ABSTRACT
As far as social constructionism (under with I would include both narrative and solution -focused therapies, as well as some neo-Ericksonian, strategic, and language systems approaches), there never was one moment, an aha!, but I can see lots of clues. There always was lots of storytelling in our house when I was growing up, and my older brother and I used to sharpen our verbal skills on one another. My parents had friends of some diversity, as did my grandfather, and I attended a racially mixed school-so I got some idea that there was more than one way to look at things. My father was interested in archeology and anthropology, and we went to museums together. He also was antiracist. I remember one time as an early teenager when I came home and told a racist joke. My father immediately took me aside and said, "You sound like a Nazi (we're Jewish). If you talk that way or think that way, you can't be my son." Interviewer: That was clear. Hoyt: Yes. I got "multi-versed" (to use a phrase I heard from Rob Do an, personal communication, 1996) early on. And, I think that being aware of being Jewish, even though we were not religious, made me more sensitive to an "outsider's" perspective. My favorite line in the Bible is from Exodus 23:9: "Remember that you, too, were once a stranger in the land of Egypt. " Interviewer: What other events stand out? Hoyt: I remember when as an intern (at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 19 74-19 75) I was being supervised by Carl Whitaker. I also was presenting the same case to another supervisor-without telling either what I was doing. Finally, I told Carl that Dr. G. had been giving me very different advice. Car/laughed and said, "Well, I guess you'll have to think for yourself!"
