Whatshisorherface

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

Students in the English Department at the University of Pennsylvania took down a portrait of Shakespeare and replaced it with a portrait of that other one.  You know, that author whose works have passed-the-test-of-time, delighted billions around the globe.  What’s the name again? 

 Help me out here, it’s that famous writer.  The one you’ve heard of, whose books you read in school, everybody read them.  Dang, it’s on the tip of my tongue: Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Twain, Hemmingway . . . aw, I can’t believe this, how could I forget? 

 Look, it’s the English Department.  They put up portraits of the greatest writers of all time just like the mural outside Barnes and Noble.  They’re the most influential, most enduring, the authors whose literature is literally timeless.  I can’t believe I’m blanking on this one.

 Shelley, Proust, Solzhenitsyn, Homer?  Agggh.  You know, the greatest writer of all time, obviously, since the writings are deemed worthy to replace Shakespeare.  Practically the foundation of the entire canon of literature in western civilization.  Way more well-known than that famous black professor who every cop knows on sight.

 This is so embarrassing.  It’ll come to me.

 Joe Doakes

Got me.

7 thoughts on “Whatshisorherface

  1. talk about hitting the trifecta, black, a woman, and lesbian. Wrote some deathless poetry about civil rights and 2nd wave feminism.

  2. The comments in….I think it may be the Univ of Penn newspaper were very good. People trying to explain whey Shakespeare is important to the English language, literature and readings. Also gave some examples (or links to examples) of this lady’s writing. There are a lot of smart knowlegable people out there. Most are not in college.

  3. gl wisler:
    DG is currently endeavoring to fully understand Philippians 4:5
    “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. “

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