Class is in session: did you read your assigned romance novel?

A blog called Teach Me Tonight ("Musings on Romance Fiction by Some Academics who Love It") was launched this past Sunday with these words by E.M. Selinger:

So, let's see--this is my new blog about romance novels.

Well, not my blog. At least, not mine alone. Pam Regis, author of the indispensible A Natural History of the Romance Novel, will be joining me. So will other members of the RomanceScholar listserv, if they'd like--and so can you, if you're an academic who wants to post about romance fiction, whether as a critic, teacher, or fan.

I'd also love to see here--which means I'll post here--any syllabi, class notes, paper topics, or other ancillary materials you'd like to share. I do have another website under construction, "Resources for Teaching Popular Romance Fiction," where such materials could go, but alas, my webmistress is away for the summer, so that project is on hold. Bring them here, post them up, share the wealth, everyone!

Mr. Selinger followed that with the syllabus for the popular romance fiction course he teaches. Click over and take a look at his delightfully diverse reading list.

I'm weary of hearing romance novels ridiculed by people who pretend they're too smart to read "that fluff." It's about time we had some scholarly discussions in the blogisphere about the literary merits of the well-written romance novel. Sure, myriad romance writers have blogged in defense of the genre, but Teach Me Tonight promises a fresh perspective, and I can't wait to see what they stir up. (Thanks to Booksquare for the link.)

Technorati Tags: romance, novels, fiction