Reflecting On A Terrible Class About Philip Roth and Other Modern Fiction Authors

Philip Roth has died.
Whenever I heard his name I thought of a class so here is that story that comes to mind:
While taking my classes at Cal Poly Pomona I spotted a class that sounded perfect for my interests: An introduction to modern American novelists.
Excellent, I thought. I can learn more about what the popular authors of the 60s and 70s and 80s were thinking.
That was the first of several wrong assumptions, which also included the idea that i'd be learning and discussing these "modern authors."

As the class began we learned two things instead: First, the focus was on four authors: Philip Roth, John Updike, Saul Bellow and one other author. So modern but
not quite as modern as I thought.

More alarmingly, and why I remember this class well to this day, is that the class would consist of the professor reading aloud one novel by each of the four
authors. Our options as students were to listen to the teacher butcher these books, reading them in a monotone at an 8 a.m. class, or read along.

No discussions, no conversations. Just listening.

Just as some are put off Shakespeare by how its presented in high school so have I always felt an aversion to reading those four authors, all of whom I'm sure
are great but when I hear their names all I think of was fighting to stay awake and alert as an older white teacher reads aloud some of his favorite writers.

I did grow concerned as finals came around but he did offer the chance to have us write for the final a short story.

I wrote a short story about a man inventing a robot who would go to a class and read aloud a novel to his bored silly students. Did he get the irony or sarcasm?

I dont know. But I did get an A in the class and an excellent lesson on how NOT to teach a class.
RIP, Philip Roth