Opening Lines

Getting ready for a new semester makes me think of first impressions. As a teacher you want to make a good impression on that first day, most students (although they may not admit it) also want to make a good impression.

When I was on the speech team in high school my coach advised me to always have the first and last lines of my speech nailed. You wanted to get off to a good start, partly to set the tone, but also to calm your own nerves. You wanted to end strong as well, leave the judges with a strong impression.

At my last book group we were discussing Marilynne Robinson's book, Housekeeping. One of my colleagues had found a Yale University lecture on the book that focused on the first line. The book starts, "My name is Ruth." The lecturer compared that to the opening line of Moby Dick, "Call me Ishmael." How do those lines compare? One invites interaction, the other is declarative, a statement. Do those lines set the tone for the stories to follow? How important is the first line of a book? Do you remember any particularly strong first lines? I think I was listening to a quiz show once where they read first lines and the contestants had to identify the book. It was surprisingly easy.

So, in a few weeks when I walk into class, what will be my opening line?