Mike, a tenure-track professor of English, at a large city college in NYC sends this:
First off, you're doing a superb job. I like the anonymity. I like the backtalk. I like to be able to swing away.
Yes, like you, I love my students. 99% of them are terrific kids, terrific learners. But what about that tiny group who likes to make me consider freshman-cide? I'd rather vent here than in the parking lot with a graphite racquet.
But I write today to share a couple of books I think would make my students (junior and senior humanities majors mostly) brighter, sharper, more fun to be around.
Faster by James Gleick
The Body of Poetry by Annie Finch
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
A Pretext for War by James Bramford
These are books I read over the break, and though they're a mixed bag, they'd give any student a leg up on the most important skill in college - creative thinking!
Go, Professor, Go. I'll be sending in some ratings after my first class next Tuesday.
Call me Mike!
