So, everytime I come here and ask for suggestions for books/stories, there are many, many good suggestions. And I always end up taking them, and my class is grateful. This means I'm going to keep shamelessly using you for lesson plans.
Last year, the sophomores read "Fight Club," and they loved it so much they quote it all the time. Now I have them as juniors, and they can apply any number of analytical processes to it. If I'm explaining something new, I can say, remember that time in "Fight Club" when...and they get it.
This was some successful teaching last year. I need another book like that. Something exciting and freaky and banned in some states. Something cool and socially relevant, but still smart and literary and all that. I was thinking Bret Easton Ellis, but I think he's kind of dated now. Or, the books I've read are dated - Less Than Zero and American Psycho and Rules of Attraction. I can pretty much do anything I want. Last year, she also taught "Geek Love."
And I'd like to introduce them to somebody other than Palahniuk - just because some have already gone out and read "Choke," and I want them to see there are other writers out there doing similar, wonderful stuff. I was thinking about Jesus' Son, but that's a little short - I'd like something we have to spend time on.
I was going to make them read "The Road," but somebody told me I'd up the teen suicide rate.
Any suggestions?
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9 comments:
My vote on The Road is no.
I haven't read it, but am dying to: Joyce Carol Oates' Fox Fire? May be too dated?
And then there's always the lovely Mary Gaitskill, anything.
anything but Veronica, I mean.
Percepolis would be cool, but not sure if graphic novels are okay.
I haven't read but am reviewing for the first year book committee here: World War Z (a zombie mocumentary style novel?) by max brooks
Grendel (if they've had to read beowolf?)
The last to see, by the guy who wrote the hitchiker books.
Mine are reading foxfire malcolm x, into the wild and in the time of the butterflies.
I'll keep thinking...
I'll check out Gaitskill's novels. I love her stories, but haven't read anything longer. And while I love her, I agree with you about Veronica.
I was thinking about Kindred by Butler, but I think it's too tame.
just off the top of my head, some more recent provacateurs, mostly, but i'm so unsure of the right level of appropriateness for juniors:
michel houellebecq (french)
dennis cooper
martin amis?
gary indiana
sarokin (last name of a russian author who wrote a book called ice)
i remember taking one class in secondary ed and i got psyched about designing a unit related to my potential students getting their licenses. i found kerouac's on the road as a junior and it changed me. at that age independent travel seemed so possible and real. then i thought about anything that had anything to do with running away or driving or tempting fate.
or what about a local author who could potentially visit your classes? i'm thinking of doug dorst and his first novel alive in necropolis. it's a book the blurbs make me want to read, but i'm not sure it fits your request. those guest speakers/writers have always been my best lesson plans.
more books I'm reading for first year book committee:
Never let me go by kazou ishiguro
and Ella Minmow Pea by mark dunn
Lily James' The Great Taste of Straight People. the bad things though are that a)this is a collection b) it might be too difficult for that age. But holy moly it's bad ass.
The first paragraph:
"You probably know a lot about killers, having slept with one. Assuming he left you with more than a location and a time of death. What are the requirements for a good boyfriend anyway? Smart. Funny. Handsome. Not a killer. Never killed anyone. Did not put anyone to death. Had no part in any killings. Didn't kill. Wouldn't kill. Hopes to go his whole life without killing one single person. Heard about killings but doesn't really know the specifics. Never saw anyone getting killed. Wants to save you from killers. Wants the killers to stay away from you. Thinks killing is wrong. By this reckoning, your last lover was not good boyfriend potential."
Yeah, it's all that good.
Holy shit - Never Let Me Go is brutal. I love that book.
Thank you folks. This break, I'm going to be browsing Half Price for all these titles, and I'll let you know what kind of decision gets made.
I forced them to perform CDA on everything under the sun, and they really want to switch gears - I was going to make them read Othello before Christmas. But now I'm not.
what do you think of oscar wao? i haven't read it yet.
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