Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.

[Rainman]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@klaus said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

???

Who is Faulkner?

The guy that Harper Lee completely ripped off.

Don't you mean Truman Capote?

Hey Phibes, I'm curious.
Growing up in England, were the works of Shakespeare studied heavily in school, like memorizing large portions of the plays, studying what everything means, etc. Or, was it all just as confusing as it was for kids in public school here? I don't think it's part of the curriculum any longer, because it's just awful stuff or white or something.

[Doctor Phibes]

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@klaus said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

???

Who is Faulkner?

The guy that Harper Lee completely ripped off.

Don't you mean Truman Capote?

Hey Phibes, I'm curious.
Growing up in England, were the works of Shakespeare studied heavily in school, like memorizing large portions of the plays, studying what everything means, etc. Or, was it all just as confusing as it was for kids in public school here? I don't think it's part of the curriculum any longer, because it's just awful stuff or white or something.

I stopped studying English at 16, but we had to study Shakespeare before then, amongst other things. We didn't memorise plays or anything, but we did spend quite a bit of time on it. The play I learned about was The Merchant of Venice, which might be considered a bit dodgy nowadays because of the anti-semitism.

The brutal stuff as far as I was concerned was Wordsworth. I hated that stuff. Sorry, Aqua.

[Aqua Letifer]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

The brutal stuff as far as I was concerned was Wordsworth. I hated that stuff. Sorry, Aqua.

When students get repulsed by an author's work, it's pretty much never the author's fault. It's the curriculum. Our school system is designed to turn kids into factory workers. Of course you hated Wordsworth.

No pressure, but there's a route you can take to learn to appreciate his stuff. The trick is to find it, but it's there. There's a reason you know who he is.

[Rainman]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@klaus said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

???

Who is Faulkner?

The guy that Harper Lee completely ripped off.

Don't you mean Truman Capote?

Hey Phibes, I'm curious.
Growing up in England, were the works of Shakespeare studied heavily in school, like memorizing large portions of the plays, studying what everything means, etc. Or, was it all just as confusing as it was for kids in public school here? I don't think it's part of the curriculum any longer, because it's just awful stuff or white or something.

I stopped studying English at 16, but we had to study Shakespeare before then, amongst other things. We didn't memorise plays or anything, but we did spend quite a bit of time on it. The play I learned about was The Merchant of Venice, which might be considered a bit dodgy nowadays because of the anti-semitism.

The brutal stuff as far as I was concerned was Wordsworth. I hated that stuff. Sorry, Aqua.

Thanks for the response, it's interesting.
Do you know if the emphasis on Shakespeare is the same nowadays in schools, or is or has the woke movement pushed him out of the schoolhouse as well?

[Doctor Phibes]

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

When students get repulsed by an author's work, it's pretty much never the author's fault. It's the curriculum. Our school system is designed to turn kids into factory workers. Of course you hated Wordsworth.

I actually think we had a pretty good English teacher, and the syllabus wasn't bad. The main reason we didn't like Wordsworth is because we were 16 year olds who wanted to be Johnny Rotten. There's no competing with that.

[Doctor Phibes]

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@klaus said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

???

Who is Faulkner?

The guy that Harper Lee completely ripped off.

Don't you mean Truman Capote?

Hey Phibes, I'm curious.
Growing up in England, were the works of Shakespeare studied heavily in school, like memorizing large portions of the plays, studying what everything means, etc. Or, was it all just as confusing as it was for kids in public school here? I don't think it's part of the curriculum any longer, because it's just awful stuff or white or something.

I stopped studying English at 16, but we had to study Shakespeare before then, amongst other things. We didn't memorise plays or anything, but we did spend quite a bit of time on it. The play I learned about was The Merchant of Venice, which might be considered a bit dodgy nowadays because of the anti-semitism.

The brutal stuff as far as I was concerned was Wordsworth. I hated that stuff. Sorry, Aqua.

Thanks for the response, it's interesting.
Do you know if the emphasis on Shakespeare is the same nowadays in schools, or is or has the woke movement pushed him out of the schoolhouse as well?

The British national curriculum for English Lit GCSE exam requires:

At least one play by Shakespeare
At least one 19th century novel
A selection of poetry since 1789, including Romantic poetry
A post-1919 fiction or drama from the British Isles

[Aqua Letifer]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

When students get repulsed by an author's work, it's pretty much never the author's fault. It's the curriculum. Our school system is designed to turn kids into factory workers. Of course you hated Wordsworth.

I actually think we had a pretty good English teacher, and the syllabus wasn't bad. The main reason we didn't like Wordsworth is because we were 16 year olds who wanted to be Johnny Rotten. There's no competing with that.

Pffffft! Wordsworth's opiate addiction made Rotten's drug problems look like a ginger beer bender. And his relationship with Vallon kicks the shit out of any recording of "No Feelings." Wordsworth makes Rotten look like a damn poseur.

[Rainman]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@klaus said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

???

Who is Faulkner?

The guy that Harper Lee completely ripped off.

Don't you mean Truman Capote?

Hey Phibes, I'm curious.
Growing up in England, were the works of Shakespeare studied heavily in school, like memorizing large portions of the plays, studying what everything means, etc. Or, was it all just as confusing as it was for kids in public school here? I don't think it's part of the curriculum any longer, because it's just awful stuff or white or something.

I stopped studying English at 16, but we had to study Shakespeare before then, amongst other things. We didn't memorise plays or anything, but we did spend quite a bit of time on it. The play I learned about was The Merchant of Venice, which might be considered a bit dodgy nowadays because of the anti-semitism.

The brutal stuff as far as I was concerned was Wordsworth. I hated that stuff. Sorry, Aqua.

Thanks for the response, it's interesting.
Do you know if the emphasis on Shakespeare is the same nowadays in schools, or is or has the woke movement pushed him out of the schoolhouse as well?

The British national curriculum for English Lit GCSE exam requires:

At least one play by Shakespeare
At least one 19th century novel
A selection of poetry since 1789, including Romantic poetry
A post-1919 fiction or drama from the British Isles

You made a comment above that was interesting, I'm too lazy to go look for it.
But the point you made caused me to reflect on how the problems with comprehension are due to the incompatibility of the work being studied, and the age of the student. At 16, I sat in class thinking about girls, or riding my new motorcycle, or a whole lot of exciting things.
A "selection of poetry since 1789" wasn't on my list, or any of my lists. Matter of fact, it was never on any of my lists, ever. Now, if it were "selection of poetry since 1790" that would of course be completely different with poetry translated from French, I mean we're all experts when you look at things from that angle, France stuff. Better than girls.

[bachophile]

We were taught macbeth in fifth grade. Our teacher read us out loud the story like a thriller. I was riveted. I’ve always appreciated that teacher for that introduction to that world.

[Catseye3]

@rainman said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

I mean we're all experts when you look at things from that angle, France stuff. Better than girls.

But is it better than French girls?

[Doctor Phibes]

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

When students get repulsed by an author's work, it's pretty much never the author's fault. It's the curriculum. Our school system is designed to turn kids into factory workers. Of course you hated Wordsworth.

I actually think we had a pretty good English teacher, and the syllabus wasn't bad. The main reason we didn't like Wordsworth is because we were 16 year olds who wanted to be Johnny Rotten. There's no competing with that.

Pffffft! Wordsworth's opiate addiction made Rotten's drug problems look like a ginger beer bender. And his relationship with Vallon kicks the shit out of any recording of "No Feelings." Wordsworth makes Rotten look like a damn poseur.

I used to go camping in Ambleside, Cumbria, very close to where he lived, so it got a bit more interesting - the scenery is spectacular, and there's a lot of interesting stuff about him in the area, and you can visit the house. I loved reading about him later, but I'm afraid poetry in general still leaves me a bit cold.

[kluurs]

We have William Shakespeare's desk, acquired a few decades back.

WS

[taiwan_girl]

I went to the Globe Theater in London. Awesome place!!!!

[Aqua Letifer]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

I'm afraid poetry in general still leaves me a bit cold.

Fair.

Ethan Hawke is one of an ever-growing list of people I'm not allowed to hate, even though I may want to. He made a great point that almost nobody reads someone like Alan Ginsberg on the regular, but what do people often recite in their wedding vows? Or in eulogies? People reach for poetry during momentous occasions because it has the power to communicate the meaning of events that are too profound for mere sentences.

That might sound poncy as all hell, but that is what people do and that's why they do it.

[George K]

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

poncy as all hell

Thanks for my "Word of the Day!"

[Doctor Phibes]

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

I'm afraid poetry in general still leaves me a bit cold.

Fair.

Ethan Hawke is one of an ever-growing list of people I'm not allowed to hate, even though I may want to. He made a great point that almost nobody reads someone like Alan Ginsberg on the regular, but what do people often recite in their wedding vows? Or in eulogies? People reach for poetry during momentous occasions because it has the power to communicate the meaning of events that are too profound for mere sentences.

That might sound poncy as all hell, but that is what people do and that's why they do it.

I do like some poetry. I like John Cooper Clarke, if you've ever heard him. He's really funny, and not to be taken seriously - probably not really a serious poet. One of his poems was entitled 'Twat'. On a more traditional note, I like some Dylan Thomas, and there's humour there, too. Very Welsh, too, which is no bad thing.

A lot of it is way too up itself.

[Aqua Letifer]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@aqua-letifer said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

I'm afraid poetry in general still leaves me a bit cold.

Fair.

Ethan Hawke is one of an ever-growing list of people I'm not allowed to hate, even though I may want to. He made a great point that almost nobody reads someone like Alan Ginsberg on the regular, but what do people often recite in their wedding vows? Or in eulogies? People reach for poetry during momentous occasions because it has the power to communicate the meaning of events that are too profound for mere sentences.

That might sound poncy as all hell, but that is what people do and that's why they do it.

I do like some poetry. I like John Cooper Clarke, if you've ever heard him. He's really funny, and not to be taken seriously - probably not really a serious poet. One of his poems was entitled 'Twat'. On a more traditional note, I like some Dylan Thomas, and there's humour there, too. Very Welsh, too, which is no bad thing.

A lot of it is way too up itself.

Read any Felix Dennis? (Yeah, the Oz/Maxim guy. No shit.) He's very traditional yet very accessible, and a lot of it is pretty funny.

And you can never go wrong with Spike Milligan.

[Doctor Phibes]

Spike Milligan is my hero. He's a god.

Another funny story - I have a friend in the US. He's the most buttoned down, socially (and politically) conservative person you could imagine - at his own admission.

He freaking loves The Goon Show. I think there's two of us in the entire commonwealth of Massachusetts.

[Copper]

@doctor-phibes said in Andrea Mitchell ("journalist") comments on Ted Cruz's comment.:

I used to go camping in Ambleside, Cumbria, very close to where he lived, so it got a bit more interesting - the scenery is spectacular, and there's a lot of interesting stuff about him in the area, and you can visit the house.

I went to his house - his birthplace.

It was worth a couple hours, it was old.

It is closed now for covid.