Subject: Re: open spaces
Omlor@aol.com
Date: Fri Jan 26 2001 - 14:32:35 GMT
Whoops,
Sorry about the empty message -- mouse got a bit quick on me. It was not a
theoretical performance (and so, now, I guess it was... sigh)
Anyway, one side note to the white space discussion... For many years now I
have deliberately ordered larger size paperbacks for my Lit. courses. When
there are several editions available, I always order the one with the largest
page size and easiest font to read. This term, for example, I managed to
find and order the larger-sized versions of *The Bell Jar* and *A Moveable
Feast* and *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas* and even a larger-sized *The
Subterraneans* and a slightly spread out *The Waste Land*. Just last term I
managed to find good size editions of all of the Kafka books I taught (thanks
to the wonderful Schocken people) and oversized copies of some of the
Flaubert (mostly thanks to a recent film version of *Madame Bovary* --
movies, even cheesy and lame adaptations -- often result in bigger paperback
editions).
There is, of course, a psychological component to this -- my students seem
more willing to spend time reading these volumes and I believe that for some
reason *they* believe the books are easier to understand somehow... I know
it makes no sense, but when I teach little, cramped paperback novels or the
big anthologies with tissue paper pages and tiny type or even standard size
paperbacks, the kid's attention wanders more easily than it does when we are
using the big ones and for some reason they start thinking that the "book is
harder."
Odd, though easily explainable, I'm sure.
Anyway, hunting editions each semester is always a bit of fun.
That's all from here in Tampa / St. Pete where three of my students were
excused from class this morning because they had rehearsal for dancing and
running about on the field during Super Bowl pre-game and halftime
performances (two of them got to work with 'N Sync! Or so I have heard
amidst sighs and dreamy smiles...) and there are celebrities everywhere I go
and a seafood restaurant and bar called The Hurricane on my little local
beach was actually charging private party patrons (mostly professional
football stars and the playboy centerfold girls who are staying at the hotel
down the street from me) $200 to go the top floor rooftop and drink (I have
often been one of three people up there to watch the sunset over the Gulf on
a regular evening) and we are all in danger of drowning in media coverage and
the local paper had two extra sections today of just game and event stuff and
local golf courses have more than tripled their rates for the weekend and
where many of us who live here can't wait for it all to be over....
Now it's off to party with Miss July...
--John
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Wed Feb 21 2001 - 09:44:22 GMT