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Keywords

classical literature, young adult literature, ELA teachers, required reading

Submission Type

Research

Preview

It’s College Day for incoming freshmen, and several English Department faculty and prospective students gather together for lunch to discuss English Department culture, tips for student success, and any other questions students have. Partway through, one freshman student asks what our favorite classical works are. My mind draws a blank, and I (Mandy) keep my mouth shut. It has been years since I have engaged in classic works. Or picked one up for that matter. I know the handful I taught in high school fairly well—To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby (so much Gatsby), The Crucible. But would I call any of them my favorite? Not really. My work since then has deprogrammed the classics out of me: the lack of representation, the stagnant exposure, the forced introduction to students who aren’t ready. Let’s be honest, my students only enjoyed The Crucible because we played a version of “Mafia” where classmates accused one another of witchcraft and then voted each other to the gallows. Fun, yes. Morbid, absolutely. But hardly a love for Miller’s writing.

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