NCTE Response

So, I'm pretty much done with the NCTE book and I must say that I really enjoy reading it. I think the author has some great activities regarding bringing in multiple texts (like paintings) and revision. Her discussion of activities really made me take a step back and view Carver from more of a teacher lens. I'm looking forward to teaching some of his stuff to my future students and I hope to use some of the techniques in this book to do so. In this response, I am just going to highlight some stuff I like about the NCTE book. To me, Carver is a writer of human conversations, which is why I'm excited to be able to talk about him in a public place next week.

First, I would like to talk about the poetry section of the NCTE book. I am not a huge fan of catalog poems, but I like the exercises that the author had her students do in class. I like the class catalog poem (the Fear of...) because it encourages collaboration and could potentially be used as an introduction to a more vast unit on poetics (68-70). I hadn't read any Carver poetry until reading some excerpts in this book and I must say that I like his style. I think his poetry, in many ways, is very similar to his fiction; it isn't too abstract and it usually tells a story. While reading his short stories I definitely felt as if I could make a connection personally to them, which is why I'm glad his poetry is similar (it has the same impact).

Next, I would like to talk about the revision section of the NCTE book. I must admit that, in high school, I also hated the idea of editing my paper or "revising" it. Rubenstein's chapter on revision really made me rethink what revision means. I like how she juxtaposes a few versions of Carver's stories to show us how they have changed through revision. Honestly, after reading, I really wanted to go back to some of my poems and re-imagine some of them. To re-envision seems much more enticing than "editing." I think if we can get our students talking about Carver, then they will be more willing to partake in revision (especially after we show them how Carver revised some of his stories). I really like how her kids wanted to read the other version of his stories when they read only one version; the power of Carver is strong.

I like the way Rubenstein's students came to know Carver as "Ray." I've said this before... but there is really just something so different about Carver when you juxtapose him with other writers studied throughout curriculum. He puts it all out on the table and asks us to take a closer look at situations or conversations we might otherwise miss while in transit. There are tons of things we could use from this book for our paired teaching. I look forward to discussing the possibilities over some food... I think that's how Carver would want it done.

The NCTE Post

I think I will talk about the insights I enjoyed and then cover Carver’s applicability in the classroom.

The fact that he did not like being the father of minimalism was not surprising. He didn’t appear to be the type to want any recognition. But obviously he wanted the fellowships so he wouldn’t go bankrupt for a third time.

I would say that dirty realism describes Carver; however, he is more than that. I mean, it fits well, but I hate to pigeon hole him considering I could never predict what each story was going to contain. I suppose, as Carver said, he is a precisionist. Yup, I more than suppose; I agree.

In my reading of Carver, I missed two things which Rubenstein pointed out. His stories were mainly in the present? Looking back I can see it’s true, yet I never considered it or made the connection. Maybe that is what allowed him to jump in at the middle of the story and get readers wrapped up so quickly?

I also never realized Carver’s lack of figurative language. People were as they were. Yet I rendered them vividly in my mind. There is something to be said for describing people in basic, human ways?

Carver in the classroom… Rubenstein even admits that some might argue that Carver’s life is not for adolescents…we already acknowledged this. So, as Adam suggested before, we would use certain stories or certain excerpts from certain stories. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and be teaching English to juniors and seniors at a progressive high school so we’ll just use it all; bahahaha, right.

Why would anyone introduce Carver (2)? I like how Rubenstein quietly released him.

In the section we are responding for there were specific stories mentioned, but they weren’t ones we read. A few more pages ahead Rubenstein goes into more detail about revision and the examples of “The Bath” and “A Small, Good Thing” are relatable. After reading “The Bath,” I am sold on the idea of using the two together in class. It can show students that one is not better as revision is mistakenly said to do; they are different (47).

Rubenstein makes it sound like Carver shakes things up among her students. I am not surprised. The same short stories are always read in school such as “The Necklace” and “Gift of the Magi” which are, I don’t know, distant by comparison. “The Most Dangerous Game” is good though…but yea, unlike authors who say their technique or text or classroom creates the effect they write about, I want to believe Rubenstein. Like the fact that students react to the endings...I mean, I felt lost in final sentences; wouldn’t that be universal and good for conversation (24).

Bringing in paintings? Yes, yes, yes; Y, E, S (31-33).

There was more that interested me. I want to save it though. I am sick of writing about Carver. I want to converse about him.

Response 7

Gentlemen. Sorry for my absence from the blog. I've returned. For response 7 I have created a cartoon of the story "Fever." This story really got to me. I can't get the line "Happy. As if, Carlyle thought, happiness was all there was to life." I feel it's one of those sentences that gets right to the heart of what Carver is writing about. That there's so much more to who we are and what we want and what we experience than just seeking happiness. It may be part of it, but by no means is happiness all that life is about. Genius.

I have mixed feelings about the Toondoo website I used. For one thing, the name is stupid and childish, but the real danger with this website and places like goanimate, and even glogster is that I think there is a chance of mocking the literature we read in high school English class. There are good, all-in-fun parodies, but some of these websites have the potential for completely missing the point when in students hands. They also have potential for beautiful creation. It is incumbent on the teacher to build that respectful classroom community, I suppose. But I get nervous. I'm the same way as a dad. I can see the 300 ways my daughter could lose an eye or a tooth at anytime, and have to convince myself that taking risks is good for everyone's development. Just as it is our students. Ah well. Here is the cartoon.

By MisterAA | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

I tried to incorporate the scenes that really stuck out, made an impact, and carried the story. Let me know if I succeeded. The story is beautiful and terrible like the best of Carver's works and I worry about walking the line between parody and disrespect.

Peace.