Canon Readings List
"'Tis the good reader that makes the good book; in every book he finds passages which seem to be confidences or sides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear; the profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader; the profound thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until it is discovered by an equal mind and heart."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Patrick White
I stumbled on Australian Patrick White's The Tree of Man just as I was entering my master's program. From the beginning of the book I connected to Stan Parker and later to his wife Amy. I chose to write my thesis on Patrick White's novels focusing on his use of writing in letters, notes, and journals. Thirty years later, I have reread The Tree of Man and now want to reread his powerful work. Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1973.
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John Steinbeck
In 2011, I taught a major authors course and focused on Steinbeck, Willa Cather, and William Faulkner. Steinbeck became one of the students' favorite authors. East of Eden is one of my favorite reads.
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Willa Cather
I've read Death Comes for the Archbishop probably more than any other piece of literature. I read it when I need peace. Father Jean Latour is the type of man I want to be. He balances scholarship, humanity, and faith.
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