Thanks to Lori Bloomfield for writing in and telling me about her new project, First Lines, a site where each week Lori posts a first line that she hopes will inspire others to write a short story. Check it out the next time you need a little inspiration.
Merry Christmas to all the celebrants out there. Please check back tomorrow for a “Friday Find.”
“We believe that students who major in foreign languages should be required to have a good command of English and some knowledge of English and American literature; likewise, English majors should be required to learn another language and become familiar with literature in another language.” So suggests the MLA (working with the Teagle Foundation), in a new white paper. People are thinking this is a “radical” idea? I’d say it’s reactionary–in a good way. Not too many scholarly generations ago, it was a given. (And the MLA is just talking about undergraduates here–just think about what might reasonably be demanded of graduate students in literary fields.)
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I’m so grateful to Deonne for writing up her take on a panel discussion both she and I attended recently on “Autobiography/Biography: Narrating the Self.” Deonne is clear and comprehensive in her summary–and has discreetly neglected to describe how I erupted when one panelist seemed to argue that “truth” in nonfiction is overrated.
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We are well into Chanukah now. I am delighted to discover this batch of Chanukah poetry compiled by the Academy of American Poets.
Deonne tagged me to try this exercise in fives, so here goes.
What were you doing five years ago (December 2003)?
1. Still living in Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Teaching fiction-writing at the Harvard Extension School
3. Celebrating my niece’s very first Chanukah and New Year–she was four months old!
4. Applying for tenure-track teaching jobs in creative writing (talk about being delusional!)
5. Exercising much more diligently than I am now (sad, but too true)
What were five things on your list for today?
1. Go to work (and don’t forget to set autoresponder there for any messages coming in the rest of the week)
2. Check in with my latest e-mail from The Southeast Review Writing Regimen
3. Go to my branch library to pick up the long-awaited book waiting for me there
4. Phone calls/e-mails I meant to take care of yesterday
5. Pack for my upcoming trip to exotic New Jersey
What are five snacks you enjoy?
1. Anything with “reduced-fat” or “light” printed on the package
2. Granny Smith or Braeburn apples
3. Crackers of various sorts
4. Popcorn
5. Chocolate!
What are five things you’d do if you were a billionaire?
1. Donate a lot more money to many more charities, with a particular focus right now on organizations defrauded by Bernard Madoff
2. Buy a place in Paris, and never hesitate to fly over for the weekend
3. Learn how to run (and establish) a publishing company
4. In keeping with #3, pay “my authors” well
5. Buy some really nice jewelry
What are five jobs you’ve had?
1. School library assistant
2. Babysitter
3. French tutor
4. Campus tour guide
5. U.S. Government employee
Who are five people you want to tag?
1. BJ
2. Lisa
3. Anne
4. Mark
5. “Oronte” (if his paying gig allows for this kind of thing)
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to drown in the various lists of “best books of the year.” So I am grateful to NPR for doing a nice job of collecting its critics’ lists and posting all appropriate links in one place. Great resource if you’re still looking for gift suggestions, too. Thank you, NPR!