I hope you'll pardon my digression in a discussion of Mark Twain and Andy Williams, but I think Slaughterhouse-Five is a delightful book. Sure Billy Pilgrim's wife and about 135,000 other people die in the novel, but Billy finds an effective way to come to terms with it--with an incredibly goofy effort to change the way his fellow earthlings (mistakenly?) think about such things. As Kurt Vonnegut would say, "I love that; it's so human." --Jim L.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hal Bush
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2018 7:02 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Welcome back to the semester! REMINDER: renew your degrees!
John, I love the Andy Williams reference! as for the billiards claim, are = there witnesses??
Dr. Hal Bush
Dept. of English
Saint Louis University
[log in to unmask]
314-977-3616
http://halbush.com
author website: halbush.com
________________________________
From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of John R. Pascal <alph= [log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2018 9:01:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Welcome back to the semester! REMINDER: renew your degrees!
Excuse me, Dr Bush,
It=3DE2=3D80=3D99s a good thing my dear parents are in heaven. Since they = =3D paid for my B.A. in English, I think they might raise an eyebrow or two =3D and wish a private word with you concerning the need to renew my degree.
Also, I have taught Slaughterhouse-Five (not my choice) to my high =3D school juniors for several years. It was the summer reading for =3D September discussion.
It made them needlessly more depressed beyond returning to school no =3D matter how many different times I tried to explain it and put it into =3D context as an important work in American literature.=3D20
=3D20
So much better to have shortened SL-5 book discussion and jump right =3D into the mighty Mississippi River with Huckleberry Finn, which they =3D absolutely love each year;=3D20
It certainly is our favorite time of year. I do play Andy Williams=3DE2=3D= 80=3D99=3D =3DE2=3D80=3D9CThe Most Wonderful Time of the Year=3DE2=3D80=3D9D every Se= ptember =3D on the first day of class and it gets even the most emotionally hardened = =3D of students to smile and grin. But hey, what do I know? I=3DE2=3D80=3D99m= =3D still learning myself.
I do know that you graciously let me win a round of billiards against =3D you at Elmira last year.
:D
John Pascal
> On Aug 17, 2018, at 5:30 PM, Hal Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>=3D20
> Colleagues; I was reminded of this by another colleague, and =3D
especially fo=3D3D
> r the younger folks on this LIST: don't overlook the very crucial =3D
need to =3D3D
> RENEW your degree before the start of class.
>=3D20
>=3D20
>
>https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.mcsweeneys.n
>et=
_articles_how-2Dto-2Drenew-2Dyour-2Denglish-2Ddegree&d=3DDwIBAg&c=3DPk_HpaI=
pE_jAoEC9PLIWoQ&r=3Df7i-Uq4rMQU8-TBe45qVLg&m=3Ds0tUscpxPGJmaaUYK-uY8lYNHN1V=
xNIwPlhPqZIte0k&s=3DeE2UoskW-tXy-PzSEWf5UiGSP6nXwremTg9eUDMV3Ac&e=3D
>=3D20
>=3D20
> O yeah, one other thing -- just in case you meet one of those Vonnegut
>=
=3D
stal=3D3D
> kers at the welcome back cocktail party on campus:
>=3D20
>=3D20
> =3D
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.mcsweeneys.net_a=
rticles_what-2Dto-2Ddo-2Dwhen-2Dsomeone-2Dasks-2Dif-2Dyouve-2D-3D&d=3DDwIBA=
g&c=3DPk_HpaIpE_jAoEC9PLIWoQ&r=3Df7i-Uq4rMQU8-TBe45qVLg&m=3Ds0tUscpxPGJmaaU=
YK-uY8lYNHN1VxNIwPlhPqZIte0k&s=3D_rkMzW0yVjoSZo9k-Vq0ujVft4voqLrR2kD6FiMX2l=
M&e=3D
e=3D3D
> ver-read-vonnegut
>=3D20
>=3D20
> cheers, my friends!! The earth has yet again returned us to our =3D
favorite t=3D3D
> ime of year...
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
> Dr. Hal Bush
>=3D20
> Dept. of English
>=3D20
> Saint Louis University
>=3D20
> [log in to unmask]
>=3D20
> 314-977-3616
>=3D20
>
>https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__halbush.com&d=3DD
>wI=
BAg&c=3DPk_HpaIpE_jAoEC9PLIWoQ&r=3Df7i-Uq4rMQU8-TBe45qVLg&m=3Ds0tUscpxPGJma=
aUYK-uY8lYNHN1VxNIwPlhPqZIte0k&s=3DJ4F8tyqDtJk0M7ehsv3UdAgzuBFAJ9wba5dMqH7w=
KCo&e=3D
>=3D20
> author website: halbush.com
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