I hate the fact that high-level academic discourse assumes so much privilege (dare I say, so much bullshit) that it prevents academics from conversing with anyone but each other. I was originally drawn to the study of English because I wanted to learn to communicate with as many people as possible. At college, I've learned that the existing English education program teaches the exact opposite.
Yours is a cool idea. A really attractive flip side of your program: If the manufacturers of billboards, album covers, graffiti, ads, food labels, and rap music realized they were involved in educating children (which they already are, of course, but we like to ignore it), maybe they'd present said children with more positive media. As Talib Kweli rhymes, "Every emcee, grab a pen and write some conscious lyrics to tell the children."
As I grow disgruntled with academia, the rap game looks more and more attractive, if impossibly daunting. Sigh. If I could snap my fingers and become a rap star, I'd do so … but I can't.
I have thoughts (possibly, it's all a bit vague) about these posts, but it's also five in the morning (yes I am actually insane) so I'm just posting this here as a place holder. Thoughts tomorrow/today *handwavey*
I really like the idea. Reminds me a lot of the "Poetry in Motion" program in New York City, when excerpts from famous poems were displayed inside buses and trains. I think that poetry is incredibly underrated as an art form, because people have the idea that it's this incredibly lofty concept - you know, the haughty relative of the "easier to understand" prose. But bringing poetry to the masses shows that poetry doesn't need to be "comprehended," per se, but instead appreciated. The program's goal is, I think, is to show that you don't need to be a stuffy PhD scholar or an English major or someone who's reached a "high" level of education to be exposed to great pieces of literature.
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Yours is a cool idea. A really attractive flip side of your program: If the manufacturers of billboards, album covers, graffiti, ads, food labels, and rap music realized they were involved in educating children (which they already are, of course, but we like to ignore it), maybe they'd present said children with more positive media. As Talib Kweli rhymes, "Every emcee, grab a pen and write some conscious lyrics to tell the children."
As I grow disgruntled with academia, the rap game looks more and more attractive, if impossibly daunting. Sigh. If I could snap my fingers and become a rap star, I'd do so … but I can't.
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