Do I even need to say that I'm incredibly amused? Talk of drunken, golfing ninja, giving Will the ugly stick, eye-gouging -- my life almost can't take this much excitement!
Finished The Little Lady Agency. Thoroughly entertaining, had some interesting points about self-confidence (female self-confidence in particular) and its development within one's family of origin. The denouement was overdone, with almost every character weighing in, comic-book-final-battle style. I suppose I could care, but I don't.
-- Speaking of final chapters, Mary (now that I know you're there!), I read Bonfire of the Vanities after you recommended it (two years later, but still). I liked it well enough up to the epilogue, whereupon I wanted to find my own bonfire for more fascist purposes. For someone who probably has read a few newspapers in his life, Wolfe's "news story" ending was shameful. I saw red on so many levels, I'd better not even start.
I hope we haven't alienated you, Jord, from the discussion with our wanton abuse for old Shake ... I'd actually like your opinion of this particular topic (if you've got the time/inclination). It would be incredibly interesting to get the perspective of someone who genuinely loves Shakespeare's plays and is trying to rope adolescents around to some kind of understanding of classic literature. Does the state set your curriculum especially with re: which plays you teach? What would you like to teach, were you given the freedom/time to prepare? What literature do you think would get the best reception/most attention/reflection from your students?
Confession time: I never actually read the introduction to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in high school. Our teacher assigned it, even handed out photocopied packets of a (a modern translation of) the thing and gave us two weeks to read it. I gave it 20 minutes during the lunch right before class -- not even with full concentration. I was curled up in an instrument cubby in the band room, keeping my feet away from the furious game of "Snapple cap kick-hockey" taking place right below me. I managed to BS my way through that class period by pretending I was letting the other students get a word in edgewise. Heh.
Two years ago, I took some grad-school classes at Northern Illinois University (as a grad student-at-large -- a way to take classes not for credit, in preparation for maybe applying for grad school). My favorite by far was Chaucer, which we read in the original Middle English. By now I've got my minor in German, though, and I had a blast. (My German accent has suffered a bit as a result ...) My grade, had I been taking the class for credit, was an A. (Yippee!) I felt like I should call up Mrs. Meir at Capital High School with a much belated explanation and apology.
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