Why Study Literature?

I base my approach to the teaching of literature upon the conviction that the study of literature is of the utmost importance for living an examined life: the manner in which we think, talk, and write about literature has profound implications for the way we exist in the world, for our relationship to ourselves and to those around us. In my opinion, the true foundation of a liberal arts education is not primarily the acquisition of a particular body of knowledge (important as this may be), but rather the process of learning to read--and by extension, to think--critically. In all my courses, I encourage students to become a community of learners, engaging in rigorous and meaningful discussion and debate.

Moreover, because I believe that cogent writing is inextricably bound to clear thinking, writing can function as one of the most powerful means of developing, refining, and honing the critical thought processes fundamental to all aspects of undergraduate education, an education that will then prepare students to face the myriad challenges of an increasingly complex world. Thus all my classes, whatever their specific content, strive to involve students in the process of critique on a number of levels: at home, in the initial responses to a text; orally, in class discussion or during office hours; on paper, in formal and informal writing assignments; and personally, in the "work" that goes on outside and beyond the classroom.