Teaching Literature Essays -- Literature Education Educating Essays

Teaching Literature My own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we *can* suppose. - J.B.S. Haldane, "On Being the Right Size" in the book _Possible Worlds_ (courtesy of The Quotations Page) The inclusion of gay and lesbian authors in high school and college curricula can only help to expose students to things which they will more than likely face in their adult lives. The traditional readings should be read in conjunction with gay and lesbian authors in many schools’ English curricula, simply because most modern students cannot relate to the speech or themes of the traditionally taught works by usually straight British and American writers or by authors who were gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT), but their sexual orientation was never mentioned. These students come from varied backgrounds, and thusly should be exposed to works to which they can more appropriately relate. Exploration into the GLBT literature canon brings us to the argument that many GLBT theorists are bringing to that table: â€Å"Should writing be marketed as gay because the author is, or does it have to deal with gay-related themes?† as presented in the article â€Å"Of Genders and Genres.† by Avril McDonald. She poses a good question, one that many high school and college administrators should ask instead of simply ignoring the entire genre of literature. Some authors, such as Langston Hughes and Emily Dickinson, are usually taught without any mention of their sexual orientation, while others, such as Audre Lorde and Alice Walker, who were openly lesbian, have been wholly excluded from the high school curricula and are barely read in many college settings either. Before one can suggest an alternat... ...2004): 151-. Project Muse. Westfield State College, MA. 19 April 2005. Martinez-Aleman, Ana M. â€Å"Multiculturalism and the Mission of Liberal Education.† The Journal of General Education 50.2 (2001): 102-. Project Muse. Westfield State College, MA. 19 April 2005. McDonald, Avril. â€Å"Of Genders and Genres.† Publishers Weekly 241.26 (1994): 25-. Expanded Academic ASAP. Westfield State College, MA. 27 April 2005. Powell, Timothy B. â€Å"All Colors Flow into Rainbows and Nooses: The Struggle to Define Academic Multiculturalism.† Cultural Critique 55 (2003): 152-. Project Muse. Westfield State College, MA. 27 April 2005. Rankin, Susan R. â€Å"Differing Perceptions: How Students of Color and White Students Perceive Campus Climate for Underrepresented Groups.† Journal of College Student Development 46.1 (2005): 43-. Project Muse. Westfield State College, MA. 19 April 2005.