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percy-l - Teaching Percy . . . to law students

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

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  • From: tbassett AT acsu.buffalo.edu
  • To: percy-l AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Cc: tbassett AT acsu.buffalo.edu
  • Subject: Teaching Percy . . . to law students
  • Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 20:01:08 -0400


Hello all -

I'm writing to solicit advice, warnings, direction, etc. regarding my
decision to teach a course on Percy's novels and essays to law students
next semester. Any feedback will be cheerfully (and not a little
desperately <g>) accepted.

I'm not sure why I decided to take this seminar on, in place of my usual
one on the death penalty. Partly because I haven't had a chance to read
Percy carefully in the last few years. I don't know how representative a
Percy reader I am (atheist, socially and politically way over on the left,
secular through and through . . . all in all a constellation of traits and
opinions and practices that Percy skewered well and truly more than once),
but I do know that dipping into his work every few years renews a long and
respectful conversation/quarrel/? I've had going with the man for a long
time. I think my decision also partly traces to this deepening sense --
which is difficult to articulate, though nonetheless very real -- that law
students might benefit just as much as anyone from reading him. The longer
I teach law, the more I think I see my students -- usually bright,
talented, hard-working, privileged -- feeling bad when they should be
feeling good. And, of course, Percy has one or two things to say about that.

I don't know much about how I might teach the class. Something like ten
students . . . maybe three of the novels (Moviegoer, Love In the Ruins,
Thanatos????) . . . some of the essays (beyond starting the semester with
Notes for a Novel About the End of the World, I don't have a clue) . . .
I've been too busy with this semester to think beyond gross generalities).
Which is why virtually anything any of you have to say will be helpful.

Thanks in advance. I look forward to listening in on the list in the
future, too.

Regards,
Thom Bassett
SUNY-Buffalo Law School




















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