I recommend that people should listen or read the latest Massey Lecture by Alberto Manguel. What a special lecture series, it's something that I have often enjoyed and it's been nice to hear them the last few times.
I enjoyed hearing Stephen Lewis when he did it a few years ago. He is an amazing speaker, and the words can't really do justice to the passion of his voice. My university, Carleton hosted one of the Massey Lectures by Ronald Wright a few years ago and I think I missed out, even though that series wasn't as interesting to me as the last one.
I have to say that the 2007 iteration was and is fantastic. I find Alberto Manguel and engaging and interesting speaker, on a fascinating topic. He is obviously someone who is well read and he makes literature relevant for me in a way I think few others have.
I find it interesting that I could engage with what he was saying and yet I used to hate and dread English class in high school. It wasn't until I took a course in grade 12 that I even realized how interesting that class could be. I think he was the only male English teacher I had in high school and he introduced me to John Ralston Saul. I think that was a brave act, especially as the material was over the head of many of the other grade 12 students. It wasn't all perfect, I think I read the worst piece of Canadian fiction they could drag up at my school, it wasn't fifth business of anything by Margaret Lawrence. I don't even remember who the author was.
I think it's a shame that so many boys in particular become alienated from reading through the horrors of English class.