Originally uploaded by ritagoodbook
I’m weeding. De-selecting. Discarding worn, outdated materials. And I’m not scared, even though I don’t yet have tenure at this school.
Or at least I wasn’t scared, until I came across THIS. If you, a high school student, were hesitant about American literature before, old scary staring guy isn’t going to help matters. This photo does not even convey the musty smell and the yellowed, grimy, graffiti-spoiled pages inside this 50-plus-year-old copy. It also doesn’t convey the complexity of Captain Ahab’s character in any meaningful way.
This is pretty much why I’m weeding. As I look in the stacks for various materials, I know there are many new, inviting, current, gorgeous books in there. But I never seem to be able to find them because I keep running into the 50-year-old musty, yellowed, torn, ridiculous books that crowd out the good stuff exactly as weeds do in a garden. One look at this, and kids head straight for the video games. Books…bah.
Of course I need Moby Dick in my library. I do have a few students who can appreciate it. Just not this particular copy.
