Tucked next to the long rows of book after book sits the empty shelf for my recently added literature class, Major American Authors. Strolling through the rows and rows of books selected by colleagues for every class imaginable in the English Department, I’m overwhelmed by all the good stuff. I’d love to work through all these stories and flashes in the cultural frying pan, but I just don’t see how to fit it in with my teaching style. We need to make things in class. We need to learn tech. We need time to think for ourselves instead of soaking up all these pre-packaged words and ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I need content. I love to read and to teach texts, and my book is on the way, arriving two weeks late. Still, hard pressed by the long rows and stacks, my empty shelf calls out the question, What is literature? In class we’ll follow this up with What is American? What is major? What are authors? And now as I type this, the earbuds just pushed Bob Marley into the equation. Book envy gone now. “The waiting feel is fine.”

Technorati Tags: Literature Music Teaching what is literature?