Teaching “Intro to Literature” suggestions

Next spring I’m teaching a section of “Introduction to Literature” and my curriculum will likely span across short stories, poems, at least one novel, and perhaps a play. I’m interested to hear from you, dear reader. Do you have an anthology recommendation? Any short stories or poems you find accessible or maybe a few that changed your ability to understand literature as an undergrad? I’m toying with a few ideas but I’m curious to hear what you may have for me.

I select books in early November so I’ll keep you posted with what I ultimately select. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help.

-nm

4 thoughts on “Teaching “Intro to Literature” suggestions”

  1. Yes, but the trick is choosing the old edition or the new edition.

    There’s SOME crossover in pieces (Kincaid’s “Girl,” Sontag’s “The Way We Live Now,” Banks’s “Sarah Cole,” O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”).

    However, if one goes with the new edition to pick up Brockmeier’s “Ceilings,” Dybek’s “We Didn’t,” and Butler’s “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot,” then they lose old edition gems like Baxter’s “Gryphon,” Proulx’s “Brokeback Mountain,” and Cunningham’s “White Angel.”

    Decisions, decisions…

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  2. Personally, I dig the old edition a little bit more. You can always bring in handouts of a story that you think absolutely must be shown.

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  3. I like to put together my own anthology of stories and poetry using Pearson’s Custom Publishing, which also includes headnotes and discussion questions. “My Literature Lab” (also Pearson), is a nice add-on website that includes mini-lectures and multimedia on well-known stories and poems.

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