Monday, June 13, 2016

Bedwetter alert

Best and brightest indeed.  Yale English majors want to be protected from.... English writers. They submitted this petition to the English Department:


We, undergraduate students in the Yale English Department, write to urge the faculty to reevaluate the undergraduate curriculum. We ask the department to reconsider the current core requirements and the introductory courses for the major.

In particular, we oppose the continued existence of the Major English Poets sequence as the primary prerequisite for further study. It is unacceptable that a Yale student considering studying English literature might read only white male authors. A year spent around a seminar table where the literary contributions of women, people of color, and queer folk are absent actively harms all students, regardless of their identity. The Major English Poets sequences creates a culture that is especially hostile to students of color.  (Um, white males are who wrote English literature for quote some time.  I wonder what they would say if I started demanding the inclusion of white authors in a study of African literature.)

When students are made to feel so alienated that they get up and leave the room, or get up and leave the major, something is wrong. (Yes, something is wrong.  They are not mature enough to engage in critical thinking.) The English department loses out when talented students engaged in literary and cultural analysis are driven away from the major. Students who continue on after taking the introductory sequence are ill-prepared to take higher-level courses relating to race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, ability, or even to engage with critical theory or secondary scholarship. We ask that Major English Poets be abolished, and that the pre-1800/1900 requirements be refocused to deliberately include literatures relating to gender, race, sexuality, ableism, and ethnicity. (Many students have begged to be saved from Shakespeare and Chaucer. They just didn't use this angle.)

It’s time for the English major to decolonize — not diversify — its course offerings. A 21st century education is a diverse education: we write to you today inspired by student activism across the university, and to make sure that you know that the English department is not immune from the collective call to action.

It is our understanding that the faculty must vote in order to reconsider the major’s requirements — considering the concerns expressed here and elsewhere by undergraduate students, we believe it would be unethical for any member of the faculty, no matter their stance on these issues, to vote against beginning the reevaluation process. It is your responsibility as educators to listen to student voices. We have spoken. We are speaking. Pay attention.

National Review got it right in its coverage of these snowflakes:

It’s as if chemistry students objected to learning the periodic table or math students rose up against the teaching of differential calculus....

It takes a deeply impoverished imagination to read Shakespeare and regard him simply as an agent of the patriarchy. It is safe to say that the bard is better at expressing what it is like to be a teenage girl in love, or a woman disguised as a man who falls for a man, or a bloody tyrant than almost every actual teenage girl in love, woman disguised as a man, or bloody tyrant.

The poet Maya Angelou said in a lecture once that as a child she thought, “Shakespeare must be a black girl.” It was because, growing up in the Jim Crow South, a victim of unspeakable abuse, Sonnet 29 spoke so powerfully to her. (“When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, / I all alone beweep my outcast state, / And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, / And look upon myself and curse my fate.”)

Yale’s petitioners must consider Toni Morrison a traitor to her race and gender. She had an argument with a theater director years ago in which she defended Othello, and she went on to write a production based on Desdemona, the play’s doomed female character. Or how about Derek Walcott, whom a Yale professor sympathetic to the petitioners suggests adding to the required course? He told The Guardian newspaper a few years ago that it would be absurd to say, “Don’t read Shakespeare because he was white.”(Or actor Lawrence Fishburne when he participated in the movie version of Othello. He said he changed his mind on Shakespeare after reciting his lines.)

Anyone reading widely in the English canon will encounter supremely talented female, black, and gay writers. In fact, many other Yale courses feature them. But the creative stream began with so-called dead white males. It is their genius that their words transcend their time and place and have given us phrases, characters, and stories that are still vital today.

An official description of the Major English Poets seminar says the classes seek to create a heightened “curiosity about the way language works,” as well as “a confidence in engaging with historically and formally diverse literary texts.” This is a reasonable enough academic goal — unless the students involved are willfully incapable of curiosity or confidence.

Make it stop. 

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Truly hard to fathom even in this day and age!

Anonymous said...

we believe it would be unethical for any member of the faculty, no matter their stance on these issues, to vote against beginning the reevaluation process. It is your responsibility as educators to listen to student voices. We have spoken. We are speaking. Pay attention.

Well, I think that about sums it up! We are right, you are wrong, disagree with us and you are unethical! No matter your stance!

Kingfish said...

Keep in mind Communism and Naziism were movements of the young.

Anonymous said...

I find the New Yorke's peace on this progressivism to be a good read.

It did a good job of differentiating the students who think like in your post above from those older than me.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/30/the-new-activism-of-liberal-arts-colleges

Anonymous said...

I can't help but think that this is an elaborate joke. Surely these kids are really laughing about the fact that anyone is taking this seriously.

Anonymous said...

Out of all the threats facing our way of life today, this one scares me the most. These people are dangerous.

Anonymous said...

As an English Major(albeit not from Yale), I'm really confused by their request. My class options included several classes on Multi-Ethnic Literature(and the ones I took were pretty great), so I bet Yale offers some. Also, as far as queer writers go, did these guys miss out studying Lord Byron?

Anonymous said...

Here are some of the actual course offerings in the Yale English department. My favorite is Picture Writing with Photos and Images. Heaven forbid these scholars learn to construct a proper sentence.



ENGL 261 Picture Writing with Photo-texts & Image-texts
ENGL 281 Animals in Modern American Fiction
ENGL 291 The American Novel since 1945
ENGL 292 Imagining Sexual Politics, 1960s to the Present
ENGL 293 Race and Gender in American Literature
ENGL 300 Introduction to Theory of Literature
ENGL 306 American Artists and the African American Book
ENGL 313 Poetry and Political Sensibility
ENGL 325 Modern Apocalyptic Narratives
ENGL 326 The Spectacle of Disability
ENGL 334 Postcolonial World Literature, 1945-Present
ENGL 352 Asian American Literature
ENGL 358 Literature for Young People
ENGL 411 Shakespeare on Film
ENGL 414 Utopia
ENGL 430 American Culture and the Rise of the Environment
ENGL 433 The Nonhuman in Literature and Culture since 1800

Anonymous said...

If these "students" are so damn smart that they know how best to educate, why in the heck are they "students?" I think they just need to go start their own university and teach any way they desire. I'm sure they would be able to put Yale and the rest of the Ive League schools out of business in just a few short years.

Since when did students start running the schools? When I was in college this type of BS (not Bachelor Science) would never have seen the light of day. BRATS!

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. Are they not aware they have the ability to read whatever they want to read?

Anonymous said...

These idiots are the future leaders of the Democrat, scratch that, Communist party in America. Democrat, Communist and Marxists are virtually the same today, a convergence of thinking.

Anonymous said...

Of course we should exclude Jane Austen or Elizabeth Barrett Browning or the Bronte sisters and God forbid students learn about Lady Mary Chudleigh or Anne Bradstreet.
After all, Chaucer was so much more relevant and that is why we have so many more movies in modern times based on his life and works!
And, we all know that men are ever so much better at describing the thoughts of women and women had absolutely no role in English history. That first Elizabeth was irrelevant wasn't she compared to her father.

Anonymous said...

This is what is wrong with America we are caving to these thinned skinned, PC, sissies. Yes I agree add a diverse group of writers. this should have been done years ago. Didn't the students have access to the curriculum prior to enrollment. If you don't like it leave, find another college. The real world is going to be tough for these people.

Kingfish said...

Elizabeth Barrett Browning has fallen out of favor over the years as her poetry is seen as being more quaint.

Heck, she wasn't even the best poet in her own family.

Gordo's Loop said...

The writer lost credibility when he suggested that the long list of white poets included no 'queer folk'.

Thisbe said...

I'm with whomever speculated that this whole thing might be 100% tongue-in-cheek waggery. The late, great Ann Landers used to publish similar letters (advice-seekers whose fantastical "problems" strained credulity, to say the very least)---and she would "out" these bogus letters by saying. "The boys from Yale are at it again." Well, I reckon they're still at it, though there are probably some GURLS who co-signed this claptrap, too (if it's real, but I so hope not...) Sheeeesh.

Anonymous said...

Look up the definition of Yakking.

Anonymous said...

Years ago our office hosted a visiting scholar who was an English major at Yale. We took him to lunch to the Mayflower and we were super excited to be able to point out that Eudora Welty who was also dining there. He had no idea who she was.

Shwetablog said...

great!

Anonymous said...

PS: This petition was never presented to the English Department and is a perfect example of 'outrage porn'. While I appreciate that this is a blog and isn't real journalism, the last you could do is update the story with a correction. However, I doubt, seriously, this comment will even make it through moderation.

Link to actually what happened: http://english.yale.edu/news/department-news/major-english-poets-makes-news-notes-department-chair

Kingfish said...

It's ok. I don't consider you to be a real reader worth taking seriously.

I don't take most internet outrage stories very seriously. THere is usually a key fact that is missing. In this case, I waited several days for one to appear and none did. However, the story YOU cited had this little sentence:

the story was picked up by the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Le Monde, Fox News, New York Post, and other outlets.

So I wait several days and the story was published by some pretty major news organizations yet the problem is me.

Got it.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, which local Democratic hack operative and attack "pollster" has a fondness for Yale?

Anonymous said...

@Kingfish: You waited several days -- great. But you still got the story completely wrong... and haven't updated it to reflect the actual facts.

Yale issued that statement on the 10th, your story ran on the 13th.

The fact you were in good company with your other folks who picked up the story? How would you respond if you got a story right... the Clarion Ledger had a story wrong, but they got it wrong along with the Jackson Free Press? You'd mock them, at the very least.

NO-NAME Yale Lineman no non-Legend said...

Damn. If there was ever any testament to the Mississippi and Nationwide search engine power of JJ Kingfish it is the various piss-ants commenting, posting, BEGGING, anonymously for you to update the story.

Shwetablog said...

grt


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.