The Blab of the Paved
Title | The Blab of the Paved PDF eBook |
Author | Jeff Spanke |
Publisher | IAP |
Pages | 205 |
Release | 2020-01-01 |
Genre | Education |
ISBN | 1641139803 |
This narrative ethnography adopts an aesthetic lens to relay the various lived experiences of a non-traditional, Midwestern public high school during its final year in its original building. Extending upon previous research of high school dropouts, I examine how this one particular high school incorporated a self-paced curriculum with a focus on “family” to address the unique learning needs of students at risk of not graduating. By employing elements of grounded theory, narrative inquiry, and autoethnography, I share the stories of Walgut High School’s (a pseudonym) roughly sixty students as they struggle to navigate their respective roles in a dominant cultural narrative to which they’ve never felt like they belonged. Through the extensive and organic voices of the primary participants—as well as my observations of my own participation in the school culture over the course of a year—this project serves to offer insights not only into the school experiences of marginalized adolescents, but also into Walgut’s myriad successes and failures. In particular, this piece highlights the vitality of unconditionally caring or “hospitable” teachers (Derrida, 2000), while ultimately questioning the presumed utility of a high school diploma. The story concludes not by lauding the alternative mine created for Walgut’s canaries, but by questioning the purpose and stability of all scholastic minds. As American schools continue making strides to accommodate and support the complex and oftentimes contradictory needs of their students, what it means to succeed as a teacher in (and prepare teachers for) these diversified, inclusive learning spaces is growing increasingly complicated. Indeed, given the shifting paradigm of American public education, teacher preparation programs must continue to adapt their practices and philosophies in order to equip their teacher candidates with the skills needed not only to thrive but also find purpose and meaning in schools similar to this project’s Walgut. While this book doesn’t claim to offer any answers to the myriad questions concerning the future of public schools, it does endeavor to offer a springboard from which all education stakeholders can continue engaging in healthy and productive discussions of how best to prepare students (and teachers) for autonomous, democratic, curious, creative, and compassionate citizenship both in and apart from their academic communities. To this end, rather than write from a detached, traditionally academic vantage, I have sought in these pages to compose from a personal (albeit limited), passionate (albeit subjective) and participatory (albeit someone marginalized) perspective. In my pursuit of social justice for the characters of Walgut High School, I begin first by exposing my own privileged role in perpetuating injustice. Only through recognizing and naming our own demons can we ever begin to exorcize the System writ large. Thus, in this book’s lack, there is possibility; in its futility, hope.
The Bookman
Title | The Bookman PDF eBook |
Author | |
Publisher | |
Pages | 602 |
Release | 1921 |
Genre | Book collecting |
ISBN |
American Renaissance
Title | American Renaissance PDF eBook |
Author | F. O. Matthiessen |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Pages | 722 |
Release | 1968-12-31 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN | 0199726884 |
Studies the views of 5 prominent mid-19th century writers on the function and nature of literature and how they applied these views to their works.
The Cambridge History of American Literature: Volume 4, Nineteenth-Century Poetry 1800-1910
Title | The Cambridge History of American Literature: Volume 4, Nineteenth-Century Poetry 1800-1910 PDF eBook |
Author | Sacvan Bercovitch |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 580 |
Release | 1994 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN | 9780521301084 |
This is the first complete narrative history of nineteenth-century American poetry. Barbara Packer explores the neoclassical and satiric forms mastered by the early Federalist poets; the creative reaches of once-celebrated, and still compelling, poets like Longfellow and Whittier; the distinctive lyric forms developed by Emerson and the Transcendentalists. Shira Wolosky provides a new perspective on the achievement of female poets of the period, as well as a close appreciation of African-American poets, including the collective folk authors of the Negro spirituals. She also illuminates the major works of the period, from Poe through Melville and Crane, to Whitman and Dickinson. The authors of this volume discuss this extraordinary literary achievement both in formal terms and in its sustained engagement with changing social and cultural conditions. In doing so they recover and elucidate American poetry of the nineteenth century for our twenty-first century pleasure, profit, and renewed study.
Guilty Knowledge, Guilty Pleasure
Title | Guilty Knowledge, Guilty Pleasure PDF eBook |
Author | William Logan |
Publisher | Columbia University Press |
Pages | 344 |
Release | 2014-04-08 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN | 0231166869 |
William Logan has been a thorn in the side of American poetry for more than three decades. Though he has been called the Òmost hated man in American poetry,Ó his witty and articulate reviews have reminded us how muscular good reviewing can be. These new essays and reviews take poetry at its word, often finding in its hardest cases the greatest reasons for hope. Logan begins with a witty polemic against the wish to have critics announce their aesthetics every time they begin a review. ÒThe Unbearable Rightness of CriticismÓ is a plea to read those critics who got it wrong when they reviewed Lyrical Ballads or Leaves of Grass or The Waste Land. Sometimes, he argues, such critics saw exactly what these books wereÑthey saw the poems plain, yet often did not see that they were poems. In such wrongheaded criticism, readers can recover the ground broken by such groundbreaking books. Logan looks again at the poetry of Wallace Stevens, Frank OÕHara, and Philip Larkin; at the letters of T. S. Eliot, Elizabeth Bishop, and Robert Lowell; and at new books by Louise Glck and Seamus Heaney. Always eager to overturn settled judgments, Logan argues that World War II poets were in the end better than the much-lauded poets of World War I. He revisits the secretly revised edition of Robert FrostÕs notebooks, showing that the terrible errors ruining the first edition still exist. The most remarkable essay is ÒElizabeth Bishop at Summer Camp,Ó which prints for the first time her early adolescent verse, along with the intimate letters written to the first girl she loved.
The Complete Works of Walt Whitman
Title | The Complete Works of Walt Whitman PDF eBook |
Author | Walt Whitman |
Publisher | Good Press |
Pages | 2431 |
Release | 2023-12-28 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN |
Walt Whitman's 'The Complete Works of Walt Whitman' is a timeless collection of poetry and prose that defines American literature. Known for his free verse style, Whitman's writing is deeply personal and reflective of the democratic spirit of America in the 19th century. This comprehensive anthology contains Whitman's most famous works, such as 'Leaves of Grass' and 'Song of Myself', showcasing his unmatched ability to capture the beauty of the human experience. Whitman's use of vivid imagery and emotional depth sets him apart as a literary giant of his time. The raw and unfiltered nature of his writing continues to resonate with readers today. Walt Whitman, a prominent figure in American literature, drew inspiration from his own life experiences and the rapidly changing society around him. His writings explore themes of individuality, nature, and the human condition, making him a pioneer of the transcendentalist movement. His bold and revolutionary approach to poetry challenged societal norms and paved the way for future generations of writers. I highly recommend 'The Complete Works of Walt Whitman' to anyone interested in exploring the complexity and beauty of American literature. Whitman's profound insights and unparalleled poetic talent make this collection a must-read for literary enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of the human spirit and the evolution of American poetry.
Leaves of grass [by W. Whitman].
Title | Leaves of grass [by W. Whitman]. PDF eBook |
Author | Walt Whitman |
Publisher | |
Pages | 472 |
Release | 1860 |
Genre | American poetry |
ISBN |