profession

[Tim Strzechowski]

I assign a series of independent reading projects over the course of the year in my AP English course (seniors): drama; 19th C novel; 20th C novel; poet.  For the 20th C project I offer _CoL49_ as one of about thirty novels (spanning Joyce's _Portrait_ to present) students may choose from, and I give a brief description of each book to help them decide.  In the past ten years, I've had about 4 kids choose Lot 49 -- truthfully, I try to guide toward Pynchon the kids who I feel will be *able* to work well with it (it's usually 2nd Sem by that time, so I can tell which students have the humor and aptitude to tackle his work).  If they do a solid job on their project, I guide them toward GR individually.

I've had some students choose P who I would never guide toward his work, and they generally do a lousy job.

I have had several students over the years who have read Pynchon, but wouldn't necessarily call it "hooked" on him.  Adolescents who read his work are more often intrigued but confused by what to make of him, I've found.  Which makes for an interesting question: does *truly* appreciating Pynchon (i.e., his humor, his style, his politics, etc.) require a certain amount of life experience?

Example:  I remember teaching _Death of a Salesman_ for years and always enjoying the play, but it resonated with MUCH more meaning once I had kids.  Life experience.  Go figure.




  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Kipen 
  To: Tim Strzechowski ; pynchon-l at waste.org 
  Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 4:26 PM
  Subject: Re: profession


  is TRP on your syllabus, tim? more generally, at what age -- and with what book or story -- do folks have the best luck hooking the unwary on pynchon's work?

  all finest,
  david

   
  On 8/3/06, Tim Strzechowski <dedalus204 at comcast.net> wrote: 
    HS Teacher.

    http://www.argo217.k12.il.us/departs/english/strzhome.htm 




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