Comments on: Teaching Literature

By: Why Read? — 1st Convulsion « Intellectoid: The ability to learn and reason; the capacity for knowledge and understanding

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:03:55 +0000

[...] bulking forward into educational transmission…. – Addenda: Blogs on this question At The Kugelmass Episodes At Is there no sin in it? [Additional links may follow as I retrace the shattered paths of [...]

By: The “Why Teach Literature” question « Ad Nauseam

The “Why Teach Literature” question « Ad Nauseam — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:01:20 +0000

[...] The Kugelmass Episodes, 1/25: To teach students “how other people perceive the world and their place in it.” [...]

By: Teaching, ISA’s, and the Pedagogy of Alienation « Larval Subjects .

Teaching, ISA’s, and the Pedagogy of Alienation « Larval Subjects . — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:08:48 +0000

[...] few days ago, Joseph Kugelmass of The Kugelmass Episode has tagged me to write a post on why I teach literature. Admittedly I’ve been behind the [...]

By: Roughtheory.org » Passing Class

Roughtheory.org » Passing Class — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:14:13 +0000

[...] on why she teaches literature elicited what I took at first to be a more lighthearted critique from Joseph Kugelmass – perhaps I mistook the tone: it had been a long day, and I was overtired from writing. [...]

By: Dr. Crazy

Dr. Crazy — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:23:26 +0000

Just a brief response to the two points in my original post with which you take issue: It’s not so much about “conversing with the rich” but, as Dr. Virago noted in comments over on my blog, about having a cultural language that extends beyond their upbringing. There is value in getting a range of cultural references, and that is what I was talking about and not being uncomfortable or intimidated when that sort of stuff comes up. As for giving students time for pleasure, most of my students work full time in addition to going to school full time, plus have extensive family obligations, etc. They’re *not* necessarily avid consumers of pleasure. It’s not that I think that they don’t take pleasure in other things or that I think I have any power to legislate what they take pleasure in. But I do think there is value in providing a break from more “applied” coursework they have filling up their schedules.

By: Literary Methodologies: A Literary Toolbox Spring 2008 » Why do you read literature?

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:01:29 +0000

[...] Agree with any of the observations in this post: http://kugelmass.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/teaching-literature/ [...]

By: Eileen Joy

Eileen Joy — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:24:08 +0000

Joseph: a very provocative post, as always. I want to basically affirm your idea that literature, and art more broadly, is best suited to a certain “breach,” in which breach it is finely “attenuated” to certain “aftershocks” of life: this is something I’ve been working through in my own work, vis-a-vis the representation of traumatic history in art. It is also about dreaming and being foolish, which is critically important, I think, for opening up avenues toward a creative and open-minded life which might be said to do some good in the world. The latter [dreaming and foolishness] is not necessarily connected to the former [art as a unique space within which what I would call the incommensurability between history and memory can be "worked through" and "filled in"], but they are both important reasons for continuing to argue for the value of aesthetic studies [whether literature or painting, architecture or music]. Thanks for this post.

By: Roughtheory.org » Demanding Literature

Roughtheory.org » Demanding Literature — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:25:50 +0000

[...] Kugelmass has tagged me (cross-post at The Valve) to respond to a meme, explaining: Why do you teach [...]

By: The Constructivist

The Constructivist — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:38:24 +0000

Golf I’ll cop to–I’ve written about the same # of golf posts at Mostly Harmless as I have total at CitizenSE, in less time–but Gojira is really one of Bill Benzon’s many areas of expertise!

Loved your “aftershocks of experience” line.