The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 18.0445 Wednesday, 4 July 2007
[1] From: Mark Bruce <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2007 11:18:37 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0432 Classical Comics
[2] From: John E. Perry <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2007 13:26:27 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0432 Classical Comics
[3] From: John V. Knapp <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Date: Tuesday, 3 Jul 2007 15:11:08 -0500 (CDT)
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0432 Classical Comics
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Mark Bruce <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2007 11:18:37 -0500
Subject: 18.0432 Classical Comics
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0432 Classical Comics
Hello All:
Just to chime in on this topic:
Certainly comics vary widely in quality, but for anyone who has doubts
about the _potential_ of the graphic novel as a medium for fine literary
and visual art, allow me to recommend Art Spiegelman's _Maus_ (vols 1
and 2). It was without doubt the piece that convinced me of the
viability of and possibilities within the genre. I've used it in
introductory literature courses to very good effect.
Now if we could only convince Spiegelman to do _Merchant of Venice_...
Best,
Mark Bruce
Bethel University, St. Paul, MN
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: John E. Perry <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2007 13:26:27 -0400
Subject: 18.0432 Classical Comics
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0432 Classical Comics
>John V. Knapp <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
>
>>>>...No matter the so-called literary content of comic
>>>>books, they are still entertainments, cool-aid instead of vin du
>>>>pays for those whose interest in prose or poetry doesn't go much
>>>>further than dialog bubbles of four to 8 words per bubble. All of
>>>>this attention to dialog bubbles would be merely a guilty pleasure
>>>>for some IF it were not for the fact that the MLA is now
>>>>(apparently) paying serious attention to this material and- what
>>>>really is disturbing-that some university literature departments
>>>>are increasingly substituting one or two graphic novels for real
>>>>novels or dramas.
Well, I grew up as a bookworm in a home with no presence at all of any
of the classics except Classics Illustrated (a comic book) and Lamb's
Tales from Shakespeare. When I got to high school and was required to
study Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet, I recognized them with
pleasure, while classmates were moaning about this hard, boring stuff
that no one could understand.
While I now have little patience with either Lamb or Classical Comics
(yes, I downloaded and read the samples), I will not participate in the
sneering-I honor both as my introduction to the whole world of Literature.
Are the guilty(?) departments substituting or supplementing comics with
the real thing? I can certainly support supplementing, given the
shameful state of present-day education.
John Perry
[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: John V. Knapp <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Date: Tuesday, 3 Jul 2007 15:11:08 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: 18.0432 Classical Comics
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0432 Classical Comics
Larry, John, Mari, Jeremy, Dan, Nancy --
Ouch! I understand your arguments and to a point, can see their
validity. However, as someone who (he hopes) helps educate graduate
students in LITERATURE, I find that none of your arguments hits the
central point I tried to make. With only so many hours in the day,
every one a student spends "reading" (or viewing) a comic
book-sanctioned now by the MLA and people thinking as you apparently
do-whatever its own merits as a separate medium might be, is an hour
taken away from reading (or viewing) AND understanding, for example,
Shakespeare. We have a difficult enough time as it is socializing our
graduate students into developing expertise in literary studies; spend
CLASS time (my major point) on comic books and the teacher/professor
loses time on teaching more difficult matter requiring considerable
literary craft and dedicated attention.
You all now HAVE the discipline or expertise, crafted after years of
labor (I assume). Hence, if you want to indulge in a guilty pleasure,
go for it; I enjoy some of the *Star Trek* episodes, for example. But
don't waste a novice literary scholar/critics' relatively smallish
amount of time by detouring to a comic book when he/she should be
focused on Hamlet or Dostoyevski or Joyce's *Ulysses.* Most of you have
had 10 to 30 YEARS developing your EXPERTISE after graduate school; your
graduate student may have, at most, 60 to 72 MONTHS to develop his/hers
well enough just to join your ranks. If a student wants to relax w/a
comic book, or a Jack Daniels, or even a soap opera at the end of a hard
day in class, that's his/her choice. But for heaven's sake, don't bring
in a comic book, or a bottle, or a video of a soap into class and call
that literary education!!
BTW, I HAVE read Gaiman, etc., and find them interesting. However,
viewing *Maus I* will do little for my understanding of how to LEARN how
to read, for example, Kafka.
John V. Knapp
Professor, Dept. of English;
Northern Illinois University
_______________________________________________________________
S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The S H A K S P E R Web Site <http://www.shaksper.net>
DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the
opinions expressed on it are the sole property of the poster, and the
editor assumes no responsibility for them.
|
