Question 2. Andrew Burton

Foster uses King Solomon’s quote, “There is nothing new under the sun,” to describe the art of writing literature. Everything is part of one big story. This is the story of life. There is nothing new. Everything has been said or written before. However, the difference is the perspective of the author and the characters they create. There may be hundreds of books written about the Nazi invasion and the torment of the Jews during World War II. However, each book is written from the experience of a different character, that is what makes them unique. The overall theme and the "story" may be the same, but the circumstances and experiences are different. Foster states, "there is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature" (24). Foster goes on to say that, "stories grow out of other stories" (28). As a person reads more literature, they will find connections to other books and characters. Foster says that these connections will enhance the reading experience and bring "multiple lays of meaning to the text" which "enriches the reading experience" (29). I thought it was very interesting how Foster tied many literary works back to Shakespeare or the Bible. He said that many of the same themes that are described in the Bible such as betrayal or denial can be read about in literature. This is something that I had never thought of. I think that the next book I read, I will look more for those connections, or as Foster said, "connect the dots" (42). I believe that will help me to become a better reader, and hopefully a better writer too.

Question 1. Andrew Burton

Reading literature is a "highly intellectual activity." When we are young, we are taught to read words and then read for enjoyment. At this level, we read for the affect or the emotion. Books can cause us to be happy, sad, mad, etc. Reading can elicit many different emotions. As we get older, we have more experience to draw upon. We have seen more things, read more books, and had more experiences. We are able to read on a higher level. We are no longer just reading the words, but delving into the meaning behind the words. There is a reason the author chose the words that he/she wrote. I believe that this is the "grammar of literature." As the reader, we must discover the meaning behind those words. For example, Foster uses the example of communion in the book. He says that sometimes a "meal is just a meal...more often than not, though, it's not" (7). When I first hear the word "communion", I visualize an action that is taken in church when people partake of the bread and the wine. However, Foster interprets communion as "whenever people ear or drink together" (8). Communion can be seen as a shared experience and also as a time of "sharing and peace" (8). It is important to not just create a visual picture of what the author is describing, but to also look for an underlying message or meaning. The young reader may read about communion, visualize a religious act and move on. The more intellectual reader will dig a little deeper, look for symbolism and more meaning in the characters and how they are interacting during this time of communion. This type of reading is much different from purely affective reading. Most people like to read for enjoyment. They find books to be an escape from "real life" and can find relaxation in kicking back with a good book. However, this is not how to "read like a professor." To "read like a professor", one must be able to assess words, characters, circumstances and look for deeper meaning. They must also rely on their on knowledge of books, characters, and experiences in their lives to draw meaning from what they are reading. When a person can "read like a professor", they will get much more out of the book they are reading. They will be able to learn from it, grow from it, and in some way it may change the way that they look at the world and the people around them.

Anderson, T. - Prompt 2

In his book, "How to Read Literature Like a Professor", Thomas C. Foster's main idea as that it is incredibly important to have a bank of knowledge and references built up of other works of literature. He supports this in many ways: by referencing the idea that every trip is a quest, the frequent allusions to works like Shakespeare and the Bible, and the recurring themes that show up in many novels. All of these ideas, and all his others that he mentions in the book, contribute to the same point: that searching for and recognizing commonalities among literature makes a better reader and allows you to gain more from the story. The reason for this? "There's no such thing as a wholly original work of literature" (24).  By writing this, he is saying all stories build upon and are enriched by each other, which means a well-read person gains more from whatever they're reading at that moment because they have more of the story, the complete, one story. By understanding this, one's reading experience can improve greatly as they start to read deeper and search harder for the connections between texts. Admittedly, I am not an extremely well-read person, and I tend to read affectively, meaning passively and only experiencing the emotions and thoughts that are brought up by the text, without interacting too intensely with the literature I am reading. As a result, I rarely notice connections between texts without them being pointed out to me, however, I often find myself drawing connections between characters. For example, I notice a host of similarities between Katniss, the protagonist in "The Hunger Games" and Tris, the main character in "Divergent".

Callihan, R. - Prompt 4

In his book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster emphasizes the importance of an imaginative relationship between the reader and writer. On the surface, it appears the writer is in control of the reading experience, manipulating the audience’s thoughts and reactions to the plot with different character traits and thematic elements; however, in reality, the reader, and the reader’s imagination, dictate the direction of the story and the general message behind the text. The symbiotic connection between an author and the audience is one of constant, mutualistic give and take that is crucial to the development of the piece and the reader’s interpretation of the overall meaning and storyline. A writer creates a basic outline with a basic structure and basic literary elements for the reader to fill with his/her unique thoughts and ideas that are original and untainted. Therefore, a reader’s distinct imagination, that is a result of individual life experiences and encounters, is critical to the evolution and success of an author’s novel or poem or song or literary guide. Reader’s use their imagination to envision the outcome and purpose of a piece of text, then use that prototype to learn and apply to everyday situations. The writing process is a combination of readers and writers and their imaginations and personal experiences. Authors provide readers with basic symbols and patterns to guide their journey that consists of “individual history” and a “mix of previous readings” that allows the audience to “emphasize various elements [of the story] to differing degrees” to create a distinct, unrepeatable storyline unique and meaningful only to that specific reader (Foster 110). Literature is open-ended, especially when it comes to the collaboration between the two most important features of a story: the reader and writer. The process allows readers to imagine and produce a personal message behind the text and provides those individuals with an opportunity to analyze their meaning and grow.

Callihan, R. - Prompt 2

Throughout his book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster draws on King Solomon’s early idea that, “There is nothing new under the sun” to develop his central claim that, “there’s no such thing as a wholly original work of literature” (24). Foster explains how all works of literature consist of the same basic elements and explore the concept of human life. More specifically, he discusses the similarities between characters, plot lines, settings and themes that appear in many stories of different genres, cross-culturally and throughout history. Pure originality within literature is nearly impossible because “all the stories have been told” and contemporary authors can only build on previous works to create a more interwoven story (Foster 195). Modern writers may employ a unique combination of characters and setting and symbols, but every story contains some elements of historical literature within the text because all “stories grow out of other stories” to create a constantly developing narrative for readers to analyze and immerse themselves in (Foster 28). Furthermore, the familiarity of literary repetition provides readers with a sense of comfort, once similar patterns and elements are recognized, that exemplifies the overall richness of the reading experience. This concept also allows readers to better understand different aspects within literature across different genres and time periods. As a reader encounters similar elements in different texts, they’ll be able to comprehend and relate to them more easily and their appreciation for the piece will increase. Personally, as I read different stories from different genres and time periods, my appreciation and understanding of literature, as a whole, increases as I have more insightful thoughts and interactions with the text. Moreover, artists and patrons have experienced a similar trend with artwork throughout history. Many thematic and symbolic elements within art, like religious figures, appear to convey different messages, but their origin remains the same, solidifying the concept of one big story.

Question 4, Olivia Miller

As time passes, lack of imagination can be a troubling occurrence in many people. I've felt that as I've aged I have lost some of my imagination and at a loss for originality in many aspects. I've had to turn to reading because it has always sparked my imagination and creativity, especially as a child who was at the peak of their imaginative mind. I used to always see possibility and opportunity for my creativity to flow, but now I find myself spending more time on thinking of creative ideas and using my imagination during my daily life. A writer’s creative intelligence motivates me to want to create things myself and be that creative influence for another. Readers become writers and pass along their creative intelligence to benefit another person. This suggests that the entirety of the reading and writing process has so many layers to it, such as enabling someone to imagine and use their creativity to its full potential, in hopes of influencing someone along the way. In order for the writer to make a connection with the reader, the writer must grasp the reader's attention and continuously keep them engaged in their writing. “Here's the good deal for you as a writer: You don't have to use the whole story. Sure, it has X, Y, and B, but not A, C, and Z. So what? We're not trying to re-crest the fairy tale here. Rather, we’re trying to make use of details or patterns, portions of some prior story...to add depth and texture to your story, to bring out a theme, to lend runout to a statement, to play with the readers’ deeply ingrained knowledge of fairy tales” (Foster 61 and 62). Foster comments on how fairy tales do not need an entire story and only parts that will sustain a reader’s attention. With this engagement, the writer is successful in making a solid foundation for creativity to flow and pass between readers and writers.

Question 2, Olivia Miller

Although King Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun," people continue to find inspiration within their surroundings and continue to write, and possibly eventually tell, new stories. Creators evolve their work, whether it's in the form of writing or removing the magnifying glass to see art as a whole and categories that lie within that form of expression. There may never be anything new under the sun, but King Solomon's belief does not prevent future generations from creating. Foster applies King Solomon's precept by saying, "writing and telling belong to one big story," due to his belief that every segment of the writing process and what comes after develops a connection among readers and writers alike. People use writing and other forms of art as a way to express themselves, make a connection and level of understanding that might not be possible to reach any other way. This connection and being able to explore another’s thoughts, emotions, and imagination adds to the richness of the reading experience because it's seeing a person in a new light. It makes strangers not seem so distant or unknown. If a person can relate to a writing it can make them feel a little less alone and realize there's someone that possesses similarities that would otherwise be unfounded without being a reader. I know people unable to verbally express themselves in the face of another person, and I have had to reach these people through their writing. I know someone who has trouble expressing their feelings, and in order to do so they have to type or handwrite it in a story-based style. Writing is one of the few ways that person is able to fully express themselves and it adds to my experience as a reader because I am able to not only read their perspective and emotions but also their other writings. Art in general, specifically studio art, is an escape for me and I’ve known many people where theatre was an escape for them. Many people put their heart and soul into art as a whole and it adds to the viewer’s experience because it gives them an outlet to another person they might otherwise never notice. “Auden’s poem, on the other hand, is a meditation on the private nature of suffering and the way in which the larger world takes no interest in our private disasters” (Foster 68). Foster’s mention of Auden’s poem can be linked to art as a whole because writing is focusing in on a person’s mind, but looking at art in general is every category and person within it grouped together; not fixated on one person but every form of expression and how it affects the outside world, including whether or not it may care.