jlr
Apr 17, 2007, 3:38 PM
Post #3218 of 6267
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Thanks, Jaywalke for the update from Blacksburg, and thanks, too, to Piratelizzy for linking to the NYT Op-Ed piece.
It's an incredibly sad day for Blacksburg, for academia, and for writers--it seems that the shooter was, among other things, a frustrated writer whose plays were filled with sexual violence and revenge killing.
As we all prepare for our various MFA programs and embark on a career that, for many, will involve teaching writing, this tragedy is a reminder that our future posts will involve more than helping writers show, not tell. We will be not only writers, but also educators responsible for defending freedom of expression and for fostering a safe and open learning environment.
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From ABC News:
Carolyn Rude, chairwoman of Virginia Tech's English department, is quoted as saying a colleague, Lucinda Roy, described Cho as "troubled." According to a report from the Associated Press, Roy was concerned enough about what Cho wrote in an assignment last year that she recommended he seek counseling.
TheSmokingGun.com has posted the text of a play, purported to be by Cho, which describes a 13-year-old boy who accuses his stepfather of pedophelia, and ends with the boy's death. In the play, titled "Richard McBeef," the boy talks of killing his stepfather.
"There was some concern about him," Rude said. "Sometimes, in creative writing, people reveal things and you never know if it's creative or if they're describing things, if they're imagining things or just how real it might be. But we're all alert to not ignore things like this."
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Have any recent developments dug up concerns you all face about a future in teaching?
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