Tayari's Blog: That Crazy Lady is Me
Posted by TayariJones on April 24, 2008 03:41 PM
Filed under
Bookshelf
There are moments as we get older that we realize that we have become 
an archetype. I have more than one friend who has realised that is a crazy cat lady. Way too many of us have turned into our mothers. Today, in my undergraduate class, I was shocked to discover that I was that overly-passionate English teacher.
We were reading "Never Marry A Mexican" by Sandra Cisneros. (It's anthologized everywhere, but can be found in Woman Hollering Creek.) What a fantastic story. I had forgotten how brilliant it is. It's easy to sleep on Cisneros. House On Mango Street was so over-exposed and more than one slacker student has tried to use it as an excuse not to learn how to write a fully fleshed out story. But "Never Marry A Mexican." Pure literary gold. Just mind blowing.
It was supposed to be a group discussion, with me gently leading the way, but I couldn't help reading whole pages aloud. I got so worked up, I had to take off my school-marm cardigan. "Can you feel her phrasing? Listen to those verbs! Do you get the double meaning there! Gorgeous. Just gorgeous." I knew I had crossed a line when I closed the book and clutched it to my sweaty little chest and shut my eyes in bliss. When I opened them, students looked at me, and then at each other with little smirks and then just looked a little embarrassed.
I felt old. I also felt alive and jazzed about writing, about life, about the book I am working on. About teaching. About everything.
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There are 4 comments on "That Crazy Lady is Me". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by ast ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
What a great post Tayari! Timely for me, b/c House on Mango Street has been recommended to me for years and I'm just reading it now. Have Woman Hollering Creek in the back of my mind. I'm even more excited about reading it now that I hear your response. Especially funny: "I knew I had crossed a line when I closed the book and clutched it to my sweaty little chest..." LOL.
April 24, 2008 08:50 PM
Comment #2, by Tara Betts
You know students act so non-plussed until they just find themselves hanging around. Yes, the writing is good and you should be excited. They'll catch up.
April 24, 2008 09:48 PM
Comment #3, by Honoree
OMG, I thought it was just me. The same thing happened last week when I taught Their Eyes Were Watching God! I started reciting passages from memory and then I caught the students exchanging those same amused glances that yours did:-) I felt so old, but so alive, too...
April 24, 2008 10:51 PM
Comment #4, by Ladylee
*silence*
Yes, I would've been staring at you, too.
And thinking... Gee, I gotta read that story again. LOL.
And now I scurry off to the bookstore to find this book!
April 25, 2008 05:17 AM