What is a Personal Canon?
FIRST there was the Literary Canon -- a term used widely to refer to a group of literary works that are considered the most important of a particular time period or place. The list is sometimes referred to as the Great Books collection.
THEN Italo Calvino, Italian writer and literary critic, proposed the idea that readers can develop a "personal classic," a book/author to which you cannot feel indifferent, one that helps you to define yourself in relation to it, or even in dispute with it.
NOW I am entertaining the notion of creating a Personal Canon -- a collective list of literary works that are considered significant for the effect they have had on individual readers. I'm inviting you to share those works on the Great Minds Personal Canon Wiki.
See directions below.
THEN Italo Calvino, Italian writer and literary critic, proposed the idea that readers can develop a "personal classic," a book/author to which you cannot feel indifferent, one that helps you to define yourself in relation to it, or even in dispute with it.
NOW I am entertaining the notion of creating a Personal Canon -- a collective list of literary works that are considered significant for the effect they have had on individual readers. I'm inviting you to share those works on the Great Minds Personal Canon Wiki.
See directions below.
Here's How It Works
1. Think about which novels, short stories or authors; poems or poets; plays or playwrights; and even nonfiction texts, philosphers, or documents that have influenced you. Which pieces has changed your life? Inspired, motivated, or grounded you? Has shaped you or opposed your sensibilities in some way?
2. Gather your ideas in a word document.
3. Then go to the Great Minds Personal Canon Wiki and post those ideas for sharing. Directions on how to post and rules for posting will be displayed at the site.
4. Lastly, invite one other person to join the conversation. Send them the link to this page or directly to the Great Minds Personal Canon Wiki.
COLLECTIVELY we will create an interesting, NEW literary canon -- the Personal Canon of Great Minds.
2. Gather your ideas in a word document.
3. Then go to the Great Minds Personal Canon Wiki and post those ideas for sharing. Directions on how to post and rules for posting will be displayed at the site.
4. Lastly, invite one other person to join the conversation. Send them the link to this page or directly to the Great Minds Personal Canon Wiki.
COLLECTIVELY we will create an interesting, NEW literary canon -- the Personal Canon of Great Minds.
IMAGE SOURCES
B/W reader with books: http://www.magma.ca/~urbship/books.gif
Little girl reading: http://blog.roseflash.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/reading.jpg
Word cloud: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4BFVqTjin0/TWCAyuBK_UI/AAAAAAAAARI/Vz6EglNpNTo/s1600/WordCloud2.19.11.jpg
B/W reader with books: http://www.magma.ca/~urbship/books.gif
Little girl reading: http://blog.roseflash.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/reading.jpg
Word cloud: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4BFVqTjin0/TWCAyuBK_UI/AAAAAAAAARI/Vz6EglNpNTo/s1600/WordCloud2.19.11.jpg