Why We Shouldn’t Teach Students How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Kendrick you do know my language, you just forgot ‘cuz of what public schools had painted” —Kendrick Lamar, “Momma” (2015) A year before COVID, I had a student named D. He was enrolled in my school’s on-level junior English class, which was generally a decently racially diverse class - D was one of like 7-8 … Continue reading Why We Shouldn’t Teach Students How to Read Literature Like a Professor →

Playing Video Games in AP English Literature and Composition – Why?

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] Recently, I mentioned attempting to integrate video games in my AP class (along with hip-hop, and movies) in an online forum. Someone sarcastically compared this to having students read … Continue reading Playing Video Games in AP English Literature and Composition – Why? →

The Krabappel – or – What Is “AP Literature and Composition” – A Socratic Dialogue in Two Parts

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] Part 1 - What is Literature? Edna Krabappel: Okay class, please turn to page 357 of Tedious Times, where we left off yesterday, analyzing Dryprose’s prophetic critique of education … Continue reading The Krabappel – or – What Is “AP Literature and Composition” – A Socratic Dialogue in Two Parts →

Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Part 3 – Day to Day Lessons

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] The Adventure - ~3 weeks of class time (5 85-minute blocks) This post and the next will be more nuts and bolts - I’ve previously written about the why, … Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Part 3 – Day to Day Lessons →

Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Addendum to Part 1 – White Supremacy – What Counts as “Literature”

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] “What do D&D, the Odyssey and Hip-Hop Have in Common?” This question may feel strange because your vision of D&D may conjure up some very specific images of a … Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Addendum to Part 1 – White Supremacy – What Counts as “Literature” →

Gravity’s Rainbow

I told myself I'd read one more "real" book before school started. By real I mean, one book that, once classes begin, and my mind turned a bit towards jello in the evenings, I would not be able to read in any reasonable amount of time, and would therefore forget so much about between sessions … Continue reading Gravity’s Rainbow →

Lost and Found

Lost and Found Here's an interesting story on the use of new technology to recover new text from the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum. The Villa appears to have been the home of a philosopher in the Southern Italian city on the Bay of Naples. On August 24, 79 AD, the dormant Mt. Vesuvius … Continue reading Lost and Found →

Ezra Pound Defends James Joyce Against an Early Critic

I'm a fan of polemical writing, whatever the subject-matter. In fact, my reading of Joyce's letters and biographies has tipped me off to a future project: reading more Ezra Pound, those excerpts which have been included having been so creatively acerbic. Pound's is a name I've heard here and there but I don't really know that … Continue reading Ezra Pound Defends James Joyce Against an Early Critic →

Dubliners (and Joyce’s early career struggles)

My rereading of Dubliners was as enjoyable as always. That book reminds me of a great band's first album. Not the sort of band whose first album is their only good one, but the sort of band that, even though they go on to produce other great (even great-er) work, you always retain a soft … Continue reading Dubliners (and Joyce’s early career struggles) →

Joyce’s Earliest Writings

I'm making my way through Richard Ellmann's biography, along with the three volumes of Joyce's letters, and then also stopping to read everything else he wrote along the way. I've read most of these texts (except the letters and the biographies) many times, but re-reading brings new perspectives. The main reason for this re-reading is … Continue reading Joyce’s Earliest Writings →