tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168381952296710712011-04-21T22:31:39.773-05:00In The English Reader, Diane Ravitch & Michael Ravitch have gathered together the best and the most memorable poems, essays, songs, and orations in English history, capturing in one compact volume writings that have shaped not only England, but democratic culture around the globe. This blog is a place for discussing the anthology and the issues it raises.Diane & Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05405716790096264341noreply@blogger.comBlogger61100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916838195229671071.post-74215181267565184312007-02-27T13:23:00.000-05:002007-02-27T14:33:23.072-05:00

From The Gadfly at edexcellence.netWhile the thought that students should bother with the poetry of the Romantics, the prose of Darwin, the philosophy of Mill, or the speeches of Churchill is anathema to many, even the greatest critics of Western culture must concede that the English language that still unites us (though not as strongly as it should) has never been used more effectively than by

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From Elizabeth I to Churchill: A Literary SurveyBy Kent Owen 20 January 2007The Wall Street Journal The English ReaderBy Michael Ravitch and Diane RavitchOxford, 486 pages, $30     ANTHOLOGIES of works written in English have been available since at least 1861, when Francis Turner Palgrave published "The Golden Treasury of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language." Later

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This eloquent column from The Minneapolis Star-Tribune discusses some of the issues raised by The English Reader: Limp Language Leaves Kids with an Awesome Paucity of SpeechBy Katherine Kersten, Star Tribune Eavesdrop on any group of teens hanging around outside your local high school. Their emotions may run the gamut, but their ability to express themselves generally does not. They've got one

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OUP: The English Reader is a somewhat unconventional and eclectic mix of English prose and poetry. What was the thinking behind the selection process?Michael and Diane Ravitch: One of the most exciting aspects of selecting the pieces for The English Reader was this unusual task of blending poetry and prose. We assigned ourselves a dual mission: to include the greatest and most influential

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An oped we wrote for the New York Sun Friday 12/15In this Christmas season, many of us will sing "Joy to the World" without knowing that it is a hymn written by the English preacher Isaac Watts, and several days later, we will follow it up with "Auld Lang Syne," an old Scottish song that was rewritten by the poet Robert Burns. Not only are these songs part of the standard repertoire of American

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Hmm.. Perhaps there is a trend here. The classics making a come-back?David Brooks wrote a wonderful column last week (unfortunately restricted to Times Select) about the influence of the Ancient Greeks on Robert F. Kennedy. Reading The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton helped Kennedy overcome his grief at his brother’s assassination.Edith Hamilton wrote, “When the world is storm-driven and the bad

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