Why literature? : the value of literary reading and what it means for teaching

'Why Literature?' offers a conception of the value of literary reading that demonstrates its importance for psychological and social well-being, and works out the implications of that conception for how we teach literature in universities. Cristina Vischer Bruns offers a defense of the value of literature and suggests ways in which the problematic relationship between personal and academic reading may be overcome. - Publisher. Cover 1 Contents 1 Acknowledgements 10 Preface — Situating the Questioner 12 Introduction — the Question and Its Importance 16 1 Why Read Literature? 26 Literary Reading as Instructive 26 Literary Reading as a Source of Pleasure 29 The Varied Effects of Literary Experience and Why They Matter 33 Shock 33 Recognition 34 Enchantment 35 The Mechanism of Literature’s Effects and Its Importance: Literature as a Transitional Object 41 Literature, Transitional Space, and Cultural Contact 48 2 From Words on Paper to an Object in Transitional Space: Reading for the Formative Use of Literature 52 Literary Reading and the Self’s State in Transitional Space 53 Making Visible the Moves of the Reader 55 My own experiences as a reader . . . and a teacher 56 Jeffrey Wilhelm’s remedial readers 60 Immersion and Reflection: The Two Moves of the Reading Process in Conflict 66 The role of immersive reading 66 When reflective reading undermines immersive reading 73 Sustaining the Tension: Immersion and Reflection as Interdependent 81 3 Recent Conceptions of Literary Education and Their Potential Impact on Students’ Formative Use of Literature 94 Literary Education as the Instructor’s Activity 97 Literary Education in Which Students Are Actively Involved 101 Literary education that prioritizes the ideological critique of texts 107 Literary education that prioritizes students’ encounters with texts 122 The Challenge of the School Context 127 4 Toward a Literary Education Conducive to the Formative Use of Literature 130 Principles for Instruction 132 The priority of immersion in a text 132 Beginning with students’ experience of texts 133 Reflection and analysis in a supporting role 134 Attending to culture 138 The complication of casting students as co-inquirers 141 Making Space for Students 144 What students bring to the class 144 A receptive environment for students’ contributions 149 Ideas for Practice 159 Works Cited 168 Index 172 'why Literature?' Offers A Conception Of The Value Of Literary Reading That Demonstrates Its Importance For Psychological And Social Well-being, And Works Out The Implications Of That Conception For How We Teach Literature In Universities. Why Read Literature? Literary Reading As Instructive -- Literary Reading As A Source Of Pleasure -- The Varied Effects Of Literary Experience And Why They Matter -- The Mechanism Of Literature's Effects And Its Importance: Literature As A Transitional Object -- Literature, Transitional Space, And Cultural Contact -- From Words On Paper To An Object In Transitional Space: Reading For The Formative Use Of Literature. Literary Reading And The Self's State In Transitional Space -- Making Visible The Moves Of The Reader -- Immersion And Reflection: The Two Moves Of The Reading Process In Conflict -- Sustaining The Tension: Immersion And Reflection As Interdependent -- Recent Conceptions Of Literary Education And Their Potential Impact On Students' Formative Use Of Literature. Literary Education As The Instructor's Activity -- Literary Education In Which Students Are Actively Involved -- The Challenge Of The School Context -- Toward A Literacy Education Conducive To The Formative Use Of Literature. Principles For Instruction -- Making Space For Students -- Ideas For Practice. By Cristina Vischer Bruns. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [153]-156) And Index. Introduction : The question and its importance Why read literature? Literary reading as instructive Literary reading as a source of pleasure The varied effects of literary experience and why they matter The mechanism of literature's effects and its importance: literature as a transitional object Literature, transitional space, and cultural contact From words on paper to an object in transitional space: reading for the formative use of literature. Literary reading and the self's state in transitional space Making visible the moves of the reader Immersion and reflection: the two moves of the reading process in conflict Sustaining the tension: immersion and reflection as interdependent Recent conceptions of literary education and their potential impact on students' formative use of literature. Literary education as the instructor's activity Literary education in which students are actively involved The challenge of the school context Toward a literacy education conducive to the formative use of literature. Principles for instruction Making space for students Ideas for practice Offers a defense of the value of literature and suggests ways in which the problematic relationship between personal and academic reading may be overcome. This title also offers a conception of the value of literary reading that demonstrates its importance for psychological and social wellbeing.