Tuesday, January 29, 2008

the new me

Not really that new, actually. Just improved. I am finally reaping the benefits of the iPod, which I know is way overdue. When I was in NYC, I figured out how to dowload a bunch of podcasts from NPR's Poetry Off the Shelf. I did a mini-dance in my car when I plugged it in and out spouted the voice of someone reading and analyzing Frost poems. I can't remember her name, but it was exhilarating to agree and disagree with her while driving to Home Depot on Saturday. You, too, can listen to the magic of the main host, Curtis Fox, reading poems and talking to poets about their work. I just heard him call up Dean Young because he had absolutely no idea what one of his poems meant. My kind of approach.

Wish I had something else exciting to report. I reread and fell in love all over again with John Knowles's A Separate Peace this past weekend. My students were not as excited as I was about the novel, but hopefully they are coming around to it. I am also happy to report that I am reading and really enjoying The Joy Luck Club, which I am teaching in a few weeks. There is time for a few short stories in the meantime. Any favorites out there? Teachable to ninth graders? Would love some suggestions.


1 comment:

Jenny said...

The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemmingway.
Easy read, adventureous, captivating, has a lot of info to learn about it's subject matter. Short!!


By the way, I don't know you but have been enjoying your blog for about a month, just another fellow book lover...