Forum 2019 Panelist Emily Gowen Featured in The New York Times
Congratulations to BU English PhD student and Forum 2019 panelist Emily Gowen, who was featured in an article in this week’s New York Times discussing the issue of teaching texts affected by #MeToo allegations against their authors:
Emily Gowen, a literature instructor at Boston University, asked her freshmen to read Mr. Díaz’s short story “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” alongside his essay in The New Yorker about being sexually assaulted as a child. Then she asked whether it was appropriate for her to assign his work in light of the accusations against him.
What ensued, she said, was an “unbelievably provocative discussion.”
“I wanted them to feel entitled to question the syllabus, which is this thing students take for granted as neutral even though it’s actually loaded,” Ms. Gowen said. “I wanted them to know that art is nuanced and complex, and in any artist’s life there is going to be something objectionable, but that’s not an excuse to close ourselves off from engaging with the art.”
Abi Hulick, a sophomore at Boston University, said the conversation served to remind her that the classroom is not a “vacuum” — it is an open environment, subject to all the forces of political and social change. But she also said she might not have wanted to financially support Mr. Díaz by buying his book, and was relieved when the teacher sent out a PDF.
Take a look at the full article here.