Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Poltergeist in the Rye

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters just came out. There's a part of me, the ninety year old literature professor, that is appropriately horrified, but there's the other part too- the kid that would rather read about a tanar'ri named Ertu from the Abyss than the whims of pampered aristocrats-he's appropriately horrified also... and loving it. I tried reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and while it was amusing, I couldn't suspend my disbelief long enough to enjoy it in any way other than in an "isn't this quirky-and-kind-of-hip" self consciousness that wasn't too much fun. In the end I could have probably ordered an ice tray with space invaders shaped inserts from hipstergifts.com, spent less money, and got the same (if not more) satisfaction while drinking Kool Aide... rather than subjecting myself (again) to 200+ pages of British dialogue.

Yet... I was thinking what would Holden do if, while in New York, a zombie outbreak occurred? I mean, he's one step away from suicidal-maybe he'd want to join them? Or, maybe he'd get satisfaction from the way they resumed the mundane tasks of their mundane lives. It might be kind of interesting. I don't know how you'd use it in the classroom, or even IF you could. Or maybe, instead of zombies you could use werewolves. Like a werewolves of London kind of thing in New York city. I'm not a very big fan of werewolves, or vampires to tell you the truth, but maybe you could use ghosts. Holden is haunted, figuratively, why not propose a prompt in which Holden is haunted literally? C'mon, even Shakespeare used ghosts. Plus ghosts aren't really that hip right now. Nor ever. I think Casper ruined that possibility... and that movie with Patrick Swayze, God rest his soul, so you don't have to feel like a sell-out.

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