So, I am off on a mission. A mission, not to become a patriot, but to at least become a tiny bit more patriotic. Over the next 365 I am going to study what exactly it means to be American. A few months ago I came to the conclusion that I culturally understood what it meant to be Mongolian more than I did to be American. I’m not saying that I don’t live as a cultural American, but I don’t think I have ever put any thought into the social and traditional mores that brought us to the United States of America that we live in in 2010.
My Road Map
That is where this blog comes into place. I am going to spend my free time (now that I’m not reading 50 books) to listen to the music that exemplifies America, be it Copland, LeRoy Anderson, or Charles Ives. I am going to read the greats of American Literature from Steinbeck to Twain. I will look at the great inventions and cultural contributions. Through all of these things, and many others, I am hoping to get a handle on what it really means to be an American. I know this is a broad and complicated issue, but hopefully I can scratch the surface. Those things being said, I have undertaken a reference book on the very topic of American Literacy.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know is my starting point for the road ahead. I am going to approach this task from an academic view. This book will be my foundation and should provide me with a base of information I need to get the job done.
Can’t wait to read about the journey!