I always suspected that opponents of close reading didn't really like to read, but that neither did formulaic close readers, who imposed generally accepted interpretations on texts. Emma Heath nails it: "The problem the Atlantic and critics like Kanakia take offense to is not in fact close reading, but forced meaning.” She’s right that close reading isn’t, or shouldn’t be "an 'extractive' process, as the Atlantic would have it. We don’t take anything from these texts; we feel our way toward something new that was already there waiting to be seen." Best of all, the ecstatic end of this wonderful essay makes Heath’s love of reading so evident. She’s clearly enamored of language, open to its possibilities, and respectful of the artist that channeled such language. She loves Gatsby for what it’s given and keeps giving to her. No greater authority than that.
My goodness, I cannot think how lucky I would have been to be a student in all three years of your class. SO JUICY! What a marvelous post (and series). It reminded me of the moment Gatsby fell out of my seventh grader's bag (unassigned), and I gasped at how she'd taken it up - all on her own, without my nagging. Collecting it from the floor, I called out, "Little nerd! I love you!" 😂
I always wondered if for instance in poetry back in school where we would be told this is the real meaning of a poem… and I’m like “really?”. .. did any of the people that extracted this interpretation actually check back with the author?
Sometimes in school I felt like I was being told how I should feel about something. That I should interpret something in a certain way. Not to say I don’t have many many enjoyable thoughts when I’m reading about interpreting and relating and linking with other things, and most importantly feeling the emotions that might come along with those interpretations or thoughts.
But I have wondered who decides these “real meanings” and did the author really intend this message when they wrote whatever they were writing?
Or do the “authorities” just apply their desires, pathologies or biases onto a text and then push it onto to other people?
This is something I’ve wondered for like 50 years lol! this article reminded me of it . Like who has the authority to interpret a poem from 1000 years ago and extract it’s “real” meaning?
When this happened in school I was disappointed because it sometimes ruined my experience of the text whether it was a book or poem or whatever. It was as if my enjoyment of it had been wrong in some way, because I had not seen this underlying undercurrent … or message.
Anyways I really loved this article and I subscribed! You sound like a great teacher. 🥰
I love your defense of close reading. Both of my kids are English majors and they both learned how to do this. I feel that it has expanded their ability to engage with a text enormously. As it did for me back in the day. Thanks for your close read of Gatsby.
I always suspected that opponents of close reading didn't really like to read, but that neither did formulaic close readers, who imposed generally accepted interpretations on texts. Emma Heath nails it: "The problem the Atlantic and critics like Kanakia take offense to is not in fact close reading, but forced meaning.” She’s right that close reading isn’t, or shouldn’t be "an 'extractive' process, as the Atlantic would have it. We don’t take anything from these texts; we feel our way toward something new that was already there waiting to be seen." Best of all, the ecstatic end of this wonderful essay makes Heath’s love of reading so evident. She’s clearly enamored of language, open to its possibilities, and respectful of the artist that channeled such language. She loves Gatsby for what it’s given and keeps giving to her. No greater authority than that.
Omg I absolutely loved reading this and it's made me want to re-read Gatsby again!
Really enjoyed this, great work, Emma
:) thank you!!
Very fine indeed. What a wonderful teacher you must be.
Lovely commentary and reminder. I look forward to re reading this novel soon 🫶🏻
This is wonderful
Absolutely gorgeous!
Amazing. Just like YOU!
😘
My goodness, I cannot think how lucky I would have been to be a student in all three years of your class. SO JUICY! What a marvelous post (and series). It reminded me of the moment Gatsby fell out of my seventh grader's bag (unassigned), and I gasped at how she'd taken it up - all on her own, without my nagging. Collecting it from the floor, I called out, "Little nerd! I love you!" 😂
Gatsby and by extension Fitzgerald is the most overrated novel/writer of the 20th century.
I've read it 3 times, and much of the rest of FSF's work and nothing has changed my mind towards the book or it's creator.
I always wondered if for instance in poetry back in school where we would be told this is the real meaning of a poem… and I’m like “really?”. .. did any of the people that extracted this interpretation actually check back with the author?
Sometimes in school I felt like I was being told how I should feel about something. That I should interpret something in a certain way. Not to say I don’t have many many enjoyable thoughts when I’m reading about interpreting and relating and linking with other things, and most importantly feeling the emotions that might come along with those interpretations or thoughts.
But I have wondered who decides these “real meanings” and did the author really intend this message when they wrote whatever they were writing?
Or do the “authorities” just apply their desires, pathologies or biases onto a text and then push it onto to other people?
This is something I’ve wondered for like 50 years lol! this article reminded me of it . Like who has the authority to interpret a poem from 1000 years ago and extract it’s “real” meaning?
When this happened in school I was disappointed because it sometimes ruined my experience of the text whether it was a book or poem or whatever. It was as if my enjoyment of it had been wrong in some way, because I had not seen this underlying undercurrent … or message.
Anyways I really loved this article and I subscribed! You sound like a great teacher. 🥰
I love your defense of close reading. Both of my kids are English majors and they both learned how to do this. I feel that it has expanded their ability to engage with a text enormously. As it did for me back in the day. Thanks for your close read of Gatsby.