This post, as the kids say, hit me right in the feels. I didn't even make it past the first sentence before the weeping set it. Thank you for sharing this with Story Club, George, and Mr. Lewandowski, if you read this, thank you also. You sound like a wonderful teacher and this gift of guided reading, of trying to expand and make sense of the world through stories and writing, is no small thing. The teachings of my favorite educators have accompanied me throughout my life, as I feel certain the work you're doing with your students will accompany them. I feel certain they are all finding their own voices in the cacophany. (I feel a pang of envy looking at that reading list. Why couldn't I read books like these in high school? And "Annals of the Former World" is stunning).
Thank you for making me feel hope, in a week when I felt short on it.
(P.S. Happy wedding anniversary, George! We would have forgiven some radio silence, I'm sure, but as I've said before--you're too good to us. Thank you!)
Yes, couldn't agree more. And yes, also, to your description of "Annals of the Former World" as stunning. My wife and I are heading out to Colorado next week to spend some time with family, and we were talking not ninety minutes before George's post hit my inbox about books we wanted to bring on the trip. Because we're going to be driving a bit (bad shoulder, bum knee) and seeing a lot of that beautiful state and its geology, I thought "Annals of the Former World" would be just the ticket. And then there's Mr. Lewandowski bringing it up in George's post -- well, karma.
(BTW, the great John McPhee is still going strong at the age of 91. If you have the time, check out his serialized memoir in The New Yorker.)
Anyway, thank you, George, for sharing this. My faith in humanity has been strengthened.
It definitely sounds like you were meant to take "Annals of the Former World" with you. Is it a long drive for you to Colorado? It's such a beautiful state for a road trip!
I've lived on an island for the last ten years and miss that feeling of just getting in the car and . . . going somewhere new. Many, many years ago, my husband and I spent a few months traveling around America by motorcycle (just one, he drove, and it was a Yamaha FZ1, not exactly the bike one expects for this kind of adventure). We had a fantastic time--in a world before smart phones! It was nice to stop and talk to people, ask about things to see and what to eat. I don't think I'd read "Annals" yet back then, but I had a lot of time on the back of that bike to sit with my thoughts and enjoy the scenery.
Yes, just wow to this this story, and “Lincoln in the Bardo.” Also, “Happy Anniversary!” and, really appreciate, (among many other points), “…all systems (any system) are only kept afloat by individual acts of care and heroism and engagement - a kind of viral transfer occurs of the essential values” & “that faith is to believe that God is “ever receptive to the smallest good intentions.” Moved as always.
I'm partial to Bevins, and his "forever in a single instant" passage is one of my favorites (not just from Lincoln in the Bardo, but of all time). I've never carried (or even seen) a toboggan, but that sore spot on the shoulder from where it rests is something I'll keep with me always. And the way "a moistness in the eye will blur a field of stars" (or the page as I'm trying to read it).
(The beautiful and mysterious collection of moments/images makes me think of "The Aleph," by Borges)
Hi George Saunders, thank you for enjoying my work! My name is Henry Wilson and it was such a high honor for you posting it! I'm not the best drawer of all time, but that scene and character opened my eyes to the true, unbearable reality that is grief so true that it is near impossible to ameliorate. Thank you!
Hi, Henry Wilson! Happy to have you join us. Especially because, after reading your post, something inside me clicked. I started reviewing the Story Club posts from the beginning and I found it in the Dec. 8th post:
"So this is the task: read a story, watch our reactions, and then, trusting them, learn to more precisely articulate them."
And that's exactly what you did.
Thank you for trusting and sharing your art and your words with us. A million thanks to your teacher, Mr. Lewandowski and your entire class. Are there any more students who need a scholarship subscription? I'm so inspired.
Thanks for your art, Henry. I enjoyed it - and I read every word - took me a while as some are cut off a little bit by the photograph. But that was almost better because it conveyed the poor mother's fractured thoughts as she believes she is just in a "pause". So heart rending that - she thinks she can get back and give her poet daughter Alice Dante and Shakespeare to read to help her improve. George Saunders' amazing words, sent and amplified through your art!
Yes - it is unbearable to contemplate the plight of poor Jane Ellis and her girls. George doesn't stint when it comes to giving us readers full-on reality. Thank goodness he has such a glowing heart -- which also comes through in all his work!
All the best to you and your classmates and DO YOU KNOW HOW LUCKY YOU ARE to have a teacher like Mr. Lewandowski??? And your amazing classmates to spark discussion with??? I bet you do!! All the best - we older folk in Story Club are now all fondly remembering our favorite English teachers!! (Mine was Mrs. Brown!)
Welcome, Henry Wilson! You don't have to be the best drawer of all time (though it may be too early to judge), you just have to have the heart. And that, Henry, you got!
I prodded Henry through email to respond. He's a graduated senior now though, so what power I had to compel action from the young man has vanished! We'll see if he gets back to you. I did a few things early on to let them know that their primary mission was to figure out how the novel works. They used discussion (and an occasional breadcrumb from me) to develop evolving hypotheses about the bardo and living world around it.
WOW! What a lovely post. The students of S.H.S. are lucky to have Mr. Lewandowski and you.
Selfishly, I was especially excited to see this as I live in Arkansas AND my book club is discussing Lincoln In The Bardo this month. Everyone will be excited to have these additional points for our talk.
I'm so glad you were able to correspond with these students and Mr. Lewandowski. I read recently an article in which student reached out to a famous author who is a bit of a recluse and more terse in his responses. But he seemed pleased with the students' questions and willing to answer them. That author was Cormac McCarthy, and it too was a lovely exchange.
I've been up in arms this week about America being so up in arms, and Story Club is the palliative I needed. Thank you for the joy you put into the world, George. It truly is inspiring.
I also teach All the Pretty Horses, and an English teacher across the hall sent me that article. It's probably what got the ball rolling for this whole enterprise. (Thank you, Mr. Dinger!) I had the students read that article before developing their questions for Mr. Saunders. Notice how Cormac McCarthy answered that question in seven words, I said. You need to come with questions for George Saunders that he could never answer in just seven words.
how on earth are you able to get past the self appointed parental censors that surely watch to make sure nothing dangerous (substantive) gets into students minds. And god forbid they learn to think for themselves?!
That’s amazing. I was in a men’s book club at one time with a group of 7 UC San Diego medical doctors. I was the only English prof in the bunch. To a one, each doctor’s favorite book was All the Pretty Horses. I’ve never seen that kind of consensus in literary tastes anywhere else. If I return to teaching, it will be with a gig like you have, Sir. Hats off to you and your brilliant students.
What a beautiful post. Life affirming! Thank God for wonderful teachers like Mr. Lewandowski, and for generous artists such as you, George, giving your time so freely and thoughtfully to this group of young and impressive thinkers/writers. This just gave me a happiness boost all the way through. (And I loved all the insider information on how you created one of my favorite books of all time. When you explained about the Reverend! Fantastic! Thank you.)
Thank you for this. I have been feeling pretty cynical and hopeless about the world these last couple weeks (as I imagine many of us have been) and this was just the medicine I needed.
I have two young daughters - I can’t stay cynical and hopeless. I can’t be paralyzed about the future. Sometimes it seems impossible to get out of that... funk? (Funk seems like the wrong word but will have to suffice for now.) These kids are lifting my mood, lifting my spirits, and wow - I appreciate them so much.
Thank you again for sharing this, George, and for being the kind, generous teacher you are.
I’m trying to imagine the thrill of being in high school with the opportunity to ask questions of an author whose book you’re assigned to read!! “Oh, here’s Walker Percy on the phone. Any one have questions?” Writers, in my adolescent mind, lived in an electric universe, far from my “bardo..” You are sublime, George, to collapse that distance for these lovely young people and hats off to you Mr. Lewandowski, for asking. And Karen Delgado! That drawing!! Go girl.
It makes me really want to go back to school again! Oh, the space to talk about books with a wise leader.....Wait, we have Story Club. The only thing it lacks is being there in person. <3
Plus, i just noticed the quote from Romeo and Juliet on Mr. Lewandowski's wall. That man! Such bounty in his classroom! Infinite love! Oh, i love this teacher.
Yeah, it's always nice to know there are still good people out there, and they're never going to forget your kindness, George. Glad you posted this. You're going to share a lot of great stuff in the future, but so far this is really my favorite post...
I am here. Back from the beach, where I've been reading these comments, occasionally weeping, tossing the football around with the kids, swimming in the ocean. It's been pretty emotional. Thank you all for your warm attention and well wishes. I have much more to say, but I'll start here: Hello!
A question if I may: how long did you and your students spend focused in reading Lincoln in the Bardo?
I ask, in particular, because way back in the day, 1972/3, I made a decision not to apply to university to read for an degree in English Literature for the simple reason that the pace at which 'texts' seemed to be being read was too 'break-neck' for me. Which is, of course, why I'm finding Story Club such a delight, the place to be, because the pace suits me very well . . . not slow at all but enabling us all the benefit of being able to dive quite deep both into story and the writing of story. A fine story is like a fine wine, a treat with many facets that can only be fully revealed if sipped and savoured, slow . . . 🍷 Cheers Mr L
They started reading Apr 20th, which means we were working with the novel for about four weeks. Developing the questions for Mr. Saunders took another three class periods. There were some disruptions along the way, including a day I canceled class to play in the student-faculty soccer game. The first third of the novel they read aloud in class: 20 min. of reading, 25 min. of student-led discussion. I tried, with some success, not to talk at all as the students figured out (collectively!) how to read this crazy book. Each night, they had twenty minutes of writing homework from me: how is it going, what questions do you have, what did you learn by talking with your classmates, is this book good, why? I read these daily digital journal entries, wrote individual comments in their documents, and wrote a collective response for the whole class to read the next day. The middle third of the book they read silently. The final third I read aloud, except for the parts that make me cry. I am a really, really ugly crier when I'm reading aloud to a class, so, in these moments, before I started making embarrassing noises, I passed the read aloud responsibility to a student.
Things were going quite well before George offered to answer some questions, then they got better. The whole literary analysis game (that's what I teach, not creative writing) is about exploring value, relevance, meaning, and the construction of meaning. I teach students how to write essays about what things mean. It's exquisitely complex. The author creates the work, but the reader interprets (or co-creates, perhaps) the meaning. I was so jazzed to have the opportunity to throw an actual author (...and not just any author) into the mix, I was just bubbling over with excitement and joy. Like: one of my students, sauntering down the hall in some cheerleader....captain of the football team....who are you voting for prom queen....-type typical high school scrum and I absolutely shout from 30-feet away for all to hear: "DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS? I JUST GOT AN EMAIL FROM GEORGE SAUNDERS! HE'S GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS SO THEY BETTER BE GOOD!!!"
Too much fun.
And this is getting a little long. But I just have to tell you the best part.
They collaborated for three days to come up with the best possible questions for Mr. Saunders. And they did! What they didn't know is that they were also creating their own final written exam. They each wrote for 90 minutes, answering as many (or as few) questions as they liked. It was during this exam time that I gave them Saunders' answers for the first time. His answers were their "cheat sheets." Everybody got a good grade on the final, especially George.
For taking the trouble, and such well-articulated trouble, to address my question my sincere thanks Mr L. Your answer is quite a story in itself, offering so many insights and sparking further thoughts to think on. Indeed maybe it adds a further chapter to the larger, sort of epistolary' story that continues to unfold as your students, yourself. Mr S and Story Clubbers such as I correspond conversationally about your very creative approach to playing the literary analysis game.
"How to read this crazy book . . ." How indeed? I've had a copy on Kindle for a while but, being focused on short fiction in Story Club, had not turned to it until I read Thursday's 'Arkansas Calling' post. And you are right, so right: 'Lincoln in the Bardo' is a crazy book; into which I've just, so far, dipped, skipped and hopped around a little . . . but I'm working on my game plan to get the trip, probably by enlisting the 166 character voices which I think contribute to the telling of the story versioned via Audible. So I've got the text to read, can reach for the sound to listen to but can assure you I will look to create opportunities to mix-up my reading as you and your students did . . . reading a page or ten aloud out on the decking in the part of France we are visiting just now (first time back here since early Autumn 2019 courtesy of Covid . . . which was a kind of globalised Bardo).
Stay well . . . and isn't it quite a way to the ocean from Arkansas?
Hi George, Thanks for sharing that. My novel, The Zorki Chronicles, is taught at the Bronx High School of Science and I've had similar experiences corresponding and visiting with the brilliant students there. It's really rewarding to have a direct conversation with young readers. I also taught high school social studies for 16 years and served as a school librarian for 22 before retiring recently. I agree, all is not lost.
This post, as the kids say, hit me right in the feels. I didn't even make it past the first sentence before the weeping set it. Thank you for sharing this with Story Club, George, and Mr. Lewandowski, if you read this, thank you also. You sound like a wonderful teacher and this gift of guided reading, of trying to expand and make sense of the world through stories and writing, is no small thing. The teachings of my favorite educators have accompanied me throughout my life, as I feel certain the work you're doing with your students will accompany them. I feel certain they are all finding their own voices in the cacophany. (I feel a pang of envy looking at that reading list. Why couldn't I read books like these in high school? And "Annals of the Former World" is stunning).
Thank you for making me feel hope, in a week when I felt short on it.
(P.S. Happy wedding anniversary, George! We would have forgiven some radio silence, I'm sure, but as I've said before--you're too good to us. Thank you!)
Yes, couldn't agree more. And yes, also, to your description of "Annals of the Former World" as stunning. My wife and I are heading out to Colorado next week to spend some time with family, and we were talking not ninety minutes before George's post hit my inbox about books we wanted to bring on the trip. Because we're going to be driving a bit (bad shoulder, bum knee) and seeing a lot of that beautiful state and its geology, I thought "Annals of the Former World" would be just the ticket. And then there's Mr. Lewandowski bringing it up in George's post -- well, karma.
(BTW, the great John McPhee is still going strong at the age of 91. If you have the time, check out his serialized memoir in The New Yorker.)
Anyway, thank you, George, for sharing this. My faith in humanity has been strengthened.
It definitely sounds like you were meant to take "Annals of the Former World" with you. Is it a long drive for you to Colorado? It's such a beautiful state for a road trip!
I've lived on an island for the last ten years and miss that feeling of just getting in the car and . . . going somewhere new. Many, many years ago, my husband and I spent a few months traveling around America by motorcycle (just one, he drove, and it was a Yamaha FZ1, not exactly the bike one expects for this kind of adventure). We had a fantastic time--in a world before smart phones! It was nice to stop and talk to people, ask about things to see and what to eat. I don't think I'd read "Annals" yet back then, but I had a lot of time on the back of that bike to sit with my thoughts and enjoy the scenery.
Have a safe and wonderful journey!
Yes, just wow to this this story, and “Lincoln in the Bardo.” Also, “Happy Anniversary!” and, really appreciate, (among many other points), “…all systems (any system) are only kept afloat by individual acts of care and heroism and engagement - a kind of viral transfer occurs of the essential values” & “that faith is to believe that God is “ever receptive to the smallest good intentions.” Moved as always.
I'm partial to Bevins, and his "forever in a single instant" passage is one of my favorites (not just from Lincoln in the Bardo, but of all time). I've never carried (or even seen) a toboggan, but that sore spot on the shoulder from where it rests is something I'll keep with me always. And the way "a moistness in the eye will blur a field of stars" (or the page as I'm trying to read it).
(The beautiful and mysterious collection of moments/images makes me think of "The Aleph," by Borges)
Hi George Saunders, thank you for enjoying my work! My name is Henry Wilson and it was such a high honor for you posting it! I'm not the best drawer of all time, but that scene and character opened my eyes to the true, unbearable reality that is grief so true that it is near impossible to ameliorate. Thank you!
Thank you, Henry, and welcome aboard!
Hi, Henry Wilson! Happy to have you join us. Especially because, after reading your post, something inside me clicked. I started reviewing the Story Club posts from the beginning and I found it in the Dec. 8th post:
"So this is the task: read a story, watch our reactions, and then, trusting them, learn to more precisely articulate them."
And that's exactly what you did.
Thank you for trusting and sharing your art and your words with us. A million thanks to your teacher, Mr. Lewandowski and your entire class. Are there any more students who need a scholarship subscription? I'm so inspired.
Here's the link to that post: https://georgesaunders.substack.com/p/first-thohts-on-reviision?s=r
Thanks for your art, Henry. I enjoyed it - and I read every word - took me a while as some are cut off a little bit by the photograph. But that was almost better because it conveyed the poor mother's fractured thoughts as she believes she is just in a "pause". So heart rending that - she thinks she can get back and give her poet daughter Alice Dante and Shakespeare to read to help her improve. George Saunders' amazing words, sent and amplified through your art!
Yes - it is unbearable to contemplate the plight of poor Jane Ellis and her girls. George doesn't stint when it comes to giving us readers full-on reality. Thank goodness he has such a glowing heart -- which also comes through in all his work!
All the best to you and your classmates and DO YOU KNOW HOW LUCKY YOU ARE to have a teacher like Mr. Lewandowski??? And your amazing classmates to spark discussion with??? I bet you do!! All the best - we older folk in Story Club are now all fondly remembering our favorite English teachers!! (Mine was Mrs. Brown!)
Welcome, Henry Wilson! You don't have to be the best drawer of all time (though it may be too early to judge), you just have to have the heart. And that, Henry, you got!
Hi Henry! Great to see you here! Hope you enjoy this substack as much as the rest of us Story Clubbers.
Thanks, Henry, for your artwork. It speaks truth to me.
I prodded Henry through email to respond. He's a graduated senior now though, so what power I had to compel action from the young man has vanished! We'll see if he gets back to you. I did a few things early on to let them know that their primary mission was to figure out how the novel works. They used discussion (and an occasional breadcrumb from me) to develop evolving hypotheses about the bardo and living world around it.
Who is the coolest teacher? You are. That’s all.
WOW! What a lovely post. The students of S.H.S. are lucky to have Mr. Lewandowski and you.
Selfishly, I was especially excited to see this as I live in Arkansas AND my book club is discussing Lincoln In The Bardo this month. Everyone will be excited to have these additional points for our talk.
How perfect! I love Lincoln In The Bardo. There was a rumor there’d be a movie. Is there going to be a movie?
I'm so glad you were able to correspond with these students and Mr. Lewandowski. I read recently an article in which student reached out to a famous author who is a bit of a recluse and more terse in his responses. But he seemed pleased with the students' questions and willing to answer them. That author was Cormac McCarthy, and it too was a lovely exchange.
I've been up in arms this week about America being so up in arms, and Story Club is the palliative I needed. Thank you for the joy you put into the world, George. It truly is inspiring.
I also teach All the Pretty Horses, and an English teacher across the hall sent me that article. It's probably what got the ball rolling for this whole enterprise. (Thank you, Mr. Dinger!) I had the students read that article before developing their questions for Mr. Saunders. Notice how Cormac McCarthy answered that question in seven words, I said. You need to come with questions for George Saunders that he could never answer in just seven words.
how on earth are you able to get past the self appointed parental censors that surely watch to make sure nothing dangerous (substantive) gets into students minds. And god forbid they learn to think for themselves?!
That’s amazing. I was in a men’s book club at one time with a group of 7 UC San Diego medical doctors. I was the only English prof in the bunch. To a one, each doctor’s favorite book was All the Pretty Horses. I’ve never seen that kind of consensus in literary tastes anywhere else. If I return to teaching, it will be with a gig like you have, Sir. Hats off to you and your brilliant students.
Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly ❤️ George Saunders any more ...
What a beautiful post. Life affirming! Thank God for wonderful teachers like Mr. Lewandowski, and for generous artists such as you, George, giving your time so freely and thoughtfully to this group of young and impressive thinkers/writers. This just gave me a happiness boost all the way through. (And I loved all the insider information on how you created one of my favorite books of all time. When you explained about the Reverend! Fantastic! Thank you.)
Thank you for this. I have been feeling pretty cynical and hopeless about the world these last couple weeks (as I imagine many of us have been) and this was just the medicine I needed.
I have two young daughters - I can’t stay cynical and hopeless. I can’t be paralyzed about the future. Sometimes it seems impossible to get out of that... funk? (Funk seems like the wrong word but will have to suffice for now.) These kids are lifting my mood, lifting my spirits, and wow - I appreciate them so much.
Thank you again for sharing this, George, and for being the kind, generous teacher you are.
It’s amazing how, when the world is disintegrating all around us, children are there to lift us up and out.
I’m trying to imagine the thrill of being in high school with the opportunity to ask questions of an author whose book you’re assigned to read!! “Oh, here’s Walker Percy on the phone. Any one have questions?” Writers, in my adolescent mind, lived in an electric universe, far from my “bardo..” You are sublime, George, to collapse that distance for these lovely young people and hats off to you Mr. Lewandowski, for asking. And Karen Delgado! That drawing!! Go girl.
Aw, thank you! Mr. Lewandowski is easily one of my favorite teachers! We are lucky to be his students
Hi Karen! It's so great that you are here, joining us! Welcome!
English teachers are the best. My favorite was Mrs. Bollinger in sixth grade. She had us write poems and read them aloud and praised them.
It makes me really want to go back to school again! Oh, the space to talk about books with a wise leader.....Wait, we have Story Club. The only thing it lacks is being there in person. <3
Plus, i just noticed the quote from Romeo and Juliet on Mr. Lewandowski's wall. That man! Such bounty in his classroom! Infinite love! Oh, i love this teacher.
I loved this so much! What a wonderful Thursday surprise. Shout out to my high school teacher, Margaret Land. Cheers to teachers!
Like so many others, this post made me weep. It's beautiful. Thank you.
I especially love "all these lovely, subjective little doofs..." It makes me well up with compassion for all of us and everyone.
Yes, likewise! I read that three times at least, and went back to it again! And now - again!
What an absolute joy. I'm going to write my high school English teacher.
Please do it. You can't believe how much it means!
Yeah, it's always nice to know there are still good people out there, and they're never going to forget your kindness, George. Glad you posted this. You're going to share a lot of great stuff in the future, but so far this is really my favorite post...
I am here. Back from the beach, where I've been reading these comments, occasionally weeping, tossing the football around with the kids, swimming in the ocean. It's been pretty emotional. Thank you all for your warm attention and well wishes. I have much more to say, but I'll start here: Hello!
Hi Back Mr L.
A question if I may: how long did you and your students spend focused in reading Lincoln in the Bardo?
I ask, in particular, because way back in the day, 1972/3, I made a decision not to apply to university to read for an degree in English Literature for the simple reason that the pace at which 'texts' seemed to be being read was too 'break-neck' for me. Which is, of course, why I'm finding Story Club such a delight, the place to be, because the pace suits me very well . . . not slow at all but enabling us all the benefit of being able to dive quite deep both into story and the writing of story. A fine story is like a fine wine, a treat with many facets that can only be fully revealed if sipped and savoured, slow . . . 🍷 Cheers Mr L
Okay, Rob. Thanks for the Q! Here we go.
They started reading Apr 20th, which means we were working with the novel for about four weeks. Developing the questions for Mr. Saunders took another three class periods. There were some disruptions along the way, including a day I canceled class to play in the student-faculty soccer game. The first third of the novel they read aloud in class: 20 min. of reading, 25 min. of student-led discussion. I tried, with some success, not to talk at all as the students figured out (collectively!) how to read this crazy book. Each night, they had twenty minutes of writing homework from me: how is it going, what questions do you have, what did you learn by talking with your classmates, is this book good, why? I read these daily digital journal entries, wrote individual comments in their documents, and wrote a collective response for the whole class to read the next day. The middle third of the book they read silently. The final third I read aloud, except for the parts that make me cry. I am a really, really ugly crier when I'm reading aloud to a class, so, in these moments, before I started making embarrassing noises, I passed the read aloud responsibility to a student.
Things were going quite well before George offered to answer some questions, then they got better. The whole literary analysis game (that's what I teach, not creative writing) is about exploring value, relevance, meaning, and the construction of meaning. I teach students how to write essays about what things mean. It's exquisitely complex. The author creates the work, but the reader interprets (or co-creates, perhaps) the meaning. I was so jazzed to have the opportunity to throw an actual author (...and not just any author) into the mix, I was just bubbling over with excitement and joy. Like: one of my students, sauntering down the hall in some cheerleader....captain of the football team....who are you voting for prom queen....-type typical high school scrum and I absolutely shout from 30-feet away for all to hear: "DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS? I JUST GOT AN EMAIL FROM GEORGE SAUNDERS! HE'S GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS SO THEY BETTER BE GOOD!!!"
Too much fun.
And this is getting a little long. But I just have to tell you the best part.
They collaborated for three days to come up with the best possible questions for Mr. Saunders. And they did! What they didn't know is that they were also creating their own final written exam. They each wrote for 90 minutes, answering as many (or as few) questions as they liked. It was during this exam time that I gave them Saunders' answers for the first time. His answers were their "cheat sheets." Everybody got a good grade on the final, especially George.
For taking the trouble, and such well-articulated trouble, to address my question my sincere thanks Mr L. Your answer is quite a story in itself, offering so many insights and sparking further thoughts to think on. Indeed maybe it adds a further chapter to the larger, sort of epistolary' story that continues to unfold as your students, yourself. Mr S and Story Clubbers such as I correspond conversationally about your very creative approach to playing the literary analysis game.
"How to read this crazy book . . ." How indeed? I've had a copy on Kindle for a while but, being focused on short fiction in Story Club, had not turned to it until I read Thursday's 'Arkansas Calling' post. And you are right, so right: 'Lincoln in the Bardo' is a crazy book; into which I've just, so far, dipped, skipped and hopped around a little . . . but I'm working on my game plan to get the trip, probably by enlisting the 166 character voices which I think contribute to the telling of the story versioned via Audible. So I've got the text to read, can reach for the sound to listen to but can assure you I will look to create opportunities to mix-up my reading as you and your students did . . . reading a page or ten aloud out on the decking in the part of France we are visiting just now (first time back here since early Autumn 2019 courtesy of Covid . . . which was a kind of globalised Bardo).
Stay well . . . and isn't it quite a way to the ocean from Arkansas?
Hi George, Thanks for sharing that. My novel, The Zorki Chronicles, is taught at the Bronx High School of Science and I've had similar experiences corresponding and visiting with the brilliant students there. It's really rewarding to have a direct conversation with young readers. I also taught high school social studies for 16 years and served as a school librarian for 22 before retiring recently. I agree, all is not lost.
Only Paradise...^^