#tragedy2016

Hughhh this should be entertaining

In regards to Sontag’s essay on the travesty that is intrepreting art, it led to a whole class discussion where for the most part, nearly everyone was on the same page. At first there was a general consensus of the Sontag essay being quite confusing. However, Professor Claman quickly clarified the significance of this essay in correspondence to how it will be utilized in our class. This was seen on the last page as is states;“What is important now is to recover our senses. We must learn to see more, to hear more, to feel more.” The quote that I best felt signified how our class as a whole will operate is in the very last paragraph where Sontag states: “The function of criticism should be to show how it is what it is, even that it is what it is, rather than to show what it means.” I believe this quote foreshadows how our semester will play out. Rather than just reading past tragedies and trying to decode and “Interpret” what’s in the given text, I feel as if this course will allow us as the readers to take what’s given at the surface and make our own assumptions. Analysis not to decipher, but rather “Appreciate” the work of “Art” in front of us. Simply because criticism requires for us to “Recover our senses.” that have been “Poisoned” as today’s style of interpretation looks to “Excavate” rather than acknowledging “What it is”. 

In your first homework journal, which will be a post on your own tumblr (a tumblr I will be following), I would like a free write response to the Sontag essay. Feel free to consider what this essay may have to do with our class at large, to discuss my shared understanding of the essay, and/or a pointing out of passages that continued to cause confusion or inspired disagreement with the author's words, making sure to include pertinent quotes and your own ideas as to what was disagreeable in the essay. Have a great weekend!

It has been brought to my attention that the copies of the Sontag essay are somehow missing every other page.  I wish this had been brought to my attention more than three hours before class, but c’est la vie.  I will be posting in next post the full text.  Please, if you noticed that your photocopy is incorrect--i.e. the page numbering in the top right corners of the original papers make no sense--print out the pages i’m sending, or if absolutely necessary, make sure you can read them on your phone or tablet.  while phones, tablets, computers, etc., are not allowed in class, in situations like this, phones and tablets, but NOT computers, will be tolerated.

i have requested a room change, and will keep you updated on the status of said request.  for the time being, you will find the permalinks to the syllabus and course schedule included at the top of the page.