Sep 052012
I was going through the NC archives and discovered a very early blog reference to a now defunct file sharing site I used to keep for my students. I was referring everyone to a copy of Ted Kooser’s brilliant essay “Small Rooms in Time” which I had marked up in my usual colourful and ebullient manner.
I am uploading the pdf of that essay with my commentary as an example for readers, also as a homage to a wonderful writer. The markup is a bit informal and I am not sure how it will reproduce on a variety of pdf readers. Have fun.
dg
May I show this to students, Doug?
Sure, Julie. That’s partly why I put it up here. Make sure people credit me with the markup and ideas if they use them. 🙂
But it was very nice of you to ask.
d
I love this essay and just taught it last week. Will refer students on over to your comments as a follow-up. Serendipity. Thanks.
Lisa, That’s a nice coincidence. I also used this essay in my lecture at the last residency at VCFA. But, goodness, this is embarrassing. I have owed you an email reply for ages. Apologies. 🙂
d
You have? That has gone straight out of my mind, though I’m always glad to hear from you.
This is marvelous. I would love to use it with students in Writing and Rhetoric II (credit to you of course). Thanks for posting,
Maggie
Thanks, Maggie. I actually have some more of these. I didn’t realize it would be so popular. So, at some point, I’ll put something else up like it.
Thank you very much for posting this. Incredibly informative.
Thanks, Brad. Did you notice that your essay is featured on the slider at the top of the page this issue?
I had not! That’s very cool.
Also, I don’t teach anyone, so I’m just going to use it blasphemously and without regard to credit. 🙂
Doug, thanks so much for posting this beautiful piece of writing with your insightful analysis. I found it so informative to seem how you bring out various techniques through the piece, particularly showing how coherence is created by transitions/time references, the image pattern and repetition. I’m also teaching creative writing and would like to use the essay sometime, crediting your remarks! And if you have more … please do share!
Sharon, Thanks. I’m actually surprised at how much attention this has been getting. As a matter of fact, I do have more. I will post one now and then. I even have Alice Munro’s “Meneseteung” with notes, the same copy I used to write the essay in Attack of the Copula Spiders.
And, yes, it is a gorgeous, poignant essay, isn’t it?