Spring 2009 - Issue 5

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Book Primer: Dr. Cheryl Edelson

Kiele Reyes, Staff Writer

Dr. Cheryl Edelson is an English professor and has been chosen for this month’s Book Primer. I’ve had the pleasure to be a student of hers for both English 101 and 102. In these two classes, I’ve read some really interesting books and short stories and figured her personal favorites would be equally, if not more, interesting. We should all broaden our horizons and pick up a book. Let’s follow in the footsteps of the Book Primer professors.

“Man’s Search for Meaning”by Victor Frankl
 “I first read Frankl’s book as an undergraduate college student — a time when I, like many undergraduates, was searching for my own answers to life’s questions. Frankl describes his experiences as a captive in Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp. The ways that he makes sense of his incomprehensibly horrific experiences can teach us all about finding meaning in life’s smallest moments, in the most dire situations.”

“The Quaker City, or, The Monks of Monk Hall” by George Lippard
“George Lippard was a friend and contemporary of Edgar Allan Poe. His Gothic novel ‘The Quaker City,’ while encountering every Gothic convention from secret passageways to incest, to corrupt religious and political figures, critiques a 19th century American culture that elides and oppresses the working class. This novel is salacious, delicious, and outrageous. It’s a delight to read. He was a socialist thinker and labor activist, long before these ideas were in vogue.”

“Beloved”by Toni Morrison
 “Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ treats the hideous chapter of American history that is slavery through the story of one family who survives in spite of forces, both internal and external, working to destroy them. This is a haunting novel in every sense of the word.”

“McTeague”Frank Norris
“Frank Norris is one of my favorite Naturalist writers. McTeague is a San Francisco dentist who, through a series of “unfortunate events,” finds himself destitute. His greed and desire to satiate his wife join with powerful social forces to corrupt and destroy him. McTeague was adapted by Erich Von Stroheim for the 1924 silent film ‘Greed.’ I plan to teach the novel and film in my Fall 2010 Film and Literature course.”

“Almanac of the Dead” by Leslie Marmon Silko
“Leslie Marmon Silko weaves together a number of characters and events, spanning centuries of American history in her 1991 novel. Her nonlinear narrative challenges the reader to keep track of the plot, while offering many rewards for the effort. One of my areas of research is Indigenous American literatures, and Silko is certainly one of the most important Native American novelists of our time. Almanac of the Dead also combines stark realism and mythology to tell a, dare I say, epic tale.”