Peanuts by Charles Schulz for February 15, 2024

Possibly

“Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?

It took me years to write, will you take a look?

It’s based on a novel by a man named Lear

And I need a job

So I wanna be a paperback writer"

(The Beatles)

a universal purpose!

In 1825 there was a banking crisis in the UK (sound familiar?) and Sir Walter Scott lost a bleep load of money and owed a huge amount to creditors. He had to write lots and lots to claw back money to repay the debt. It worked but the debt was not paid off until after his death in 1832. So did writing like a crazy person do him in???

I often believed that was the reason some of the stuff we had to read was written. The guy couldn’t hold a regular job so he wrote poetry of stupid books to make students suffer a few hundred years later.

That makes sense to me…

I’d give her full marks for that answer.

That’s a smart answer.

Does anyone else feel that books penned before 1900 are immeasurably better written than modern books? The manner of expression was so much richer and more skillful in authors like Edgar Allan Poe.

Her answer is refreshingly honest.

Supposedly this was why Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol.” He needed the money. He had a lot of children to support. You’d think a book that was hurriedly written with the writer under stress, the story wouldn’t be very good but it’s become a classic. If he’d known how many films they’d make from it, he’d never have worried about money.

So, finally we see the spark of intelligence in Patty! And btw, what was Mr Schulz’ purpose in drawing peanuts cartoons?

To bore students to death. Mission accomplished.

PP could be right, we think there might be a purer motive, but even writers have to eat.

Wrong! He was just hanging out in a boring class and it just sorta happened.

Wasn’t it Heinlein who said that the only reason to write was to make money?

She may have been more correct than she herself realized…

Peppermint Patty was actually supposed to have her own strip, but after much persuasion, Sparky was convinced to make her a character in this strip.

Patty, join ‘Skylar’ in the remedial class ! ! !

Those questions are some of the most annoying questions to answer in English class, Peppermint Patty

Bingo!!!

I write to leave information behind, not for money. Maybe it shall inspire others to seek, to experience,to share and yes, most importantly to understand.

I mean, it’s not a wrong answer…

Even PP has those moments of brilliance!

No one but a blockhead ever wrote but for money.—some famous guy from history said.

You know, I vaguely remember answering that same question, that same way when I was her age. It’s logical.

Bills have been known to inspire all forms of writing; it’s why Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol,” and why countless writers grind out material every day for every medium. Been there, done that, cashed the check.

That’s why I hate literature studies. They psychoanalyze the author’s intent for writing, parsing every phrase until they wrung out all the joy of reading it. What’s left is a dried up carcass of what was once was an enjoyable read! While in college, there was one professor that seemed to have a penchant for extracting sexual connotations out everything we read. My thoughts were that he was getting his kicks out of discussing this while in the presence female students.

In a former life, I taught Shakespeare, and I was forthright about his reasons for writing plays: It’s all about the shillings, baby.

genius Patty!

Just like the people on street corners with a sign saying “Will work for food.”

Who doesn’t?

Not a bad answer, Patty.

Back in high school one of the guys got in trouble for suggesting to the teacher that maybe Shakespeare didn’t really put a lot of hidden meaning in his plays; that he was just writing what sells.

This actually a very correct answer. Balzac for example used to extend the lenght of his books because he was paid by the page.

As an amateur novelist/writer, I can tell you with certainty that is not the way to make money for most of us!

Normally we’re supposed to laugh at Pep for saying dumb stuff in class. But in this case there’s an excellent chance she’s right.

College prof…Publish or Perish…

pEPPERMINT GETS AN “a PLUS” AT LAST!!

My (cynical) 10th-grade English teacher taught us this gem: “Authors write for two reasons—they either need the money or have something to say.” Some of us asked him why not both.

It pays the bills.

right?

Bing and Go all at one moment!

Or maybe it was to teach society a lesson so they mend their evil ways

Patty is not so dumb after all. ;) I tend to agree with the person above who wrote that writers could both “have something to say” and “need the money” at the same time, but you can’t go wrong with the latter point. For as Luke wrote, “the labourer is worthy of his hire.”

Nothing stimulates the mind of an artist or author like the need to pay the bills.

Always of course but what was sellable in his topic?……

It’s a strong secondary reason.

Well, she’s not wrong!

This actually happened in one of my college classes. The teacher chastised the student, of course, asking “What would you know about that?” Her answer: “He’s my father.”

A practical and sensible answer. A+

Happens more often than you think.

I always thought that; never had the opportunity to say it out loud.

Anyone who’s ever read Charles Dickens knows that he was being paid by the word for most of what he wrote.

As for both Arthur Conan Doyle and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), it was a job. It was a job they liked, but they were doing it for the money.

A+ for P.P. pretty much sums up all Literature classes in 5 words.