Bel Kaufman - Up The Down Staircase

The poet (Mr. Frost) teaches us about life and other things. He was simple. He was economical and died recently. He blazed a trial on a new road.

Miss Barrett passed around his picture but it got only to the first row because some wise guy hogged it and wouldn't pass it. Multim im parva means he says very little. Trodden means walk.

His style was very good. He had his eye on things.

In my last term's English class we had to put poems under different Headings like Poems of Love and Friendship, or Nature and God's Creatures, or Religion and Death, and say where they belong to, but I'm not sure where this one belongs to.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Amdur, Class Secretary

Fri., Nov. 6

Dear Ellen,

I rejoice with you at the departure of the painters. What do you mean, it came out buff?

You're right; I am attracted to Paul. He's very attractive. But the surface is so highly polished, it's hard to get hold of it. One slips off. Our relationship is surface too: an occasional drink together, a dinner, a movie in my "spare time, Ha-ha!"—as one of my kids would say. I smile at his amusing verses and I listen to his amused complaints about editors and school and fate. He's a kind of charming Minniver Cheevy —without the bathos. I'd like to like him more.

As for your questions: Yes, Linda Rosen is back, presumably cured. So is Joe Ferone, presumably not. He has changed his mind about seeing me after school. "What's in it for you?" he asks.

The day he returned to class, with a Late-Late pass from McHabe, who detained him for coming late (do you follow me?) I was observed by Bester. I taught a poem. Or did I? I don't think I got through to them, in spite of all my careful paper-plans, in spite of all of Bester's paper-words.

The trouble is their utter lack of background. "I never read a book in my life, and I ain't starting now," a boy informed me. It isn't easy to make them like a book—other teachers got there before me. Henrietta with her games in teams, Mary with her outlines. Or perhaps it goes further back, to the 1st grade, or the 5th?

The important thing is to make them feel King Lear's anguish, not a True-or-False test on Shakespeare. The important thing is the recognition and response, not an inch of print to be memorized.

I want to point the way to something that should forever lure them, when the TV set is broken and the movie is over and the school bell has rung for the last time.

But what a book report means to them is: to tell an interesting fact about the author ("Poe was a junkie"); to complete: "This book made me wish/ wonder/ realize/ decide"; to recount one humorous/ tragic incident; or to engage in hokum projects such as designing book jackets, drawing stick figures, holding TV interviews with dead authors or imaginary characters, playing "Who Am I?," and pepping up the classics. In other words, saving the others the trouble of reading the book.

Sample:

LOU: My book is—

I: The book you read.

LOU: Yeah. The title is called Macbeth by Shakespeare.

I: Its title is.

LOU: Macbeth.

I: But wasn't it required reading for last term's English? I understand Macbeth was taught in English 2 last term. You were supposed to report on a supplementary book. That means in addition to the required—

LOU: I ain't never read it before.

I: I never read it.

LOU: Me neither. In this book the author depicks—

I: Depicts.

LOU: Depicks how this guy he wants to—

I: Who?

LOU: Him.

I: He.

LOU: Yeah. He potrays that this here—

I: He says.

LOU: Mrs. Lewis told us not to say say. She gave us a whole list like depicks and potrays instead.

I: Yes, Harry?

HARRY: Observes.

I: I beg your pardon?

LOU: Remarks. Narrates. Exclaims. I've got it written down.

I: She probably wanted you to avoid repetition. There's nothing wrong with the word "says." What's the theme of the play, Lou?

LOU: Well, the author narrates this murder—

I: No, the theme, not the plot. Does anyone know the difference between theme and plot? Linda?

LINDA: The plot is what they do in the book and the theme is how they do it.

I: Not exactly. The theme— Yes, Vivian?

VIVIAN: The theme is what's behind it.

I: Behind what?

VIVIAN: The plot

I: Frank?

FRANK: The lesson.

I: What lesson? Please answer in complete sentences.

FRANK: That the author is trying to teach. The morale of the book.

I: The moral. It need not— Yes, John?

HARRY: He's supposed to mention three incidents.

I: But we're talking about the— Harry?

HARRY: Personal opinion.

I: What?

Harry. He didn't give his personal opinion.

LOU: I didn't even get to it.

I: We're still trying to determine the difference between plot and theme. Sally?

SALLY: One is real and one is made up.

I: Well, actually—Yes, Carole, what is it?

CAROLE: Oh, thank God! I thought you'd never call on me! The author tries to say—

I: Tries? Doesn't he succeed?

CAROLE: He tries to show—

I: He shows.

CAROLE: He shows how you musn't be ambitious.

LOU: Potrays.

I: Does he say that ambition is bad?

CAROLE: Yes.

I: Is it? Isn't it good to be ambitious? Lou?

LOU: It's good, but not too.

I: Not too what?

LOU: Not too ambitious is not so good.

I: You mean, excessive ambition can lead to disaster?

LOU: That's right

I: Why don't you say it? The theme of Macbeth is that excessive—or rather, ruthless ambition often proves disastrous. That's what words are for—to be used. What does ruthless mean? Eddie?

EDDIE: Steps all over.

I: Say it in a sentence.

EDDIE: He steps all over.

I: Rusty, you wanted to say something?

RUSTY: Mrs. Macbeth noodges him.

I: You mean nudges?

RUSTY: Noodges. Being a female, she spurns him on.

I: Yes, John, your hand is up?

JOHN: I read the same book, but my theme is different.

I: What is it?

JOHN: The theme is he kills him for his own good.

Never mind. I may be reaching too high, I may stumble and fall, but I’ll keep on trying!

Love,

Syl

P.S. Did you know that at the College Entrance Examination Board's Commission on English it was found that a third of high school English teachers were unfit to teach their subject?

FROM: CENTRAL CURRICULUM ADAPTATIONS COMMITTEE FOR APPRAISAL AND SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL AND SPECIFIC DEVICES IN ORIENTATION AND MOTIVATION:

THE ORAL BOOK REPORT

FUNCTIONAL APPLICATION OF LANGUAGE SKILLS IN CONNECTION WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM OF READING MASTERY AND APPRECIATION, COMBINED WITH CONCURRENT TRAINING IN ORAL EXPRESSION CAN BEST BE ACHIEVED IN THE FORM OF THE ORAL BOOK REPORT INVOLVING ALL THE CONCOMITANT OBJECTIVES OF STIMULATING CONVERSATIONAL PARTICIPATION ON LEVELS OF SHARING OF INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES, WHICH IS THE CULMINATION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ARTS.

THE FOLLOWING TEACHERS ARE TO BE COMMENDED ON ACHIEVING 100% ATTENDANCE YESTERDAY:

None

THERE WILL BE A FIRE DRILL AT THE END OF THE FOURTH PERIOD TODAY; PLEASE DO NOT GIVE ANY TESTS.

CIRCULARS ON OPEN SCHOOL DAY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN YOUR LETTER-BOXES. PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

LOST & FOUND

LOST: Man's black umbrella, wooden handle—

Ret. to M. Manheim

LOST: One galosha, black—

Ret. to M. Manheim