Classics and the Western Canon discussion
Introductions
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Please introduce yourself~
Jack wrote: "Hi-I am a retired English prof. living in Western Pa and I've just gotten tuned in to things like Facebook, Twitter and now Goodreads. My two passions currently are reading and acting. I have a..."
Hi Jack. I was grabbed by your comment that you are into acting. I live in San Miguel de Allende, a small town in central Mexico, and am very much involved in theater here. I'm currently rehearsing for a part in "Under Milk Wood" and preparing to direct an acted reading of "Speed-The-Plow." I'd be very interested to know what you're doing on stage.
GerryC
Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individually. I do want to encourage everyone to participate actively in the d..."
Hi,
Always glad to hear from another thespian. Dylan Thomas and Mamet in Mexico, who would have guessed. I'm currently rehearsing for a small part in "Midsummer Night's Dream," and end of July I start reheasals for "The Cocktail Hour." Also next week I'm going to be shooting a commercial. Let me know if you are on Facebook, perhaps we can see some of eah other's work.
Jack
Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement, Everyman. I was feeling a tad intimidated by all these literary bods but I will try to join in where I can :o)
Jack wrote: "Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individually. I do want to encourage everyone to participat..." No Facebook. No time to get involved with other internet stuff. San Miguel, pop. about 100,000, has 8,000 permanent gringoes. The thing I do mostly is a group called Playreaders. We act/read a different play every two weeks. Have done close to 650 productions. We have a number of professional actors here whom I get to work with (and a lot of amateurs like me as well.) I like directing best; I've directed Playreader productions of "Play It Again, Sam," "Uncle Vanya," "Moon Over the Brewery," "The Underpants" and "Lunch Hour."
Are you in a rep group, community theater, what?
Gerry
Gerald wrote: "Jack wrote: "Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individually. I do want to encourage everyone ..."
We have a variety of small theatres in the area--some in Pittsburgh, and others in surrounding towns. There are some professional companies, but I am an amatuer.
What about your situation down there?
Jack wrote: "Gerald wrote: "Jack wrote: "Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individually. I do want to enco..."
My mistake. I only read the last line of your post when I sent the last. Now I see where I was wrong. It sounds like you have the opportunity for a lot of good things. Does Playreaders work script in hand? any full productions?
Jack wrote: "Jack wrote: "Gerald wrote: "Jack wrote: "Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individually. I do..."For Playreaders we have three days rehearsal, then two or three days of performance. We do carry scripts, but most of our actors are so good the audience totally forgets about the scripts. We try to do as elaborate a set as our small stage, in a church community room, will take, and as many props as we can assemble.
We have also a couple of larger theaters in town where we do full productions which run a week. I was Dussel in "Diary of Anne Frank" on the big stage there. "Under Milk Wood" will be on the big stage.
Gerald wrote: "Jack wrote: "Jack wrote: "Gerald wrote: "Jack wrote: "Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individual..."Small world--I've also played Dussel (twice in fact). We are doing "Midsummer" outdoors in a Park just outside of Pittsburgh. It is a first for this theatre company. They have a little space (seats about 100) that they use for their summer season. That's where we are going to do "The Cocktail Hour."
Everyman wrote: "And welcome to Sandybanks and Boof, and all the other folks who have joined us who I didn't get around to welcoming individually. I do want to encourage everyone to participate actively in the d..."
Thanks for welcoming me, Everyman. I hope to be able to make a meaningful contribution to the discussions. But i'll also be just as content to read and learn from time to time.
Hi everyone (and Everyman),I joined the group a couple of days ago - with the same intention as a lot of you: to read those books I have always wanted.
I am a Hungarian artist having been living in the US (Boise, ID) since August, 1995 (so pardon my language please).
Hope to participate in the discussions - sorry I missed Oedipus Rex, although it is among the few I have already read (but would have been happy to reread it - which I might do anyway).
I am not sure I can finish DQ in time (sooooo many books and so little time, yeah, the good old excuse, I know) but last night I took it off my bookshelf and put it (them - a 2-volume Hungarian translation) on my night stand. That's a good sign at least :)
I do not have too much chance to use my native language around here so instead I am trying to find books that I can read in Hungarian - in other words, DQ is (khm... would be) a perfect choice, thanks!
Perusing the suggested readings there are so many I really really want to read so I am looking forward to doing so. Thanks, Everyman, for starting this group!
Welcome, Kinga! That's a name I've never seen before -- is it common in Hungary? No need to apologize for your English -- it's excellent.
I do hope you can get into DQ in time to participate in the discussions. I don't think I have ever met anybody who's read it in Hungarian!
That's a name I've never seen before -- is it common in Hungary?When I was born (63) it was pretty rare. Now it has become fashionable (and more so in Poland, thanks to St. Kinga)
I don't think I have ever met anybody who's read it in Hungarian!
The best answer to this would be: neither have I!, but it is not true of course. (Now, if we talked about Joyce's Ulysses... :D)
Thanks for the nice welcome!
The best answer to this would be: neither have I!, but it is not true of course. (Now, if we talked about Joyce's Ulysses... :D)Are you suggesting that you have read Ulysses in Hungarian? The mind boggles -- I haven't been able to read the whole thing even in English, but of what I've read to think of it translated into another language -- I can't wrap my head around that!
Are you suggesting that you have read Ulysses in Hungarian? The mind boggles -- I haven't been able to read the whole thing even in English..."No, no, no, just the opposite - tried to joke a bit around (to joke - but it is actually true) saying that I have never met anyone alive :D who managed to read Ulysses from cover to cover (no matter what they claim), including myself (no matter what I claim), either in English or Hungarian or any other language...
Kinga wrote: "I have never met anyone alive :D who managed to read Ulysses from cover to cover (no matter what they claim), including myself (no matter what I claim), either in English or Hungarian or any other language..."Well, now you have. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Kinga! Ulysses is one of my all time favorite books, and I've read it a number of times. Welcome to the group!
Thomas wrote: "Well, now you have [ met anyone alive :D who managed to read Ulysses from cover to cover] .."
You're a braver man than I am, Gunga Din.
Hello all, I am so excited about this awesome group of people! When I saw this group and read some comments I could not resist joining. I am sorry that I am joining when you are half way done with Don Quixote. I will do the best I can to catch up and start contributing to the discussions.
I recently moved to Kansas and am half heartedly looking for a job since the job market is pretty slim right now. The good news is I have some spare time to do some reading (woopwoop). For now my job is catering to my two dogs. Belly scratching is a full time job. Guess I should leave that off the resume. Well I am off to start my reading. =)
Hi:I just joined - a bit too late for DQ but maybe in time for your next selection...My husband says I am a book addict, so I hope this group will help me get to some of the tomes sitting on my dusty shelves.
I did an undergraduate degree in English literature which included a year in North Wales studying Arthurian literature. I love to read, but never got on very well with writing essays!
A few years ago I went back and got a post graduate qualification in Archaeology. I managed to land a job in a museum and for the past two years have been doing a distance-learning Museum Studies qualification (work's idea rather than mine). I am in the throes of the dissertation for that course, so as of September will be free to read what I like again! I belong to a Real life reading group where we are tackling Nobel Prize Winners. Maybe I am being a bit over- ambitious here, and I probably won't manage to read everything with the group, but I will certainly give some of it a go.
Welcome to all our new members! Please jump into the conversation any time.
Hi, my name is Pearce and I am a doctor in Atlanta. I am starting to get back to the classics and am happy to join a group of like-minded individuals.Coincidentally I just finished reading Don Quixote so I will have to sit this one out.
Pearce wrote: "Coincidentally I just finished reading Don Quixote so I will have to sit this one out. "Welcome, Pearce. But why sit out when you've read the book recently? Your recollections of it will be sufficient to support contributions to the discussion; just please be careful about spoilers. (If you want to be reminded what happens in which chapters so you won't be posting spoilers, this site has chapter summaries to refresh your memory.)
I'm a professor at West Point. I graduated from St. John's (Annapolis) in 74 and never lost my taste for Great Books. I served in the Air Force, retiring in 95 and working in industry for five years before coming here. I will be disappointed if we don't read _The Critique of Pure Reason_ next.
I will be disappointed if we don't read _The Critique of Pure Reason_ next.I won't... :) (Sorry.)
Roger wrote: "I'm a professor at West Point. I graduated from St. John's (Annapolis) in 74 and never lost my taste for Great Books. I served in the Air Force, retiring in 95 and working in industry for five ye..."Yes!! Another vote for Kant! Followed by a round of Spartan madball. Welcome, Roger.
Thomas wrote: "Yes!! Another vote for Kant! Followed by a round of Spartan madball. "I was just kidding, I hope nobody got hurt in their feelings. Really - I am over the German-speaking gang (Philosophers) up to (about) Heidegger (true enough: only in Hungarian translations) so of course I would like to read something that I haven't yet, that's all. But I am also very easy to live with :) (Good luck with Kant to say the least... you will need more than 2 months for him that's for sure...)
Anyhow, sorry again, I tend to OFF a lot. Promise to be much quieter from now on.
Kinga wrote: " I was just kidding, I hope nobody got hurt in their feelings. Really - I am over the German-speaking gang (Phi..."Actually, I was kidding as well. Kant is hugely important, but extremely difficult reading, and probably not suited to this type of forum. Same for Hegel, Heidegger, Wittgenstein, etc. But Plato and Aristotle I think we can handle, (which is not to say that they are any less weighty at times.)
Thomas wrote: "Kant is hugely important, but extremely difficult reading"Yeah, that's exaxtly what I was hinting at. The Germans... well, they come from a heavy academic environment for centuries and centuries, you can tell. (As opposed to the chatting, salon-like French philosophers.)
Roger wrote: "I'm a professor at West Point. I graduated from St. John's (Annapolis) in 74 and never lost my taste for Great Books."Another St. Johnnie! Welcome. You were a bit after my time ('66A), but it matters little with the StJ program.
But as to Kant, well, maybe after we've finished Schopenhauer. [g:]
Klein told us that he was aware of several German scholars who learned English in order to read Kant in the Smith translation because he was a bit more understandable in translation than in the original German. I don't know, don't read German, and maybe Klein was just saying that to encourage us to stick with him,but OTOH Klein wasn't inclined to that sort of joke, so maybe it's true.
At any rate, Kant isn't on our bookshelf yet, so won't even get onto the voting list unless somebody adds him there. And it won't be I!
Kinga wrote: "Promise to be much quieter from now on. "Please, no. Both your serious and your humorous posts are wonderfully welcome.
I am a home school mom who is nearing the end of that my last child will be a senior this year. I live in the country were I grow weeds and a few vegetable. I have pet chickens, dogs(4), and a cat.I have been in the military, I have done farm work and various odd jobs.
you sound like you have the perfect life! it must be peaceful. btw, i do very well with weeds!
Welcome, Deb! Where I live I can hardly even grow weeds. We live basically on rock with an inch or two (at most) of soil clinging to it and the salt breeze coming in off the water keeping things cold and salty. I am fond of commenting that I don't garden, I quarry: just planting a tomato plant requires a pickaxe to make the hole. Not to mention our prolific deer -- at times we have as many as five or six at a time munching on, of course, the few things we most don't want them munching on.
Ah well. Fortunately I have other things (grandchildren and books, in that order) to keep my time and mind occupied!
I'm a student about about to start my master's in philosophy, and am reading books as I go and when I feel like it. Mostly like classics because I don't care for popular literature much. (Though I like to read some SF/Fant and things like the Baroque Cycle on the side).
Welcome, Foppe. I've been known to indulge in SF myself from time to time, though I prefer the older BEM SF (that's Bug Eyed Monster genre of Science Fiction for those not into SF acronyms) like the earlier Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov, Doc Smith, that crowd.
Hi all- I live in Texas and am a Bibliophile. I have a deep fondness for the classics. I've been out of school for a while and have missed the interation, so I am looking forward to the discussions! Sorry, I missed Oedipus Rex and DQ, but am looking forward to Emerson, and the rest.
Hi everyone.English was one of my minors in college and I really enjoyed reading the classics and have just started reading them again. However, the majority of my reading is young adult/teen books since I buy them for the library and have enjoyed them since I was a teenager. There are some really good books out there now for teens and they really like talking about them too.
I look forward to participating in this group, especially the discussions. I've already read Oedipus Rex in college and I probably won't have time to read Don Quixote since I want to finish The Tenant of Wildfeld Hall by Anne Bronte.
I might not be able to read every book for this group but I'll try to read as many as I can.
Best of luck Christy! There are lots of things in life more important than money ( I keep telling myself..)
Hi All,Have room for one more? My name is Jennifer. I’ve been feeling a bit cut off from the literary community lately and would love to have the opportunity to discuss some classic lit with you all.
I live in Oregon with my husband and two children. I work as a server in a local restaurant and enjoy hiking, camping, exploring the Oregon Coast, theater and of course, classic and modern literature.
About a year ago I received my BA in English, and this September I will begin to work on my MA in Teaching so that I can teach high school English.
Look forward to getting to know you all!
Jennifer wrote: "Hi All,Have room for one more?
Definitely! Glad to have you.
I’ve been feeling a bit cut off from the literary community lately and would love to have the opportunity to discuss some classic lit with you all.
If you're a really fast reader you can still get into the Don Quixote discussion. (Or maybe you've read it before.) Otherwise, we start a two week reading of Emerson's Self Reliance in two weeks, then we go on to Hugo's Les Miserables.
Do join us for these discussions.
Everyman wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Hi All,Have room for one more?
Definitely! Glad to have you.
I probably better opt out of the Don Quixote discussion. I am not a fast reader and should probably be realistic with myself about how much I can accomplish in such a short period of time. I have, however, secured my copies of Self-Reliance and Les Miserables and look forward to actively participating in those discussions! Thanks so much for the chance to be a part of the group.
I read only a few classics during school days, and they were usually abridged versions. A year ago, I finally overcome the inertia and started exploring the classics, with the first English epic Beowulf, a couple of Victorian novels and a Shakespeare’s play. It was slow-going for me, especially the Shakespeare’s play (King Lear), as I spent time on supplementary readings from websites and other books on the history and background, which I lack as I am not from the western world. I have been giving myself excuses on not having the time for very long pieces of works, and I hope that participation in the group discussion could spur me to read the longer masterpieces. I gained much insight from the postings on Oedipus trilogy. I am not in time to start and keep up with Don Quixote, and I look forward to reading Les Miserables.
Asmah wrote: "Hi, The pen name Asmah came from Abdulrazak Gurnah's Desertion. The novel gives the meaning as one who is without sin. Her sister Jamila's means beautiful. My hobby is a thirteen-year-old cat Ci..."
I loved this novel.
Hi All,I'm a middle aged mom of four (21,17,15 and 9) and I teach writing at a state university and work part time in a bookstore. Soo... since I don't have much free time, I choose to avoid all serious responsiblities whenever possible by reading obsessively. Most of my reading to date has been either in British, American or African literature, so I'm really interested in reading some of the other things on the list. Besides reading and teaching and "momming" (invented verb there) I like gardening, vegetables, weeds and flowers and listening to music. I find not watching TV frees up a lot of time. Since I have a long commute to my teaching job, I try to do some audiobooks, but they're too expensive to buy and the library selection is not too fantastic. Looking forward to Les Miserables.
Hi,I’m a Christian and an artist who paints, writes, and takes photos. I was diagnosed 11 years ago with Lupus (SLE). It changed my life and can be very challenging. When I am not in a flare-up, I volunteer as a docent at the oldest art museum in America.
After I got my BFA (B.C.=Before Computers), I worked for printers and later non-profit organizations as well as had my own design company. I started as a graphic designer and later wore many “hats” doing marketing, communications, and public relations as computers eliminated the “artist --writer –copy editor” team. I worked for 19 years until my health made me “retire” at 42.
My illness has made me a voracious reader and lately more of a writer/photographer than a painter (painting requires more physical endurance.)
I live in Connecticut with my husband, our three kids, and our two cats. My two oldest graduated this year from college and my youngest commutes to a state university.
I always loved reading and books. I started reading classic literature about a year ago, and enjoy it greatly. Regarding books, I love the artwork and the printed piece as much as the narrative. I collect older books. I am drawn to their physical size, style of typesetting used, and the types of illustrations and/or photography.
I used to participate in a library book group but my health didn’t always cooperate. I am looking forward to being apart of this group online, and discussing the books.
Patrice wrote: "Welcome! I love B.C.!I have to ask, what is the oldest art museum in America?"
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT.
I think it's great place -- they have everything from Egyptian to Contemporary art. One of their big claim to fame is the Hudson River School paintings (same period as Emerson's Self Reliance) and much more. check them out -- http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/
What type of art does your husband do?
Patrice wrote: "I used to work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, a million years ago and they were always in contact with the Wadsworth Atheneum so It's really odd that I've never been there! The photo you..."Yes, in the photo I'm at the MoMA. I love Picasso. Saw his Retrospective at the MoMA in 1980 -- the Guernica blew me away.
The Wadsworth Atheneum's collection of Hudson River School is impressive -- 10 Cole, 11 Church, 5 Bierstadt, 3 Gifford, Durand, 2 Heade, 2 Kensett. They just redid the Colt building galleries and installed the exhibit -- it looks really great. If you think you might visit, there will be a Rembrandt dossier exhibit in October. Although some of our galleries are closed due to roofs repairs in the Morgan building.
I was thinking of visiting the Hudson River valley -- did you ever go to Olana or Kykuit (Rochfeller Estate) or Union Church with the Matisse and Chagall stained class windows?
Delighted to see more new faces -- well, typefaces really I guess :) -- here. Welcome Selina, Andrea, and Carol.I think artists bring a neat dimension to these discussions; they tend, in my experience (my wife is a fine artist herself, whereas I can't even draw a decent circle) to look at things from a different perspective (pun sort of intended, but also apologized for) than a more mathematical/philosophical/logician mind. A great mix of approaches and ways of reading our books that brings diversity and excitement to the postings.
Welcome all!
Carol wrote: "I was thinking of visiting the Hudson River valley...?"I spent five years living in the Hudson Valley (Poughkeepsie), and traveled up and down the Valley frequently with my Morris dance team and the Clearwater concerts. I love the valley and the Hudson River School painters; probably my third favorite place in the US (first is where I live now, the San Juan Islands of Washington State, second is Maine where I spent my childhood summers on my grandparents' lakeside farm).
I wish I could get back East to see the exhibit of Hudson River School paintings, but I do very little traveling today, and will probably only visit the East Coast again in my memories and my books.
Classics and the Western Canon
Books mentioned in this topic
Metamorphoses (other topics)Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic (other topics)
The Portrait of a Lady (other topics)
Ficciones (other topics)
Dracula (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Søren Kierkegaard (other topics)Dorothy L. Sayers (other topics)
John Ciardi (other topics)
Alexis de Tocqueville (other topics)
Dani Shapiro (other topics)
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I do want to encourage everyone to participate actively in the discussions. That's really the best way to make these books your own. I know some folks are shy because they don't think their ideas are that important, or they are a bit intimidated by those who seem to have read more widely than they have. But there should be a banner over the doorway to this group: "Abandon all such thoughts, ye who enter here." Every single contribution is of value, and it is surprising how sometimes a seemingly minor comment will inspire a great discussion.
So don't be shy, but speak your mind. It's worth hour speaking, and worth our hearing.