Last night my friend Sarah came over for dinner. We were both English majors at EC and darn good ones at that. She lives in Phoenix now, working as an editor and volunteering as a medical interpreter, so we don't see each other as often as we'd like.
It was wonderful to see her and to invoke old names (Erin, Kim, Jamie and McClellan - oh we were all so good). We also had a wonderful discussion about C.S. Lewis. (Oh! how I miss discussing authors, books and literary theory!)
I have always liked Sarah because she's smart, well read, a devout Christian and she tells it like it is. In college, Erin - an AC, Sarah - a fundamental evangelical, and I - a Roman Catholic, had great times together. Bible Studies, praying together, sharing our struggles for holiness, etc. It was a wonderful trio of respect and love. And we'd always proof each other's papers.
Last night made me remember how smart and talented I really am - much more than homemade cookies and pizza and good people skills. I read Jung and Freud once upon a time, and used their theories to dissect novels of the late 1800's, when the novel was a new form of literature and not as smooth as it is now. I don't really want to get my masters, or take another class - I'm still burnt out from that semester of 4 literature classes above the 300 level. But I do miss that Shakespeare seminar where we had intelligent conversations and laughed so hard we cried.
Book club, anyone?
3 comments:
Oh my gosh! Your posting brought good times back to me, too. I miss you girls so much, you wouldn't believe it. I think back to EC as my glory days, in a sense. We did so much together because we were such a small group: I could push you to think and grow in ways that I've found much more difficult when dealing with a lot more students--which, ironically, is one of the reasons I left EC--for more students.
I think we should start an electronic book club. Perhaps a discussion group on Yahoo or something? I've got a few recommendations for y'all: Zadie Smith's White Teeth, Yan Martel's The Life of Pi, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go--all great contemporary British novels. We could also go back and read stuff you never read but perhaps want to--anyone up for a little George Eliot or Charlotte Bronte???
Bonnie - I am getting all nostalgic right now reading this. Those were some seriously good times. That Shakespeare seminar will go down as one of my all time favorite classes. There was never a lack of wit, sass, or effort. I am all for an electronic book club which will stimulate my somewhat mushy brain. Viva the EC English nerds! My latest book votes go to...The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns both by Khaled Hosseini.
Yay! We talked about this a bit at your house the other day and I agree that it sounds like a fantastic idea. Teaching I get to discuss books all the time, but I am more the facilitator and have to let my kids shout out the great discoveries. I think we should start soon....
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