We did not get to voting for next years authors today which is a shame because I was looking forward to see how that process would work. However the class was able to present on twenty different authors. With such a mass of names and awards and grants the whole thing becomes a little overwhelming.
I like the pictures. I think we should just invite whoever has the best picture.
Kidding. But I was surprised at how passionate two class members were about the author Claudia Ranklne. I have not read her but I plan too. Her work seems very smart and funny, even the title of the book Don't Let Me Be Lonely is humorous. One of the class members described her as "post-9-11" which I totally understand why, but it makes me uncomfortable to hear. I'm sure it my issue. I understand the beyond tragic profound impacts of 9-11, or the holocaust, or slavery, or patriarchy for that matter, but to classify literature as simply "before" or "after" these events seems to deny both the trauma of the events and work of writing. Sorry I'm off on a Tangent and don't know how to return.
I think I need to relax and let my sub-conscious wander through these authors in its own time. As we were going over them I marked NO or MAYBE or I LIKE so I can start sorting and reading more from the people I liked. Or, if all else fails, I just vote for the most attractive.
Showing posts with label Week Three. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week Three. Show all posts
Thursday, September 18, 2008
9-15-08 Week Three Next Years VWS Round One
Today we began a sharing our picks for next years authors. I did not know how to go about picking my two author suggestions because I am not particularly familiar with the kind of writers TCNJ would have at the Visiting Writers Series. So I looked over the speaker schedule I received at the Brooklyn Book Festival and found a series of readings called "Brooklyn in the House" that featured local readers. I saw a name I remembered from the anthology Legitimate Dangers that I remember Trisha presenting on, Nick Flynn.
It was the poem we called "Emo" in class. I read his work in the anthology and did some research. He has an interesting bio, including homelessness. Apparently he wrote an acclaimed memoir about being homeless that from the excerpts I read looks artful and well written.
It was the poem we called "Emo" in class. I read his work in the anthology and did some research. He has an interesting bio, including homelessness. Apparently he wrote an acclaimed memoir about being homeless that from the excerpts I read looks artful and well written.
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