DOCUMENT RESUME ED 390 060 CS 215 161 AUTHOR Slevin, James F., Ed.; Young, Art, Ed. TITLE Critical Theory and the Teaching of Literature: Politics, Curriculum, and Pedagogy. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, REPORT NO ISBN-0-8141-0963-2 PUB DATE 96 NOTE 385p. AVAILABLE FROMNational Council of.Teacheis of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No. 09632-0015: $16.95 members, $22.95 nonmembers). PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC16 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Classroom Techniques; Conflict; *Critical Theory; Cultural Context; Elementary Secondary Education; *English Curriculum; *English Instruction; Higher Education; *Literature Appreciation; *Politics; Reading Instruction; Role Playing; Theory Practice Relationship; Writing Instruction ABSTRACT The 21 essays in this book interrogate one another as they explore the relationships among politics, curriculum, and pedagogy in contemporary classrooms and cultures. Critical theory, the book suggests, is generated in and through classroom practice, rather than imported from without. After an introduction by James F. Slevin and Art Young, essays in the book are:(I) "Daring To Dream: Re-Visioning Culture and Citizenship" (Mary Louise Pratt); (2) "What We Talk about When We Talk about Politics" (John Warnock);(3) "Theory, Confusion, Inclusion" (Keith Hjortshoj);(4) "The Unconscious Troubles of Men" (David Bleich);(5) "Teaching Literature: Indoctrination vs. Dialectics" (Min-Zhan Lu); (6) "Standing in This Neighborhood: Of English Studies" (Daniel Moshenberg);(7) "Redistribution and the Transformation of American Studies" (Eric Cheyfitz);(8) "Organizing the Conflicts in the Curriculum" (Gerald Graff);(9) "Literature, Literacy, and Language" (Jacqueline Jones Royster); (10) "Cultural Institutions: Reading(s) (00 Zora Neale Hurston, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Maxine Hong Kingston" (Anne Ruggles Gere and Morris Young); (II) "A Flock of Cultures--A Trivial Proposal" (Robert Scholes); (12) "Polylogue: Ways of Teaching and Structuring the Conflicts" (Gary Waller); (13) "Attitudes and Expectations: How Theory in the Graduate Student (Teacher) Complicates the English Curriculum" (Wendy Bishop); (14) "Teaching Theorizing/Theorizing Teaching" (James Phelan); (15) "Does Theory Play Well in the Classroom?" (Barbara T. Christian); (16) "Mr. Eliot Meets Miss Lowell and, ah, Mr. Brown" (Paul Lauter);(17) "The War between Reading and Writing--and How To End It" (Peter Elbow); (18) "Reading Lessons and Then Some: Toward Developing Dialogues between Critical Theory and Reading Theory" (Kathleen McCormick); (19) "Teaching in the Contact Zone: The Myth of Safe Houses" (Janice M. Wolff);(20) "How Literature Learns To Write: The Possibilities and Pleasures of Role-Play" (James E. Seitz); and (21) "Making Connections: Theory, Pedagogy, and Contact Hours" (Beverly Sauer). (RS) 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS MATERIAL HAS BEENGRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER(ERIC1' , ) k a 7.0 sva ." 04-I" irat' -- ;> = " A ,A0 -' _ ,,trt 316e--riera U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION r I Oath or a Resew, I, and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 10/1"hitdocument has been reproducod as renew, on, the person or organuation originating it Minor chattoes have bean flIcIde improve ,eprodudion quality Points, of crew or opo ans stated in this docuroont rlo not nococsanly reprosonl flIftrral Of RI poylIon or poky BE T COPY AVAILABLE 2 - V,a fan Critical Theory and the Teaching of Literature NCTE Editorial Board:Colette Daiute, I laid Davis, Bobbi Fisher, Keith Gilvard, Gail Flawisher, Ronald Jobe, Richard Luckert, KarenSmith, Chair, ex officio, Mario Welshons, ex officio Two-Year College, Four-Year College, and UniversitySection Committee: James L..I Jill, Chair, Albany State College; Frank Madden,Assistant Chair, Westchester '.2ommunity College; Pat Belanoff, SUNY-StonyBrook; Theresa Enos, CCCC Representative, University of Arizona;Gail E. Hawisher, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Dawn Rodrigues,Kennesaw State College; Tom Waldrep, Medical University of South Carolina;Denietrice A. Worley, Bradley Uniyersi ty; Col lett Dilworth, CEE Representative,Eist Carolina Univer- sity; Louise Smith, ex officio, Editor, ColleNe Englisi;. Universityof Massachusetts at Boston; Miriam Chaplin, Executive Committee liaison,Rutgers University; Miles Myers, NCTE Staff Liaison 4 Critical Theory and the Teaching of Literature Politics, Curriculum, Pedagogy Edited by James F. Slevin Georgetown University Art Young Clemson University National Council of 'leacher., of 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinok 61801-10% Manuscript Editors: Robert A. I Ieister, Frances NI. (..:amarena lumanities 8z Sciences Associates Production Editor: Michael Greer Interior Design: Tom Kovacs tor TGK Design Cover Design: Martin I lertzel NC rE Stock Number: n0632-3030 ( bv the National Council ot 'Teachers ol English. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. It is the policy of NCTE in ik journals and other publications to provide a fonim for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language art.,. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executi ve Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements ot policy, where such endorsement is death specified. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-l'ublication Data Critical theory and the teaching ot literature : politics, curriculum, pedagogy edited by lames I. SlevinArt Young. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. l!,13N 0-8 13141%3-2 (alk. paper) I. Criticism. 2. Critical theor\ .3. I.iteratureStudy and teaching (I ii;her)I. Slevin, lames I..04. II.oung, Art. PNOS.Shc 67 IOW; irs-312R7 CII 6 for Kathy and Ann Contents Introductiori ix James F. Slevin and Art Young I Politics 1 Daring to Dream: Re-Visioning Culture and Citizenship Mary Louise Pratt What We Talk about Vhen We .1 Ilk about Politics 11 John Warnock 3. Theory, Confusion, Inclusion 33 Keith Hjortshoj 4. The Unconscious Troubles of Men 47 David Bleich 5. Teaching Literature: Indoctrination vs. Dialectics 63 Min-Zhan Lu 6. Standing in This Neighborhood: Of English Studies 75 Daniel Moshenberg 7.Redistribution and the Transformation of American Studies Eric Cheyfit/ II Curriculum 8. Organiiing the Cont lids in the Curriculum Uerald (.;raff 1.iterature, I.iteracv, and l.anguage 140 Jacqueline Jones Royster ultural Institutions: Reading(s) (of /ora Neale 1 lurston, 1 eslie Nlarmon Silko, and Nla Inc 1 long Kingston 7,1 Anne Ruggles Geri. and Nlorris Young viii Content-; 11. A Flock of CulturesA Trivial Proposal Robert Scholes P. Polvlogue: kVays of Teaching and Structuring the Conflicts 189 Gary Waller 13.t.tt.tuces1 and Expectations: How Theory in the Graduate Student (Teacher) Complicates the English Curriculum 2()7 Wendy Bishop 14. Teaching Theorizing!Theorizing Teaching 113 James Phelan III Pedagogy ')39 15. Does Theory Play Well in the Classroom? 241 Barbara T. Christian 1 h. Mr. Eliot Meet Miss Lowell and, ah, Mr. Brown 258 Paul Lauter 17. The War between Reading and Writingand 1 low to End It270 Peter Elbow 18. Reading Lessons and lhen Some: Toward Developing I'ialogues between Critical Theory and Reading Theory 191 Kathleen McCormick 19.Teaching in the Contact Zone: 'The Nlyth of Safe Houses 31(1 Janice M. Wolff 20.1 low Literature l_earns to Write: The Possibilities and Pleasures of Role-Play 328 James E. Seitz 21. Making Connections: Theory, Pedagogy, and Contact I lours 341 Beverly Sauer 355 361 3(15' Introduction James F. Slevin (eorgetown University Art Young Clemson University This book grew out of the work of two Summer Institutes tor Teachers of Literature sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English. In June 1991, and again in June 191)2, hundreds of college teachers of literature gathered for what has become an important tradition in the NCTE. This book attempts to capture the dialogue that began there. The five mai n speakers a t these conferencesBarbara Christian, Peter Elbow, Gerald Graff, Mary L.ouise Pratt, and Robert Scholesinitiated a conver- sation that continues in the pages of this volume. Other essaysby Keith I ljortshoj, Beverly Sauer, John Warnock, and Janice Wolffincubated during the conference, generated as part of the many opportunities tor conversation and collaboration made possible there. These and the other essays represent a variety ot viewpoints, and they take a range of generic forms, ranging from formal arguments to personal reflections and dia- logues. In selecting them, we have been guided by our commitment to providing a vital exchange of views on the issues raised at the Summer Institutes. These issues are probably the central questions of our discipline at this time. If texts no longer organize the curriculum, then what does? If the "professor" is no longer the privileged agent of education, then who is? The essays in this book raise and respond to these pressing questions, which contemplate the end of coverage as a model, the end of the canon as an agreed-upon certainty, the end of the professor as the agent ot learning, and the end of the classroom as a place where education is delivered. These "ends" have been much contemplated, indeed. But what arises ill their place? What have we begun? 1.1w new directions in literary theory and criticism that mark the last twi decades call 110 wen as responses to these very concerns, reexamining ix J?it?'OdiiCti(.)II