On Thu, 8 Oct 2009 22:51:50 -0700, "CalifBill"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:40:14 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

I wrote a lot of cynical book reports. At least they knew I read the
book and perhaps even tried to understand what they were trying to
tell me in a real world context.

My problem with English Lit is that I never saw what others saw -
meaning that I never "grokked" it in the same way. I will admit I was
confused by that until I figured out why.

Everybody else was using Cliff Notes. :)

My favorite story about Eng. Lit. was when we had to read some Maya
Angelou - couple of pieces over the weekend for Monday morning
discussion.

I had been at odds with the professor more than once, but we had a
relatively cordial relationship. That Monday morning, the first thing
he asked was "Mr. Francis - care to tell us what you thought?"

To which I replied "if she's a poet, I'm the King of Siam."

You could have heard a pin drop in that room. :)

Oddly, I got out of that class with an A - apparently the professor
liked contrarian opinions. :)

The guy who taught our english lit used to try to trap "cliff notes"
and classic comic book guys by looking for things in your report that
didn't make the cheater. Even if I couldn't actually wade through some
of these door stops I would skim them looking for off the wall stuff I
could dispute, using my European or ancient history books. It always
threw him off so bad he just gave up and gave me a good grade.
That was also the guy who would just ask if anyone wanted to leave
after you turned in your work and got the next assignment. About
20-30% split right then and the rest sat around blathering about the
real meaning of Beowulf or something.
The back steps were right behind his classroom and there was a place
across the alley (at 18th and F NW) that would sell me a beer.

Loved Beowulf. But that was because out Eng 4 teacher in HS was great. She
did a reading of Beowulf with added sound effects, etc. Better than any of
the POS Beowulf movies. Then we discussed the book and the culture of mead
houses. But I go along with shortwave. Lots of the books I read in Eng Lit
were Boooring. I like good Sci-Fi and good history.

Me too. My undergraduate minors are Medieval French History and Art
History. Go figure. :)

To this day Shakespeare's Mid summer nights dream, is still a nightmare.

Tell me about it. :)