WILL HOCHMAN wrote: > Teaching Salinger texts is a joy--there's no other literature I would > want to work with more. But I will admit that Nocooola's concern was most > evident for me when I was writing my dissertation. I kept heart by > knowing what Salinger was teaching me was not going to be part of my > "defense" but life, and that by learning life lessons I could tolerate the > school stuff...Your question is a good one but it goes beyond Salinger. > Making anything one loves part of one's livlihood will change the > love...in my case, my students mostly give me such a full sense of reading > and enjoying Salinger texts and don't seem overly poisoned by the academic > values I support. But I'm the teacher, what do I know? > > However, if you watched how Akemi worked with folks on this list to unpack > "Eskimos," you saw the kind of work we do in class in action...btw, thanks > to all who contribute to this list and my class...just thanks because I > think we all know what we read in Salinger gets golden on this list in one > way or another, will > > On Mon, 2 Nov 1998, nicolaaaaaa wrote: > > > dear will, > > i think i am about to ask a stupid question.... this is addressed to > > everyone really. at first i didn't > > understsnd how people were "in your class", stupidly, but now i do > > and i just have to ask... > > i never really thought about salinger as a text to be taught, > > until now... i think i would hate to have to study TCIR, and > > particularly F&Z... do you never get disillusioned with analysing > > salinger? as an english student i am quite probably missing the point > > completely, and i am beginning to wonder why the hell i even chose > > this course when even picking apart something i am indifferent to like > > "the lifted veil" seems so much > > more pointless than just READING it. i just hate the idea of writing > > essays on Salinger's narr. style, language etc etc. and am thinking > > maybe i have no business being here, studying what i am studying, > > when it appears i have no insight into the subject at all. i used to > > love english, but now it all seems to be going belly-up... > > please someone write back and shoot even just a tiny bit of wisdom my > > way... > > confused, > > Dear Will, after voyeurising for some time so as to "get hold of" how mail > lists work (yes I'm that naive computerwise ) , I really related to this > response of yours. I've always been particularly susceptible to teaching > Salinger myself . It's great when you note that flash of insight from > particular students , and slightly deflating when the opposite occurs - > like - "Holden was just an iidiot . Why are we studying this ?" Isn't it wonderful to teach Literature though. I used to marvel to myself - "To think that I'm actually being PAID to sit around and talk about books and poetry with these great people - I'd gladly do it for free!! (By the way, Scotty, at my school christian names were the norm between students and staff - it always seemed to me to be an obviously natural way to address another human being . At many of our big private boys' schools , the students are always referred to by their surnames - now that's RUDE ! )Cheers , MARTIN.