# Teaching Wolfe?

*The Urth list — 4 messages, 4 voices, 08 May 2007*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/4827>

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### Craig Brewer
*08 May 2007, 05:02*

Hello to the list!

I recently finished teaching a course on
medieval/Renaissance “fantasy,” but I’m revising it
now to alternate old texts with new. I was considering
teaching either Castleview or the Wizard Knight. I
suggested both to a couple of “fanboy/girl” students
who hadn’t read any Wolfe, and they went over quite
well. We had some great discussions on Castleview
contra Malory and Able contra just about everything
during office hours.

But I was wondering if anyone has ever taught Wolfe
before. Specifically, I was hoping for any tips on how
to deal with the all but inevitable confusion that
people being coerced into reading him might face. I’m
not sure if it would even work (simply for length with
TWK, at the very least), but both options just seem to
me like wonderful modern takes on old romance
themes/styles (apart from the glee of getting new
people to read Wolfe).

I would certainly appreciate any thoughts.

-Craig

(I used to contribute a few years ago
I lost the time
but kept up with the, wonderful-as-always,
archives
hopefully this summer will offer a chance to
reread ALL of the Sun books, since it’s been too long.)


 

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### brunians at brunians.org
*08 May 2007, 05:27 · in reply to Craig Brewer*

I am personally amazed that Wolfe has not been offered a professorship
somewhere or another. Delany and John Crowley have, after all.


.

> Hello to the list!
> 
> I recently finished teaching a course on
> medieval/Renaissance “fantasy,” but I’m revising it
> now to alternate old texts with new. I was considering
> teaching either Castleview or the Wizard Knight. I
> suggested both to a couple of “fanboy/girl” students
> who hadn’t read any Wolfe, and they went over quite
> well. We had some great discussions on Castleview
> contra Malory and Able contra just about everything
> during office hours.
> 
> But I was wondering if anyone has ever taught Wolfe
> before. Specifically, I was hoping for any tips on how
> to deal with the all but inevitable confusion that
> people being coerced into reading him might face. I’m
> not sure if it would even work (simply for length with
> TWK, at the very least), but both options just seem to
> me like wonderful modern takes on old romance
> themes/styles (apart from the glee of getting new
> people to read Wolfe).
> 
> I would certainly appreciate any thoughts.
> 
> -Craig
> 
> (I used to contribute a few years ago
> I lost the time
> but kept up with the, wonderful-as-always,
> archives
> hopefully this summer will offer a chance to
> reread ALL of the Sun books, since it’s been too long.)
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.
> Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta.
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> _______________________________________________

---

### Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
*08 May 2007, 18:06 · in reply to brunians at brunians.org*

> On 5/7/07, brunians at brunians.org <brunians at brunians.org> wrote:
> I am personally amazed that Wolfe has not been offered a professorship
> somewhere or another. Delany and John Crowley have, after all.

I'm not sure he hasn't. But if he hasn't, it might be because he's, ah,
rather conservative. Academia, to be honest, does have a bit of a
bias toward liberalism (thank God).

```
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
-----
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
http://www.danehyoakes.com
Soon, where Toon Town once stood will be a string of gas stations,
inexpensive motels, restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food. Tire
salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards
reaching as far as the eye can see. My God, it'll be beautiful.
```

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### Matthew Keeley
*08 May 2007, 18:08 · in reply to Craig Brewer*

As a college student myself, I heartily wish that some of my professors
would teach Wolfe, though I suppose it might be a hard sell for some
students. I'd suggest teaching TWK over Castleview though, as I know that
Castleview is out-of-print at the moment, and I imagine that even the best
of college bookstores would have trouble getting enough copies for an entire
class onto their shelves (Or at least that's my personal experience from
working at a college bookstore). If you ever do teach a class with Wolfe
texts in it, would you mind posting the syllabus to Urth? I'd be really
interested in seeing it.

-Matt

> On 5/8/07, Craig Brewer <cnbrewer at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> Hello to the list!
> 
> I recently finished teaching a course on
> medieval/Renaissance "fantasy," but I'm revising it
> now to alternate old texts with new. I was considering
> teaching either Castleview or the Wizard Knight. I
> suggested both to a couple of "fanboy/girl" students
> who hadn't read any Wolfe, and they went over quite
> well. We had some great discussions on Castleview
> contra Malory and Able contra just about everything
> during office hours.
> 
> But I was wondering if anyone has ever taught Wolfe
> before. Specifically, I was hoping for any tips on how
> to deal with the all but inevitable confusion that
> people being coerced into reading him might face. I'm
> not sure if it would even work (simply for length with
> TWK, at the very least), but both options just seem to
> me like wonderful modern takes on old romance
> themes/styles (apart from the glee of getting new
> people to read Wolfe).
> 
> I would certainly appreciate any thoughts.
> 
> -Craig
> 
> (I used to contribute a few years ago?I lost the time
> but kept up with the, wonderful-as-always,
> archives hopefully this summer will offer a chance to
> reread ALL of the Sun books, since it's been too long.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.
> Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta.
> http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
> _______________________________________________

---
