lit curriculum
WILL HOCHMAN (hochman@uscolo.edu)
Tue, 09 Mar 1999 18:34:05 -0700 (MST)
I confess to being glad with never having to read Henry James again (with
the possible exception of "The Turn of the Screw") (And I studied with the
fellow who studied with Leon Edel)(Whose critical work about James is
really more readable than James...)(Now William James is something else
entirely).
Rick started me thinking about how students can shape curricular decisions
about what they read. I'm clueless really, because I rarely meet
undergraduates who have read enough to make strong, comprehensive decisons
about large groups of books...however, I do know that undergraduates are
more than able to make strong recommendations about individual books and
authors. My guess is that you may be able to influence your dept if you
got some majors together and got them each to mention particular books to
profs...create a buzz of interest and maybe a good prof will want to make
honey with it in a course?
Many students don't do assingned reading and I think profs want to assign
books that will engage thinking...there are some good folks engaged by
the ideas of Henry James for example...and some good ideas come harder
than others, and at different times in our lives, so reading lists and
course curricula often work in ways that are somewhat removed from stated
goals...my best advice is to read a lot, if you find an author you like
read everything she wrote, and if you find an author you can answer in
writing in one way or another, stay close to the words, will
PS: I do know a number of undergrads (some of them on this list!) who read
in terrific ways and quantities and are exceptional...I do admire my
students, regardless of reading background/habits, and am being realistic
but not disresepctful of undergraduates above.