Subject: RE: vocational guidance & Squalor
From: Baader, Cecilia (cbaader@casecorp.com)
Date: Tue Jan 04 2000 - 12:37:42 EST
> On Tuesday, January 04, 2000 10:14 AM kennedyp@toronto.cbc.ca
[kennedyp@toronto.cbc.ca]wrote:
>
> In fact, aside from the fact that it's probably the best of the bunch, I'd
> argue that "Esme" should be included BECAUSE students don't tend to
respond
> to it. If educators only gave us "easy" things to read, I'd still be
"Look,
> Look!"-ing with Dick and Jane....
>
Hear, hear! "Esme" is my favorite of the Nine Stories. I'd think that if
students don't really like a story, it might foster better discussion if you
can play the devil's advocate, pointing out all of the wonders of its
perfection.
> (...and if you're still looking for the fourth story, Matt, let me suggest
> some Can-con with "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period"...
Boo! Hiss! I still do not really, truly *love* this story. We had an
excellent discussion on it earlier this year, if I recall, which forced me
to go back and reread DDS. As a result, I don't *hate* it anymore, but it
still fails to ring as true to me as some of the other stories.
May I suggest "Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut"? It is, for me, one of the Old
Man's finer-crafted stories. Such nuance, such sadness. The lost Walt, the
beleagured Ramona, there's so much to discuss. You'll have people who will
totally miss the point and others that will see it immediately. I've always
wanted to discuss both this and "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" in a
classroom environment, simply because each story can easily be read two
entirely different ways. Angry young students, each able to find passages
that will support their viewpoints. Brilliant.
So that's my 10.83 cents. (American/Canadian exchange rate, you understand.
My thoughts are worth 130% of Paul's.)
Regards,
Cecilia.
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