Abstract: topic of the Presidential Forum for 2007, The Humanities at Work in the World, led me to reflect on a number of moments in my own career, as well as on a set of literary texts that engage?and provoke?thought on this question. Before turn directly to the implications of my title, Good to Think With, will frame my argument with a personal anecdote and then with a fairy tale. It will be clear, believe, that these two narratives are versions of the same story. When was in college, was seized with the idea that needed to be doing something more important and meaningful than studying English literature. It was the sixties, after all. So looked up the address of an agency in New York City that arranged for American students to emigrate and do work in another country. was full of idealism, optimism, energy. arrived for my appointment and sat across the desk from a woman who was organizing such arrangements. My idea was to get closer to the soil, perhaps, and to the people. So burst out with my ideas about farming, building, and clearing the land. Do you have any experience with these things? she asked. (At this distance can't recall whether she asked gently or pointedly?but in any case began, dimly, to get the point.) Have you ever worked on a farm or built a house? No, confessed. Not yet. But could learn. What do you know how to do? she asked. I study English literature, said, rather haltingly. Poetry and novels and plays. But could
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 27
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot