Comparison/contrast: didn't just make my day, made my semester...

So, the young woman who has been attending my "salon" now comes on Thursdays instead of Mondays (because of a change in her work schedule); I didn't know to expect her, but she showed up--and we talked through my seminar hour and all the way through my office hour as well. She started off the meeting by saying that she absolutely loves Left Hand. Loves it.

She wasn't kidding; she couldn't get enough talking about it: specific passages, turns of phrase... Not only that, but she's getting everything she needs to get and then some when it comes to the important understandings (she even picked up on the shadow motif, and we're only up to chapter 3). We had a blast talking--just generally nattering about whatever--but a lot of it was about Le Guin's writing and my work on her writing. I mentioned my dissertation and hauled it off the shelf to show her--and she actually started reading it (impressed by the fact that I used footnotes, among other things). She wanted to take it with her; I might let her, if she promises faithfully to return it. I doubt she'd read much, if any of it, but if she wants to give it a whirl, why not? As long as it doesn't disappear.

Class was wonderful, too. First, they started putting the desks in a circle--and I had to say, no, not today, as I needed to put things on the board. I showed them some of the online materials I created over the sabbatical (paying particular attention to the images of "Gethenian" faces--actually Inuit, Peruvian, Chilean, Tibetan), and then we just went through and talked about what's going on in the first three chapters. One of the shakier students actually had great questions about chapter 2; I was glad to have him ask--not just because the answers were informative but also because it indicates that he's reading and working to understand. Excellent. And the brighter students were, well, bright. Some confusions, some questions--already getting into some of the philosophical questions (when does a conflict become a war? What makes something a war? What happens when we can only see people through the lens of gender?). I am not only happy, I'm deeply relieved. Oh, thank God, they're not going to disappoint me--or not yet anyway. And they're getting such a good start on things that I don't think they will, though I know there will be some places where we have to do some real work to get to the meat of what we need.

I didn't get much else done today; I got in late, got a little work done (enough that I could return assignments to students), and then the Budding Bluestocking showed up ... and then I taught class. Now, I'm about to take off (physical therapy appointment), but ... what a lovely way to end the week. If I could have classes like this reliably, I could teach a long, long, long time without burning out.