Teaching Genre, Interest and Application



Teaching Genre, Interest and Application

Introduction

Genre is the division and grouping of texts on the basis of formal, thematic, or stylistic criteria. Texts may be produced, it can be argued, in compliance with or against the strictures of an established and identifiable genre, though it is equally feasible to impose a genre identity upon a work in retrospect, thus attributing to it further possibilities of meaning or, conversely, limiting its potential signification. Paradoxically, genre is conceptually located both within and outside of an individual text; it is a tool that may be employed with equal facility by author, reader, and critic (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001). It is, equally paradoxically, both an instrument of restriction and a mode of liberation.

Teaching Genre, Interest and Application

My life is currently dominated by genres and genre studies. I'm updating my Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, teaching fiction genres at Dominican University, preparing to speak about genre study at the upcoming Public Library Association meeting in March, reading genre fiction for ALAs new Reading List (the genre companion to the Notable Books List), and embarking on the third year of a nonfiction genre study with members of the Adult Reading Round Table (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001).

I'm the first to say that I've taken on more than any sane person should, but reading in genres, especially in those beyond our nor mal range, is one of the keys to proficiency in readers' advisory--and it's surely one of the most entertaining!

My current state of reading overload has inspired me to rethink what I mean by genre study. Must it be a structured undertaking, or might I reap similar benefits from all my reading? And could others do the same? I'm not the only one who feels overwhelmed. We're all busy: working the desk, keeping our collections fresh, sharpening our skills through training activities, and reading everything we can. Rather than adding to our obligations with a separate genre study, can we make this vital activity-reading and thinking about what we read--integral rather than extra?

We know that familiarity with a variety of genres makes it easier to talk comfortably with a wide range of readers. Even dabbling helps. Then, when faced with a reader who enjoys a type of book we don't often read, we can say, "I haven't read that title, but I've read other biographies (or mysteries or whatever) (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001), so I know what you mean." The ability to make that connection--to be able to reassure a reader that we understand what he or she likes--is often all it takes to start that readers'-advisory conversation.

If simply reading widely makes a difference, then reading, discussing authors and titles, and thinking about which authors go together can have an enormous impact. That's what genre studies ultimately do for us. They make us thoughtful, discerning readers who can help a wide range of patrons. And they make us curious. What reader might enjoy this? What other authors does this one remind me of? ...