VAPE WEEK NINE
PARENTS--AND WHAT THEY TEACH US

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The author gets distracted by the warm weather, and never returns to his syllabus. The school year ends, he becomes embroiled in a personal/political argument that ultimately claims his life.
From here on, in some senses, we are on our own--to interpret his syllabus as best we can. What do parents teach us, if we can figure it out? Is it good, bad, or both?
POETRY:
What do you think of this famous poem by Philip Larkin? He was pretty pessimistic.

THIS BE THE VERSE
They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you. But they were fucked up in their turn By fools in old-style hats and coats, Who half the time were soppy-stern And half at one another’s throats.
Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early as you can, And don’t have any kids yourself.
MOVIES:
ITS NOT ALL BAD, watch the TOTALLY UNDERRATED Stallone movie, STOP OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT to celebrate mother's day.
STOP OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT TRAILER
If you have to go to a cineplex to get into it, LIFE OF THE PARTY is playing spring 2018.
And if you're an indie film fan, try Abel Ferrara SEARCHING FOR PADRE PIO.
RELIGION:
For those who want a more spiritual material, consider the following:
the author abandoned the syllabus for Gennariello in favor of the summer sunshine, but continued to write to the local papers and vent his rage at the situation in his country.
He believed that the decline of happiness in the world and the utter corruption of the Republic coincided with a loss of faith in God and God's mother, the "madonna".
Read the essay "the Madonnas don't cry anymore".
DRUGS:
It is also a good time to read "DRUGS: A TRUE ITALIAN TRAGEDY" and pay attention to the discussion of God and Family. It's not what you think--but-what is he getting at?
It's Friday and if you're going with the schedule, it's time to sum up our thoughts about what parents teach us, whether we like it or not.
Of course, parents are not only biological parents but anyone who fulfills the role of a mentor figure in our lives.
For example, Pasolini's Madonna is in effect the mother of all Italy in the spiritual sense.