a lifelong love affair.

I recently lent My Antonia to one of my students. Joe not only read the novel in English, he also read it in Chinese--twice! After pondering the plot, language, textual ambiguities and ambiance, he meandered into my office for a literary discussion. We talked about the books' characters, themes, and language. We talked about about our favorite quotations and characters. We confabulated about the books' predominate social injustices and their roles within the novel and society.

I fell in love--once again:

Exchanging ideas, language, and knowledge--dissecting language and plot--disagreeing about the cause of Mr. Shimerda's death--pondering the hardships of immigrants and women--connecting the novel's lessons to our daily lives--exploring characterization--gnawing at historical influences and literary discourse.....


This is the beauty of literature--its a love affair in and of itself.

It has help rekindle my desire to teach literature and language. It has helped inspire me to face reality and begin applying for teaching positions in NC.

Joe and I meet regularly now. We talk about Chinese literature and philosophy. We discuss American history and pop culture. We debate current events.

We are currently tackling Wuthering Heights. This is an especially hard piece of literature for Joe, as its language, themes, and genre (gothic romance) befuddle many westerners. However, we plow through the chapters together....constantly questioning one another and the text. As Joe struggles to understand the complex nature of the novel's plot and characters, I sift through the chapters feeling as though I am being re-introduced to old friends.

When Joe sits in front of me befuddled by the text's ambiguities, tangled family tree, and flashback/forward narrative structure, I see a more intelligent version of myself: a person who pours himself into books, unknowingly creating a lifelong love affair.