You can find the reading assignments on the "Reading Calendar" at our WebCT site, but here at the blog you are invited and requested to comment upon those readings: reading, reacting to others responses, and so on. You may also visit last year's blog post to see additional commentary on these readings.
See below.
9 | Read Chapter 3 “Ceili at Flanagan’s” in Glassie | · What are the differences in the two experiences being described? What is the significance of those two contrasting experiences? · What is the relationship between “insider” and “outsider”, and how/why might music and folklore help cross those boundaries? · Do “outsiders” use music and folklore to cross boundaries? Do “insiders” use music and folklore to cross other kinds of boundaries? · What do we have to say about the language and rhetoric of these two writers? How might that shape our experience of reading them? |
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| Read “Last Night’s Fun” in Carson | |
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| For 1.12 | Read Preface and Chapter 1 “Crossing Drumbargy Brae” [CDB] in Glassie | · What does Glassie reveal about himself? His goals? His academic background and prior experience? How does he say these things might shape his approach in this book? · How would you describe Glassie’s language and organizational structure? Is it like or unlike other scholarly books you’ve encountered? If different, why might Glassie have chosen these different approaches? What different results might he expect to occur? · P: Why do you think he includes the descriptive anecdote about meeting the man mowing the hedge? Why here, in the Preface? · CDB: What various academic or analytic approaches does Glassie employ or allude to? What strengths or limitations does he describe or imply for each? · CDB: What is the significance of the extensive use of maps? · CDB: What does Glassie believe is the role of story? |
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| Read “Boil the Breakfast Early” [BTBE] and “Hurry the Jug” [HTJ] in Carson | · BTBE: Why does Carson devote much of a chapter to descriptions of different ways to boil an egg? How can this possibly have anything to do with music and folklore? · BTBE: how does he relate cooking eggs to playing music? Why might musicians care about such issues? · HTG: This is a lengthy set of descriptions of different situations in which he’s listened to music; why do you think he spends so much time describing the details of the environments? How does that lead into a description of some of his earliest experiences? |
4 comments:
Let me respond to the Glassie Preface and Chapter 1:
Wow, this is a very readable book - much like a story/novel! Within the first portion of the book, Glassie reveals to the reader that he is a young professional figuring it all out. He has published a book in the "accepted" manner but was not happy with the turn out. His writing appears earnest and hopeful. This perhaps is a motivation (?) for his descriptive language. THe overall style is poetic and Glassie seems to languish over the descriptions. Is this a foreshadowing of his interaction with Irish people? The author's interaction with the old man in the Preface alludes to this.
Boil the Breakfast Early:
Possible connections between eggs and music:
There are many ways to play music like there are many ways to play music. It takes a bit of effort to cook an egg just the way you like it and it also takes a bit of effort to hone your musical craft.
I agree with you aplagman. I also think that with this being Glassie's second book, he has learned a great deal of importance of keeping true to himself and to his friends. I think that Glassie also approaches this book with a great deal of respect of the Irish culture and writes with how the Irish would express their culture with words.
I'd add here also that Glassie seems to be signaling a couple of different priorities he intends to observe: (1) as Madonna said, the importance of finding an approach to folklore scholarship that recognizes and honors the genius and generosity of *individuals* (because ethnography has sometimes behaved as if only "group mind" ever impacts culture), and (2) seeking an approach to folklore scholarship that takes not only its observed details, but also--very importantly--its *narrative approach* from the traditional models. Note that he continually refers to Hugh Nolan as the "great historian" of Ballymenone; what is the significance of his reference to Hugh Nolan as a *scholar*?
Good observations. Everyone else?
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