While the point of the latest Family Guy episode was to comment on society valuing the life of a human more than the life of an animal (and paired with the fact that it was seen from another dog's point of view, though more a human than a dog, it was brilliantly executed), the aspect I was really amazed at was the commentary of trends in current literature.
They paired this valuing with the hiring of a Hispanic housekeeper who barely speaks English and is treated as a second-class human (to parallel with the animal vs. human argument). Then they went so far as to have Brian, the dog in question, become the star and studied author of a "special literature group." While he believes the group is a gathering of intellectuals discussing his book, in actuality the group is a bunch of mentally disabled citizens who enjoy books of ease, straightforwardness, and simplicity--the antithesis to what Brian believed he had actually written.
Now without delving too deeply into the political incorrectness that Family Guy so often wallows in, the fact that Brian is an unappreciated author whose work is misinterpreted and misread speaks a great deal about our current society.
The biggest-selling books of this year belong to the Twilight saga and books written by Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck. Hardly books that I would call challenging or deep reading--but provocative. A human falling in love with both a vampire and a werewolf is certainly literature that distracts from the recession and the two ongoing wars. And books that challenge the status quo and offer hard-nosed attacks on liberalism (being interpreted as socialism) are popular because they offer a back-to-basics, simplistic point of view which appeals to many who think the world is becoming too convoluted and intricate, with too much technology and too many taxes and bills.
Their material isn't thought-provoking, isn't filled with examples of literary terminology or dynamic characters, nor does it has a lasting effect once the book closes. Instead they rely on shock, sexual tension and gossip to propel up the charts and captivate an audience that is majority interested in such things. Very few readers these days really want to challenge themselves with a book when they set up to choose one--is this a result of painstaking analysis in English class, or by overexposure to standardized testing which zaps the fun out of reading? Is it the result of a society that focuses on gossip and bluntness? Or is it that reading as a form of entertainment has sagged so far that twittering (160 characters or fewer) is more popular than reading-for-fun?
Whatever the reason(s), our society is obsessed with entertainment and when they turn to books, they choose those that are simple, blunt, and shocking. We choose fewer and fewer deep, challenging or inventive novels. While Harry Potter was a mini-breath of fresh air, and Dan Brown's half-truthful reporting which overloads his books with fact and simplistic action is a middle-of-the-road I'll settle for, I refuse to allow my students to obsess over books like Twilight and to become enamored with a world that shuns books and difficult material because reading is interpreted as 'work.'
Family Guy does a fantastic job of echoing this sentiment because only the mentally handicapped would enjoy a difficult read, while book clubs like the one Brian actually believed he was coming to speak to are fewer and fewer. Where they do exist, they are only a very small minority that struggles to hold their niche in a world obsessed with literature that is anything but intelligent.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Say it ain't so, JK!
This article came out today and states that another publishing company is suing the publishers of Harry Potter (Bloomsbury) for copyright infringement, alleging that portions of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as essentially stolen ideas and materials.
While I suppose it is inevitable that some portion of some book would have some kind of similarity to some aspect of one of the Harry Potter novels (it is, after all, nearly impossible these days to produce an entire work without borrowing from, alluding to or referencing an idea, event, character type, theme, etc. from another book, story, poem, idea, etc.), it does seem kind of fishy that the book in question is another 'wizard' book.
So, did JK Rowling knowingly borrow aspects of the book? Is there a foundation behind this argument? Can it be proven? If so, does it diminish her reputation as a creative genius? Does it somewhat lessen her impact on adolescent and pre-teen reading? Does it disqualify her as one of the greatest authors of the past 25 years? I think not. One thing is for sure: she did not steal a whole idea, as "parts" of the book are claimed to be "similar." She also vehemently denies any previous knowledge or reading of the book, making it entirely impossible to plagiarize. Perhaps it proves that there is a pre-determined direction for a book or idea to go in, regardless of the author's own bias, and that writing is truly an unconscious being in and of itself.
While I suppose it is inevitable that some portion of some book would have some kind of similarity to some aspect of one of the Harry Potter novels (it is, after all, nearly impossible these days to produce an entire work without borrowing from, alluding to or referencing an idea, event, character type, theme, etc. from another book, story, poem, idea, etc.), it does seem kind of fishy that the book in question is another 'wizard' book.
So, did JK Rowling knowingly borrow aspects of the book? Is there a foundation behind this argument? Can it be proven? If so, does it diminish her reputation as a creative genius? Does it somewhat lessen her impact on adolescent and pre-teen reading? Does it disqualify her as one of the greatest authors of the past 25 years? I think not. One thing is for sure: she did not steal a whole idea, as "parts" of the book are claimed to be "similar." She also vehemently denies any previous knowledge or reading of the book, making it entirely impossible to plagiarize. Perhaps it proves that there is a pre-determined direction for a book or idea to go in, regardless of the author's own bias, and that writing is truly an unconscious being in and of itself.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Current Reading
Currently, I'm reading "A Farewell to Arms," for whatever reason (I saw it on my shelf and suddenly decided to pick it up and begin rereading it [first time since high school], perhaps because another book I'm reading is befuddling me), and "The Collected Poems of Allen Ginsberg," which is very trying and very different from a lot of what I have read in the past.
I am also rushing through Cate Marvin's "Fragment of the Head of a Queen," mainly because she will be at the upcoming residency and, having never met her before, I'd like to have some idea of how she writes. So far, I'm coming up with a lot of Plath-esque feelings toward her poems. They seem disjointed in parts, and more about description and frequent divergences than they do about a total, singular revelation--which tend to be more of the type of poems I write.
Maybe it would be good to get some advice from her or to work with her during one semester to get an alternative approach to writing poetry. I can tell that she has done her homework on some of these poems where certain ideas and images are amazing, but, as I said before, her type of poetry doesn't necessarily appeal to my poetry likings. I'm inclined to learn from her, and to read her, but I'm not necessarily inclined to write like her or to spend hours scrutinizing her work (as I do to other poets) to attempt to discover their inspirations and processes of writing.
I am also rushing through Cate Marvin's "Fragment of the Head of a Queen," mainly because she will be at the upcoming residency and, having never met her before, I'd like to have some idea of how she writes. So far, I'm coming up with a lot of Plath-esque feelings toward her poems. They seem disjointed in parts, and more about description and frequent divergences than they do about a total, singular revelation--which tend to be more of the type of poems I write.
Maybe it would be good to get some advice from her or to work with her during one semester to get an alternative approach to writing poetry. I can tell that she has done her homework on some of these poems where certain ideas and images are amazing, but, as I said before, her type of poetry doesn't necessarily appeal to my poetry likings. I'm inclined to learn from her, and to read her, but I'm not necessarily inclined to write like her or to spend hours scrutinizing her work (as I do to other poets) to attempt to discover their inspirations and processes of writing.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Lauren Conrad Writes Fiction/Non-fiction
http://www.teenvogue.com/industry/2009/05/lauren-conrad-novel-la-candy-excerpt?currentPage=1
Oh, yay! Look, Lauren Conrad, AKA LC from MTV's "The Hills," has just signed a 3-book deal with HarperCollins. Her first book, LA Candy, will be released later this month.
The premise to the book: A popular girl from a smallish hometown in California moves to the Hollywood Hills, gets a 'fabulous' job, and ends up starring in her own reality show. The book then delves into the difficulties in maintaining friendships and relationships, and displays the challenges associated with balancing work with life with reality television stardom.
How did she ever come up with such an amazing idea?
Oh, yay! Look, Lauren Conrad, AKA LC from MTV's "The Hills," has just signed a 3-book deal with HarperCollins. Her first book, LA Candy, will be released later this month.
The premise to the book: A popular girl from a smallish hometown in California moves to the Hollywood Hills, gets a 'fabulous' job, and ends up starring in her own reality show. The book then delves into the difficulties in maintaining friendships and relationships, and displays the challenges associated with balancing work with life with reality television stardom.
How did she ever come up with such an amazing idea?
Monday, June 8, 2009
Pirated Books
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/06/08/more-hard-data-on-th.html
The link posted above goes to a new study conducted about book sales and pirated book sales. The study's authors found that while both books that are not pirated and books that have pirate copies available on the internet both experience peak sales and then dramatically drop off several weeks after their peaks (which usually occurs about 14-22 weeks after their initial peak), books with pirated copies available saw their sales rise less high than books without pirated copies, and also saw their drop in sales (denouement!) occur much quicker.
Seems like a no-brainer.
And the study is relatively concise, leading one to wonder what is so impressive about the study?
Well it shows that the OVERALL number of books being read overwhelming goes to the books that have pirated copies available--showing that despite sales numbers which are often smaller at their peaks and drop off quickly, interest continues on them at the same pace and rate after the initial spikes (in profits for book publishing companies) because of the word-of-mouth from reader to reader.
What does this mean for the future of book publishing? Is it going entirely viral? Will it become like movies--where the new (insert your favorite author here)'s new book can be read in January on some pirate website when the actual hardcover won't appear until March 1?
Whatever happens, one thing is promising. The study revealed a turning trend in which certain types of books are being read MORE than they were before 'the internet revolution,' and that certain demographics are reading more (both online and by buying books) than in the previous ten years. Certain areas of the country are experiencing dramatic upswings in demand for books by schools, libraries, etc. (showing more people want to read, but might not be willing to shovel out $34.99 for a hardcover during the first two weeks a book is printed). And more schoolchildren are reading that in the past 20 years (however, their books are relegated to Eragon, Harry Potter, Twilight, and other, simpler texts, whereas many classics and new fiction authors are experiencing a dry spell akin to the Dust Bowl.
Reading is the most important thing that this study can highlight--and so the job now becomes the book publishers'. They must devise a way to lower their overhead on marketing a book, thus reducing the price of the book in order to sell books at a price like $6.99 brand new. Something that people can easily afford. Perhaps marketing will have to come through online ad sales or 'collage advertising' (when 50-100 new books and titles are mashed together onto a single advertisement that is placed in a magazine)--a neat way to advertise, certainly, but not very glorifying for both the book and the author (and the cover illustrator/photographer/designer).
The link posted above goes to a new study conducted about book sales and pirated book sales. The study's authors found that while both books that are not pirated and books that have pirate copies available on the internet both experience peak sales and then dramatically drop off several weeks after their peaks (which usually occurs about 14-22 weeks after their initial peak), books with pirated copies available saw their sales rise less high than books without pirated copies, and also saw their drop in sales (denouement!) occur much quicker.
Seems like a no-brainer.
And the study is relatively concise, leading one to wonder what is so impressive about the study?
Well it shows that the OVERALL number of books being read overwhelming goes to the books that have pirated copies available--showing that despite sales numbers which are often smaller at their peaks and drop off quickly, interest continues on them at the same pace and rate after the initial spikes (in profits for book publishing companies) because of the word-of-mouth from reader to reader.
What does this mean for the future of book publishing? Is it going entirely viral? Will it become like movies--where the new (insert your favorite author here)'s new book can be read in January on some pirate website when the actual hardcover won't appear until March 1?
Whatever happens, one thing is promising. The study revealed a turning trend in which certain types of books are being read MORE than they were before 'the internet revolution,' and that certain demographics are reading more (both online and by buying books) than in the previous ten years. Certain areas of the country are experiencing dramatic upswings in demand for books by schools, libraries, etc. (showing more people want to read, but might not be willing to shovel out $34.99 for a hardcover during the first two weeks a book is printed). And more schoolchildren are reading that in the past 20 years (however, their books are relegated to Eragon, Harry Potter, Twilight, and other, simpler texts, whereas many classics and new fiction authors are experiencing a dry spell akin to the Dust Bowl.
Reading is the most important thing that this study can highlight--and so the job now becomes the book publishers'. They must devise a way to lower their overhead on marketing a book, thus reducing the price of the book in order to sell books at a price like $6.99 brand new. Something that people can easily afford. Perhaps marketing will have to come through online ad sales or 'collage advertising' (when 50-100 new books and titles are mashed together onto a single advertisement that is placed in a magazine)--a neat way to advertise, certainly, but not very glorifying for both the book and the author (and the cover illustrator/photographer/designer).
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
World Digital Library
I'll be putting a link to this on the right-hand side very shortly. It's a link to the World Digital Library, which just expanded tenfold today and will continue to for the remainder of this week and the next until it's, well, enormous. It features at least 8 different language translations of some of the world's earliest known literary and historical works including the first European map of the new world and ancient Chinese translations of oracle bone prophecies.
The world is becoming easier and easier to access at a moment's notice and I only hope this can lead to smarter and more informed citizens. No offense to the 40% of Americans who believe Benjamin Franklin was one of our presidents...
The world is becoming easier and easier to access at a moment's notice and I only hope this can lead to smarter and more informed citizens. No offense to the 40% of Americans who believe Benjamin Franklin was one of our presidents...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Current Reading
Still working through McCullough's John Adams, the entirety of the Divine Comedy (eek!), and nearly finished with Lives on the Boundary. In addition, am currently reading Marvin Bell and Kim Addonizio's new latest on writing technique, which just came on order from the library. I'll also be reading more Bob Hicok when it comes in. I wish Hicok resided at a college nearby; I would take a useless course just to sit in his presence and learn whatever I could from his ramblings and writing exercises.
The students at Virginia Tech rave about him, even those who simply have him for Freshman Lit. One kid was in a local newspaper (when Hicok was awarded another Pushcart [which I am nominated for!]) saying Hicok, "gave us a writing assignment about 'convincing someone else to want something that we ourselves do not want but should want.' I picked community service." What an amazing concept! And though I'm sure he intended the meaning to go deeper than that, I'm sure he was nonetheless proud and ample with his comments/critiques/enthusiasm. I should use this as a journal prompt in the future, and probably write a poem about it.
Did I mention I got the job for this summer as an outdoor skills specialist at a daycamp? That's right. I can finally put my fondness for the outdoors to use and teach middle schoolers how to set up lean-tos, make fire, and have more self-reliance. Wouldn't it be amazing if I were able to teach my students these skills simultaneously as we read through Thoreau? Yes, self-reliance transcends the page as it transcends even the New England woods.
The students at Virginia Tech rave about him, even those who simply have him for Freshman Lit. One kid was in a local newspaper (when Hicok was awarded another Pushcart [which I am nominated for!]) saying Hicok, "gave us a writing assignment about 'convincing someone else to want something that we ourselves do not want but should want.' I picked community service." What an amazing concept! And though I'm sure he intended the meaning to go deeper than that, I'm sure he was nonetheless proud and ample with his comments/critiques/enthusiasm. I should use this as a journal prompt in the future, and probably write a poem about it.
Did I mention I got the job for this summer as an outdoor skills specialist at a daycamp? That's right. I can finally put my fondness for the outdoors to use and teach middle schoolers how to set up lean-tos, make fire, and have more self-reliance. Wouldn't it be amazing if I were able to teach my students these skills simultaneously as we read through Thoreau? Yes, self-reliance transcends the page as it transcends even the New England woods.
New Moon
K will be proud of this post.
Over the weekend it was announced that Michael Sheen will play Aro, the patron vampire leader in Stephanie Meyer's New Moon film adaptation due out this autumn. While I would think they would opt for a more buff and intimidating actor, say Ving Rhames or Chuck Lidell, the studios did choose a rather scrawny actor to play Jacob, so I guess it's fitting. Below are pictures of Michael both as he looks regularly, and how he looked in his werewolf make-up (yes, he played a werewolf and now he will play a vampire interacting with werewolves...) when he played the patron of the werewolf brood in Underworld. (On second thought, maybe he does seem pretty intimidating when all dolled up. PS, yes, he is the guy from Frost/Nixon.)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Books...On Demand
A sign of the times? A comeuppance? A respite? A new wave?
Whatever you want to call it or classify it, clearly the recent boom in on demand books and printing on demand is what will keep the publishing industry alive through The Great Recession.
Of course authors, writers and readers will never become extinct, (even blogs promote all three of these and are nearly antithetical to the 'sit down by a window and read independently, silently, for hours and then reflect individually') but the industry is hurting. This is precisely why printing on demand works so well and, in my opinion, is a welcome respite to the traditional means the publishing industry has gone through for years.
Is there a reason to print 5,000 copies right off the bat and then market a book with $15,000 if no one will read it, half the copies will end up being recycled, and the author might not be invited back to sign a contract for the sequel? No. Market a book with half that money, utilizing the internet, new media enterprises, and other books/magazines, conferences, and publishing house newsletters (sent across new and traditional media outlets). The result is of course broader exposure with limited cost. This saves the company money and opens up opportunities for growth and more authors to publish.
Many websites offer authors the chance to pay a small amount to publish their book legitimately online, gain an ISBN, market it themselves (or with some small help from the publishing company for an additional fee), and then wait for reviewers, readers, etc. to weigh in on their book. The better the book, the more buzz is generated and the larger it grows. The result: printing more books, which comes as a profit to the companies after all. Seems like a win/win to me. Now all we have to do is convince publishers to go this way entirely.
Sure, it might mean waiting an extra five or six days for your follow-up to last year's crime thriller to arrive in your mailbox or bookstore (after all, book stores will be given a much smaller shipment), but it also might just mean that that same author to last year's crime thriller will be given the financial and supportive means to continue writing and creating for your enjoyment, their livelihood and the betterment of the world and society in general. A literate society is a productive, intelligent, and entrepreneurial society.
Lulu.com and iUniverse are just two of the on demand publishers featured in several articles and stories circulating around the news media recently. Mainly because of the success of 'Still Alice,' by Lisa Genova. Constantly rejected for two years, she decided to publish online and print on demand with iUniverse. 6 months later, her book (without much marketing, without a major contract, and with her doing little more than promoting it in her community and with her new media friends) had earned her a half year's traditional working salary and had been picked up by Simon&Schuster for traditional print. It is now on the NYTimes bestseller list (check it out at your local Borders or on Amazon).
I think this makes a ton of sense for poetry, too. If only online publishing can gain more legitimacy, poets will be given the accolades they deserve. The US population reading contemporary poetry is scarce (if even a percentage), so the incentive for publishing houses to choose a book of poetry is virtually non-existent. It's more a labor of love to print a book of poetry than it is to turn a profit--to paraphrase a Norton executive. Imagine getting your book of poetry e-published and receiving great acclaim, without having a publishing company essentially berate you for costing them money because of your writing niche. Ah, what a wonderful (publishing) world that would be.
Back to Ms. Genova. That's a success story if I've ever heard one. And, by the sounds, of it, much cheaper, more streamlined, and proven for success. If a publisher can take fewer chances and has proven results and demand, that spells profit for them, which is success and happiness for an author.
A more literate society because of the internet? Now that's progress.
Whatever you want to call it or classify it, clearly the recent boom in on demand books and printing on demand is what will keep the publishing industry alive through The Great Recession.
Of course authors, writers and readers will never become extinct, (even blogs promote all three of these and are nearly antithetical to the 'sit down by a window and read independently, silently, for hours and then reflect individually') but the industry is hurting. This is precisely why printing on demand works so well and, in my opinion, is a welcome respite to the traditional means the publishing industry has gone through for years.
Is there a reason to print 5,000 copies right off the bat and then market a book with $15,000 if no one will read it, half the copies will end up being recycled, and the author might not be invited back to sign a contract for the sequel? No. Market a book with half that money, utilizing the internet, new media enterprises, and other books/magazines, conferences, and publishing house newsletters (sent across new and traditional media outlets). The result is of course broader exposure with limited cost. This saves the company money and opens up opportunities for growth and more authors to publish.
Many websites offer authors the chance to pay a small amount to publish their book legitimately online, gain an ISBN, market it themselves (or with some small help from the publishing company for an additional fee), and then wait for reviewers, readers, etc. to weigh in on their book. The better the book, the more buzz is generated and the larger it grows. The result: printing more books, which comes as a profit to the companies after all. Seems like a win/win to me. Now all we have to do is convince publishers to go this way entirely.
Sure, it might mean waiting an extra five or six days for your follow-up to last year's crime thriller to arrive in your mailbox or bookstore (after all, book stores will be given a much smaller shipment), but it also might just mean that that same author to last year's crime thriller will be given the financial and supportive means to continue writing and creating for your enjoyment, their livelihood and the betterment of the world and society in general. A literate society is a productive, intelligent, and entrepreneurial society.
Lulu.com and iUniverse are just two of the on demand publishers featured in several articles and stories circulating around the news media recently. Mainly because of the success of 'Still Alice,' by Lisa Genova. Constantly rejected for two years, she decided to publish online and print on demand with iUniverse. 6 months later, her book (without much marketing, without a major contract, and with her doing little more than promoting it in her community and with her new media friends) had earned her a half year's traditional working salary and had been picked up by Simon&Schuster for traditional print. It is now on the NYTimes bestseller list (check it out at your local Borders or on Amazon).
I think this makes a ton of sense for poetry, too. If only online publishing can gain more legitimacy, poets will be given the accolades they deserve. The US population reading contemporary poetry is scarce (if even a percentage), so the incentive for publishing houses to choose a book of poetry is virtually non-existent. It's more a labor of love to print a book of poetry than it is to turn a profit--to paraphrase a Norton executive. Imagine getting your book of poetry e-published and receiving great acclaim, without having a publishing company essentially berate you for costing them money because of your writing niche. Ah, what a wonderful (publishing) world that would be.
Back to Ms. Genova. That's a success story if I've ever heard one. And, by the sounds, of it, much cheaper, more streamlined, and proven for success. If a publisher can take fewer chances and has proven results and demand, that spells profit for them, which is success and happiness for an author.
A more literate society because of the internet? Now that's progress.
Lord of the Rings..REALITY!
Now, please rate on a scale of 1-10 how amazing and awesome this is:
http://www.hobbitontours.com/
What is it? It is a New Zealand tourism website which offers visitors tours of the 'Hobbit towns' in New Zealand created specifically for Peter Jackson's blockbuster Lord of the Rings movies. Once only scenery and backdrops, the towns were renovated, revitalized and expanded to look more realistic and now can even be rented out for a 'camping holiday,' or two- or- three-day weekend for tourists interested. I rate it a 10. Ingenious, clever and definitely something Tolkien would enjoy visiting.
http://www.hobbitontours.com/
What is it? It is a New Zealand tourism website which offers visitors tours of the 'Hobbit towns' in New Zealand created specifically for Peter Jackson's blockbuster Lord of the Rings movies. Once only scenery and backdrops, the towns were renovated, revitalized and expanded to look more realistic and now can even be rented out for a 'camping holiday,' or two- or- three-day weekend for tourists interested. I rate it a 10. Ingenious, clever and definitely something Tolkien would enjoy visiting.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Current Reading
Currently working my way through the entirety of The Divine Comedy...while simultaneously finishing McCullough's John Adams, and reading poetry by Philip Levine and Bob Hicok. While I don't remember much of The Divine Comedy from when I read it in college (did I read it in HS? Is it bad that I don't remember?), I am thoroughly impressed with the terza rima and the story itself. Perhaps it's my maturity as a reader now, having learned the patience and intelligence needed to write 'good' poetry and fiction and, as a result, having learned to read as a writer, but I can pick through a lot of Dante's technique now, and find a lot of the idiosyncrasies in his writing.
He was incredibly talented in telling the tale, and incredibly creative for imagining such a story. And as a writer, the terza rima rhyme scheme is pure genius. (Go to the New Yorker's website and look up the Terza Rima poem by Richard Wilbur that came out a few months ago.) Reading through a book like this, and reflecting on the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series, it amazes me that someone can conjure the necessary imagination and patience to create a masterpiece like one of these. Will I ever be able to create an enduring work? A story as imaginative and everlasting as one of these? Will I find a way to create a world of my own on a page and create the lives of characters too real to be imagined? I surely hope so.
Harry Potter will last forever because it has enduring themes and appeals to young adults. Should we allow the books to be taught in public schools in some aspect? To be studied in some way along with several other books, such as Catcher in the Rye or The Outsiders? There are countless themes that can be explored between these works, and we all know the appeal these novels already hold...seems to me that 'the canon' might need to be bent a bit, expanded, or added to in some respect to allow the inclusion of books like these, which could ultimately improve literacy or enjoyment in reading among our youth population.
He was incredibly talented in telling the tale, and incredibly creative for imagining such a story. And as a writer, the terza rima rhyme scheme is pure genius. (Go to the New Yorker's website and look up the Terza Rima poem by Richard Wilbur that came out a few months ago.) Reading through a book like this, and reflecting on the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series, it amazes me that someone can conjure the necessary imagination and patience to create a masterpiece like one of these. Will I ever be able to create an enduring work? A story as imaginative and everlasting as one of these? Will I find a way to create a world of my own on a page and create the lives of characters too real to be imagined? I surely hope so.
Harry Potter will last forever because it has enduring themes and appeals to young adults. Should we allow the books to be taught in public schools in some aspect? To be studied in some way along with several other books, such as Catcher in the Rye or The Outsiders? There are countless themes that can be explored between these works, and we all know the appeal these novels already hold...seems to me that 'the canon' might need to be bent a bit, expanded, or added to in some respect to allow the inclusion of books like these, which could ultimately improve literacy or enjoyment in reading among our youth population.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Current Reading
Just finished reading Ben Okri's The Famished Road...what an amazing piece of literature it is. It's imaginative, fantastical, metaphorical and can best be described as 'an excursion from Western reality and an immersion in the magical and wondorous world of African folktales and belief that reality is only part of what we experience on a daily basis.' It would be an amazing book to teach high schoolers (preferably seniors, and preferably in an advanced class given the highly metaphorical materials and 500+ page length), I could think of dozens of assignments, essays, journal entries and questions for this book, many of which I thought of while reading. It was great.
Still reading McCullough's John Adams, A Ship Made of Paper, and Lives on the Boundary. Afterward, returning to read Dispatches from the Edge, Anderson Cooper's memoir.
Still reading McCullough's John Adams, A Ship Made of Paper, and Lives on the Boundary. Afterward, returning to read Dispatches from the Edge, Anderson Cooper's memoir.
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