Which contemporary authors will be studied in school in the future?

[samsmart]

When Edgar Allan Poe, John Donne, Walt Whitman, Jane Austen, Mark Twain began their literary careers, I don't think they expected to have their works read and studied in school. Thinking about that, I was wondering which contemporary authors do you think will have their works included in school literature textbooks?

 

[1069]

Margaret Atwood. Maybe Chuck Palahniuk. Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver maybe, Alice Walker. Possibly Dorothy Allison. Anthony Burgess, Harlan Ellison, Cormac McCarthy, Paul Theroux.

I haven't been to college, but I imagine some of these authors are already studied.
Don't they have contemporary literature classes? Others might be read for feminist studies or African-American studies or Asian studies or whatever. I don't even know what kinds of classes they have in college, but I'm sure they have all sorts of stuff like that.

 

[samsmart]

Margaret Atwood. Maybe Chuck Palahniuk. Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver maybe, Alice Walker. Possibly Dorothy Allison. Anthony Burgess, Harlan Ellison, Cormac McCarthy, Paul Theroux.

I haven't been to college, but I imagine some of these authors are already studied.
Don't they have contemporary literature classes? Others might be read for feminist studies or African-American studies or Asian studies or whatever. I don't even know what kinds of classes they have in college, but I'm sure they have all sorts of stuff like that.

I do believe they study contemporary writers in college, but I meant for like elementary and high school students. I guess another way to say it is which contemporary authors and their works do you think will be required reading in elementary and high schools, and why?

 

[Guy Incognito]

I don't think future generations will study the novels of today the way they study Mark Twain or Walt Whitman. As a medium the novel is largely irrelevant. I think the scholars of the future will be much more interested in the movies and television shows of our era, which are of much greater literary and artistic value than "Choke" or "Kite Runner." You'll be much more likely to see graduate dissertation of the future written on Steven Spielberg than Amy Tan. [Edit: And the same goes for high school students of the future too. In future generations there will probably be book reports written on the themes of E.T. or The Godfather.]

 

[samsmart]

I don't think future generations will study the novels of today the way they study Mark Twain or Walt Whitman. As a medium the novel is largely irrelevant. I think the scholars of the future will be much more interested in the movies and television shows of our era, which are of much greater literary and artistic value than "Choke" or "Kite Runner." You'll be much more likely to see graduate dissertation of the future written on Steven Spielberg than Amy Tan. [Edit: And the same goes for high school students of the future too. In future generations there will probably be book reports written on the themes of E.T. or The Godfather.]

But Steven Spielberg is a director of films, not the writer of the screenplays nor the author on which films are based upon. And considering how successful movies are based on successful novels, which are cheaper to produce and publish than movies, I don't think authors will be dismissed so easily.

 

[ecofarm]

John Irving. Contemporary and I first read him in highschool 20 years ago.

In order of recommendation:

A Widow for One Year (I like older women)
A Prayer for Owen Meany (Ego, and far superior to The Sun Also Rises)
Setting Free the Bears (Fun)
The 158-Pound Marriage (Real)
The Hotel New Hampshire (Bizarre, 'keep passing the open windows')
The World According to Garp (the only one that I saw the movie first)

I have not read the latest three, perhaps when I'm in Africa.

I tried and did not like or finish 'The Water Method Man' and 'The Cider House Rules', stopping around page 100 for each a couple times.


Do Hemingway and Vonnegut count as contemp? I went to a few hour lecture by Vonnegut. I could go on about them.

Perhaps Pasternak, Lee or Heller? I'm showing my age, aren't I. I suppose all of these are already studied in school and have been for 20 years, but they are in the 2nd-half of the 20th century. Does contemporary mean 'lived in our lifetime' or 'currently writing'?

 

[1069]

John Irving. Contemporary and I first read him in highschool 20 years ago.

In order of recommendation:

A Widow for One Year (I like older women)
A Prayer for Owen Meany (Ego, and far superior to The Sun Also Rises)
Setting Free the Bears (Fun)
The 158-Pound Marriage (Real)
The Hotel New Hampshire (Bizarre, 'keep passing the open windows')
The World According to Garp (the only one that I saw the movie first)

Definitely.
Don't know how I managed to leave him out.
My order of recommendation would differ slightly, though:

1. Garp
2. Owen Meaney
3. Cider House Rules

As far as Widow for One Year, I only really like the first section of it; I think it becomes unnecessarily convoluted beyond that.
I really liked the little movie they made, out of the first part, called "Door in the Floor".
I think he should've just left it at that. It's all the story that needs to be told.
He tells too much.
He did the same crap in "Garp" at the end, continuing to tell what happened to each and every character until they got old and died of cancer or whatever.
Nobody cares; we assume the characters will, at some point, grow old and die.
Learn when to end a good story, you know?
He's not too good at ending things on a strong note.

 

[1069]

I do believe they study contemporary writers in college, but I meant for like elementary and high school students. I guess another way to say it is which contemporary authors and their works do you think will be required reading in elementary and high schools, and why?

It would be difficult, unless society changes in the future, to study very many contemporary authors before college.
Most novels these days contain profanity and many contain graphic sexual content.
Today's elementary and high schools would never allow it, let alone require it.

 

[spud_meister]

JK Rowling

 

[samsmart]

John Irving. Contemporary and I first read him in highschool 20 years ago.

In order of recommendation:

A Widow for One Year (I like older women)
A Prayer for Owen Meany (Ego, and far superior to The Sun Also Rises)
Setting Free the Bears (Fun)
The 158-Pound Marriage (Real)
The Hotel New Hampshire (Bizarre, 'keep passing the open windows')
The World According to Garp (the only one that I saw the movie first)

I have not read the latest three, perhaps when I'm in Africa.

I tried and did not like or finish 'The Water Method Man' and 'The Cider House Rules', stopping around page 100 for each a couple times.


Do Hemingway and Vonnegut count as contemp? I went to a few hour lecture by Vonnegut. I could go on about them.

Perhaps Pasternak, Lee or Heller? I'm showing my age, aren't I. I suppose all of these are already studied in school and have been for 20 years, but they are in the 2nd-half of the 20th century. Does contemporary mean 'lived in our lifetime' or 'currently writing'?

By "contemporary" I mean "lived in our lifetime."

 

[ecofarm]

Grisham (A Time to Kill) and Clancy?

 

[Hoplite]

Chomsky, almost assuredly. His work is pivotal today and I think will become increasingly so after he dies and into the future.

 

[ecofarm]

Fine then, you wanna be like that?


Ayn Rand. Her work is pivotal today and I think will become increasingly so into the future.



How do ya like me now?

 

[samsmart]

Fine then, you wanna be like that?


Ayn Rand. Her work is pivotal today and I think will become increasingly so into the future.


How do ya like me now?

Not very much. :tongue4:

 

[winston53660]

Anton Levey

 

[Hoplite]

Fine then, you wanna be like that?


Ayn Rand. Her work is pivotal today and I think will become increasingly so into the future.



How do ya like me now?

Rand isnt exactly contemporary and I dont see that her ideas have been terribly influential even following her death. Im not saying they're invalid, just they dont seem to have made as big a splash as have other authors on her subject.

 

[Goshin]

Robert Anson Heinlein, Cormac MacCarthy, Steven King. The latter more because of quantity than quality.

Arthur C. Ego uh I mean Clarke.

Tom Clancy is a possible, it would give students of the future some insight into political and military situation of current history.

 

[winston53660]

Rand isnt exactly contemporary and I dont see that her ideas have been terribly influential even following her death. Im not saying they're invalid, just they dont seem to have made as big a splash as have other authors on her subject.

She has an almost like cult following

 

[samsmart]

Robert Anson Heinlein, Cormac MacCarthy, Steven King. The latter more because of quantity than quality.

Arthur C. Ego uh I mean Clarke.

Tom Clancy is a possible, it would give students of the future some insight into political and military situation of current history.

Yeah, I agree with Steven King. He's been a successful and prolific popular writer whose works range from novels, series, short stories, television, and film. I think we'll be remembering him for a long time to come.

While not on the same level as King but definitely in the same league I would put Michael Crichton. He's been pretty successful himself and his works ranged from novels to films as well.

 

[Hoplite]

She has an almost like cult following

So did Koresh. Simply because a work s popular among a small group at a certain time doesnt guarantee it's continued endurance.

 

[winston53660]

So did Koresh. Simply because a work s popular among a small group at a certain time doesnt guarantee it's continued endurance.

Koresh should be studied as well like Hitler is.

 

[ecofarm]

Rand isnt exactly contemporary and I dont see that her ideas have been terribly influential even following her death. Im not saying they're invalid, just they dont seem to have made as big a splash as have other authors on her subject.

She lived in my lifetime.

Ayn Rand is way more popular and influencial than Chomsky. Her books are already in public highschools (Anthem and Atlas, at least) - Chomsky is not and never will be. He will remain a footnote in political classes, not required reading in literature or science.


Adding to the list...

Rachel Carson, but her skills as a scientist and leader far exceed her skills in writing.
Sylvia Earle "Sea Change", if we discard the last chapter of personal reflection.
Carolyn Merchant "Radical Ecology" or other works.

Vandana Shiva

 

[Hoplite]

She lived in my lifetime.

Ayn Rand is way more popular and influencial than Chomsky. Her books are already in public highschools (Anthem and Atlas, at least) - Chomsky is not and never will be. He will remain a footnote in political classes, not required reading in literature or science.

I strongly disagree. Chomsky is extremely popular at the college level and he's virtually required reading for any political science major. He may not extend down to high school, but that doesnt mean he's any less widely read.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

I don't think future generations will study the novels of today the way they study Mark Twain or Walt Whitman. As a medium the novel is largely irrelevant. I think the scholars of the future will be much more interested in the movies and television shows of our era, which are of much greater literary and artistic value than "Choke" or "Kite Runner." You'll be much more likely to see graduate dissertation of the future written on Steven Spielberg than Amy Tan. [Edit: And the same goes for high school students of the future too. In future generations there will probably be book reports written on the themes of E.T. or The Godfather.]

I agree completely!

We are becoming more and more of a tech-based society. Movies, tv shows, blogs and forums - this is where our new focus will be.

 

[ecofarm]

I strongly disagree. Chomsky is extremely popular at the college level and he's virtually required reading for any political science major. He may not extend down to high school, but that doesnt mean he's any less widely read.

It means precisely that he is less widely read. And saying he is exremely popular is a matter of personal experience. Good luck finding one of his works in the business or engineering school (or any department besides Liberal Studies).

He might be brilliant, but he is largely a hack - an ideological orc. A Che that takes tea.