Thank You

This is my last blog so I want to take this opportunity to thank the other students in the class.  There were numerous times that I was amazed at the knowledge and creativity of my fellow students.  It was clear that many of you have taken numerous courses of Dr. Sexson and the wisdom he exposed you to was apparent, and even made me feel inadequate at times, which I think was good for me as it showed me I have more to learn.  I've enjoyed this class immensely, and that's not just because of Dr. Sexson, it's also because of all of you.  Thank you and I wish you all a wonderful summer full of wonder and romance!

Extending Our Lives Through Stories

Another concept Dr. Sexson brought up in class that really intrigued me was how we can extend our own lives through reading stories.  He talked about how when you spend 200 years in the reality of a story you are extending your own life by 200 years.  How can this be?  Dr. Sexson opens these doorways and if we want to find out the answer we have to walk in.  Since I'm just learning to become a conscious and wise reader it makes sense to me that I haven't experienced this life expansion through reading before because I didn't know I could, it wasn't on my mental radar.  So, since I just had another birthday a few days ago and I'm feeling a bit old, I'm going to pick out a good novel (perhaps ask Dr. Sexson's advice as to gain the most years for the read), and add a few more years to my life.

Happy Endings

I guess what I'm finding to still write about in these last few blogs for this class are the concepts of romance I'm still unpacking.

Happy endings...  Frye says that "if the conception is genuinely romantic and comic, the traditional happy ending is usually the one that fits" (134).  But we find out through further reading that happy endings occur for only some of the characters, specifically, the ones that survive.  This reminds me of something else I learned from Frye, it was when he talked about how good romance captures the strength of the human spirit and how it fights and perseveres over great evil.  It is encouraging to get a close look at this human characteristic, how it's celebrated in romance, and its capacity to inspire its readers.

Read on, I say, read on...I'm realizing how much an individual can grow from reading quality romance and the benefits from beginning to learn how to read well.

Random Quote From Frye

"In the ethical scheme of Dante's Inferno, there are two modes of sin, forza and froda, violence and fraud, and every sin is committed under one or other of these aspects.  Ethically, froda ranks lower than forza, because its use of disguise and concealment makes it more difficult to recognize as vice" (Frye 65).

As with everything with Frye, this passage is profound and helps me to perceive themes of the "night world" in romance.  However, Frye does go on to explain that these "two modes of sin" are also modes of virtue.  I find this concept challenging because I can't understand how violence and deception can be virtues in any way.  When is violence good?  I've never experienced an act of violence that felt the best choice for all those involved.  I guess if I really stretch, and think about the Buddhist belief that if you are in a ring with a lion become a lion.  Perhaps all evil knows and will listen to is violence?  These are questions I don't have answers for at this time.  With regards to froda, fraud, I can't think of a single time I've been deceived and didn't feel betrayed on some level.  How deception can be a virtue is compelling.  Yet, Frye goes on to tell us that "it is not surprising that European literature should begin with the celebration of these two mighty powers of humanity" (65).  I have more work to do in understanding this quality of romance.    

Great Class

One of the things I like the most about this class is what I didn't learn.  I know that sounds ludicrous, but it's true.  In most of the courses I've taken it is made clear at the beginning of the semester what is to be learned and how we are to demonstrate what we have learned throughout the semester.  But Dr. Sexson's class has been different from this academic norm and I think it demonstrates his expertise as a professor.

To be specific, he's never given us his interpretation of the characteristics of romance, he let Frye lay out a framework, and then creatively expounded on some other major points, often through his own stories, and never connected the dots.  Brilliant.

I remember feeling a bit sad, no offense to my very talented classmates, when we started the group/paper presentations because it was the last time Dr. Sexson was going to throw out another handful of gems.  Why I call them gems is because I'd often have to ponder some of them for days before I grasped them in their entirety, and some of them I'm still pondering.  For example, in just the first few days of class he said, "We tell stories to have a victory over death."  I'm still discovering what that means.

Response to Alex's blog on popular romance

I understand what Alex is saying when she refers to the popular romantic comedies; they are shallow, simple, and enjoyable because they are the antithesis of the real complexities of our own lives.  I've enjoyed watching these movies from time to time.  But now, after taking this class, I really see the lack of creativity and effort put into most popular media productions.  It's like some simple formula that is layered and layered with sticky sweet frosting i.e. special effects, action, basically eye teasers.  I've always found TV offensive to my intelligence, but now I'm finding most films just as offensive.  The quality of the material we've read in this class exacerbates the issue because it sets a standard that is almost never met in popular media.

So, I'm making a list of good novels to read over the summer.  Any suggestions?

Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories Makes Me Want to Be More Childish

My favorite story is Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories.  When I read it, for the first time in this class, I was entranced with its magic and creatively.  It has been a long time since I've read something so delightful.  It reminded me of what it felt like to be a child; the wonder and imagination that filled every moment of every day.  I wonder what my life would be like if I read such stories continually for a year, if it would change the way I see and interact with the world.  

I read the newspaper everyday, and have been doing so since I read James Cotes book, Arrested Adulthood: The Changing Nature of Maturity and Identity. One of the many significant points he makes in his book is that we need to fight against the current trend towards individualism and take part in our communities and that reading the local newspaper is the best way to stay connected to community issues and events. 

In addition to reading the newspaper, I've been reading a lot of books about the wild written by nature writers, activists, and environmental literature scholars.  There work is inspiring and many of them are on quests that incorporate many characteristics of good romance.

But now, after reading an ocean of stories, I feel the need to read more creative and nonsensical literature.  Rushdie's book awakened something in me and I feel it tingling inside.  My reading lists over the years have created a kind of sinew, a muscle that reaches toward movement, connection, and creating change.  But reading Rushdie makes me want to laugh more, dream more, and play more.