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06 November 2011
Posted in
GPSS Blog -
Graduate Life
When I was applying to graduate schools, one of the things I looked forward to the most was all the reading that I would get to do. In the real world, I had to read marketing reports, poorly written press releases and copywriting with bad punning all the time. In graduate school, I would get to read writing that you could wear like jewelry in that it would be pretty, edgy and tasteful.
Of course, I recognize that being in a creative writing program means that my reading assignments are very different from other graduate departments. I really confronted that “otherness” at the August orientation for incoming students. Whereas other students discussed how they would need the library for research, I was eagerly contemplating what kind of surprises I would be assigned to read in my classes.
So to promote interdepartmental discussion, I thought I would share the best things that I have been assigned to read this semester. Each piece was something that I originally thought would just be “homework.” Instead, they were delightful.
- Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger; I laughed. I cried. Why aren’t you reading it?
- Shooting the Elephant; an essay by George Orwell; Who knew that a story about shooting an elephant could be so embarrassing? I highly recommend this if you’ve ever found yourself in an awkward situation abroad. It’s also easy to find online.
- The Wild Things by Dave Eggers; I’m not an Eggers fan, but I really got pulled into this adaptation of the movie by Spike Jonze, which is an adaptation of the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are.
Best of all, these are short and quick reads that can easily fit into the tightest of schedules. Hope you enjoy them!
By Sarah Dzida
You can write for GPSS Blog too and get paid!
