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.