I may expire in amusement over here...

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

I'm not actually laughing at a student - I swear, I'm not. More tickled than anything else. I lent Crystal my copy of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' a little while ago; being earnest, she decided she was going to do a book review for me. I thought I'd sufficiently explained 'magical realism' to her when we were talking about it, but she's taken a more literal interpretation.

Her take is that most of the characters in the book are mutants.

I mean, my one or two lonely college English course are what, almost a decade in the past now, but even I can tell just how... well, cool that is. Ororo, you ought to find a way to touch on this in your advanced class this year. I mean, we're always saying how surreal our lives are - why not the mutant experience as magical realism?

I think I'm going to... not mark, obviously, but write up some comments on this paper. Every so often I forget just how interesting the kids can be if you take the time to stop and listen to them.

Comments

[x-storm.livejournal.com]

Mutant Literature 101? Actually, now that I think of it, a course like that would be easier to put together than not.

Let me see... magical realism as a parallel for mutancy:

Characters accept rather than question the logic of the magical element - it is just easier that way.
Uses a mirroring of either past and present, astral and physical planes, or of characters - we do know several people familiar with the astral plane.
Distorts time so that it is cyclical or so that it appears absent - is there ever enough time?

I think Crystal may well be on to something here.

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Well, I leave the actual course-devising up to you, of course - we made that deal years ago about not pretending we know anything about each other's subjects.

But I think you should give our budding scholar a poke about an independent study, or some such thing. She's clearly got a gift for literary analysis.

[x-storm.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you still want to stick to that agreement? Because I had a brilliant idea about a class on car engine... thingies. Yes.

That is an excellent idea - perhaps you could let me read the review beforehand so that I have a better idea what she is capable of?

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

We agreed. No touching engines. They don't like you.

And I'll stick the review in your inbox as soon as I'm done with it. We've so often done enrichment activities in the maths and sciences over the years that I think we sometimes forget the students gifted in other areas.

[x-storm.livejournal.com]

We forget? I take exception to that statement, Mr. Summers. As we speak I am in the process of reviving the yearbook so that students with an interest in photography or writing will be able to participate.

And the dislike is mutual, I say. I would be happier knowing the 'Bird is held aloft by sunshine and wishes than a clunky, oily, metallic mess.

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My humblest apologies, Ms. Munroe. (You're going to leave out the 'rate your teachers' section, right? That was so hard on everyone's egos the year we did that...)

It's a good thing the 'Bird loves you, or the next time you're flying her she'd go looking for turbulence if she heard you talking about her like that.