Author: Verlyn Klinkenborg
When: June 22, 2013
Brief Overview: Klinkenborg describes his personal experiences while teaching nonfiction writing at multiple esteemed colleges throughout the United States, and recounts a noticeable pattern of decline of interest in the humanities.
Important Vocabulary: Jargon, meaning special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand. Syntax, meaning the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. Metastasize, meaning (of malignant cells or disease-producing organisms) to spread to other parts of the body by way of the blood or lymphatic vessels or membranous surfaces; to spread injuriously. Merit, meaning the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward.
Noteworthy Quotes: “In other words, there is a new and narrowing vocational emphasis in the way students and their parents think about what to study in college.” “A technical narrowness, the kind of specialization and theoretical emphasis you might find in a graduate course, has crept into the undergraduate curriculum.” “What many undergraduates do not know — and what so many of their professors have been unable to tell them — is how valuable the most fundamental gift of the humanities will turn out to be. That gift is clear thinking, clear writing, and a lifelong engagement with literature.”
Questions: How can professionals teaching the humanities do a better job at engaging their students and helping them to realize the importance of such skills?
Initial Reactions: Through this personal essay, Klinkenborg makes it clear that he has a passion for the humanities, and seeks to help his students understand the values and skills that the humanities has to offer as a whole.
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