<p>Hey all,
For those of you who read the book "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfield:
1) What was you impression of boarding schools before you read it? after?
2) Would you go to a boarding school/send your child to one?</p>
<p>For those of you who also read her editorial in the NY Times:
1) Would you send your child to a boarding school? Why or why not?</p>
<p>For those who go to boarding school:
1) In your opinion, is Prep and accurate depiction of your life at school? Why or Why not?</p>
<p>And for all:
If you could ask Curtis Sittenfield any question, what would it be.</p>
<p>And for all those who are wondering why I ask. I'm seeing her speak on friday and really a want an idea of what people think outside of my own life before I make a really good question.</p>
<p>I went to a prep school and would do it all again, will send my own kids and it was a defining experience for me. I have read Prep. I believe my comments would run toward the adjustments that any student is faced with when leaving your familiar environment, this book also speaks to the questions surrounding URM or admitting students on Pell Grants/SEOG students who enter a vastly different environment. There are other books similar to this........Tom Wolfe has written one about college......Charlotte Simmons.</p>
<p>I'll bite. I'm a parent with a d. applying for next year.</p>
<p>My impression didn't change either before or after. Although I attended public schools, I knew a few kids attending prep schools as day students so I visited and got to know other students there. The kinds of stories she tells are typical of growing up - things happen, some of them weird. Setting it in a prep school guaranteed that there would be a larger number of wealthy or privileged people than you would find in most public high schools and the boarding aspect means that kids are more on their own and probably added to the main characters feeling of alienation from her family. </p>
<p>Re: op-ed in NYT: I'm considering sending a child, so the book really has no affect on that. It's a work of fiction. Any parent who feared the environment was a negative one can easily find news stories on-line about incidents at schools. The same way I can read about what goes on in our public h.s. </p>
<p>She's a writer, so I can see why she'd like to have an op-ed published. I couldn't take seriously her thoughts about sending her own child - she has no idea what it feels like to be a parent, to have raised a child to that age, or the specific features that make up a life. It's all hypothetical to her so I would ask her to get back to me in 20 years or whenever it's real to her and tell me how she feels - and she says that in her op-ed.</p>
<p>I think the decision to send a child to a b.s. is always whether the child's educational needs are being met in her current setting, what the opportunities are, affect on the family, finances, etc. I think the b.s. setting of the story is not the main feature but I do think it helped sell the book. If she hadn't attended b.s. she probably wouldn't be a published author at her age.</p>
<p>I hated that character lee fiora. I wanted to slap her face. She thinks too much. I think a lot and I dont think as much as her. SHe thinks about stupid things and stuff about how this/that will ruin her non existant social stutus.</p>
<p>I thought she was a loser. she had all these social opportunities going on in her school and chose to be a loner.</p>
<p>I dont attend a prep school but if I did, i wouldn't mind going. actually i'd love to attned one. If the book's prep school is an accurate depiction of all prep schools, I would definetly attend. If it wasn't, I'd still attend.</p>
<p>plus, that guy's a jerk. that guy. i cant remember his name. lee's crush for 4 years.</p>
<p>Interesting...
well, I tried to ask her some questions. She actually refused to answer any questions that weren't about her writing or her author life (so ... sorry ... I have no answers). Personally, I wasn't impressed by her or her writing in Prep, so it wasn't that exciting.
But she did answer a few questions about her favorite stories and her style of novel. I personally now see why I don't like her writing, but at the same time, she did give some nice advice about writing papers that you don't want to write.</p>
<p>well, curtis dipicted her version of prepe school. I personally would go to a prep school. I like ot challenge stereotypes, rules, and assuptions. i think she did what she had to to make her book enjoying. which i believe it was. ^_^</p>
<p>well i agree with you when you say she thinks alot but i dont think that that is a bad thing. thats what makes the story intresting. shes like holden caufield (catcher in the rye)</p>
<p>interesting. on the outside i'm soo different than lee but when i read prep i was like woww this is verryy similar to how i think. my friend said the same thing but you'd never guess either of us thought like that.<br>
it was kind of nice to read that at least someone else thought things like that (even if everyone thinks she's an idiot lol) because i read a lot of books and no one has gotten my feelings as much as sittenfield did. i of course wouldn't act like lee does but inside my head i'm quite similar to her (my best friend was like 'um i hate her. you are nothing like her.' lol)</p>