步申请出国留学。有天晚上我吃过饭后去散步，在路上碰见张小西。她告诉我，现在可以自费留学啦，去到国外后，只要能够拿到TA（teaching
assistance)，就能独立生存，免费读书！
天下还有这等好事？太过不可思议了！我回家后马上着手写信，向Ohio一所大学申请入学和TA。不久后，收到校方回信，说要看我的毕业论文和作文。我想来想去，感到我所写过的文章，就只有这篇《My
Country Life》拿得出手了，于是就连同我的毕业论文一起寄去。随后，就接到录取通知书。
那年头出国是件大事，要办退职迁户口拿签证，奔奔波波，几经挫折，最后还是顺利过关了。来到美国之后，有一天，我在学校办公室门口见到一位满脸胡须的老师，一见到我，就说他知道我是谁。我有点惊讶。一问，原来他是我们系的研究生挑选委员会的成员。他说他对我写的《My
Country Life》印象深刻，读完后，说我就要这个学生了。后来，他果然成了我研究生毕业论文的指导老师。我的这篇文章，曾经发给同班读书的其他老美同学看，让他们给我提问，讨论中国方面的问题。
光阴荏苒，又是到了我离开美国学校的时候了。我曾经试图把《My
Country Life》给美国一家杂志社，但没有被采用。我自知文章写得不是很好，下的功夫也不多，毕竟英文不是我的第一语言，还有，中国的问题实在是太多太复杂，三言两语是讲不清楚的。很多问题，现在连国人都不想谈不敢谈了，更何况对中国一窍不通的人来说，难上加难呀。
时过境迁，往事如烟，以往的岁月，尤其是比较艰苦的日子，不要说是别人，就连我自己也都逐渐淡忘了。唯有忘不了的，是Glen的手迹，他是个左撇子，写出来的字与众不同。我怀念那段等待Glen读完后给我原稿的日子，那时候我只想知道我的文章写得好不好，他会不会喜欢我所选择的题材。我会反复翻看他在我的稿纸上所作的批示，希望从错误中得到教训和提高。那时候的我，还自认是个好学的文学青年呢。
刘小勇：
GLEN
的人格魅力在于他的诚实与待人平等。有些人你认识了很久，不一定对你有多大的影响。有些人虽与你有短暂的交往，却能影响你一辈子。有一段时间，我们四班有幸和三班并班上课，
GLEN
给我们讲授
FOREIGN JOURNALISM课，他本来就是记者出身，很自然地就引导我们客观地看待世界，他的课相当有吸引力。别看他有狗熊那样的个头，他说他很怕看别人直视的眼光，因为直视的眼光比刀子还厉害。他说他本不抽烟，但是为了掩盖讲课时紧张的内心，就点上一支烟。看他那么可爱，我们四班的同学就在他的名字葛朗后面加了个台字（巴尔扎克笔下人物）。有一次他走进我们课室，不知道谁喊了一声葛朗台先生好！，大家哄然大笑，他像小姑娘那样脸红了半天，不知所然。同样是记者，他就没有那种咄咄逼人的气势，与我们所熟悉的丹拉瑟和华莱士有天壤之别。
为了熟悉他教的每一个学生，他和每一个同学进行了一场
face-to-face free talk
。他和我的那次谈话至今记忆犹新。
一开始，他要我说一下我的经历，我就把我当过红卫兵、农民、工人和上中专的经历
(
当然略去了我入党那段
)
简单介绍了一遍，看得出来他听得蛮有兴趣，不时插一两句话。然后我说：我讲完了，轮到你了。没想到他把这句玩笑话当真的了，他真的讲起他本人的经历，于是整个谈话就变成是他讲我听了。讲着讲着就谈到令他伤脑筋的离婚官司。他说：我的人生所求很简单，只要有一堆书和两顿饱饭足矣。你们也许注意到了，我这件衣服都穿了三个月都没洗过，我在物质上是一个要求极低的人，而她是一个对物质有要求的人。为了挽救这段婚姻，我尝试过做生意。我一直在试图说服我自己，
there is no difference
between journalism and business, but it turned out that
journalism
is all my life!
我的生意一事无成，从而又加深了双方了裂痕。至于孩子的抚养权，她愿意给我当然最好，她知道我很喜欢孩子。可是我不抱任何希望，因为她也喜欢孩子。我也不知道我的明天在哪里
最后，我们谈到宗教，谈到了国内对宗教活动的限制。他问我是否知道广州东山浸信会教堂刚刚恢复礼拜活动一事，因为他的一些加拿大朋友去了。我说，非常巧，东山堂就在我家附近，恢复崇拜那天我也去了。他问我为什么要去，我说纯属对西方文化的好奇。他沉思了一下，从书架拿下一本
paper back
的书递给我，我一看，这是一本《新约圣经》。他说：这本书送给你。我本人不信教，如果你从宗教去着手理解整个西方文化，你就找到了进这个大门的钥匙。这句话我当时并不理解。几十年后的今天，当我读完了美国历史和美国宪法，当我体验到的美国社会生活，我对他这句话深为折服。
GLEN
就是这样一位平常人，喜欢读书，敬业，爱他的学生，爱他的孩子。
苏志伟：
他教过三班，李岩有天晚上把我拉上，去他家里坐，聊天，Glen有个很小的儿子（1-2岁），刚开始会说话。我好像在三年级时候上过他的写作课，二个班挤在一起上的那种。记得他叫我们写作写人物时运用的一种写法，他给了例子：他有个叔叔某天带好友出游，驾驶摩托车，朋友坐后头，叔叔在讲个故事，一只蜜蜂突然飞进他的嘴巴，他摔倒在路旁，起来后继续讲他的故事。
Here is a report from Canadian media:
GLEN ALLEN, 65 Reporter a witness to 1973 coup in Chile
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Montreal -- Glen Allen, a celebrated journalist described by colleagues as a skilled writer sensitive to his fellow human beings, died last week in Toronto. He was 65.
The son of war correspondent and former Maclean's magazine editor Ralph Allen, Glen Allen had a varied career in news, starting as a reporter in the 1960s. He worked at the Toronto Star and for papers in Victoria and Nelson, B.C.
He later garnered national media attention for his dispatches from Chile, where he spent two years as a freelance writer. He saw first-hand the military coup that installed the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.
Mr. Allen then went to Montreal, where he spent about 10 years at The Gazette, a stint interrupted by a two-year teaching post in China. He also had a sharp eye for human-interest stories. "He got to the true side of people," said Leon Harris, a Gazette copy editor. "He was probably the best writer on staff."
In 1982, Mr. Allen was presented a Media Human Rights Award for a feature story on racism in five provinces. The following year, he won a National Newspaper Award for a story about the unsuccessful efforts by social service agencies, doctors, family and associates to help a 19-year-old Montreal youth who eventually committed suicide.
All the while, Mr. Allen was struggling with his own problems. He moved to Kingston, Ont., to work at the Kingston Whig-Standard, followed by a stint at Maclean's as a senior writer and then went to the Saint John Telegraph-Journal in New Brunswick.
Mr. Allen was found frozen to death beside railway tracks in Toronto on Dec. 20, a day after he was reported missing from Toronto East General Hospital. He was being treated for depression and had taken an overdose of medication, said his brother Gene Allen, a journalism instructor at Ryerson.
He is survived by two daughters and a son.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veteran reporter mourned
Dec. 22, 2005. 01:00 AM
PATRICK EVANS AND AMY BROWN-BOWERS
STAFF REPORTER
He was an old-school newspaper man who never got the hang of the tape recorder not when his hands moved fast as light, filling up notebook after notebook. But as hard as he went after hard news, there was always a touch of elegance in the words he wrote.
Journalists are mourning and sharing memories of Glen Allen, who died this week after a career that spanned decades and won him newspaper awards for his treatment of issues like human rights and suicide.
Allen, 65, was reported missing Monday from Toronto East General Hospital where he was being treated for depression, which he struggled with for decades. His body was discovered the next morning near some train tracks by Leslie St. and Lake Shore Blvd.
He was "a reporter of all trades," said longtime friend Carl Mollins, former executive editor at Maclean's magazine. "He could do ... politics in Ottawa, (or) travelling around, just finding things that made a story of interest to other people, and then explaining it very well."
Mollins recalled a Maclean's series where Allen travelled across Canada in search of details to bring the inhabitants of different regions to life for his readers. In one town, "he got acquainted with a woman mail carrier, and he just followed her around. She talked to him about the town and the people and what they did," Mollins said.
"He had this incredible sympathy and compassion for the underdog," said Allen's brother, Gene.
Mollins said he and Allen met for coffee regularly, but the last time they were scheduled to meet, Allen didn't show. Allen said he was struggling with depression.
Allen, a reporter who always found the right words, was devastated that he was losing his vocabulary after a stroke.
"He had told me in some of our meetings that he was having trouble thinking of words," Mollins said. "I used to tell him I'm an old person, it happens to me all the time. But his was different and you could tell from the email that he was having trouble with language."
Allen worked for the Toronto Star in the late '60s before travelling to Chile. He spent a decade working sporadically for the Montreal Gazette and taught for two years in China. Allen worked at the Kingston Whig Standard and the St. John Telegraph Journal then moved back to Toronto where he taught ESL classes until his death, Mollins said.
He had three children.
