Gilbert Sorrentino & Eileen Myles: A Poet's Autobiography

 

Consider the form of the excerpts from Gilbert Sorrentino's Little Casino and Eileen Myles' Inferno. How do both of these authors use language in order to challenge our notions of what an autobiographical text "looks like?" What do these authors do with language that is either innovative, intriguing, or "new"? What do you think Myles means when she says, "Most people write novels under their own name, and then inside the novel there's a lot of other people but it's never them . . . but I prefer to use my own name because in a way there's nothing falser than Eileen Myles." What might both of these texts tell us about a poet's interpretation of the autobiographical genre? Use at least one quote from each text to support your response.

Collective Whirlwind

How many narrators are there in Look for Me in the Whirlwind: The Collective Autobiography of the New York 21? Why would the NY 21 create such a confusing, yet seemingly formulaic autobiography? Consider our in class discussions about the formal properties of the text; use at least one quote from the text in your response.

Pop Art Ekphrasis

Post your revised ekphrastic essays/poems/etc. here!

Andy Warhol and the Aura

In Andy Warhol's "Fame," celebrity is characterized as "[not] that important" (78). This is a perplexing statement coming from a man who built his whole career around iconic American images of "fame" and "beauty." Considering the interview above, as well as our conversations in class about pop art and consumer culture, why would Warhol create a public persona which reflected boredom, or affectation? Keep Warhol's image of a "red petunia in a window [that looks] very beautiful if all the rest of them are white, and vice versa" (72) in mind. Be sure to use at least two quotes from the text to back up your 200 to 400 word response. In the words of Warhol, "uh, no."

Text Time

Please bring your selected autobiographical text to class on Monday, March 19th.

English Majors Open Mic 2012

Wayne Koestenbaum's Humiliation

How does humiliation function in contemporary culture? In his essay "The Jim Crow Gaze," Koestenbaum discusses the rise of instant celebrities, such as American Idol contestants or celebutante Paris Hilton. How has the notion of celebrity (and by extension, humiliation) changed along with the rise of widely available internet and reality television? Why does Koestenbaum suggest for the letter writer (chronicled in the above video) to write a letter of apology? Consider the concept and our in class discussions of Koestenbaum's "Jim Crow Gaze" as you form your response. Utilize the text in order to back up/help "prove" your response.