Crash Course Lecture Notes: How to Read and Why

Introduction

• Host: John Green
• Theme of the session: Importance of reading and storytelling

Reading and Writing as Civilization Markers

• Writing and reading are markers of civilization, but this idea is problematic.
• Oral traditions hold great stories (e.g., Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men, The Odyssey).
• Privilege of reading and writing:
  • Allows distant communication.
  • Connects us to voices of the past.

Stories as Communication

• Stories are fundamentally about communication.
• Purpose of grammar:
  • Not to complicate learning.
  • Essential for conveying experiences (flying, jumping, etc.).
• Good writing is an extension of the urge to communicate.
• Reading is always an act of empathy and imagination.

Authorial Intent vs. Reader's Experience

• Discussion of authorial intent:
  • Unimportant for the reader’s experience.
  • The value of a book lies in its impact on the reader, regardless of authorial intention.
• Reading is a conversation between author and reader, but readers can 'create worlds'.

Challenges in Communication

• Difficulty of getting others to feel your emotions (e.g., a breakup).
• Use of hyperbole and metaphor to express feelings can lead to misunderstanding.
• Challenge for authors: Communicating complex feelings through text without intonation or body language.

Reading Critically

• Importance of critical reading:
  1. Understand lives other than your own.
  2. Develop empathy.
  3. Gain linguistic tools for personal expression.
  4. Help explain complex ideas (e.g., corporate strategies or personal experiences).
• Example: Symbolism in The Great Gatsby connects shared human experiences (yearning, ambition).

Upcoming Readings

• Texts to be covered:
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Poetry by Emily Dickinson
  • The Catcher in the Rye
• Next lecture will focus on Romeo and Juliet.

Conclusion

• Course production and credits.
• Encouragement to engage with the readings before next discussion.
• Final note: "Don't forget to be awesome."