why the reading list might get confusing

Good thing we're not in the habit of referring to authors by their first names. In my senior seminar this spring, there are 4 books on the reading list--2 by authors named Richard and 2 by authors named Simon. What're the chances of that?

Richard A. Lanham, The Economics of Attention
Richard Sennett, The Corrosion of Character
Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman
Simon Worrall, The Poet and the Murderer

And then there's the issue of the 2 Simon books' titles. These could easily get confusing and we might find ourselves referring to the Professor and the Murderer or to the Poet and the Madman. Even better, how about the Madman and the Murderer? The poet and the professor could very easily be one person, as could be the madman and the murderer.

This is a course loosely themed around the question of what is at stake in the study of language--as you can see from the titles, to say it's a matter of life and death would not be overstating the case. I'm excited about the undercurrent of crime in the readings, but I'm even more excited about teaching Lanham's book. If you're interested at all in authorship theory and you haven't already read the chapter "Barbie and the Teacher of Righteousness," you must. This means you, Becky. Saying no is not an option.

How 'bout Barbie and the Madman? Or The Teacher of Righteousness and the Murderer?

Ah, the possibilities....