The head of the writing center at Rollins College, in an attempt to develop a metaphor for the writing center turned to peer writing consultants. Their suggested metaphors structure an essay about what a writing center should be: a community of consultants and clients working together, respectful of diversity, originality, tolerant of differences. What is a writing center after all, if not the ultimate illustration of that democratic diversity that scholars so value in literature and composition studies? The peer tutors themselves represent a wide range of disciplines, skills, and talents; a melting pot of the best the institution can offer. Moreover, the training and experience with clients give tutors a healthy sense of ownership, making them responsible for the center and responsive to campus needs. Their own take-over, then, speeds the democratization of literacy as they interact with fellow students to create widening circles of support for writing, reading, and responding. A further goal of peer training is to make the tutors professionals--they read scholarship, conduct their own research, and even participate in the evolution of courses. The colleagues at the writing center are also engaged in a human endeavor; the strength of their discipline lies in its interactive character. (TB)