WILLIAM GADDIS Syllabus, English 241, Literature of Failure "—I know you, I know you. You're the only serious person in the room, aren't you, the only one who understands, and you can prove it by the fact that you've never finished a single thing in your life. You're the only well-educated person, because you never went to college, and you resent education, you resent social ease, you resent good manners, you resent success, you resent any kind of suc- cess, you resent God, you resent Christ, you resent thousand-dollar bills, you resent Christmas, by God, you resent happiness, you resent happiness itself, because none of that's real. What is real, then? Nothing's real to you that isn't part of your own past, real life, a swamp of failures, of social, sexual, financial, personal... spiritual failure." William Gaddis, The Recognitions William Gaddis taught at Bard College in 1979. His English 241 was called "Literature of Failure." Reproduced on the facing page is the class's reading list, with Gaddis's annotations. The list is reprinted courtesy ofthe Estate of William Gaddis and the Department of Special Collections at Olin Library, Washington University in St. Louis. 116 WILLIAM GADDIS
"I know you, I know you. You're the only serious person in the
room, aren'tyou, the only one who understands, and you can prove it
by the fact that you'venever finished a single thing in your life.
You're the only well-educated person,because you never went to
college, and you resent education, you resent socialease, you
resent good manners, you resent success, you resent any kind of
suc-cess, you resent God, you resent Christ, you resent
thousand-dollar bills, youresent Christmas, by God, you resent
happiness, you resent happiness itself,because none of that's real.
What is real, then? Nothing's real to you that isn'tpart of your
own past, real life, a swamp of failures, of social, sexual,
financial,personal... spiritual failure."
William Gaddis, The Recognitions
William Gaddis taught at Bard College in 1979. His English 241
was called"Literature of Failure." Reproduced on the facing page is
the class's reading list,with Gaddis's annotations. The list is
reprinted courtesy ofthe Estate of WilliamGaddis and the Department
of Special Collections at Olin Library, WashingtonUniversity in St.
Louis.
116 WILLIAM GADDIS
LITBHATOFE OF FAILDR READING LIST
Pra~Ecly, M i l s NOTKTha ' a l i f l t ' In Anerlca's Tain
systea
MM Waber, THE PROTSSTUiT ETHIC AD THE SPIPIT0? CAPIIALISM
Puritan and CalTlnlst teachings as a oralfoundation for the
Mrgence of eap l ta l l s
Edward Bellaay LOOKING BACKWARDLJlAt^ Ii9)t> Bat>y tapian
nTat ..-.,
I f - f
5 7
6 ^
7 -> 5
8 9
10 (0
11 11
12 I-
Oet 3 Upton S inc la ir , THE JTOIGLE .tThe clshtaare side of
the 'survlTal of the f i t t e s t ' '
Oct ld
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