💛 I loved the new-start excitement I felt in fall. New corduroys and fresh, unmarked notebooks with their pastel covers. The worn-wood-and-white-glue scent of my old school's stairwell is coming back to me now.
George, Thanks so much for this. Your Syracuse students are lucky to have you, and, judging by the syllabus, they are very busy! I liked, too, the list of important writers you included along with their birth & death years. The last on the list, Eudora Welty, has always made my heart happy. Years ago, when I worked in advertising in DC, my office was near the National Portrait Gallery. On the second floor, along with other writers, there was a portrait of Welty seated in a wing chair. At lunch I'd go over to the gallery, have a quick bite in the cafe, then go up to visit Welty. A friend had just given me a copy of "A Curtain of Green & Other Stories" and I wanted to see the face of the person who'd written so vivid & startling a collection, long-ago published but new to me. Her stories, along with her portrait, were my sustenance then, as now. The last time I was there the Welty was, oh no, in storage, but some wag had installed the Updike portrait & Tom Wolfe's directly opposite each other, I guess so they could glare at each other into eternity. Actually, I thought it was pretty funny, but I sure do miss the Welty. Anyway, thank you for the syllabus! It'll keep me, like your actual students, busy & grateful for the work.
I would love if you could explore at least one of Varlam Shalamov’s short stories from his collection “Kolyma Stories.” The first one in the collection is “Trampling The Snow” and it’s a two paragraph story that is powerful as hell.
Shalamov was a prisoner in Stalin’s Gulag, who didn’t start writing until after Stalin’s death in 1953.
I have a close friend who teaches acting at an arts school. Years ago, another teacher, Clayton Corzatte, long retired from the same school, gave her his syllabus, plus all the books he used to teach. Real books and papers–– he wasn’t a computer kind of a guy. She cried, overwhelmed with gratitude. It was such a huge moment for her, to be the one he chose to give all these materials to. Before that time, I hadn’t put much thought into what it means to share this kind of information. This is so generous!
Many thanks to the brilliant person who asked this question! This is like a little piece of pure gold and I am going to study it like I was in class at Syracuse. Which I am not. And probably could never be. But now I can pretend! Thank you George so much for sharing this with us.
This post invites me to consider places and periods out of which great writing sprang, connections across centuries and millennia: the Greek playwrights, Boccaccio and Chaucer, Shakespeare, the 19th century in Russia, France, and Britain, the 20th century in North America (I know I’m leaving out a lot, please forgive) (every century in France). Some kind of through line connects all these lights…
Also, did you use the Complete Short Stories of Dostoevsky? (Thank you, George. And I hope you have so much fun tomorrow night when your movie comes out!)
Thank you so much for sharing this info. What a treat. I’m starting part iii of “In Persuasion Nation” today, reading chronologically (except I’ve read “Lincoln in the Bardo” and jumped ahead to read “Victory Lap” for the last discussion. I’ll squeeze in these short stories soon.
Also, I’ll be reading “Escape From Spiderhead” out of order. So excited. Having a small watch party.
I am struck by how generous you are with sharing your course materials. As someone who teaches at the college level, I have always had a proprietary and prideful attitude towards my voluminous course materials. I am chagrined and inspired.
"So, my job is to put aside any idea of what I think they should be thinking of the story, and see what they’re really thinking, and then tailor my approach accordingly." This is where your expertise is evident, George. Only one who knows the material so well can conduct this kind of instruction this well. It's why this forum is such a treasure.
Wisdom and expertise like this, notes like these... how is every writer alive not a paid subscriber here? (I'm reminded of the world-class violin instructor I know who gives and takes "lessons" from other world-class greats.) I'm truly appreciative of the opportunity to be involved in this group and invited inside your teaching mind in this way, George. So glad you share these things with us; am wondering if you ever feel vulnerable doing so. I think I would, at least sometimes, so I'm especially grateful you share these things for our benefit. I'll revisit these posts, comments, and notes for a lifetime, I expect.
Where's the watch party for tomorrow? I'm in. I'll be thinking of you all behind a bowl of popcorn while trying not to annoy my family members with narration.
I love this approach – hope your students appreciate being encouraged to feel their own way around the stories as much as we do here at SC (with due guidance and persistence)! It does away with all that 'hail the masterpiece because I say so' BS and really builds literary muscles and confidence.
💛 I loved the new-start excitement I felt in fall. New corduroys and fresh, unmarked notebooks with their pastel covers. The worn-wood-and-white-glue scent of my old school's stairwell is coming back to me now.
Grateful, as ever, for your posts.
George, Thanks so much for this. Your Syracuse students are lucky to have you, and, judging by the syllabus, they are very busy! I liked, too, the list of important writers you included along with their birth & death years. The last on the list, Eudora Welty, has always made my heart happy. Years ago, when I worked in advertising in DC, my office was near the National Portrait Gallery. On the second floor, along with other writers, there was a portrait of Welty seated in a wing chair. At lunch I'd go over to the gallery, have a quick bite in the cafe, then go up to visit Welty. A friend had just given me a copy of "A Curtain of Green & Other Stories" and I wanted to see the face of the person who'd written so vivid & startling a collection, long-ago published but new to me. Her stories, along with her portrait, were my sustenance then, as now. The last time I was there the Welty was, oh no, in storage, but some wag had installed the Updike portrait & Tom Wolfe's directly opposite each other, I guess so they could glare at each other into eternity. Actually, I thought it was pretty funny, but I sure do miss the Welty. Anyway, thank you for the syllabus! It'll keep me, like your actual students, busy & grateful for the work.
I would love if you could explore at least one of Varlam Shalamov’s short stories from his collection “Kolyma Stories.” The first one in the collection is “Trampling The Snow” and it’s a two paragraph story that is powerful as hell.
Shalamov was a prisoner in Stalin’s Gulag, who didn’t start writing until after Stalin’s death in 1953.
Thank you! This is wonderful.
I have a close friend who teaches acting at an arts school. Years ago, another teacher, Clayton Corzatte, long retired from the same school, gave her his syllabus, plus all the books he used to teach. Real books and papers–– he wasn’t a computer kind of a guy. She cried, overwhelmed with gratitude. It was such a huge moment for her, to be the one he chose to give all these materials to. Before that time, I hadn’t put much thought into what it means to share this kind of information. This is so generous!
Many thanks to the brilliant person who asked this question! This is like a little piece of pure gold and I am going to study it like I was in class at Syracuse. Which I am not. And probably could never be. But now I can pretend! Thank you George so much for sharing this with us.
This post invites me to consider places and periods out of which great writing sprang, connections across centuries and millennia: the Greek playwrights, Boccaccio and Chaucer, Shakespeare, the 19th century in Russia, France, and Britain, the 20th century in North America (I know I’m leaving out a lot, please forgive) (every century in France). Some kind of through line connects all these lights…
This is so exciting! I LOVE a syllabus. Genuinely.
Well, this made my day. Thank you!
Also, did you use the Complete Short Stories of Dostoevsky? (Thank you, George. And I hope you have so much fun tomorrow night when your movie comes out!)
Thank you, George. I think my favorite part of this syllabus is "Art=mysterious." Yeah, but let's talk about it anyway.
Will these be on the test? Ha!
Thank you so much for sharing this info. What a treat. I’m starting part iii of “In Persuasion Nation” today, reading chronologically (except I’ve read “Lincoln in the Bardo” and jumped ahead to read “Victory Lap” for the last discussion. I’ll squeeze in these short stories soon.
Also, I’ll be reading “Escape From Spiderhead” out of order. So excited. Having a small watch party.
Thank you, George!
It's really generous of you to share this. Thank you!
I am struck by how generous you are with sharing your course materials. As someone who teaches at the college level, I have always had a proprietary and prideful attitude towards my voluminous course materials. I am chagrined and inspired.
"So, my job is to put aside any idea of what I think they should be thinking of the story, and see what they’re really thinking, and then tailor my approach accordingly." This is where your expertise is evident, George. Only one who knows the material so well can conduct this kind of instruction this well. It's why this forum is such a treasure.
Wisdom and expertise like this, notes like these... how is every writer alive not a paid subscriber here? (I'm reminded of the world-class violin instructor I know who gives and takes "lessons" from other world-class greats.) I'm truly appreciative of the opportunity to be involved in this group and invited inside your teaching mind in this way, George. So glad you share these things with us; am wondering if you ever feel vulnerable doing so. I think I would, at least sometimes, so I'm especially grateful you share these things for our benefit. I'll revisit these posts, comments, and notes for a lifetime, I expect.
Where's the watch party for tomorrow? I'm in. I'll be thinking of you all behind a bowl of popcorn while trying not to annoy my family members with narration.
I love this approach – hope your students appreciate being encouraged to feel their own way around the stories as much as we do here at SC (with due guidance and persistence)! It does away with all that 'hail the masterpiece because I say so' BS and really builds literary muscles and confidence.