Episode 218: Classics Vs. Modern, School Edition
This week, Josh and Dietrich tackle the topic of school reading, focusing on the question of whether it's time for the classics to take a back seat for more modern authors. Josh approaches this from the perspective of an English high school teacher who's spent years working to find ways to make the great literature of history appealing and relevant to his students, while Dietrich takes a much more combative approach to the classics, arguing that anything that turns students off of reading is a mistake from the beginning. Josh points out the challenges teachers are faced with in trying to update reading lists, and talks about some of the approaches he's used to make material from Antigone and Dante seem relevant. Dietrich relates the struggles he's had as a parent convincing his teenage daughter that the books that bore her in schools are not representative of reading as a whole. It's a challenging topic, and not one with an easy answer. In addition, Dietrich discusses a pair of political books, and Josh is delightfully surprised at a review copy about reincarnation and romance. Finally, they wrap up with a discussion of the films IT, Dark Factory, Dave Built a Maze, and Colossal. You can send questions or comments to librarypolicequestions@gmail.com.
