1. The collected Poems of Philip Larkin- Ok, I am slightly biased here because I love Larkin, but as a poet he would be really fun to teach. Larkin takes risks in his work, he swears, he discusses religion in a not so flattering light and he doesn't beat around the bush. This blunt quality can be really difficult to teach students who may be timid about sharing too personal of stories or exposing taboo aspects of them-self. In undergrad I wrote a ten page paper describing the genius uses of the word "fuck" across Larkin's poems. Talk about a fun academic paper to write!
2. Virginia Wolfe's Mrs. Dalloway- I am agreeing with my classmate on this one in that I feel it is a good book for a writer to read. The way that the novel is written from almost a stream-of-conscious perspective with no chapter breaks and subtle transitions is extremely interesting to consider. Wolfe takes risk here stylistically and personally. The writing is so powerfully dense that you could read the novel 100 times and never pick up on every subtle detail she has crafted.
3. Eavan Boland's Outside History- Boland is not too experimental in style, but is a beautiful writer. Her images her just striking as she blends original verbs with common images blended to make everything seem new.
4. Julie Oringer's How to Breathe Underwater- This collection of short stories has a connected theme of the experiences of youth, but expresses this connectivity in a wonderful array of characters and experiences. It has moments of extreme darkness, of light remembrance and calls intense emotion forth in the reader. This writer highlights how to write about tragedy and self in a way that is frank, honest and beautiful.
5. T.S. Elliot Collection- Truthfully, I chose this simply so I could teach "The Love Song of J. Alfred Profrock". That poem amazes me every time I read it. Unlike Boland, who revamps ordinary images and makes them beautiful and more powerful, Elliot's ability to use startling images of balding and mermaids to make inward reflections in the reader. Elliot also plays with interesting transitions and powerful themes, an academic classic to teach.
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Jackie,
ReplyDeleteexciting stuff, some of it pretty complicated for new writers, but worth the struggle. you need however a different kind of diversity here. this will stall in many schools (esp mine :).
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