Text 7087, 73 rader
Skriven 2006-08-27 19:28:00 av Robert E Starr JR (7584.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: Studying English.....
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On 27 Aug 2006 03:15:22 -0700, "John" <merlin816@gmail.com> wrote:

>Is there anyone in this group that can speak about the academic study
>of English?  I'm an aspiring writer...and I decided to go back to
>school post-BA (I have a degree in PoliSci) to study English.  I mean
>that makes sense right?  Study writing by reading great writing?
>
>Well...its not worked out that well.  I find that the people teaching
>my courses have no interest in the written word.  Instead they're using
>the literature as amunition for social arguments of various times.  We
>were just assigned a book and when it came time for the class that
>would pertain to the book...we didn't even really talk about the book.
>It was a class about the professors anti-technology standpoint.  Not
>once was the writing discussed...or the literary value of the story
>discussed.  This is a trend which I'm finding to be a consistent one
>across several graduate english classes.
>
>In my opinion literature does not exist to simply be amunition for
>social scientists who want to call themselves experts in literature.
>How can you be an expert in literature without talking about the book?
>
>My professor this semester (the course is about technology oriented
>literature...one might call it scifi) has taken every class to discuss
>issues about society and literature....the books are incidental.
>Merely  metaphors for what he already wanted to say.  Sometimes he
>doesn't even mention the book.
>
>Is anyone else's experience similar to mine?  To make this topic at
>least somewhat appropriate for the B5 group...B5 is completely literary
>in my opinion...the show deals with amazing issues, hard issues...isn't
>it more than a case study tho?  I mean B5 is art, visual literature.
>
>Sorry for the lenght....I'm kind of frustrated.
>
>Cheers all!
>
>John
>
>

I was never an English major. Having a mother who was a professor of
English Lit killed that for me <grin>. However, I did take *writing*
classes from the English department, and they were very good for the
discipline of getting words onto paper.

I don't see that an English Lit degree would necessarily help you as a
writer. It might help you as a *critic*...

Personally (and this is because I loathe school, and have for many
years and for many reasons), I'd get the reading list for some of the
courses and read the books on your own. If you feel the need to
discuss them, there are places online where such discussions take
place, and they don't have the cost or caste structure that
universities have. And having some more letters after your name isn't
going to impress an agent, unless you're writing a non-fiction book
about your PhD dissertation topic.

I did take a course called "The Novel of Science Fiction" during my
undergrad years, and I really enjoyed it. The professor was an
aspiring SF author (and subsequently was published and won the John W
Campbell award), so we did talk about the books and the writing and
stuff that you'd find enjoyable. So it can happen. Just not often.

-Wendy
                                     
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