Approaches to Teaching the Arthurian Tradition edited by Maureen Fries and Jeanie Watson (review)

Abstract

8oArthuriana legend and contemporaryculture. This is, indeed, what MaryAlice Grellner attempts in her essay, Arthuriana and Popular Culture,' which outlines a senior seminar in general studies entitled King Arthur Today. The problem here is that Grellner never defines what she means by 'popular culture,' and she does not appear to be operating by the commonly accepted definition ofthat term, discussing, as she does, such works asJohn Cowper Powys's Glastonbury Romance, and Charles Williams's War in Heaven. Twentieth century, yes; popular, no. As noted above, her analysis is primarily generic, althoughshe doesobserve thatArthurian material reflects 'today's interests in . . . magic and the occult, and in the empowerment ofwomen (161). She might have observed that Marion Zimmer Bradley (and other women authors) have appropriated the work ofthe Cambridge School ofAnthropology (by way of The Golden Bough and Graves's White Goddess), and in applyingsuch studies to theArthurian legend, have recast it in a feminist-occultmoldwithconsiderablepopular appeal. She also might have examined the relationship ofArthuriana and popularpolitical culture, ranging from the Kennedy administration's self-analogywith Camelot to the use ofMaloryasgloss on theVietnam War. My point here is simply that ifwe are going to teach popular Arthurian works, let us not teach them merely because they are 'accessible' (undemanding?). Rather let us teach them in such a way that they really do comment on central cultural concerns. In sum, while I would have had Approaches to Teaching the Arthurian Tradition provide more up-to-date bibliographic guidance, more incorporation of current theoretical approaches into coursework, and more discernment in its treatment of twentieth century literature, nonetheless much ofwhat I found here will be ofvalue to the broad audience ofinstructors which this volume addresses. Teachers ofArthurian literature will likely not regret giving it a place on their shelves. Miriam Youngerman Miller University ofNew Orleans MAUREEN FRIES ANDJeanie WATSON, eds., Approaches to TeachingtheArthurian Tradition. Approaches to Teaching World Literature, 40. New York: The Modern Language Association ofAmerica, 1992. Paper. Pp. xi,195. ISBN: 0-87352-702-X. $19.75. IT IS a restimony to the usefulness of this latest entry in the MLAs Approaches to Teaching WorU. Literature series that in the course ofwriting this review, I created or revised syllabi for three courses, at the introductory, upper undergraduate, and graduate levels. I can say at the outset, then, that the book is an important resource for any teachers ofArthurian material. In the review which follows I will consider its usefulness primarily from the point ofview ofthe teacher ofgraduate studies. The book is not directed specifically at graduate instructors, but rather primarily at those teaching at the undergraduate level (3).The most obvious sources forgraduate instructors would appear to be two essays in the 'Approaches' section, 'Arthur the Great Equalizer: Teaching a Course for Graduate and Undergraduate Students,' by Reviews8i Sally K. Slocum, and 'Malory and the Middle English Romance,' by George R. Keiser. I will return to these two essays later, but there are in fact many other parts ofthe work which are ofinterest to graduate instructors. The book is divided into 'Materials' and 'Approaches' sections. The 'Materials' section highlights a problem which is particularly acute for the graduate instructor, that is, the availability oftexts. The respondents are almost unanimous in their laments on this score. One respondent puts the matter succinctly when he remarks, '"Without Penguin we'd be dead'"(4). The availability in inexpensive Penguin editions of many of the seminal (medieval) Arthurian texts has rescued many a distracted instructor, but Penguins are less useful to the graduate instructor, at least in courses where it is important to have original language texts in the most important critical editions. Nevertheless, a teacher with a course on, for example, Malory, may well want to supplement the core text with background material in translation, and the works listed in the 'Texts' section can be of help here. There are however a few troubling notes. I cannot comment on the texts and editions listed in the 'Modern' - section although, like Miriam Miller, I would like to see some kind ofhint for sorting out a list which puts TH. White, Mary Stewart, Thomas Berger, Walker Percy, Bernard Malamud, Andre Norton and so on together — but...