Oprah special guest: from the grave, Mr. Joseph Heller

Oprah Winfrey: Please welcome to the show Mr. Joseph Heller! [applause]

Joseph Heller: Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.

OW: I want to start out by saying how much I loved your book Catch-22. As a humorous descriptions of life as an American soldier in World War Two, it captivated my attention and tickled my funny bone. I especially liked the satirical voice that you achieved. For example, when Colonel Cargill tells his officers that he would never order them to attend the U.S.O. show in the second chapter and then in the same sentence tells them to go to the show and adds "that's an order!"

JH: [laughs] Yes, I suppose I do have an almost overly satirical style.

OW: Mr. Heller--

JH: You can call me Joseph.

OW: --Joseph, Joe, [mimicking an Italian mobster à la George Carlin] Joey, how you doin'--[JH laughs] Joseph, what is the goal of your voice in writing? Why did you write this novel the way you did?

JH: Well, I was trying to, I guess, poke fun at the military, and at life; I was trying to show the lighter side of it. For a small example, see chapter four. Doc Daneeka's temperature is reported at 96.8.

OW: Yes, normal human core temperature.

JH: Well, actually, no. Normal human temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people would read through that sentence and see nothing wrong. They would see those three digits and recognize it as correct. But it is a joke for those individuals who do recognize it.

OW: It is very enlightening, talking to you. I've been living my whole life believing that 96.8 degrees is correct. I guess you learn something new every day. [audience laughs]

JH: Thank you.

OW: Mr. Heller--Joe--if it would please you, will you read a bit from your book for us, any part that you specifically like?

JH: My pleasure. From chapter four, again: "Yossarian would persuade McWatt to enter Doc Daneeka's name on his flight log for training missions or trips to Rome. 'You know how it is,' Doc Daneeka had wheedled, with a sly, conspiratorial wink. 'Why take chances when I don't have to?' 'Sure,' Yossarian agreed. 'What difference does it make to anyone if I'm in the plane or not?' 'No difference.' 'Sure, that's what I mean,' Doc Daneeka said. 'A little grease is what makes this world go round. One hand washes the other. Know what I mean? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.' Yossarian knew what he meant. 'That's not what I meant,' Doc Daneeka said as Yossarian began scratching his back. 'I'm talking about cooperation. Favors. You do a favor for me, I'll do one for you. Get it?' 'Do one for me,' Yossarian requested. 'Not a chance,' Doc Daneeka answered."

OW: Brilliant! The interplay between the two character, it really brings out your voice. The way that. . .two characters fail to understand each other, like we often fail to understand each other, in our lives, but in the most comical way--

JH: Yes. I know that we often think of the military type as someone who thinks they're so tough and is. . .is looking out for only themselves. Yossarian plays dumb, because he'd never agree to Doc's proposition. He doesn't want to wash the other hand, he only looks out for himself.

OW: Thank you very much for being here today. Joseph Heller, everyone! You can pick up his book Catch-22 in book stores everywhere! You won't need to, though. Look under your seats. I like Mr. Heller's literary voice so much that I'm giving each of you a copy of his most famous novel! [audience cheers]

JH: It was my pleasure.

[cue music as the show cuts to a commercial.]

Summer Reading

This Summer I spent my days hiking through Tilden Park, going geocaching, and mastering board games. I also read two books by John Steinbeck, Cannery Row and Log from the Sea of Cortez.

I chose to read two books by Steinbeck because I have found myself to enjoy all of his books that I read. I started with him with Of Mice and Men in ninth grade, and I read The Pastures of Heaven and The Winter of Our Discontent in tenth grade. Steinbeck's work has a style that flows well despite going off on tangents to explain important minutia. His plots are engaging and the themes and literary devices he uses an eleventh grade can relate to. His writing is straightforward to read and easy to understand.

Of the two books I read this summer in particular, Cannery Row is more appropriate to add to eleventh grade curriculum because it is shorter to read and therefore more time can be spent on analyzing it. Also, as fiction it is easier to understand the themes because it has been fully created by Steinbeck, rather than the non-fiction of Log from the Sea of Cortez, whose themes are harder to understand because Steinbeck can only more subtly suggest ideas.

Overall, I would recommend both books I read over the Summer for the eleventh grade curriculum if you feel that students need to read more of Steinbeck's work than Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath, if you want to teach books with themes relating to human morality, and if you want students to like reading the books you assign.