Art and controversy

Art and controversy

Part 1: Name a piece of art or fiction that you appreciate, but that has controversial content. What makes the content controversial, in your eyes? 100 words

Part 2: What is the appropriate way to teach and discuss controversial material? How do you feel about Toni Morrison’s view of Mark Twain’s writing? Given the power of the language in Twain’s novel, at what age should children be encouraged to read Huck Finn?

Create a thread in which you give your opinions on these questions. There are no right or wrong answers here, but you need to address both parts. I’m just looking for a civil discussion. Keep in mind that the nature of this assignment means that you will encounter material that you may find offensive, so try to keep an open-mind. Similarly, don’t go out of your way to present offensive material. 100 words

Exercise 1

Choose an author, poet, film director, or musician (or band), and write a list of five “offenses” in the style of Twain’s criticism of Cooper. Use complete sentences, and give a short explanation of each offense.  Ordinarily, I don’t like to review things unless I like them. So, if I criticize someone’s work, it means I like them.  If I don’t like an artist, I usually don’t criticize them. I prefer to just let other people enjoy their thing. However, this assignment will stay between you and me, so you can be as savage as you want to be, but try to establish a consistent tone, even if it is humorous or snarky .

100 words