Monday, May 05, 2008

The Plow that Broke the Plains...


...was drawn by two oxen, or at least a mule, and I am but one overly-educated human. Still, though, I have managed to peel the sod off of a 12' x 12' section of my side yard for a completely functional Bush-Administration sustenance garden. After lunch (which, by the way is actually healthy for me--how long will Davo go without a Big Mac?), I'll go and buy some food-to-be at the garden store and plant it before mowing my lawn.

Regarding things literary, I'm still working my way through as many novellas for possible inclusion in my Fall '08 advanced composition class. Michael Chabon's The Final Solution stands a good chance of being on the syllabus. For all of my fives of readers, I would love to have your candidates for top five short novels to teach to an advanced Freshman composition class. I'm looking for works that a freshman'll get, but that'll be challenging, will encourage discussion of cultural/social issues that exist today. I'm also looking for stuff that'd be in print, but not easily Cliff's Notes-able, if you get my drift...Just put 'em in the Comments for this blogpost!

Currently on the list for consideration:
Notes from Underground --Fyodor Dostoevsky
A Lost Lady --Willa Cather
The Final Solution --Michael Chabon

4 comments:

Kristen said...

YAY! A Victory Garden!! You will be going completely organic, of course, yes?

Anonymous said...

well, not all of the places had all-organic, but I chose heirlooms over the typical hybrids.

Oh, I have updates about the garden--one of the carrots didn't start until after killing frost--I am weeding this week to find a single carrot 2" in diameter! a State Fair entry!

Kristen said...

Well, you can treat your garden organically from here on out. You'll have to post a picture of that carrot! (It probably doesn't taste good at this stage.)

Lydia said...

May I suggest either Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" or Hugo's "The Last Day of a Condemned Man"?

Semester's over. I'm sane again.