There has been a great deal of groundbreaking research done on motivation during the last twenty-five years, and all of it points to the importance of intrinsic motivation. This research has very significant ramifications for teachers of English. In this essay, the author engages the issue of "aversion" that Linda Brodkey raises in her essay "Writing Permitted in Designated Areas Only", and address it in relation to the growing body of scholarship related to intrinsic motivation and the author's own experience in the composition classroom. The author believes that the national "remediation problem" is directly related to "aversion" problem. After all, two of the three most important gateway college readiness skills are taught primarily by English teachers--reading and writing (the other gateway skill, of course, is math). The author argues that English teachers must attend carefully and systematically to issues related to motivation because students who are motivated typically do not underachieve. Recent research has provided a compelling theoretical argument for this focus on motivation. This work suggests that intrinsic motivation is a prerequisite for any kind of significant learning or achievement. The author contends that it is essential that English teachers begin to engage this research carefully and begin developing curriculum designed specifically to promote and nurture motivation.