In response to the attempt at initiating dialogue

I appreciate your (Melinda's) attempt to establish a dialogue relating to class. In the beginning of class you mentioned you were an actor, and, if you are familiar with Samuel Beckett's work, there is an exhibit at UMBC containing correspondence (who cares...), photographs of theatrical productions, and a short film that I had never before seen, the best part.

Concerning my view of the stories in class, Poe was one of those guys everyone had heard of, but whom I'd never read... And now I know why, although I did enjoy the stories... somewhat. I prefer Hawthorne if gothic stories are of concern, and, from my understanding (according to an american lit text book), they were just as influential. Poe's comments in the text are actually in regards to Hawthorne.

Chekhov was wonderful. It was nice to see stories that aren't included in signet or barnes and nobel editions of his work. Even though I'd already read it, I liked the lady with the pet dog.

It dissapoints me that we are spending so much time on Hemmingway. I would have expected many people who are interested in the subject to have read him, but was apparently wrong. I'm of the Faulkner camp of modern american literature and also feel he did more for the short story. His collected stories contains more, and more interesting, stories. He also wrote novels that blur the line between short story collection and novel: (I have heard) If I Sing for the Jerusalem, The Sound and the Fury (in some sense). But this isn't scholarly opinion, and is mostly based on heresay. I think the Snopeses contain more than Nick Adams. But truthfully, I've only read some stories, Intruder in the dust, Light in august, Sanctuary, Absalom! Absalom!, and am nearly finished The Sound and the Fury. From Hemmingway I've read some of these stories, Old Man and the Sea, The Sun also Rises, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Not really enough to claim one guy was good and one was "bad."

Hemmingway's style turns me off... I feel like a big part of why teachers love him is that he is so declamatory. If students are going to be influenced by a writer, why not make it one that might make grading easy?
I understand writting like Faulkner takes a different kind of skill, but would think maliable minds would learn to adapt their voice from Faulkner. Although largely informal, there's a lot that could be taken as active in his writting. And though he may ramble, his words are rarely superfluous. A page description of the sound of a key turning definately has significance. And where else would one hear a similie comparing a cop in a dilapitated car to someone (not a woman) sweeping the floor.