By Lena Smith '24
Photo Courtesy of Ergita Sela via Unsplash
Ever wondered what your English teacher likes to read? Need a good recommendation to get out of a reading slump? Simply curious about your W&M faculty? This is the list for you.
Starting on December 2nd, the DSJ is dedicating a series to the favorite books of the English department. Below you will find various professors and their personal picks, alongside a short description of what makes these stories special. Over time more teachers will be featured, so make sure to come back for more recommendations!
Professor Knight - Beloved by Toni Morrison
Photo Courtesy of Good reads
"I will always make sure I have a copy"
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved has a distinguished spot in American literature, as well as on Professor Arthur Knight's bookshelf. In response to such a question, Knight sometimes feels as though his "favorite book is the book [he's] reading right now." However, the harrowing novel by Toni Morrison has "been much on [his] mind" in light of recent political disputes about keeping Beloved in high school curriculum. The recent gubernatorial campaign in Virginia echoed an ongoing controversy about the graphic imagery in the novel, leading many citizens to call for a ban. For many, however, the striking depiction of slavery is precisely why it should not be banned. Morrison's vivid portrait of trauma and violence produces a powerful condemnation of racism, and many citizens argue that students should confront this facet of the American psyche. To that point, Professor Knight dislikes the terminology of 'favorite' or 'love' when discussing the novel, due to the "painful" experiences that accompany it. Despite the difficult relationship between reader and text, Beloved remains a pivotal novel in the canon of American literature.
Professor Blossom - The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien
Photo Courtesy of Good reads
"wonderfully smart about the existential peril of being a human being"
Professor Blossom gravitates toward The Third Policeman, an absurdist novel by the Irish writer Brian O'Nolan, written under the pen name Flann O'Brien. The work revolves around an aspiring scholar who obsesses over a fictional philosopher, but the novel evolves into something far more outrageous. This central plot becomes increasingly "unreal and fantastical", evoking a "feeling of Alice in Wonderland". Professor Blossom also appreciates O'Nolan's skillful balance between melancholy and dry humor, contributing to a wider commentary on the culture the text sprang from. Specifically, the novel functions as a "political comedy about contemporary rural Ireland in the modernist movement" that arose in the 1930s. With previous experience as a newspaper columnist, O'Brien criticizes his Irish culture "from a loving place, but also in the terms of the politics a very critical place." The Third Policeman operates on various levels, offering absurdity, humor, political commentary, and "philosophical curiosity."
Professor Lorden - The Saga Series, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Photo Courtesy of Good reads
"It speaks both to what literature can be in the future but also how it doesn't and has never cared about our ideas of "high art" as something stuffy and static that belongs on a shelf"
For Professor Lorden, the ongoing comic book series Saga stands out as a sprawling and singular work of literature. Starting in 2012, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have crafted a "multi-generational space epic", known for its visionary blend of science fiction and fantasy. The central plot follows Alana and Marko, who struggle to protect their daughter in light of a war between their respective races. Within this narrative, the series tackles various issues surrounding racism, gender roles, parenthood, and more. Professor Lorden admires the careful world-building of the series, which "takes place in a galaxy with trashy TV, gossip columns, party drugs, and people with TV screens for heads." In addition to its vibrant visuals, the story is "funny, intricately constructed, [and] colorfully imagined". But make sure to take caution before reading- the series is highly graphic and violent. Nonetheless, Saga offers an imaginative and animated perspective of new worlds but also of the issues we face on our own.