What is Keeping?
For more information about the big picture of Keeping, please take a look at the Keeping resource page.
Recommended Keeping in 2018-19
This year, we are encouraging our study group to keep a Commonplace Book.
This is an optional practice meant to help you grow in your understanding of Mason’s principles and methods.
The Commonplace Book
What is a Commonplace Book?
Laurie Bestvater in her book, The Living Page, describes a commonplace book:
The Commonplace collects student-selected passages from any and all reading on any and all subjects. Mason also refers to it as a Reading Diary. (p.32)
You could consider it to be a collection of quotes from your readings. It might be something that inspired you or that caught your attention or a well-crafted turn of a phrase; in essence, ‘worthy thoughts, well put’.
How Will We Use One?
We encourage you to capture quotes in your commonplace book* as you pre-read Volumes 1 and 5 in anticipation of our monthly discussion.
*Your commonplace book is not included in the Resource Fee. It can be a lovely journal, a composition notebook, or as simple as some sheets of blank paper. When you get the hang of these, they become life-long reading companions and a documentation of your experiences with books; you might prefer something more attractive and designed to last. For now, we are building habits, so feel free to experiment to see what format you prefer (lined/unlined? bound/loose-leaf? etc.)
Comments