Hearing about banned books always shocks me in the way that sticking a knife in a toaster might. For me, the thought that a book, any book, should not be read, shocks me in the way that you would be shocked if your grandmother told you she was an international spy - not in the past, but right now. It's the kind of thing that doesn't even enter into my imagination.
Sure, there's lots of books that I don't like (see my description of She under Books that I'm reading), and other books that I think are really a waste of paper. There are books that bore me to death (I never have finished Moby Dick, though I've tried more than once), or that I don't understand (Gravity's Rainbow) and consequently make my head hurt. But I never doubt that there's someone in the world who loves these books... hell, for these two examples, I know people personally who love them.
But just because I'm disgusted, or bored, or confused by a book, is no reason to try to impose my taste on someone else. So banning books always puzzles me - I can't understand the motivation.
Most challenges to books come from parents who think their kids shouldn't read them.
Yes, there are plenty of books that should only be read in an age-appropriate context - kids have to be ready for the themes of some young adult and adult fiction (no, not "adult" but for-people-over-ten kind of adult fiction).
But some of the challenges go beyond questions of age appropriateness. One, a challenge brought by a mother on behalf of her daughter who asked to ban Huck Finn because of its rampant use of 'nigger' produced an interesting discussion on the part of the court justices who set down their decision. The excerpt follows:
We close this part of our discussion with two observations.First, we view with considerable skepticism charges that read-ing books causes evil conduct. It is all too easy to allegecause-and-effect when one event follows another. Here, forexample, Monteiro alleges that racial harassment, includingverbal insults, increased "as a result of" the assignment ofHuckleberry Finn and A Rose for Emily. The "as a result" linkis wholly unsupported by any factual allegations. If racialharassment indeed increased during the school term, there aremany other more likely causes that all of the interested partiesmight do well to explore. Second, the function of books andother literary materials, as well as of education itself, is tostimulate thought, to explore ideas, to engender intellectualexchanges. Bad ideas should be countered with good ones,not banned by the courts. One of the roles of teachers is toguide students through the difficult process of becoming edu-cated, to help them learn how to discriminate between goodconcepts and bad, to benefit from the errors society has madein the past, to improve their minds and characters. Those whochoose the books and literature that will influence the mindsand hearts of our nation's youth and those who teach youngpeople in our schools bear an awesome responsibility. We canonly encourage them to exercise their authority wisely andwell, and to be sensitive to the needs and concerns of all oftheir students.
I especially like what they say about good and bad ideas. After all, that's what education is all about, isn't it?
Last year, our department fielded a complaint from the parent of a student about an essay written by Edward Said from States asking us not to teach the essay because of controversy surrounding Said, his political beliefs, and questions regarding the validity of his facts. We were told that if we want to teach the piece, we should warn our students and discuss the issue with them in class.
Well of course we should! Just as I warned students about the controversy provoked in Smith's Dogma about his depiction of the church - it produced some interesting talk and I think the controversy made the whole experience much more valuable for the students... at least for that discussion period. Makes me want to use Said's essay simply because it will get students thinking and talking.
You can find a list of the top ten challenged books last year at the ALA website.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Rain
Poetry slumbers within the busy soul.
Or in other words:
In his discussion about how stories are passed on, oral stories that are rapidly disappearing from our culture in favor instead of the printed word, the novel, information, Walter Benjamin describes how the listener makes the story her own:
This process of assimilation, which takes place in depth, requires a state of relaxation which is becoming rarer and rarer. If sleep is the apogee of physical relaxation, boredom is the apogee of mental relaxation. Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience. A rustling in the leaves drives him away. This nesting places - the activities that are intimately associated with boredom - are already extinct in the cities and are declining in the country as well.
Or in other words:
In his discussion about how stories are passed on, oral stories that are rapidly disappearing from our culture in favor instead of the printed word, the novel, information, Walter Benjamin describes how the listener makes the story her own:
This process of assimilation, which takes place in depth, requires a state of relaxation which is becoming rarer and rarer. If sleep is the apogee of physical relaxation, boredom is the apogee of mental relaxation. Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience. A rustling in the leaves drives him away. This nesting places - the activities that are intimately associated with boredom - are already extinct in the cities and are declining in the country as well.
Walter Benjamin, "The Storyteller" Illuminations (1955)
Monday, September 27, 2004
Drowning
I was so delighted when I found that I had a two day a week teaching schedule this term. I imagined how much work toward my exams I would get done the other three days of the week - three days! luxurious time! - but as with all dreams, reality is much different.
Last week I went into Boston five days of the week - that's 5 times the 3 hour round trip - 15 hours of walking to the bus, waiting for the bus, riding the bus, walking from the bus.... well, you get the idea. But I consoled myself that I would have three whole days of study to look forward to this week.
Ha!
Things that are stealing away my study time:
groceries
auto inspection (due by Thursday)
soccer game
dentist appointment (2 - one for me and one for a child)
wine transferring (it will be vinegar if I don't deal with it soon)
haircut (DESPERATELY overdue!)
winterizing supplies
mandatory (extremely annoying) and long teaching meeting
marking papers
weeding the garden before the rain forecast for the rest of the week
laundry
covering someone else's class
That doesn't even include the things that I would enjoy having cut into my study time like going to the gym, watching movies, watching my kids' sports, writing, answering email from friends who must think I'm dead, spending time with my great husband....
All I can do is hope that next week I have my three days free.
Last week I went into Boston five days of the week - that's 5 times the 3 hour round trip - 15 hours of walking to the bus, waiting for the bus, riding the bus, walking from the bus.... well, you get the idea. But I consoled myself that I would have three whole days of study to look forward to this week.
Ha!
Things that are stealing away my study time:
groceries
auto inspection (due by Thursday)
soccer game
dentist appointment (2 - one for me and one for a child)
wine transferring (it will be vinegar if I don't deal with it soon)
haircut (DESPERATELY overdue!)
winterizing supplies
mandatory (extremely annoying) and long teaching meeting
marking papers
weeding the garden before the rain forecast for the rest of the week
laundry
covering someone else's class
That doesn't even include the things that I would enjoy having cut into my study time like going to the gym, watching movies, watching my kids' sports, writing, answering email from friends who must think I'm dead, spending time with my great husband....
All I can do is hope that next week I have my three days free.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Now here's a question...
I'm on the bus coming home when I hear sirens. My book is pretty boring anyway, so I look up to see a fire truck coming toward us on the street.
Then I realize an ambulance is coming up behind us.
My question: Who gets the right of way?
Answer: I still don't know, but in this case, the fire truck went first.
Is that just 'cause he's bigger, or because he had his lights and siren going and the ambulance only had lights on?
How do they decide?
Something to ponder next time you're stuck in line at the DMV.
Then I realize an ambulance is coming up behind us.
My question: Who gets the right of way?
Answer: I still don't know, but in this case, the fire truck went first.
Is that just 'cause he's bigger, or because he had his lights and siren going and the ambulance only had lights on?
How do they decide?
Something to ponder next time you're stuck in line at the DMV.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Spelling woes
Forwarded to me via email:
John Kerry said that the W. in George W. Bush stands for "Wrong" -- "wrong choices, wrong judgment, wrong priorities, wrong direction for our country." The Bush campaign responded saying that it was just the opposite, that the W. actually stands for "Write".
Ouch!
You can test whether you're a better speller than Dubya at the Guardian's spelling quiz
I'm afraid I have to admit I didn't get them all right... I guess I, like many others, have gotten way too dependent on spellcheck.
John Kerry said that the W. in George W. Bush stands for "Wrong" -- "wrong choices, wrong judgment, wrong priorities, wrong direction for our country." The Bush campaign responded saying that it was just the opposite, that the W. actually stands for "Write".
Ouch!
You can test whether you're a better speller than Dubya at the Guardian's spelling quiz
I'm afraid I have to admit I didn't get them all right... I guess I, like many others, have gotten way too dependent on spellcheck.
What the hell?
I dreamt about doing laundry last night... It wasn't even my laundry, or anything that I would recognize as something that I own, and for some reason I spilled water all over the floor when I opened the machine.
What the hell was that about?
What the hell was that about?
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Mood: Good
I realize "good" is a pretty plain word, but as I tried to insert other words, they all fell short of what I was feeling. I'm just feeling good.
Spent most of yesterday surrounded by the smell of ripe grapes (not the sterile, tasteless and odorless kind you get in the supermarket) that I first picked, then destemmed, and finally crushed. It's a heady scent.
Guess why?
Wine, of course!
First time I'm trying to make grape wine from scratch, so wish me luck...
And the night before, I felt at least partially vindicated for losing the Stanley cup with Canada winning the Worlds! Really fun game to watch too - mostly fair calls, no dirty fights (well, no fights at all), and some really good skill-work and a couple of dynamic checks. A great game!
Today, I get down to work. I'm hoping to put a big dent in my schedule this week and maybe recoup some of the speed I lost this summer and the early part of the month.
Weird part is, I'm actually looking forward to it!
Spent most of yesterday surrounded by the smell of ripe grapes (not the sterile, tasteless and odorless kind you get in the supermarket) that I first picked, then destemmed, and finally crushed. It's a heady scent.
Guess why?
Wine, of course!
First time I'm trying to make grape wine from scratch, so wish me luck...
And the night before, I felt at least partially vindicated for losing the Stanley cup with Canada winning the Worlds! Really fun game to watch too - mostly fair calls, no dirty fights (well, no fights at all), and some really good skill-work and a couple of dynamic checks. A great game!
Today, I get down to work. I'm hoping to put a big dent in my schedule this week and maybe recoup some of the speed I lost this summer and the early part of the month.
Weird part is, I'm actually looking forward to it!
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Status: Busy
Wow! Leave town for a week and all hell breaks loose!
Found out when I got back that I had to entirely rewrite the syllabus (you've already heard this one) I'd prepared on the plane to accomodate department requirements that were unknown to me at the time (the email came in on Monday and because I was away, I didn't see it till Wednesday)
Rewrote the syllabus (which took much longer than I expected and involved the wee hours of one morning)
Attended two meet 'n greet type functions (one at BU and the other for NEU) in two days. Lots of smiling and making nice.
Started panicking about book reveiw due on Monday (yes, tomorrow). I think I bit off more than I can chew with this book review, and although I finished reading the book weeks ago, I'm having difficulty writing anything that doesn't sound entirely too elementary to make a good impression.... hell, at this point I'll go for not looking like a complete fool.
I asked to review the book because I'd read the previous volume put out by these editors and thought this one would be interesting - which it is. Problem is, I feel under-qualified to comment on the position of the text within the scholarship that it represents. So I'm not writing as confidently as I otherwise would - which annoys me.
Also tallied up the losses from working dumb ass summer jobs. I'm now three full weeks behind on the reading list I set up at the beginning of the summer... mind you, losing a week to unexpected travel and the prep for it accounts for part of it, though I'm still a good two weeks behind. F***.
If I don't post for a while, it's likely that I'm not dead, just attending to all this stuff and the people in my life who I see face to face instead of virtual.
Found out when I got back that I had to entirely rewrite the syllabus (you've already heard this one) I'd prepared on the plane to accomodate department requirements that were unknown to me at the time (the email came in on Monday and because I was away, I didn't see it till Wednesday)
Rewrote the syllabus (which took much longer than I expected and involved the wee hours of one morning)
Attended two meet 'n greet type functions (one at BU and the other for NEU) in two days. Lots of smiling and making nice.
Started panicking about book reveiw due on Monday (yes, tomorrow). I think I bit off more than I can chew with this book review, and although I finished reading the book weeks ago, I'm having difficulty writing anything that doesn't sound entirely too elementary to make a good impression.... hell, at this point I'll go for not looking like a complete fool.
I asked to review the book because I'd read the previous volume put out by these editors and thought this one would be interesting - which it is. Problem is, I feel under-qualified to comment on the position of the text within the scholarship that it represents. So I'm not writing as confidently as I otherwise would - which annoys me.
Also tallied up the losses from working dumb ass summer jobs. I'm now three full weeks behind on the reading list I set up at the beginning of the summer... mind you, losing a week to unexpected travel and the prep for it accounts for part of it, though I'm still a good two weeks behind. F***.
If I don't post for a while, it's likely that I'm not dead, just attending to all this stuff and the people in my life who I see face to face instead of virtual.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
More drivin'
Okay, so it's not my imagination - ranked in order of difficulty to naviagate as a driver:
Bert Sperling's Top 10 Most Difficult Cities to Navigate
1. Boston, MA
2. Washington, DC
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Baltimore, MD
5. New York, NY-Northeastern NJ
6. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach, FL
7. Los Angeles, CA
8. Seattle-Everett, WA
9. Providence, Pawtucket RI-MA
10. Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach, VA
At least I don't feel so bad about how many times I've gotten lost in this city.
Info from Sperling's Best Places.
Bert Sperling's Top 10 Most Difficult Cities to Navigate
1. Boston, MA
2. Washington, DC
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Baltimore, MD
5. New York, NY-Northeastern NJ
6. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach, FL
7. Los Angeles, CA
8. Seattle-Everett, WA
9. Providence, Pawtucket RI-MA
10. Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach, VA
At least I don't feel so bad about how many times I've gotten lost in this city.
Info from Sperling's Best Places.
Drivin' me ______
You fill in the blank....
It was only five days, but driving in Calgary for five days was long enough for me to really notice the difference when I headed out to the grocery store - had to brake for a guy running a red.
In only five days I'd gotten used to (again) people actually following traffic laws.
It was only five days, but driving in Calgary for five days was long enough for me to really notice the difference when I headed out to the grocery store - had to brake for a guy running a red.
In only five days I'd gotten used to (again) people actually following traffic laws.
Back home
The weekend was full of activity, people, and emotions.
The girls came through with (what looks like) flying colors being on their own. Yeah!
111 emails.
One of which requires me to entirely rewrite the syllabus I put together on the plane and with a timeframe for the first assignment that is so tight, I have no idea how to implement it.
*sigh*
The girls came through with (what looks like) flying colors being on their own. Yeah!
111 emails.
One of which requires me to entirely rewrite the syllabus I put together on the plane and with a timeframe for the first assignment that is so tight, I have no idea how to implement it.
*sigh*
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