A desire to encourage preservice teachers to respond personally and critically to literature created the tensions that led to the curricular explorations discussed in this article. First is a description of the course context, the curricular, and theoretical frame for inquiry through literature. In particular, the use of a broad theme, Journeys, is highlighted to provide coherence and connection across course experiences and to move to a conceptually-based course framework. Following this is a description of the specific course engagements, highlighting the responses to Ursula LeGuin's "A Wizard of Earthsea" to demonstrate some of the ways in which this broad theme framed the thinking of the preservice teachers in the course. (Contains 3 figures.)