So I've come to a sad conclusion:
English academia is really messed up.
Doing a ton of research last week, I discovered that "published essays," which are, essentially, the pinnacle of literary criticism and discussion, are incredibly flawed.
They are perfectly adequate as a technical medium, relying mainly on the citing of sources and the repetition of main points. However, they lack real artistry: that ability that language possesses to sweep the reader up into a vivid mental journey through the dense forests of detail and irony; to carry the reader's mind through the endless circles of human paradox; to enrapture the soul of the reader in a whirlwind of knowledge and perhaps-truths.
(See how awesome that was?)
I have a rather unique mental ability: I can read the English language to the point where my mind essentially rides its words like a flowing river. When a sentence is written incorrectly, it jars my brain as if I've just slammed into a rock in the middle of the stream. That's how it often feels when I read a "professional" essay.
Academic writing is so stiff and overladen with detail that it's sickening. It's making me seriously reconsider any ideas that I had before about becoming an English teacher.
Agreed. Again.
ReplyDeleteLol, I think I've agreed with everything you've ever said on the blog...haha :)
Reading good literature works the same way for me. It's like being totally emersed in what you're reading, seeing it all as if it were really happening. I would probably hate reading stiff essays like that, too.
~Kendra
Point made.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that teaching is an incredibly rewarding and honorable career - I feel your creativity might be stifled there.
The fact that, even though I was supposed to be somewhere 45 minutes ago, I am still sitting here reading through all of your blog posts ---- that is a testament to your skill of being able to capture your audience. You have done so quite literally. I can't seem to escape the restraints. I have to go! Seriously!
=D
ReplyDelete