first post...

My wife is back, and as usual she has returned angry. She has to work but when I ask her when she yells, "I don't know!!"

Well, here's to marriage. I finished reading McCourt's latest book, Teacher Man. I finished in three days, so now I am at a loss for what to read.

I suppose some comments on the book would be in order. First, he doesn't write much about teaching and students until the end. A few vignettes: the first day at Staten Island school; open house at McKey's; the excuse note exercise.

Administrators are the paranoia of every new teacher, but McCourt seems fixated. He has probably less good to say about teacher education programs. Norm in the book has never taught high school and yet is teaching students how to become teachers.

But two questions: what could teacher ed people learn from this book? Could a teacher like McCourt a relatively literate person be taught any better these days? He started in 1958.

The English question is: what devices does he use in his memoir? What tradition does it fall into--and I mean fall?? satire? comedy of the absurd?

Well, off to find another book to read; King "recommended" Case Histories. Let me go look for a copy.