Odds and ends as summer wraps up.
My big "thinking book" for this summer was "The Closing of the American Mind" by Allan Bloom. Yeah, I'm coming to this one a little late, but I was just a kid in the '80s when it was written. I undertook it as a sort of intellectual archeology, since it influenced people who have influenced me. Even if it's a little out of date, (and when has that ever stopped a Torrey student?) it's still worth the read just to uncover some of the ideas and problems that shaped the way we were taught. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue that archeology by digging into a bit of Strauss later in the year.
In prepping for my American History class, I also undertook to read "1776" by David McCullough. My grandmother sent me the illustrated edition for my birthday. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and all the reproductions of historical documents were fun to play with and will be useful in the classroom.
Finally, I'm also prepping for a lecture on Gothic literature, and so I've been reading through my "Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe". Poe's easy to underestimate, and I fear that I underestimated him for too long. Yes, he doesn't have a terrible lot to say, but the ways he finds to say it are powerful and engaging, and all the more so since they pass so easily for gloomy, middlebrow fluff. It reminds me a lot of Hellboy in that. Speaking of Hellboy, I finally got out to see "The Golden Army" the other day! It was fun. Nothing life-changing, but just plain fun. If I can gather my thoughts, I may sit down and write a review... We'll see.
My big "thinking book" for this summer was "The Closing of the American Mind" by Allan Bloom. Yeah, I'm coming to this one a little late, but I was just a kid in the '80s when it was written. I undertook it as a sort of intellectual archeology, since it influenced people who have influenced me. Even if it's a little out of date, (and when has that ever stopped a Torrey student?) it's still worth the read just to uncover some of the ideas and problems that shaped the way we were taught. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue that archeology by digging into a bit of Strauss later in the year.
In prepping for my American History class, I also undertook to read "1776" by David McCullough. My grandmother sent me the illustrated edition for my birthday. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and all the reproductions of historical documents were fun to play with and will be useful in the classroom.
Finally, I'm also prepping for a lecture on Gothic literature, and so I've been reading through my "Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe". Poe's easy to underestimate, and I fear that I underestimated him for too long. Yes, he doesn't have a terrible lot to say, but the ways he finds to say it are powerful and engaging, and all the more so since they pass so easily for gloomy, middlebrow fluff. It reminds me a lot of Hellboy in that. Speaking of Hellboy, I finally got out to see "The Golden Army" the other day! It was fun. Nothing life-changing, but just plain fun. If I can gather my thoughts, I may sit down and write a review... We'll see.
Comments
And I'd be interested to hear more of your thoughts on Golden Army. I loved it and hated it. There were things that were amazing, and things that made me cringe. I'm so mixed up inside about this movie! :)