Notes 2/1/2005

There wasn't really a focused discussion of our textbooks today. Instead, we had a multimedia presentation with the goal of helping us in our Top 100 memorization. Dr. Sexson showed pictures of the books' covers and told interesting tidbits or read a good quotations from each book.

Harold Bloom, in his book The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages, argues that the books within the canon act as a guide to memory. It makes sense then that we are memorizing the "canon" of 100 books set forth by our Department as valuable.

To Re-member is something torn apart and put back together again.

After our multi-media presentation, Justin amazed us all with his memorization of the Top 100 books. His strategy? Put them in a story. I think it began with Lady Macbeth picking up the Bible, Moses parting the Red Sea and Don Quixote riding through. Really interesting, and quite impressive.