Interesting post on Neil Whitfield's blog, Old teachers never die, on Sam Goldberg, Challis Professor of English at Sydney University. The post has links to other posts Neil has written about Professor Goldberg.
An inspiring teacher, Professor Goldberg was part of the Leavisite wave. Whereas this group established a strong base at Melbourne University, Sydney proved more resistant. Neil's post provides an insight into the story.
2 comments:
On the modern history of the English school at SU, Andrew Reimer's "Sandstone Gothic" is a valuable insight into the way things went over a couple of decades. The period included the Goldberg saga.
More interesting for the bigger picture was the way he described the changing nature of the students. In the sixties they came from the more classy suburbs with dog-eared copies of the classics from home. Then came students who had to buy them from the store, then later students who preferred to buy cribs from the store, then students who just wanted handouts.
A mournful tale, matched by his account of the corruption of academic life in Britain where he did his PhD.
Just as an aside, right now I am having a ball reading "Cultural Amnesia" by Clive James. He has some irritating mannerisms but don't let that get in the way...
Thanks, Rafe. I haven't read Sandstone Gothic, although Neil Whitfield referred to it. I now have it on my read list.
Reimer's picture of the changing nature of students sound depressingly correct!
I have enjoyerd Clive James in the past. Another for the read list!
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