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January 13, 2008
Things to Avoid
So, Matthew and I are currently in the wilds of Massachussettssttstst teaching this class on "Literary Collaboration." I would like to say, here, and to the world, that our students are AWESOME and make other classes I've taught seem like I was doing long division (math + robbi = no fun at all). I know that like you're not supposed to have favorite children, you are probably not supposed to have favorite classes, but I'm breaking all the rules here and saying this class is the best: great ideas, great critiques, lots of enthusiasm and general fantasticness abounds. Now, in defense of everyone else, these students have the benefit of only taking one class at the moment (it's a January term), the class only lasts 3 and a half weeks, and they only get a Pass/Fail, no real grade. And matthew's up there teaching with me, which makes the faculty end of things double the fun. But, in their defense, they have a LOT to accomplish in this short amount of time. Anyway. It's really really gratifying to be teaching this class, and I am so glad that we decided to do it.
One of the pairs of students wrote themselves a list of Things to Avoid in their collaborative process, and I think it really ought to be a treatise on collaboration. Or, at least on the kind of collaboration that matthew and I like to do. It is brilliant, and I wish I had been astute enough to come up with it myself. It is as follows:
THINGS TO AVOID
1. Regurgitation (especially of stuff you've done outside the collaboration)
2. One dominant voice
3. Overstatement
4. Self-indulgence
5. Hallmark Classics (sentimentality, melodrama)
6. Didacticism
7. Opacity or artsiness
8. Ignoring your instincts
Now, I realize there are all kinds of collaboration where this would be a totally inappropriate list of things to avoid, but it really captures the spirit of our particular brand of collaboration. I should print it out and have it by my bedside to read every night before I go to sleep. Especially the self-indulgence one. It's remarkable that these two students so accurately captured what we've been trying to sell them. Perhaps they are trying to gain extra points for listening to and distilling what we've been saying, and if so, well then double check plus. My ass has been properly kissed.
In other news:
WE HAD TWINS!!!!!
Ok. Just kidding. We just borrowed some. Some very very well-behaved ones. They taught us some very important things, like how grateful we are that when our baby arrives, it will be outnumbered 2 to 1.
Posted by ribbu at January 13, 2008 09:16 PM