Eric:
Being generally as iconoclastic as the next guy;), I agree that
authority must be resisted; however, if we think we are going to change
those structures from the underside we are deluded. There are enough
people co-opted into the system--heck, even junior faculty who are
better at scholarly scrounging than the classroom scrum--that inertia
will not be overcome.
Jim's suggestion of choosing more modest routes to open our exchanges of
ideas is a good one, but the issue is still about publishing rather than
about teaching.
btw, has anyone seen Robert Scholes new book _The Rise and Fall of
English: Reconstructing English as a Discipline_? I saw the review in
the New York Times (MArch ninth) and it looks like it might be a good
one to stir up the hornet's nest (and relevant to this discussion).
From the review, Scholes point is that we need to de-emphasize teaching
literature as literature, elevate teaching of writing, and merge the two
into a useful discipline. He regards English studies as irrelevant
because it prepares students for a life of contemplation only lived by
English Teachers. (I think he needs to look at the lives of any
teacher; contemplation? ha). anyway, I'd love to hear other reviews.
Rob Irish
|