Copy the questions and instructions below, and paste them into a blog entry, a note on Facebook, or a discussion forum—anywhere that you can reach the people you want to. You can use the comments area on this blog entry if you'd like as well. Delete my answers to the questions, and add your own. Feel free to any extra instructions or invite specific people to answer the questions when you post them. You might ask all the students in your class to complete the questions in their journals or as part of a exam review activity, for instance.
The Questions
Think about the literature you've read—short stories, novels, plays, memoirs, and poetry. Any literature counts, from picture books to epic poems, and from romance novels to sci-fi fan-fiction. Answer each question, and explain your response in a few sentences. Just copy the questions, remove my answers, add your own, and then invite others to respond.
- What piece of literature has stayed with you, even though you haven't read it recently? This would undoubtedly be Gone with the Wind. It was the first piece of true literature that I ever read--my first foray away from Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew. I still have the tattered first copy I ever owned. There's a little duct tape on the spine, but it was definitely handled with love.
- What character or story has influenced something you've done? Well this one isn't necessarily literature, but there's a link. I can't remember the exact date that I first saw Dead Poet's Society, but I knew right away that I wanted to be that English teacher. I knew that I wanted to influence students to make a difference in their world and to really appreciate the universal themes in literature--instead of just rhyme schemes. Robin Williams made me want to help high school students enjoy reading as much as I do, and to enjoy it without all the technicalities that we sometimes kill it with.
- What character or piece of literature seemed to relate to a recent news story or personal experience? I recently linked a Sports Illustrated column about professional athlete Joe Delaney with "To an Athelete Dying Young" by A. E. Housman. This also relates to Brett Favre's recent fight to stay on past his own prime. Using the prose examples help to take some of the sting out of the poem itself--just the short lines and stanzas seem to give some students hives.
- What character has made you wonder why he or she did/said something? Which one hasn't? I spent most of my time during the Twilight series wondering why in the world Bella Swann thought true love was hers. More specifically, though, might be Elizabeth in Alexandra Ripley's Charleston. I deeply wanted her to see through her suitor's (his name escapes me) charms before it was too late. Would the story have been as good if there was no murder, though?
- Name something from a work of literature (such as a character, setting, or quotation) that you find beautiful or vivid. The most beautiful thing I have read recently comes from Cynthia Rylant's book, God Went to Beauty School. The idea of God coming to earth and living life as a human being in this day and age is amazing to me. The poem, "God got a Dog" is particularly beautiful and sad all at once. God sees the dog, lonely and hungry, and realizes that He made it and feels that He has to take responsiblity. The compassion is heavy on the reader. The entire book is well written and enjoyable--but also deep in philosophical thought.
