In the fall of 1994, David Caverly made the acquaintance of a virtual colleague, Nancy Patterson, at TriCity/Tricounty Technical College in South Carolina. Through them, Sheila Nicholson met Gwen Owens, a developmental reading instructor at the college and agreed to have a few of our students try out booktalking over e-mail. For a bunch of novices, we were fairly successful and our students loved talking to virtual peers about the books they were reading. We then put out a call over LRNASST for other developmental reading instructors to join us for the spring semester, 1995. Marsha Sinagra and her students at Nova Southeastern University joined our booktalk community that spring. As our students honed their e-mailing skills to the point that the technology became transparent, we observed some remarkable thinking, feeling and writing in their e-mail correspondence. We thought, "What a wonderful way to engage typically aliterate, passive readers and writers with good literature and receptive audiences."
These Texas State University students above are using e-mail to discuss James McBride's autobiographical book The Color of Water with students at both Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Asnuntuck Community Technical College in Enfield, CT. They are part of a booktalking project between the colleges that began in 1994. Excerpts of typical conversations among students who participated in a study of reader engagement follow:
9-NOV-1995 15:09:57.10
From: SWT: C_00000
To: G___
CC: SN06
Subj: Booktalk 1 - Gary Soto
G___, sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you on this
booktalk subject. ...
...Gary Soto's Living Up the Street is written in a way that the
audience is either going to appreciate or put the book right down.
Personally, I find it to be more conversational to the reader.
Depending on the age. It will be a plus if you are in your teens
and a mischievious MALE. Like you had mentioned in your letter
is was very sad how the children were running away from the person
who is suppose to love you most. Your own MOTHER....
...How scary it is to not only see your father in the hospital
at such a young age, but to see him living and breathing and then
the next day, all of a sudden he is dead. On page nine, it says
"I remember looking up but saying nothing, though I sensed
what had happened--father was dead. I did not feel sorrow not
did I cry." To a child a grown up is invincible you never
think anything bad will happen to your parents, but when a young
child experiences the love and support from a parent and then
within a blink of an eye they are gone. You are naturally going
to toughen up, act all feelingless, because of the remembrance
of that one incident that numbed you. The children as they progress
throughout the book one can see through their actions that they
have this wall around them that they use as their defense mechanism.
So they do not have to feel that fear of loss, so they barry it
so deep and blame it on the world. Well enough of my opinion.
Overall I find this book to be written in a manner that would
suit basically anyone because it is always interesting to see
how different cultures view the world, and by seeing it written
down in a way one could visualize the story helps you to emphasize
with the characters.
Well, I hope the rest of your week continues on great,....
C___
22-SEP-1995 13:01:34. 29
From: SWT: R_00000
To: M____, F____
Subj: Booktalk 2 - Maya's bookDear M____ and F____,
Once again it is such an excitement to talk to you over the e-mail
system and know that I finally got it right (hopefully). I thought
you'd like to know that a cold front just blew in and forced us
to actually wear a jacket tonight. It is disturbing, I know.
But I'm writing you so we can discuss the next seven chapters
in the book....
...The book was going great until I got to the part where Maya
and Mr. Freeman, (her mother's boyfriend) began to do those things
people just aren't suppose to do. Mr. Freeman raped little Maya
and told her that he would kill Bailey if she told. I don't mean
to use strong words but I really hated this part. Telling myself
that the faster I read the less I would remember but that didn't
help. My professor was right when she said that this part in the
book is disturbing, it was. Everyone including Bailey eventually
found out about what had happened and Mr. Freeman was killed by
Maya's mean uncles. This is just my opinion but I think that he
received what he should have. When things blew over Maya and Bailey
were sent back to Stamps to "momma." But I thought it
was sad, because the kids didn't know if they were sent back because
of something they did or not.
When the two returned to their real home in Stamps Bailey had
a field day by telling stories of the north. Some were read and
some well, maybe he wanted them to be real. Maya became quiet
and took a liking to Mrs. Flowers the most graceful woman in Stamps.
They begin to talk about books and about being a lady. This will
probably be one of Maya's big influences in her life, I don't
know I'm just taking a wild guess???
It's been a whole lota fun with you, M____ and F____, but now
I must go fight the wind outside. Talk to ya next time...
Thank you so much,
R_____
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