[CASL-L] Classics Criteria?

[Donna Norige]

Sorry to disagree but I believe there is a definition of Classic.
This from Carson-Newman University.

*What does it mean to call something "classic"? At once, the term implies
age or antiquity, but the word also implies the material is somehow
valuable. It somehow shapes what comes in later time periods. When
traditional literary scholars refer to classical literature, they usually
mean that this literature is widely acknowledged as having outstanding or
enduring qualities. Often, Shakespeare's King Lear is considered a classic
of English literature and The Scarlet Letter in American literature.*

On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 4:18 PM, Debbie Abilock <dabilock at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Jarrad,
>
>
>
> As a summer reading assignment my school asked kids to identify and read a
> classic (no further information about how to define or find one).  It was
> by far the best summer reading we did – got everything from adult books now
> read by young adults to really old Newbury books.  The discussions were
> fabulous.  That said, Linda’s right – in fact, one definitions kids came up
> with was that a classic was just an older book that was still in print.
> Another, by a more jaded student, was that a classic is anything boring.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Debbie Abilock
>
> NoodleTools/NoodleTeach
>
>
>
> “When I start exploring some subject, I hardly know what I think…very
> messy…and very uncomfortable.  I don’t like all this confusion… While I am
> not an artist, I do feel bound to try, as far as I’m able, to produce a
> work of art as well as a piece of truth.” -- From *Eyes on the Street:
> The Life of Jane Jacobs* by Robert Kanigel; Knopf, 2016, p. 326.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* CASL-L [mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net] *On Behalf Of *Williams,
> Linda
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 15, 2017 5:41 AM
> *To:* 'Jarrad McGlamery' <jarradmcglamery at gmail.com>; casl-l at mylist.net
> *Subject:* Re: [CASL-L] Classics Criteria?
>
>
>
> There is no hard and fast definition of "classic." I've looked at many
> lists of "classics" over my years as a librarian, and they are not always
> the same books. And if you look it up you’ll find so many different
> definitions… it’s really not something you can pin down!
>
>
>
> In an interview on *Talk of the Nation*, Sonny Mehta, Knopf editor says:
>
> "Well, there are probably as many definitions about what makes a classic I
> think as classics. Actually, I think it was Mark Twain who described it as
> a book, which people praise and don't read.
>
> But the one I feel closest to is Clifton Fadiman's. And he said when you
> read a classic you do not see more in the book than you did before, you see
> more in you than there was before.|
>
>
>
> Here's a link to that discussion that you can read or listen to:
>
>    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6519562
>
>
>
> There's another article at The Guardian:
>
>    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/20/enduring-love
>
> "So what makes a classic? It can't just be that it's old. A classic must
> have something else, something that has either caused it to endure or has,
> in the case of modern classics, inspired the faith that it will do so. And
> while parts of any book may date, there must be something about a true
> classic that remains relevant to children and adults alike across the
> generations..." (read the rest online!)
>
>
>
> And there's this article in The Atlantic, *Italo Calvino's 14 Definitions
> of What Makes a Classic* by Maria Popova (of Brain Pickings):
>
>    https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/07/
> italo-calvinos-14-definitions-of-what-makes-a-classic/259529/
>
>
>
> There’s lots more out there – so good luck settling on something you can
> hang on to!
>
>
>
> Linda
>
>
>
>
>
> [image: CT_State_Library_Logo-02.png]
>
>
>
> Linda Williams | Children's Services Consultant, Division of Library
> Development | Linda.Williams at ct.gov | *Office*: (860) 704-2207
>
> libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/children | 786 S. Main St., Middletown,
> CT 06457 | Phone: (860) 704-2200 | Fax : (860) 704-2228
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CASL-L [mailto:casl-l-bounces+linda.williams=ct.gov at mylist.net
> <casl-l-bounces+linda.williams=ct.gov at mylist.net>] On Behalf Of Jarrad
> McGlamery
> Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 6:58 PM
> To: casl-l at mylist.net
> Subject: [CASL-L] Classics Criteria?
>
>
>
> Hello!
>
>
>
> I am currently completing field work in a middle school library in which I
> am genrefying the fiction collection. I have a general understanding but I
> am curious if anyone has specific criteria on what makes a Classic? Does
> anybody know who, specifically, determines which books are considered
> classics? Also, are Classics only those that are previously labeled by the
> publisher as such, or do any of you decide a title is a classic on your
> own? And lastly, do you find that students are ever drawn to reading
> Classics on their own?
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jarrad
>
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