Story Time

If nothing else, our content over the past two weeks has served as a reminder of how important it is to tell our stories. Yes, our stories may be depressing and they may present humanity in horrific ways, but they are still important.

Every Friday morning during my drive to work I listen to NPR's pick from the StoryCorps project (remember, you listened to some stories too). I always look forward to these 30 second snippets of life. They are not always overtly poignant - at least not in the most commonly accepted way - but they are special moments of clarity that have made a difference with someone, somewhere. Could these stories make a difference elsewhere? Perhaps. And, of course, that is the role of StoryCorps - to record the seemingly unimportant and rather Earth shattering moments that could help someone else in the future.

We tell our stories because our lives are important. When we share elements of our lives with humanity our role on this planet becomes more pronounced. In other words, we make ourselves matter.

Wiesel could have kept his stories hidden deep inside for the rest of his life. We could have never read about his conflicts with his faith or his quest to keep his father alive. But, instead, Wiesel chose to tell his story. And what a story it is! How many lives has this story changed, even in a small way? How many other stories has Wiesel inspired?

For this week, I would like you to tell your own stories. Describe a moment in your life that was important...or not. Make us feel life we are there, right along with you on the journey.

Crack a Smile...or Not

At times, being a literature teacher makes me depressed about the world. It should be no secret after eleven years of formal education that the great literature of the world does not present man in the most positive ways. I have my theories about why this is the case...

#1 - Many of our great writers were unhappy souls. When you research the lives of the Poe's and Shakespeares of the world, you find backgrounds full of heartbreak and sadness. Perhaps writing was their way of dealing with this sadness.

#2 - The great stories are meant to be teaching tools. Without these timeless classics we may never learn life lessons that could help us in the future. And how do we best learn life lessons - by making mistakes and dealing with tragedy.

#3 - Art has always been a way for people to critique the times. Why should literature be any different? Through stories like Of Mice and Men and The Odyssey we see how contemporaries of the time felt about their peers, their government, and their environments.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Art is not always meant to be comfortable or comforting. It is meant to progress thought and foster reflection. Would happy stories do the job? Perhaps, but not as well as the sad stories.

For this week's posting I would like you to elaborate on your views regarding the types of literature that you are exposed to either through school or your own personal reading. Do you feel literature is too depressing? Should we expose ourselves to more optimistic texts? Provide specific examples from your own literary knowledge to support your argument.

Love is in the Air

Although I would love to rally against all things Valentine's Day, I find that I just can't. Who can? The underlying premise of the holiday is to celebrate love. To ignore the importance of love in our lives is like ignoring the importance of oxygen. It is vital. But, don't get me wrong here. I certainly am not arguing for the necessity for every human being to envelope themselves in a relationship or coupling of some kind. What I am arguing for is the idea that the love of something, anything, is what makes us wake up in the morning. Whether that love be for another human being, a pet, a hobby, or an idea, it is necessary.

Since love is a ubiquitous emotion throughout the course of humanity it is no surprise that it is also a common theme within literature. Countless love stories and poems have been written over the centuries. Some focus on the quest for love, some on the quest far, far away from love. Regardless of the context, the nebulous idea that we call love has forever baffled and interested humans - and I predict that it forever will.

For this week I would like you to read some of my favorite poems about love. They are certainly not all positive portrayals of love, but they do represent a small sample of the variety of opinions that are out there about the topic. For your comment, choose one or two of the poems and create a short analysis of the poem. If you are unsure of how to approach poetry analysis, click here to get some tips.

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by e.e. cummings
How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats
The Kiss by Stephen Dunn
Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
Dover Bitch by Anthony Hecht

The Future

After our class discussion on Friday (which I must say KUDOS once again to you all) I found myself pondering the future - more so than normal. Many of your comments lead me to believe that our future is one of overt individuality, fewer altruistic gestures, and an increase in the "live for self" mantra. This worries me. I do not want to live in a world that does not attack future problems together, with a community spirit. The adversity that we face on a world scale cannot be solved by millions of "lone rangers" worried only about him/herself.

These issues also worry me because study after study cites things like communication, altruism, participating in an environmentally conscious lifestyle, and keeping active (especially in group activities) as being cornerstones for happiness. If we have found time and again that the very characteristics that are slowly dwindling are the same characteristics that are associated with happiness, what kind of future are we creating?

In his Ted talk, Nic Marks explains his idea for a new way to measure the productivity of countries around the world. He argues that a nation's success should not be measured solely by monetary means (which is often gauged by the productivity of stuff) but also by the well-being of its people. Marks presents an intriguing idea. Can we be happy without creating stuff? Can we live in balance with the world without losing too much of our way of life?

Please watch the Ted talk and create a response in which you analyze Marks' idea and state whether you agree or disagree with his argument.