The Chronicle: Colloquy: Responses

I developed a life-long love of reading great literature in college. This was because of the quality teaching that kept me constantly enrolling in successive "Great Books" courses year after year to learn more. Yet at the same time, I dropped my Humanities major in favor of International Relations. Reading the classics, or plain reading for that matter has to be instilled by parents and teachers as a pleasure; a welcome escape from our hum-drum lives. Parents and teachers have to help their kids understand the passion one should have for reading literature. As for creative writing... I think of it as acting. Those with the super-drive to be an actor must study acting and feel there is no choice in the matter. But not everyone will be a famous actor and not everyone will be a well-known or even published author. A creative writing class or major should definitely help instill the realities of the writing life for students. If a student can blend literature with writing classes, knowing that reading and writing skills will benefit them whatever they choose to do -- that is the best balance an undergraduate could ever hope for. And those are two things that are rewarding throughout life... even when your daily bill-paying job isn't signing copies of your novel!

: -- Amy E. Bennett, Freelance Writer, Fox News (posted 4/4, 10:25 a.m., U.S. Eastern time)

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