Well, it's that point in the semester when everything starts getting out of control.... I taught my last class of Engl. 210 today, and I can officially say "auf wiedersehen" to the class of torture (otherwise known as German). In our professor's words, "Zooo, ja ja ja ja ja, torture it was! This class--what does it do? Torture it did!" Those silly Germans. They get everything all confused.
Before next Tuesday I will have:
- prepared a Final Exam for my Engl. 210 classes
- graded 40 10-page final papers
- graded a huge stack of miscellaneous assignments (because I procrastinate and get behind)
- taken a German Final Exam
- written a 20-page paper for my Literary Theory class.
Of all of these, I am most excited to write my own 20 pager. I'm doing a postcolonial reading/analysis of Naked Lunch, by that crazy Beat guy William Burroughs. I'll especially be using postcolonial-ish theorists like bell hooks and Homi Bhabha. In my paper, I'll first establish how Burroughs and all the other Beats wrote with the goal of subverting the societal norms during the Cold War era. Then I'll do a close reading of the sections that are set in Interzone, the space that is everywhere and nowhere, where everything and yet nothing happens. Interzone is heavily populated by all kinds of different, exotic races who are presented, in the protagonist's drug-induced fantasy, as flat stereotypes. Thus undermining Burroughs's ultimate goal! Ha, aren't I clever? Blah blah blah... No one cares about this but me....
I'm going to Indianapolis. No, not until October, and no, I'm not going for the Indy 500 either. A couple of us submitted a proposal to the Midwest Pop Culture Association conference and we got accepted! Two of the members will read short stories, and two of us will read poetry (all of it focused on the idea of consumption and commodification). Incidentally, since it's a pop culture conference, our panel is titled: "Adver-enticements: We Make Reading About Commodification Look Sexy." Yes!
This summer will see me taking 2 classes, and teaching an online course that starts immediately after this semester is over. No break for me. Oh well. It's a good thing that I like school.
3 comments:
You're teaching an online course? Wow, how does one do that? Your school sounds fun. If I were there, I'd help you grade those papers--with a timer of course.
I'm now quite curious as to the outcome of this paper. Maybe you can send me a copy when it's done. Also, 1) so, did you enjoy Naked Lunch? I got through it, but it wasn't too much fun. 2) Are you comfortable including all of the Beats in your aforementioned conclusion? And what's your definition of a Beat? And will you look at lifestyle Beats, or Poet Beats, or Prose Beats, or Jazz Beats? Am most intrigued.
Best of luck.
Madness is right! Sounds like you're enjoying it though. What's life without a little madness? I mean, if everything was sane, we'd all be bored. So, I'm with you on immersing ourselves in the madness. Embrace it! :)
Hi Sarah,
I enjoyed your comment on my blog, and wanted to let you know I keep up on yours too. Glad to hear you're doing well. Write if you ever get a chance, but if you're too caught up in the madness, ain't no thing! I understand completely.
Your semi-mad friend,
Anna :-P
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