Comments on: Hitler My Hero

By: kayla

kayla — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:55:14 +0000

that was kinda creepy

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:38:21 +0000

This essay reminds me of the chasm between the way students and teachers think these days, especially in “Fubster” like colleges. The humor and the sincere efforts of Kenneth and the speaker give me hope that even in this Franz Kafka world, we can bridge the gap–especially if we keep our humor–but the essay is also frightening. I hope Carl Schinasi keeps writing.

By: Dani

Dani — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:19:24 +0000

By: Dani

Dani — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:16:55 +0000

I was stunned when I read Carl Schinasi’s article because it was such an accurate portrayal of the seemingly strange thought processes that I have been seeing in student writing over the past five years. Often I experience the frustration of trying to grade and offer positive grammatical and historical criticism without judging the student views and frequently I ask the question “Where do I draw the line?” Thank you Carl for helping me laugh through the frustration.

By: Theringer H.

Theringer H. — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:25:44 +0000

Great essay. Schinasi exposes a sad fact of misguided kids in areas of the South where many have never even met a Jewish person. This essay also reveals the challenges of teaching with the patience and compassion required to redirect a very misguided student. Hope to see more writings by this author.

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:14:06 +0000

I appreciate Schinasi’s willingness to take us into the private interactions between instructor and student. He exposes the frustrations of both student and instructor as they learn about history and about themselves. The story is in turns depressing, horrifying, and encouraging, but the ultimate triumph is the persistence of both parties to learn. They learn that the process of learning is a struggle, and that perfect understanding does not exist.

By: bob w

bob w — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:46:24 +0000

As always I am impressed by the work of Carl Schinasi. This essay carries the tone of humor and good sense lodged deep in the style and language, as it wrestles with complicated issues (Hitler and the Jews, teaching and education, popular culture). And it does all this without falling into cynicism or into self-righteousness. That kind of balance is typical of Schinasi, but rare in this troubled age. I expect no less from Schinasi though. He is the unique writer.

By: bob waxler

bob waxler — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:24:36 +0000

What a wonderful essay. Schinasi catches the rhythm and tone just right, and his humor gives the piece the appropriate distance and necessary twists and turns. Most importantly, for me, the essay addresses a wealth of serious subjects ( Hitler and the Jews, education today, popular culture) with a style and charm that keeps a reasonable balance in unreasonable times. It is a rare writer these days that can avoid cynicism , on the one side, and self-righteousness, on the other. Schinasi is one of those rare writers who give us all hope.