Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

percy-l - Re: [percy-l] The Moviegoer elem ed

percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion on Walker Percy

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Jim Wesson <gypsyjimmy1 AT yahoo.com>
  • To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [percy-l] The Moviegoer elem ed
  • Date: Sat, 13 May 2006 12:18:31 -0700 (PDT)

wonderful,
the only thing that could beter this,is that you were
an elem.ed. major,a thankless job if there ever was
one.
peace,
jim

--- "Karl M. Terrell" <kterrell AT sheastokes.com> wrote:

> * * This communication is CONFIDENTIAL * *
>
>
>
>
> I took an American literature intro class at your
> university/my alma
> mater, UNC-CH, in the late 70s (I was not an English
> major), and it was
> then and there that I was introduced to Percy. We
> read the Moviegoer.
> I've been under his spell ever since, having read
> everything he has
> written, solely for pleasure.
>
> I don't pretend to know why I got turned on to this
> particular writer;
> I'm not the literary type, and don't analyze such
> things. I just
> appreciate good writing, by a writer who has
> something to say, and
> peppers it along with wonderful observations about
> the planet and the
> people around us.
>
> Karl
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mitchdl AT email.unc.edu
> [mailto:mitchdl AT email.unc.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:43 AM
> To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [percy-l] The Moviegoer
>
> I just finished teaching The Moviegoer at the end of
> a Southern Lit
> class and was surprised at how well the students
> responded. Granted,
> this was an upper-level course composed of English
> majors (and one
> sociology major!), so it's a different bag from an
> intro course.
>
> I think there's less of a problem with TMG seeming
> dated now than there
> would have been in the eighties/nineties, for the
> simple reason that the
> references are absolutely meaningless to students
> now (William
> Holden??). They take them purely as fictional names
> and judge the
> meaning by the context, instead of partially
> recognizing and depositing
> them in the 'fogey' bin.
>
> The predicament, of course, is unchanged and worse
> now than ever.
>
> Most surprising, though, was the response to Kate.
> If any character
> might be said to be a bit overdrawn, it's Kate, but
> the students (all
> female) immediately recognized a familiar type.
> This, I would say, is
> one path into TMG with these students. It helps
> that mine tend to be
> notably less ideologically driven readers, so they
> don't get distracted
> with the "She's dependent on a man!" business. They
> understand more
> about desperate times and desperate measures.
>
> Since this is an intro class, however, TMG will
> leave many students
> flat. So my recommendation would be to divide the
> class as the world is
> divided: those who love Percy (TWLP) and those who
> hate Percy (TWHP),
> or sheep and goats. Take the class outside and let
> the TWHPers loll
> about on the grass with their Ipods while the TWLPs
> palpitate their
> frontal lobes and gaze ironically at the former
> group.
>
> All the best,
>
> Doug
>
>
>
>
> Quoting "Beck, David A" <dabeck AT iupui.edu>:
>
> > Friends,
> > A few weeks (months?) ago, someone posted a
> message about the success
> > of teaching The Moviegoer to a high school class.
> (I'm thinking it was
> > Rhonda.) But the email encouraged me to try it
> once again, in my Intro
>
> > to Lit class this summer. Most of the class will
> be bright-faced,
> > eager to learn, college freshman--well, college
> freshman anyway.
> > The Moviegoer is one of my favorites, but it's
> also one that I've
> > never taught successfully. Most thought it was too
> weird (I
> > interpreted that as being too dated--replace Tony
> Curtis with Tom
> > Cruise, etc.) But if high schoolers got it, then
> maybe it is the way
> I've been teaching it.
> > Lancelot has always gone over well in my 200-level
> lit classes. And
> > Love in the Ruins also works pretty well, though
> it's a little too
> > long. But TMG is such a great book that I thought
> I needed to give it
> > one more try. I'm re-reading it now and am really
> enjoying it again.
> > So my question is (to the list and to Rhonda, if
> she is the one who
> > posted the email): What is a good way of
> presenting this novel that is
>
> > dated (in its references) but is as timely now (if
> not more so) than
> > ever to college freshman?
> > Any help will be much appreciated. The class
> doesn't begin until 6/26.
> > Thanks.
> > -David
> >
> >
> > --
> > An archive of all list discussion is available at
> > https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> >
> > Visit the Walker Percy Project at
> http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
> >
>
>
> --
> An archive of all list discussion is available at
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
>
> Visit the Walker Percy Project at
> http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
>
>
>
************************************************************************************************
> PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION
> The information contained in this e-mail, and any
> attachments thereto, is only for the use of the
> recipient(s) named above. This message, and its
> attachments, may contain information that falls
> under the attorney-client and/or work product
> privileges. Receipt of this message by an unintended
> recipient does not constitute a waiver by the sender
> of any and all applicable privileges. If you are not
> the intended recipient of this e-mail and any
> attachments, or an agent responsible for delivering
> it to the intended recipients, you are hereby
> notified that any use, dissemination, distribution,
> downloading, or copying of this communication is
> strictly prohibited. If you have received this
> e-mail in error, please notify the sender
> immediately by e-mail, permanently delete the e-mail
> and any attachments immediately, and destroy all
> copies.
>
************************************************************************************************
> --
> An archive of all list discussion is available at
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
>
> Visit the Walker Percy Project at
> http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page