SUBSTANCE OF FIRE: GENDER AND RACE IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM invites readers to delve into the four-year college experience, presenting a variety of perspectives and voices. Authored by college professor Claire Millikin, this multi-genre work examines the roles of race and gender within the context of privilege in the college classroom. It also features insights from recent graduates and current faculty who analyze the impacts of sexism and racism through the lenses of gay, straight, biracial, white, African American, and Latino/a writers and artists. The book poses critical questions such as how the experiences of female professors differ from those of their male counterparts, how being a lesbian student affects access to a professor's time and respect, and how having dark skin or a non-Anglo surname influences a student's ability to choose different majors. These inquiries and more are explored in THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE. The title reflects the idea that race and gender are not fully addressed issues in higher education; rather, they are volatile topics that lie just beneath the surface of a culture that claims to offer equal access to education, despite numerous testimonies highlighting the ongoing disparities. This book confronts the potential for conflict and pain related to gender and race within the college environment, going to that place of fire.