Literary Relevance

The early literature of the United States presents an interesting view of the emerging American personality.  Writers were expressing ardent political views, describing macabre settings and horrific acts, and philosophizing about life.  You have read examples of this in "The Declaration of Independence," "The Devil and Tom Walker," "Self-Reliance," and "Nature."  In what ways are these texts relevant today?  Are there current events that relate to the themes or topics of these pieces?  What?  How?

Post by 8:00 AM Monday, 10/03.

Welcome!!

Welcome to American Literature for Fall 2011! I usually describe each class I teach as an "experiment" in teaching and learning since every class brings different personalities and experiences to our study and discussion...and I try to do something different in my teaching with each class.

 

I am still trying to figure out how to make this medium effective in both my teaching and your learning. You will find here assignments for postings as well as a place for you to ask questions, react to other students' posts, and generally participate in our ongoing conversations about all sorts of topics.

Your first assignment is to sign in and write your first post (Due by Monday, 8/29, 8:00 AM):

Write in your post here about what you have been reading since last school year. Give more than a list! Why did you read those works? What did you most enjoy? Why? How has the start of school influenced your reading?

I start each day (except for school days) with The Omaha World-Herald newspaper so I can check on what's been happening in the world and keep up with the comics--I read them all and have for years! I follow a few RSS news feeds on my computer, so sometime during most days I check on those. Occasionally I receive a golfing magazine that I read for tips (boy, do I need tips!).

I am a Star Wars fan and not only enjoy the movies but read all of the books!  This summer I've read only a couple in this interesting series by a variety of authors, but I have at least one more in my Kindle.  I like the way this story continues to grow. The original characters are 30+ years older now!  Han and Leia are grandparents....  I started Volume One of the official Mark Twain biography.  The Introduction alone is over 250 pages!  I think I'm about 2/3 of the way through Twain's actual commentary.  I need to finish before the next volume is published!

As you can tell, I'm an eclectic reader. What have you been learning??