Discussing the Core Texts in "Coyote Culture"

Your first significant task in the course of study is to read and comment on the three core texts—Webb's Great Plains, Cather's My Antonia, and Stegner's Wolf Willow. A considerable study guide for each book, deriving from Prof. Isern's NEH seminar on the Great Plains, is linked from the study pages of this site. The goal here, however, is not necessarily to go deep into the critical literature and master the standard interpretations. Instead, read these three texts on your own, marking your own marginalia and thinking your own thoughts about them.

Then, as you finish each, compose a short, informal (but stylistically correct) essay (about 500 words) of comments about it, and post this as a message to the list. Fill in the subject line of the message so that we can see these are your comments on one of the core texts—make it "My Comments on Webb," "My Comments on Cather," or "My Comments on Stegner." If you're wondering just what you should say about each text, then keep on wondering—it's up to you. Do include these elements in your comments, however.

1. The author's purpose and thesis. Why was the book written? What does it set out to prove or accomplish?

2. What is the author's method? How is the book put together?

3. How does this book fit into or expand your knowledge of life on the plains? What do you know after reading it that you did not before?

4. Pose at least one question to your colleagues on the list--something you would like them to talk about in relation to the book.

So, having read the three core texts, you also will have posted three little essays to the list. Others should respond to your postings, and you can reply to them. Now and then Prof. Isern will get in on the discussion himself, but if things are going the way they are supposed to, he will be doing so because of personal interest, not because his comments are needed.

What is accomplished by this reading and commentary on core texts? There are three purposes.

1. These are great books, worth reading and talking about for their own sake. Get into them!

2. This is an exercise in reading reflectively and talking about books as not just collections of facts, but rather as literature, historical literature.

3. The exercise is preparation for the more extended assignment of a review essay comprising a number of books.

HIST 730