Week of 3/18: Classroom reads

It’s been an exciting week for acquiring books… even if my actual reading has been very, very slow. The truth is that I’ve been plagued with really debilitating headaches. I think they’re hormonal in nature because I get cold sweats with them and my face looks worse than it did at thirteen… so focusing on printed words hasn’t been easy. 

In the Classroom

This week, my online class is working their way through The Hobbit. I’m pleased to say that in one-on-one meetings and in emails the response to the text has largely been positive, with students saying, “I went in expecting to hate it, but I’m enjoying myself!” I’m not sure what prompted the initial negativity/ reluctance, but I’m pleased that attitudes are changing! 

Epic is actually working with some unconventional texts. We looked at Hamilton as an American epic. Next, we move into Hazards of Love before comparing 2112 and The Astonishing. We’ll finish up with the two Protomen albums: The Protomen and The Father of Death. These are all narrative albums (what used to be called “concept rock”) so I hope that the story wins over the listeners even if they don’t share my love for the incredibly high register of Geddy Lee. 

Clearly singing about those evil Priests of the Temples of Syrinx

My Shakespeare group finished Julius Caesar – they did a great job with it – and this week we’ve begun watching Richard III. The gore always shocks them! 

All this classroom reading has me making connections of my own. As I prepared for Caesar, I found a kindle deal on SPQR. If you see me fashioning my hair into an imperial crown or greeting anyone with “Hail Caesar!” I’ve gotten in too deep again… 

And then there’s Richard. I always fall for the bad guy. I blame it on an early love of Labyrinth. Jareth just didn’t seem like the villain to me and my compass has been skewed ever since. So as my students started the session with, “No one’s here. Let’s just cancel class,” (it’s such a hardship to have to watch a film) I was jotting down titles to add to my reading list. I mistrust Alison Weir terribly, but several internet searches recommend her as a starting place. One site recommended contrasting her with Bertram Fields, so his Royal Blood is on my list! I also found some of the classic Richard texts for free: Horace Walpole, Clements Markham, and Alfred Owen Legge. I’ve read Dan Jones’ Plantagenets, so this seems an apt time to move on to The Hollow Crown. 

Further, in a pleasant coincidence, just as I am preparing to introduce my students to Rush – albeit in a limited way – three new Rush books were announced. Amazon may as well just preorder them for me; it’s not like it doesn’t know that I’m going to push that button! I don’t have high hopes for the two serious titles – most Rush books are pretty awful – but I’m open to being proven wrong! In any case, they'll doubtlessly have me rocking out to forgotten favorites!