Then he brought forward Jack Pudding, and had a dialogue with him ; the jocularity of which,' by heavens ! made the heart ache to hear.

There is much at work in this discussion of canon and orature. As a starting point, it is worth noting that the academic discipline of English developed in the colonial era, and it should be equally patent that Eurocentric attempts to define a canon since the 19th century have been less a statement of the superiority of the Western tradition than a vital, active instrument of Western hegemony. Limiting consideration or admission to the canon to orature is a way of continuing colonialism. It once again keeps American Indians from entering the 20th century and denies to Native literary artists who choose other media any legitimate or authentic Native identity.

That sounds like Aunt Isabel. They always call me Patricia there. Don't you think, papa, now that I'm getting so grown up, I ought to be called Patricia? Patty is such a baby name. Patty is good enough for me, said Mr. Fairfield.

I declared myself a wine expert, wrongly and assholishly, during my senior year of college, for a simple reason: because I was in college.