Article Reading Logs

READINGS FOR 8/30/21:

Ostensibly
Moved the date for the ceremony so it didn’t clash with Obama’s new book release
I like seeing how he’s still putting himself out there
Speaking about what reading the books means to him
The Duchess of Cornwall talked about why it’s still important to read during the pandemic

“… When we talk about the novel, we need to talk about the stories it contains…”
People learned and understood that stories needed to contain a strong element of embattlement to maintain interest
They wrote in a lot of different ways such as: poems, stories, epics, edits, and essays. And they said that was before ink.
“… Novels need to be generated by and speak to a variety of demographics…”
People may hate labels but they are useful
“… What does it mean to not witness our lives inhabiting long form fiction?”

Biggest complaint is that it’s “too American”
Rule change in 2014, “Poor little Britain”
“These lists signal what kind of writing deserves our attention and our praise…”
The committee thinks that “new, non-white voices are more worthy than better, seasond writers”
2020 booker prize lets you travel through space and time

NOTES FROM CLASS:

“Literary” – what are markers?
Style
Figurative language
What is literary merit?
What isn’t literacy?
Negative reviews/film vs book vs tv/shallow, underdeveloped, and dystopian fiction
Publishing industry
Money = commercial interest
Literary books vs middletown commercial / popular
Authors – book? Separate from the book?
New novelists, woman, none are English
American writers were allowed in 2014

*Genre Fiction: People read it because they like it

*Seperate box:

READING FOR 9/1/21:

Article – Contingencies and intersections: the formation of pedagogical canons:

Periodicals, pontificated, canonical (all found on page 5)
“How many classics should be sacrificed in order to incorporate new voices and perspectives into the curriculum?” (53)
What exactly is an “imaginary canon”? I’m confused.
Intricacies (54), Juxtaposes (61), Acquiescence (61-62)
“… material conditions, accidental encounters, pragmatic needs, and ethical commitments all influence the formation of pedagogical canons.” (54)
The last sentence in paragraph 2 on page 54 makes the most sense.
“… the biblical canon was intentionally formed in a series of church councils, it is a namesake for the literary canon.” (54)
“…Some kind of pedagogical canon will always exist, at the least within the confines of each classroom.” (56)
“As long as we continue to teach literature, pedagogical canons will exist, and as they change, so will the imaginary canon.” (56) I think this has a strong message.
Confused: “such choices made by numerous instructors may eventually nudge the text into the imaginary canon.” (57)
Sometimes you have to push for what you want (58)
If one thing turned out differently, Nervous Conditions wouldn’t be published (60)
Corpus (what is printed) vs. the canon (60)
“Aesthetic excellence” (62)
Confused: “But neither feminist nor multicultueral themes in and of themselves would insure that the text is ‘teachable’” (62)

NOTES FROM CLASS:

*Pedagogy: The practice of teaching

Canon —–> biblical: set of “rules” determined by church council
- Who are literary authorities?
- What rules do they establish / maintain?
- List of books (respected books) / books most taught
Subjective list /personal preferences (59) (traditionalists)
Thematic usefulness (56) (Multi-culturlist)
How does a canon work across disciplines?
It’s not about the book, it’s about the meaningness / value of the text.

*Seperate box: A canon is a list of well known books

Riley's Site!