Re: why?
Vera Horan (fravera@alphalink.com.au)
Thu, 05 Nov 1998 17:43:00 +1100
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.