Winter's Night Blog

New Blog!

2009-05-14T18:02:00.001-05:00

I’ve ported all of my blogs to this site. This blogger account will remain viewable, but will no longer be updated.

Weekend Reading Re: Plagiarism

2009-04-30T16:57:00.001-05:00

If you want to get a jump on the weekend reading, head to Jonathan Lethem's article at Harper's.com. We'll discuss it Monday, pulling from The Pirate's Dilemma and your own experiences in writing/creating art/stealing music/plagiarism.

P.S. Be sure to check out his "Works Cited" at the bottom.

Nonfiction Weekend Reading

2009-03-27T18:15:00.001-05:00

We discussed "skimming" today in class. Your assignment for this weekend is to skim your book, noting the main idea and organization. Please read the first section, as well. We will discuss on Monday.

(If you have not purchased a book yet, please find one before Monday. The libraries are well-stocked, and you can email me with any questions.)

Enjoy your weekend.

Your Grand Experiment

2009-03-11T18:51:00.001-05:00

As we've been reading Into the Wild, we have returned to one question again and again:

Why did he do it?

Now, I turn this question to you. Your first writing assignment of this session is an explanation/exploration of your own life. Chris McCandless realized that there was something amiss in his world, and he attempted to fix it. Whether he found his answers is not something we can ever know, but we can take the lens we're using to study him and turn it on ourselves.

I ask that you write a piece on your own life. It may take the form of an analysis, a narrative, a treatise, even an anthem. Do some freewriting, look over your journals, create an outline of ideas (we'll talk about this tomorrow), then decide which form would be best. I'll talk with each of you individually about your outlines on Friday (13), so have a solid start by then.

Here are some questions you might consider (add more to the "Comments" section if you think of others more pertinent):

Why do you do ______?
What do you want to do with your life?/What goals do you hold?
What plans do you have to achieve these?
What obstacles do you foresee?/What obstacles are in place now?
How can you overcome them/turn them into opportunities?

This is not a simple assignment, nor is it a chance for you to rant against the wrongs done to you, but an exploration of your aspirations and current situation. Remember, if we've learned anything so far,it's this: When you're heading into the wild, better have a map...

"To Light a Fire" Link and Reading Schedule

2009-03-05T18:17:00.001-06:00

Lack London's short story "To Light a Fire" can be found here

Here's your reading schedule for Into the Wild. Read through the chapter number given before the date given:

Friday (06): Ch 2

Monday (09): Ch 5

Tuesday (10): Ch 7

Wednesday (11): Ch 8

Thursday (12): Ch 10

Friday (13): Ch 12

Finish book before Monday (23).

I do love Thoreau...

2009-03-03T13:33:00.001-06:00

It's nearly spring! I just hope it gets warm enough for us to read some Walden outdoors. (But why would that matter? How does that make the reading experience more enjoyable?)

If you're interested, or did not receive a copy of "Economy" in class, here it is. (We're reading through page 10 for tomorrow):

Walden - H D Thoreau

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Essays Uncategorizable-Unca Literature-Literatur

First Day & Love in the Time of Cholera

2009-03-02T17:47:00.001-06:00

Great first day, guys. I hate talking as much as I did, but I think we're set for the year. If you want a copy of the syllabus or the LitToC stuff, you can download it all here.

Also, here is the Scribd document of the novel. As I said before, use it only until you purchase the book. You will not be able to read the entire novel on a computer or iTouch screen.

As you read, mark the parts that are interesting to you. This will be the first thing I ask about tomorrow. (And don't forget vocab!)

Gabriel García Márquez - Love in the Time of Cholera

Publish at Scribd or explore others: eBooks novel literature

Another Crazy Vid

2009-02-18T16:46:00.001-06:00

Strings outline below.

Is this creative, or does he have too much time on his hands?

Found via TheNextWeb

Strings Outline

2009-02-18T16:41:00.001-06:00

Here's the outline so far. If you have a brilliant idea, post it below. We'll continue discussion tomorrow.

I. Peace

A. Characters Introduced

1. Billy, the only one who has hair
2. Otto, has a wrench
3. Deric MacGrave, extremely thin

1. Spend days playing in streets
2. Rules/guiding strings
3. School, self-writing blackboard
4. Market
5. Our songs

II. Rules for Breaking/Market Vandalized

A. Billy is guided by the Strings to vandalize the market (Couldn’t control himself, enjoyed destroying the market)
B. Wakes up next day and looks for Deric MacGrave, finds him on the street, broken, with X’d-out eyes. He had fallen

1. 1st miss rule

III. Nothing test

A. Billy is terrified, decides to stay in bed all day.
B. Later, Otto comes in to find Billy. Billy is guided to yell at Otto.

1. 2nd miss rule

C. Otto says he is going to tell the Blackboard. Leaves, Billy runs after him.

IV. Twisted School

A. Billy follows Otto out into the street
B. Otto trips and neck snaps on his own Strings. His eyes roll up to X’s.
C. Billy drags Otto to the school to see if he can help.
D. Writes Question on Blackboard.
E. The Board gives a Twisted Drawing in response.
F. Billy throws Otto’s body into Blackboard, breaking it. He finds a recording machine…

V. End of the Line

A. Billy decides to solve his own problems.
B. He climbs his Strings.
C. Finds nothing, just his Strings tied to a bar.
D. Realizes he had been controlling himself all along.
E. He has grown out of his strings.

Video Games for the Uninitiated

2009-02-17T16:40:00.001-06:00

These links have been bouncing around my bookmark folders for a while, so I thought I'd share.

Game Explanations for Beginners via Popmatters is a cool overview of the basics and history of gameplay. The author gets a bit philosophical towards the end, and his jokes are aimed at established gamers, so I'm not sure who his audience is...
Samorost 2 is an odd amalgam of adventure and puzzle genres. The game isn't difficult, but the art is amazing. (After a quick Google search and 30 minutes of play I bring you Samorost [the Original]. Also cool.)
Reading's good, too!
I am not an avid gameplayer, but I was completely blown away by World of Goo. The same author wrote the story, created the art, composed the music, and designed the program. Great design tour here.
More to come as I dig.

Link to Your Story Ideas

2009-02-13T14:01:00.001-06:00

Mixed Ink

Claymation Would Take a While...

2009-02-10T16:44:00.001-06:00

but this wouldn't:

Levi Weaver "You Are Home" from Paper Beats Rock on Vimeo.

Just a thought.

Third Hour Final Unit

2009-02-08T12:34:00.001-06:00

During the last three weeks of this session we will be pulling from everything we've done before: critical analysis of texts, cultural analysis of works, integration and synthesis of works from different eras and cultures, and explication of literary devices. "How will we do this?" you ask? By answering an apparently simple question:

What do Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est," H.G. Wells's The Time Machine (and The Days of the Comet, and The Island of Dr. Moreau, and Conrad's Heart of Darkness), the Danse Macabre, 1984, punk music (The Clash!), Twitter, Wikipedia, The Wisdom of Crowds, The Starfish and the Spider, DIY, Internet piracy, and podcasting have in common?

Our answer can be as simple and complex as we want, but it will take our understanding of all these cultural phenomena and works and the skills we've acquired this year to pull off a solid answer.

Now that's a cumulative test.

Third Hour Essays

2009-02-05T17:15:00.001-06:00

I hope the overview in class was clear, but in case it wasn't, here's a primer:

Heading your paper (link to AP site). The link also provides an example of in-text citations, margins, and headings.
MLA format guide at OWL at Purdue. Most of you will be using the "book" and "online periodical" sections.
Works cited page (click to make larger):

Keep in mind that the entire document should be 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced. To make sure: after you finish your paper, save it, hit ctrl+A, right click the text, then hit "Paragraph." The line spacing option should say "double", and the spacing before and after should read "0". Hit "OK," then (with the text still highlighted) check the text size and font boxes to ensure they read "12" and "Times New Roman," respectively. If not, or if they're blank, fix them.
You're all set! Send me a copy tonight if you want me to look it over, but don't depend on me to do your final editing. I won't have access to a computer all night.

Our Google Docs

2009-01-07T18:02:00.001-06:00

Step 1: Sign up for a gmail account.

Step 2: Send an email to one of the people from class (or me).

Step 3: Click on the link you receive.

Step 4: Add your notes!

Things I Don't Understand: Tesla Coil Music

2009-01-06T17:16:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I understand how the Tesla coil works in principle. I think. Something about tossing very low current, high voltage charge between circuits that resonate at similar frequencies. This, however, blows my mind:

Any help? Find a better explanation online?

Our Foray into Nonfiction

2008-12-30T17:08:00.001-06:00

English classes are interesting. We teachers often push aside works of nonfiction in favor of fiction's many incarnations while asking you to produce short works of nonfiction in response (think essay, book report, research paper...). Think about it: if all that you consume is fiction, what do you predict your writing will look like? Exactly.

Please to not misinterpret me: Fiction is vitally important to our understanding of the world. (Remember our discussions on the magnifying glass, the different lenses, and the fact that most communication is metaphorical.) That said, my goal with this section is to remove the pressure of fictional analysis while focusing on three vital skills: communication, collaboration, and connection. You will communicate your ideas and knowledge; collaborate with your peers; and make connections between what you know, what others know, your books, and the outside world.

Here's how we'll do it:

Each of you has chosen a work of nonfiction from this list (if you don't have your copy yet, email me now. I'll buy it for you and meet you at Starbucks if I have to.):

The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnson
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher

These books cover a wide range of topics (group intelligence over singular genius, the impact of complex pop culture, the resilience of non-hierarchical organizations, how ideas/products become popular, and the impact of relationships and the media on young women), but they all share one thing on common: how we are impacted by the world/people around us.

Each day you may be asked to teach the class about what you've read so far. Others who are reading the same work may add to your lecture if they want to. This will be uncomfortable for you at first, but remember, we all want to learn about each of the books, but can't read them all. Use your reading journal or notes to help you keep track of your thoughts if you'd like.

If you are not teaching your book, take notes in your journal. Write down any lightbulb connections you make between the book and yours, any questions you have, or anything you might want to study further. This will allow you to make sure you understand what is being presented and solidify the connections you make between your book and others'.

After a book has been taught, I will ask the other readers of the book about their thoughts on it so far, and any connections they've come across. Before the break, I asked each of you to bring one connection between your book and the outside world to class on Monday. If you've found one, keep looking! We can never make too many connections, and I'll be asking for them often.

We will then open the floor to those who have not read the book but have questions or connections to contribute to the class's understanding.

This is not a series of presentations. This is not a book report. I will not ask you to stand in front of the class. This is a discussion amongst peers about how parts of the world works. The steps above will only be in place for the first few days. After that, we should be in the habit of explaining what we've read, sharing ideas and connections, and building on one another's ideas. The length of this assignment is dependent upon how deep we want to delve into the topics. We begin work on the final project on day one, so please come prepared. What form the final project takes is dependent upon where our discussions take us.

Grades. Because I have to. Best advice: have fun, talk to others about what they're reading, share what you know, make connections beyond the classroom.

If you're keeping track, here's the breakdown:

Teaching your book (once per week): 30pts
Sharing connection (outside source; twice per week): 10pts
Journal (I'll glance once per week or so): 20pts
Weekly participation (discussing, asking questions, answering questions, helping others understand) 30 pts

A list of resources to get you started:

TED.com Most of the videos are around half an hour. Watch what you're interested in, not what you think will directly connect with your topic. You might be surprised when a connection pops up later.
PopTech.org Similar to TED.com, with themed conferences and more articles.
Hulu.com Don't get stuck watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Check out the "Documentary and Biography" section under the "Channels" button for some interesting movies.
This American Life Best. Radio program. Evar.
Did I miss something?? Post your connection sources below.

Frankensteinian Stories

2008-12-05T16:39:00.001-06:00

The projected due date: December 12, 2008.

The task: To take a theme (see image below) from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and create a new work explore it with an original work. This work can be visual (painting, drawing, CGI), tactile (dance, sculpture, diorama), auditory (song), or written (poetry, short story, essay, screenplay, comic book). If I haven't mentioned a medium you'd like to work within, just post a comment.

The goal: We've discussed the role of fiction in society (to take an aspect of life and magnify it), we've discussed what Shelley might be trying to tell us, so now it's your turn. Create a work that explains an idea, thought, action, problem, or other aspect of life in a new and interesting way for your audience.

The rules:

You must include some written accompaniment to your piece (a short artist's statement or explanation) if you choose a project not under the written category above.
Your story should not be just a creation story—that's too broad a topic. (Also, the scientist-creates-some-technology-that-gets-out-of-control plot has become a bit formulaic by now. See the Action and Horror sections of Blockbuster for proof.) Your audience should see some aspect of life in a new light, or gain some insight into life in general.
You should (if you haven't already) turn in a page before Saturday outlining:

1) Your idea, briefly

2) A schedule of when you will finish each part of your project, up to the due date on Friday

3) All supplies/resources you will need in order to complete your assignment.

Themes:

Prometheus myth
Power over nature/God
Physical differences/reactions
Relationships (Parents & children, Men & Women)
Doubles & Alter-egos
Scientific exploration
Paradise Lost
Class differences/racial differences
Psychological monstrosities
Isolation
Nature vs. Nurture

"Monstrous" parakeet:

Galvanic Art: "Twitch"

2008-11-20T18:41:00.001-06:00

I found this site [Warning: The site contains images of dissected frogs that have been implanted with computer parts] while I was researching galvanism yesterday, and forgot to post the link.

Check out the "Project Exhibition Essay" in the middle of the page for the Frankenstein connection.

Remember, I'll be looking over your reading journals tomorrow.

Victorian Essay Links

2008-11-17T11:09:00.001-06:00

Previous post on "How To: Head Your Paper"

MLA Formatting and Style Guide at the OWL at Purdue

Remember, you will be writing over how aspects of Victorian culture may have impacted or brought about the novel you are reading. Look into the life of the writer, the major historical events that came before the book was published, and any other information you can find about the historical background of the book.

Post a comment below or send me an email if you have a question.

Oscar Wilde Links

2008-11-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

For those of you reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, here's a bit more insight into the life of the author.

Oh! Here's a graphic version of the novel, by Roy Thomas and Sebastian Fiumara from Marvel. Amazon link.

Welles Presents Wells, Stoker, etc.

2008-11-05T11:44:00.001-06:00

on Mercury Theatre. Check out the Mercury Theatre website for streaming audio and downloadable versions of radio programs from the 1930's.

Hear Dracula, War of the Worlds, Treasure Island, and, at the bottom of the page, an interview with Wells by Welles.

War of the Worlds audio book here.
The Island of Dr. Moreau audio book here. (This one's computer-read, not sure of quality.)

Chimeras, Martians, Cannibals, Immortals,

2008-11-02T12:03:00.001-06:00

...talking cats, and broken hearts. I love this unit. I hope you're loving your books.

You met in groups last week, wrote reading schedules, and planned responsibilities for Monday. If you aren't sure what your part is for Monday, email your group or post a comment below.

If you have any questions about your position (or your grade, or any makeup work...), send me an email.

Victorian/Edwardian Lit

2008-10-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

1. Go here.

2. Find something cool, bring it to class tomorrow.

3. Choose a book from this period:

Charles Dickens’s The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1839)
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (1847)
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights (1847)
George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss (1860)
Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations (1861)
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871)
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883)
Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey (1890)
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)
H.G. Wells's The Time Machine (1895)
H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897)—Flip through this before you choose. It’s better than the movies, but not the same.
H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds (1898)
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902)—More modernist than Victorian, but worth including.

Possible R&G Essay Topics

2008-10-23T19:41:00.001-05:00

If, for some reason, you have chosen to write an essay instead of creating a screenplay, you must choose from one of these two topics:

If the arrival of the messenger is equivalent to R&G's birth, what is the meaning and purpose of their life, which is shown in its entirety?
Contrast the player's comments about death with Guil's.

Also, please let me (and your group mates) know that you will be writing this instead of participating in the project.

R&G Adaptation Ideas

2008-10-13T17:01:00.002-05:00

Post 'em below. We already have:

R&G '08
R&G are Undead (See Josiah's post for a very long video on why we can't do this one...)

If you don't come up with an original idea, begin working on a point, that is, a reason, for writing one of the above. Partial ideas are okay, as we are just in the beginning stages. I want to see something from everyone tomorrow, though.

Into the madness wherein he now raves...

2008-09-22T15:39:00.001-05:00

Among other things, we have been discussing Hamlet's state of mind—whether he be "put[ting] an antic disposition on" (I.v) or be truly mad.

We will continue with this discussion on Wednesday (I will be out 3rd hour tomorrow). For now, read over Hamlet's soliloquy from the end of Act II. The full text is here. To find the passage, search (hit "ctrl+F) for "Hecuba" and go to the second instance.

Hamlet Through Middle of I.ii

2008-09-16T17:28:00.001-05:00

All homework from this semester is due by this Thursday (the 18th). I will not accept any late work after this. If you need help with an assignment, or would like me to edit it once before you turn it in, please turn it in tomorrow.

We began our study of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead with a discussion of . . . The Wizard of Oz. All of you were familiar with the story (or the Garland movie, at least), and most had read Wicked, the novel-turned-play by Gregory Maguire. In the same way that Maguire tore apart the story of The Wizard of Oz then rebuilt it in a new form as Wicked, Tom Stoppard (in 1966) reconstructed a classic play into Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a postmodern, existentialist performance.

To better understand what the authors have done with the original works, we watched this commercial for the Kia Borrego, comparing it to a number of "normal" commercials.

Your assignment for tonight is to look over Hamlet's soliloquy after Claudius and Gertrude leave him. Notes are always a good thing (might use your journal), but you will not turn anything in. As you read it, keep in mind the following questions:

What has caused him to feel this way?
What is Hyperion? A satyr? Why is he comparing these things?
Who is Niobe?
What are we to make of "Frailty, thy name is woman"?

HAMLET

O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month--
Let me not think on't--Frailty, thy name is woman!--
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she follow'd my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears:--why she, even she--
O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer--married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules: within a month:
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good:
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.

On About a Boy, "Med. #17," "I am a Rock"

2008-09-11T21:30:00.001-05:00

Tonight, write out your basic thesis statement and supporting ideas. We will give one another advice on arrangement and flow of ideas tomorrow in class.

Vonnegut on Style

2008-09-10T16:45:00.001-05:00

"How to Write With Style" by Kurt Vonnegut

About a Boy and Meditation #17

2008-09-05T16:04:00.001-05:00

Quick reminders:

If you have chosen to re-write the essay from last Friday, the last day to turn it in is Monday, Sept 8th.

If you have not finished About a Boy, try to knock it out this weekend. We will be writing over themes from John Donne's "Meditation #17" and Simon and Garfunkel's "I am a Rock" on Wednesday, specifically as applied to About a Boy. We discussed these in class, but it would be a good idea to go over them once again (find Donne's work here, Google "I am a Rock lyrics" for the song) before you finish the novel. As you read and journal on About a Boy, it might be helpful to keep these questions in mind:

Is "Meditation #17" reflected in the creation of the extended family at the end?
Donne says "No man is an island," while S&G state "I am an island." Do you see any characters in About a Boy thinking either way? Does the character change his or her mind?
In your reading of Donne's writing, do you think he believes we have a choice to disconnect ourselves from everyone (like Will and Fiona do in the beginning), or are we able to create our own "island" like S&G try to do? What does this mean for the characters?

Remember, these are just possible interpretations. If you have other ideas or feel like you can support other interpretations, please do so. Your essay will take the form of an answer to one of these questions. Convince your reader that your interpretation is a solid one by using support (quotations) from all texts you choose to include.

If you have any questions about either last week's or next week's essay, please post a comment below or send me an email.

Enjoy your weekend. Read outside!

Sidetrack: Socotra Island

2008-09-04T22:22:00.001-05:00

Check out this article with amazing pictures from DarkRoastedBlend.com.

Also, Josiah's comment on the previous post.

Help Me Help You

2008-08-29T20:25:00.001-05:00

I really enjoyed reviewing your drafts today. This gives me a chance to see where you are as writers, and an opportunity for me to give you specific feedback. As you finish your essays this weekend, keep these things in mind:

Go over the handouts I gave you in class. If you have any questions, or if an example is unclear, please post a comment and I'll get back to you quickly.
Turn in anything you write on. I'll only grade what you ask me to, but it helps me if I can see your thought process.
Avoid summarization. Each sentence should show your reader what you got out of the text, not how you would re-tell the story.
Papers are never perfect, but work on it at least once more after you get everything down, even if only for 10 minutes. Make sure your idea is clear and you've supported each major point with (cited) quotations from the text.
Don't worry about typing them unless you:

Are unsure about punctuation, citations, etc. (I will grade all on this, but my explanations are clearer when the paper's clean.)
Have really terrible handwriting.
Feel that you are a poor speller. (Please give me a copy of your handwritten draft as well if this is the case. I do not specifically count off for spelling errors at this stage, but I would like to see where I can help.)

Tomorrow's Gonna Be a Scorcher...

2008-08-27T17:52:00.001-05:00

We've been blazing through the process of invention, or "coming up with something worth writing about." The following is a quick overview, but as you know, there is no substitute for our rapid-fire discussion technique.

If I missed something, or there is something I need to clarify, post a comment below for the benefit of all.

We will discuss the writing process tomorrow and what I expect from your essays.

A winter's day...

2008-08-21T20:56:00.001-05:00

"I Am a Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel

More tomorrow.

About a Boy is in!

2008-08-21T19:32:00.001-05:00

You can pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble on 41st (by AMC). Begin reading as soon as possible. We will be discussing the novel on Monday.

As always, if you have trouble getting a copy, please let me know. We can work something out through the school or you can have one of my personal copies. No worries.

YouTube as Literature, or VidLit Devices

2008-08-15T16:26:00.001-05:00

[EDIT: I neglected to mention that you should also explain how your video reflects a device.]

For the past week, we've been discussing literary devices in British music and (mostly) WWI-era poetry. To move our discussions into the realm of popular culture, we will compile a series of videos that represent our favorite devices. In doing so, we will not only demonstrate understanding and application of the devices, but also (perhaps) defend YouTube as a site worthy of our perusal. Our main challenge will be sifting through the channels for clips worth watching.

Here are the rules of the game:

First, familiarize yourself with the list of literary devices I handed out in class. We have covered most, but certainly not all, in our discussions this past week.
Second, add the following devices:
- Allegory
- Anachronism
- Flashback
- Foreshadowing
- Irony
- Satire
Third (before you head to YouTube), try to come up with an example off the top of your head. (Your journal might be a handy resource for this.) The Simpsons, Scrubs, Seinfeld, and Family Guy are rife with allusions, puns, metaphor, characterization, etc. You can often find a short clip of your example without resorting to browsing the stacks.
Fourth, If you cannot come up with one, begin your search. Google's video search is a good place to start.
Fifth, once you find your video, please make sure it is clean (see your syllabus). I suggest using "not suitable for minors" filter under the Advanced Search button (to the left of the Search bar) on YouTube or Google when undertaking your search.
Finally, post a link to your example in the comments below. (If you are unable to log in and you're using a Yahoo! account, follow this link to enable the OpenID feature of your screenname. If you aren't using a Yahoo! account, send me an email with your comment and I'll post it for you, or create a Google account.)
Oh! Idea: If you find yourself without an example after having thoroughly searched, why not make your own video? A short, creative clip illustrating one (or more) of the terms would be awesome (and graded accordingly).

The idea for this assignment came from this post on Todd Seal's blog. If you click on the link, you can view his examples for most of the devices. As you can see, he hasn't completed the list. Let's see if we can all do it in a weekend.

About a Boy Update

If you want to get a head start on About a Boy, go ahead and purchase it. (Gardner's or Steve's Sundry usually has a cheap copy.) I've ordered a class set at B&N on 41st, so we should begin our discussions on the 25th or 26th, depending on when they come in.

Have a great weekend! I look forward to watching your videos!

Beyond TP-CASTT

2008-08-14T17:30:00.001-05:00

Today we went over the old TP-CASTT model for poetry/music analysis. Then we tore it apart. In doing so, we found the most appropriate method for us to use in analyzing any work, but shorter pieces in particular. Here is what we came up with:

Awesome. You all (inadvertently?) created a workable representation of the rhetorical triangle using the common sense you apply to describe the things you enjoy. This is going to be a good year.

The rhetorical triangle is used to describe the interaction of the reader, the writer, and the message itself. From what you have given me, it could be constructed this way: A writer presents some information (imagery, symbolism, or a straightforward statement to the audience. The reader then takes this structure and applies it to what he or she has read (looking for allusions) or experienced. This "reader history" is then applied to the message. If it fits, then you have a solid interpretation or analysis. If not, 'round we go again. (We'll discuss this "application of reader history" in more detail tomorrow.

We will continue looking at poetry on Friday, so if you have a song that you particularly enjoy, share it! Together we'll try to find a new way of interpreting it. The song's author does not necessarily have to be British, but that would be nice. Even better: Can you find a poem or song similar to Stevie Smith's "Not Waving but Drowning"?

Cool Internetness.

2008-08-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

If you were confused by the RSS feed talk today, check out this older post. I have listed sites that I enjoy, as well as a video about setting up an RSS feed yourself.

I'd add Treehugger and Popmatters to the list.

Remember, comment below, telling me who you are (if it isn't obvious from your name), which web sites you like to visit and anything else you care to share, like good music! If you don't have a site to share, click on a link that has been posted, have a look around, and report back.

Buy journals soon. I'll order About a Boy in a few days.

Amazing first day! Thanks, guys.

British Literature Syllabus 2008-2009

2008-08-04T08:13:00.001-05:00

If you need to get in contact with me, please send an email.

If you need to know what we did in class, check this blog.

The primary objective of this course is to show you that the things you do every day—be it reading, watching television, listening to music, drawing, arguing, watching movies, sleeping can be applied to how you write. I’m just going to show you how. If you already know how, I’m going to show you how to do it better; if you already know how to do it perfectly, I’ll let you write our lesson plans. Really.

During the next two semesters we will be studying works by major British authors and their impact on modern literature and culture. This means that we will be folding the chronology of Brit Lit upon itself—we will look at Nick Hornby’s work alongside Donne’s poetry; punk music alongside classic nonfiction texts and dystopian novels (Brave New World, anyone?); Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s postmodern play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Brooks’s Young Frankenstein (well, maybe…) and anything else we can mash together.

This course is a survey of British Literature from the present day to the Renaissance, but as you can see from the above outline, it will not be chronological. This presents us with a number of advantages (stronger understanding of intertextuality and impact, immediate understanding of the contemporary relevance of canonical texts, not being stuck in the Middle Ages for an entire “unit”…), as well as one major disadvantage (temporal connections and movements can be de-emphasized). Fear not, noble students: In order to gain an understanding of why Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she did, or why The Clash became popular when they did, we will talk about what was going on in Great Britain when each piece was penned.

In addition to all of this, we will be writing. Often. This will give you the chance to improve your communication skills and interact with the consumables on a deeper level. We will be writing some form of essay once every other week.

You will come away from this course with a solid understanding of British culture and consumables, and a solid grasp on research/writing mechanics. If that's not enough, you will also get all of those Brit Lit allusions in Family Guy and The Simpsons (e.g. Brian: "Does a dog not feel? If you scratch us do our legs not kick?" or even better, from the episode "The King is Dead," when a group of monkeys are writing Shakespeare: "No, they did that on last week's Marlowe").

Fake Schedule

It’s fake because we will never get to all of these works, because we will be sidetracked often, because we will spend lots of time on one section because we really get into it, because we may find better things to read, and because we will not go in this order. You have been warned. But we will listen to The Clash. I’m sorry to have to put my foot down, but The Clash will be listened to and thoroughly enjoyed. Thoroughly. Enjoyed.

The other reason this is a fake reading list is that I am not sure what we should do with it. I have plenty of lessons planned, and a timeline for us to learn the nuts and bolts of writing, but it matters little what we write about. So, I have two guidelines for this section: We all read together, and we write some papers. Oh, and The Clash thing. Other than that, I’m open. Bring stuff in for us all to read (Clean. So help me if it isn’t clean!), watch, draw, listen to, whatever. We will work, but I don’t know what we will be consuming at any one time. Like a little Cracker Jack prize for your junior year. Only you’ll be tested over it. Surprise!

So here it is. If I have left something off, spelled something wrong, given a book the wrong author, etc., let me know. I won’t actually change it, but it would be good to know for the future.

Section One: These are the songs that we sing…

We will begin with this section, but come back to it throughout the year.

Poetry set to music:

The Beatles: Abbey Road, Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band…	The Rolling Stones
The Who’s Tommy	John Lennon (solo)
The Clash: London Calling, Black Market Clash	Led Zeppelin
Nick Drake	The Smiths
Radiohead OK Computer	Coldplay Viva la Vita
Portishead Dummy

Poetry set to paper:

A.E. Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young"	Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Ulysses"
Dylan Thomas	John Donne
Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky"	Rupert Brooke's "The Soldier"
Siegfried Sassoon's "Dreamers"	Stevie Smith's "Not Waving but Drowning"
Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est"	Those Big Romantic Six: Coleridge, Keats, Wordsworth, Byron, Blake, Shelley for flava
W.H. Auden	T.S. Eliot
Winston Churchill "Be Ye Men of Valor"

We will begin our reading journals at this point Your journal does not have to be fancy, but I suggest purchasing one with writing space larger than your hand. Carry it with you always; treat it like a friend. You should begin reflecting on the works in your writing—asking questions of the poems, recording personal reactions, making connections with other works. This is a habit you should get into not only because it will make you a better writer (which it will), but it will allow you to talk to your friends and peers more intelligently about things you consume and become more aware of the world around you.

Section Two:

We will make a smooth transition from Donne’s “Meditation #17” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “I am a Rock” (not British, but thematically applicable) into About a Boy by Nick Hornby. You are responsible for purchasing this. If you have trouble making the purchase, let me know as soon as possible and I will take care of it.

About a Boy is a novel about one immature man who meets a 12-year old who is going on 30. In coming together, they learn from one another and grow because of it. In this section, we’ll be discussing maturity, “coolness,” family, friends, and identity. This will be our first major work of length, and there are one or two sections with questionable language, so now is as good a time as any to make the

Classroom Content Disclaimer:

We will be discussing some difficult and sometimes controversial topics in this class. That being said, if you have an objection to anything being presented please do not hesitate to let me know. Talk it over with your parents, ask what they think. I will make the necessary changes to the assignment or provide an alternative work for you to read. The change will be subtle, and no one will be the wiser. If you prefer not to come to me in person (though I would appreciate that), just email me. No worries.

Section Three: Victorian/Edwardian Literature

To shake things up a bit, and give you some control over the next novel you read, we will be covering Victorian/Edwardian literature in groups. Here’s the list:

Charles Dickens’s The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1839)

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (1847)

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights (1847)

George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss (1860)

Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations (1861)

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871)

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883)

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey (1890)

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

H.G. Wells's The Time Machine (1895)

H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897)—Flip through this before you choose. It’s better than the movies, but not the same.

H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds ( 1898)

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902)—More modernist than Victorian, but worth including.

Section Four: Romantic Literature

Back to classroom reading. If you’ve read Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, excellent—we’re reading it again. There is so much to discuss with this work that we could devote an entire session to it. Perhaps we will…

Section Five: Billy Shakespeare’s Pomo-a-go-go

This round will be devoted to Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1966) and Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1601). Both works are masterfully written, and together make an interesting juxtaposition of English Renaissance and Modern cultures.

Section Six: Dystopian Literature

George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World

Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies

Kenzaburo Oe’s Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids

Anthony Burgess’s Clockwork Orange

Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta

Punk music

Section Seven:

Canterbury Tales, "The Wife of Bath's Tale" (around 1390)

Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667)

Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal” (1729) and Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Mary Willstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)

Housekeeping

This could also be called “The Fine Print,” but it is important so I’m keeping it readable. No Charlie and the Chocolate Factory surprise clauses here.

Plagiarism

If you plagiarize, you will fail. There will be no slapping of hands, no talks in the hall. I will certainly give any suspected plagiarist a chance to explain, but I do not see any reason for a student to represent another’s work as his or her own. So, you may be asking yourself, what does he think plagiarism is, exactly? I’m glad you asked.

Plagiarism is taking another’s ideas, words, images, term paper, etc and putting your name on it, without saying, “Hey, this section is by so-and-so.” Quoting from Shakespeare in a paper is not plagiarism as long as you include his name in a citation or works cited page. (We will discuss MLA formatting later in the year.) If you read someone else’s paper, website, book, or the like, and re-write or paraphrase the ideas without telling your reader where you got the idea, that is plagiarism. We will go over plagiarism in more detail later, but the gist of this section is: Do your own work. If you get information or ideas from another source, give them credit. Simple as that. If you have any questions or concerns that a part of your paper might be plagiarized inadvertently, ask me. No one is going to get in trouble for it before the paper is turned in. Again, ask and I will help.

Grades

I will print grade checks often, so there should be no problem with anyone wondering where they are in my class. If you really must know, come by right before school (I get to school at seven every morning) and I’ll tell you your grade.

A large portion of your grade will be based on your participation in class discussions. It is important that you all become comfortable speaking/sharing in class—ideas, insights, things you are currently reading, your best British accent, that sort of thing. The remainder of your semester grade will be divided between various projects, papers, and your final(s). We will work out the percentages for each assignment. I am willing to change any of this if you guys can give me a good reason to do so.

Attendance Policy

Because this is a discussion-heavy class, attendance is very important. If you have more than five unexcused absences (that’s all year, not per semester), I will reduce your grade one letter. All assignments are due the day you get back.

Erm, pardon this

2008-08-03T15:00:00.001-05:00

Just testing the layout.

This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....This is the story of your red right ankle....

This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....This is the story of your gypsy uncle....

Fin.

Persepolis has arrived!

2008-04-26T14:48:00.001-05:00

You can pick up your copy of Marjane Satrapi's book at the Barnes and Noble on 41st. Begin reading for our discussion on Monday.

This weekend, be thinking about a work that you would like to illuminate. It can be in any medium that you like. While you should be true to the original, an adaptation is fine. We'll talk more about this on Monday.

Internet Goodness: Articles and RSS

2008-04-18T18:03:00.001-05:00

Remember, we will be sharing articles on Tuesday. Bring an article that you find interesting, something for the class to discuss.

To assist you in your search, I thought I'd share this with you:

I use the Google RSS reader, but there are others out there. (See links in video.)

Here are a couple of good article sources that I use:

NPR.org breaks up the site sections into different feeds, which can be found here. After you sign up with an RSS reader, click on the RSS button next to the section you're interested in. I'm subscribed to Top Stories, All Things Considered, World Cafe, Morning Edition, Topics: Music, and of course, Education.
The New Republic is always a good source for opinion articles. It's a bit liberal, but always creates solid discussions.
The Urban Tulsa Weekly is my favorite source for local entertainment and opinion articles. The Most Recently Posted feed delivers all content for your perusing pleasure.
Adbusters. This one's a bit liberal, too, but good for discussion.
The New York Times RSS feeds provides all the content of one of the nation's best newspapers without the cost. Because $5 on Sunday is only okay if you don't buy books with your hard-earned money. Home Page, Movies, and Technology are all worth subscribing to.
The New Yorker. I subscribe to all feeds. But then, I'm addicted to this.
Time isn't my favorite news source, but the photography is always amazing.

I'm a big fan of these last four. You might say they're the winning-est blogs on the web. You'd be wrong, but the wordplay remains. If you choose no other feed, subscribe to these:

Windmills and Giants is always an interesting read, and a great place to discuss/learn about contemporary rhetoric.
The Winsome Scholar, a site devoted to contemporary fiction. It can be a bit heavy on music, art, and graffiti news, though.
Winter's Night Blog is a brilliant site that collects interesting news stories and discussion of contemporary nonfiction. I hear the webmaster is simply amazing.
Windfall Knitting is designed and run by K vOn MO and Kathryn, with occasional postings by yours truly. Stop by for the latest Knitting Club information and projects.

If you have any further questions about RSS feeds or any other Internetness, post a comment below. The next post in my Internet Goodness will be about the wonders of Google docs. Never have to deal with emailing a report to yourself again!

KW Volunteers

2008-04-18T15:27:00.001-05:00

I'm told that the 3rd graders are planning a "secret" pizza party for their high school friends. Wouldn't it be nice if we returned the favor? I'm reaching out to you all for ideas. Something knitted for our friends might be cool; I'll talk to Ms. C about that. Please remember that there will be no reading this coming week, so we should have plenty of time to plan and create. If inspiration hits, post it below.

I've been very impressed with all of you who have stuck with it this semester. It may seem like a simple activity, but it makes an immeasurable difference in the kids' lives. For them to have interaction with someone, if only for an hour each week, someone who is interested in their lives and their development, is a very big deal. You each have made a difference in the life of another. For that, much respect. The world needs more people like you.

Daily Articles

2008-04-13T10:03:00.001-05:00

If you read nothing else from this post, read this article from In These Times. Author Mike Levy discusses Kurt Vonnegut's works with a small group of students in China. As a rare insight into how a very different culture views our own, it may be fitting that their lens was crafted by America's most insightful absurdist. In These Times article

Because everyone loves Jackie Chan. NPR story

Fathom this: MSNBC Story

Midterm Questions

2008-04-10T19:17:00.001-05:00

Here are two questions to choose from, based on the books we've read so far. This is not a book report. Write on something that affects your life, or a topic you would like pursue further.

We covered the impact of popular culture on our everyday lives when reading Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnson. Our discussions centered on the impact of video games and television, and the cognitive effects of our consumption of these materials.

Edit: I have received a few messages from you, suggesting possible topics for an EBIGFY essay. If you have an idea, run it by me and then begin work. The essay should follow the ideas in the book, either in support or refutation of, or using Johnson's ideas in a new application. Again, run your idea by me before you begin, but I want you to make this essay your own.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell explains how information (and fads) can spread through a population like a cold. We've talked about the people that begin these fads (The Few), and how a message's "Stickiness" can allow or prevent ideas(or fads) from spreading. My challenge to you is to come up with a plan based on Gladwell's theories that would create a Tipping Point of your own. Who would be your "Few"? How would you make your message "Sticky"? In what context (i.e. time, place, population, medium) would you seed your idea? Remember, Gladwell's examples range from Paul Revere's ride to Sesame Street to shoes and crime.

Before you begin planning, think about something that you'd like to happen. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Which candidate would you like to win?
How you could improve the quality of life for people around our city?
How can you get students to read/do their homework?
How can you make a product the next "big thing"?
How could you change people's ideas about something (a minority, a religion, NAFTA, comic books, video games, school, volunteering...)?
If you have another idea, please let me know.

After you've come up with your topic, review Gladwell's explanations and my questions above. We'll discuss this (and Chapter Four up to page 163) tomorrow. Comment below if you have any questions. (We will discuss format, length, due date, etc tomorrow, so no worries about that.)

Oh-oh, it's magic...

2008-04-09T18:55:00.001-05:00

you noo-o-o. Not really.

Gladwell makes some interesting assertions in the second chapter, and today we focused on the effects of interpersonal communication. He cites a study by Syracuse University that explains the impact of newscasters and their expressions in Presidential races, and explains what makes Tom Gau so convincing. Derren Brown was brought up, and I promised videos. Here they are:

Watch Brown's movements as he talks to the man. He mirrors his movements, then takes a step back. The man follows.

This one is a bit off topic, but I think it effectively illustrates just how easily our creativity can be affected by our environment. As always, you are what you eat, even if you don't mean to consume it.

This one is similar. You think you aren't listening, but you are.

I'm trying to find video or an article explaining the microemotions explained in this chapter. If anyone finds something, post it below.

Autism, Stroke Victim

2008-04-08T16:22:00.001-05:00

Here's the video we watched today in class:

And one that I talked about in class. This is one of the most profound descriptions of right/left brain thinking that I've ever seen. Check out TED.com for more videos.

Tonight you should read the rest of the second chapter of The Tipping Point.

Some Articles and a Reading Schedule

2008-04-07T18:25:00.001-05:00

This article from the NY Times describes the newfound importance of right-brained intelligence in the workforce. One more reason to get your M.F.A. NYT Story

Another update in the development of video games. Christopher Williams of Popmatters reviews NiGHTS. Popmatters story

We will be discussing The Tipping Point up to page 59 tomorrow. If you have not purchased the book from Border's Midtown, today is the last day to use my educator's discount on your purchase.

While reading (and journaling, marking, or post-iting), consider the "three agents of change" Gladwell describes on page 19: "the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context." He briefly describes them in the first chapter.

Do you see the Tipping Point in your own life? (Think homework, perhaps. At what point do you "shut down"?)
Are there other trends that this can be applied to?
Are there trends that the Tipping Point doesn't explain? How do you explain those?

In Chapter Two, he explains "the Law of the Few" in more detail, labeling three types of people that generally make up "the Few": "Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen" (Gladwell 30).

Are you a "Connector"? I new 19 people from the list on 40. Suppose I should update my address book.
Do you know anyone who might be a Connector? What is your connection to him or her?

Talk to your parents and friends about this. See how well they do with the name test, or see what trends they remember—either national or local ones.

The Tipping Point

2008-04-05T11:40:00.001-05:00

has arrived, and that's the bottom line.

We will be reading through page 30 (the Introduction through the first chapter) by Monday. For instructions on purchasing at the Midtown Border's, see the previous post here.

Articles Due Tomorrow

2008-03-31T18:23:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder. Clean up the latest draft, email me a copy and bring one to school tomorrow. We will be presenting them to the class, then working out the logistics of putting this thing together.

Prepare for neatness

2008-03-27T20:07:00.001-05:00

I just spoke with Borders in Midtown, and they will allow you all to use my educator discount when you purchase a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. I had to cancel my order with B&N, but with our history of weird order times, I'm not too broken up about it.

So. The order should be in the store by Wednesday, April 2nd (which is the beginning of the discount week). Stop by, ask for the book at the front counter, ask for the 25% educator's discount, and read to your heart's delight. If they question your educator status, politely ask to speak with the manager and explain what I've just told you. There should be no problem.

We will peer review our articles in class on Monday, March 31st, so please bring a completed draft at that time. We'll work together to improve clarity and structure, and share ideas for catchy titles. The final draft of Articles are due on Tuesday, April 1st. We will present them to the class at that time, and pass copies around (possibly via email--that would be a lot of paper) for everyone's enjoyment.

If you are having trouble coming up with a topic, ask during class. We can all work together to come up with great ideas.

One last thing: We will be wrapping up our discussion of Everything Bad in class tomorrow. If you have not finished the book, complete as much as you can tonight. We had a great discussion in class today, but it will be much better if we are all on the same page.

To Write an Article...

2008-03-26T17:36:00.001-05:00

Here are some (legible) notes from our discussion in class. While we are going to be using these steps to create newspaper/magazine articles, the process is the same for coming up with a topic for just about any type of nonfiction writing.

Choose your topic. It should be something you're interested in, something you have a question about.
Research your topic. As you go, make sure you have a solid understanding of your topic. If you don’t understand your topic, you are likely to confuse or put off your audience.
- Take notes, mark up your book, look up other sources, mark them up. This step is important. You'll thank yourself later if you do this.
- As you consume, ask questions of the work:
  - Am I a cockroach? Does the author's comparison work?
  - Is radio really irrelevant? Does music really make commercials better?
  - Where are video games headed?
  - Why do people go to Disney World?
  - Where can I buy one? [Okay, that last one would be a short article.
- These questions will become the "prompt" for your essay. The great thing about it is that you can change your question if the answer seems obvious or the answer would take too long to come up with. [Avoid "What is the meaning of life," for example. (Unless your answer is "42." Wait, that's too short.)]
- After you find your question, begin thinking about a possible answer. Read through your notes, look for other sources, and talk with friends that know something about your topic, and some that don't. The first group can help clarify and help with ideas, while the second can ask questions and check your understanding.
- Begin writing your article.
We'll talk about the last steps tomorrow.

Daily Articles

2008-03-22T16:21:00.001-05:00

NPR: World Cafe's David Dye interviews Chris Walla about his newest album, Field Manual. Have any of you heard it? NPR: World Cafe Story

This is really amazing. Dan Phillips creates homes using 85% recycled or reused materials, which is incredible in itself, but Phillips works with the working poor to . . . just watch:

via Treehugger Article check out Phillips's website.

Anyone looking to major in geology? Something to think about: NPR Story.

Domingo Martin plays a song using his Moleskine journal as his only instrument. Video at Moleskinerie.com Article.

Interesting commentary on the current election slogans. In These Times Article

Library WII. Gothamist Article

John Marks writes about Stoker's Dracula and how it reminds him of . . . Easter. Just check it out: NPR Story.

What about this one?

2008-03-19T22:16:00.001-05:00

Okay, it isn't art, nor is it supposed to be. It is fun, though. The author of the Slate article makes a point to explain that the very simple game stole the show at the most recent Game Developers' Conference. Can the crayon game be compared to others, like Gears of War? Don't they do exactly the same thing for us?

Crayon Physics Game

Article from Slate.com (with video!)

Daily Article

2008-03-18T18:56:00.001-05:00

We all get a song stuck in our heads every once in a while, but Robert Krulwich interviews a deaf woman who has had music playing in her head for years. NPR Story

Hmm... Winsome Scholar is down

2008-03-18T14:28:00.001-05:00

Apparently Google confused it with fakewebsitesellingscheapstuffandstealingyouridentity.com. I can see how they could make that mistake.

Here is the post planned for the contemporary fiction class:

Heartbreaking Work with Caffeine!

A few of us discussed meeting over the break to discuss AHWoSG, I'll be at the Starbucks at Utica Square tomorrow (Wednesday) around 2 if any of you want to have a cup and talk about The Real World, playing Frisbee, or how to start your own zine. Journey's Greatest Hits will be on repeat.

Nonfiction-y people are welcome, too. If you guys want to meet at a different time or day to discuss Everything Bad, talk amongst yourselves and post a comment.

Homework

2008-03-13T19:20:00.001-05:00

Go outside. Read. Talk with your family. Whatever you are in the middle of, move it to the yard.

This is worth ten points.

Daily Stuff

2008-03-13T17:40:00.001-05:00

After four years of researching, a Pentagon group has discovered that while the Iraqi regime has assisted and collaborated with (and even trained) terrorist groups, there is certainly no connection between Al Quaida and Iraq. NPR Story

Eyeteeth blog interview with Brian Ulrich, a photographer documenting America's consumer culture. Eyeteeth Story (w/ slideshow and links)

Second Life on college campuses. NYT Story

Review of My Kid Could Paint That, a documentary following the art of four-year-old Marla Olmstead. Popmatters Story

Barnes and Noble Update II

2008-03-07T18:16:00.001-06:00

The books are in! You can pick up your copy at the front desk of the B&N at 41st. They will be under TSAS or Jesse Stallings. Or I suppose you could just ask for the title... We will begin discussing the work on Monday, so try to get through the first chapter at least.

Your journal assignment over the weekend is to reflect on Johnson's thesis (what point he's trying to make). Do you think he's on the right track with his ideas? Do his ideas about modern media apply to your life?

Let me know what you think.

Also, if you read this and have a way to contact other members of the class, please spread the word. Ask them to do the same.

Barnes and Noble Update

2008-03-06T20:41:00.001-06:00

I just spoke with B&N at 41st. They tell me that Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You should be at the store by the 13th, which is a week from today. I'll let you know if they arrive sooner. This is really a good thing as I think we all have plenty more to say on our current topic, right?

The Revolution

2008-03-06T19:37:00.005-06:00

will be fueled by our creations.

Today we discussed motivations, which led us to Freud's pleasure principle. Here's a clip from the board:

How's the search coming? If you have a video that you'd like to share, post it in the comments section below. Here's one from Gwyn that she posted under the previous header:

The video's from Ted.com are always amazing, and this is no exception. The speaker contends (among many other things) that adults have learned to be frightened of being "wrong." Has anyone seen Meet the Robinsons?

Our discussion tomorrow will be based on the articles and information we bring in. Remember, it is one thing to know something, but quite another to understand and use this understanding to create.

Here are a few more articles from you guys:

And one from another teacher:

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?

School?

2008-03-05T14:15:00.000-06:00

Here is the video that began our discussion this week:

We've discussed what it means to be a student, what a school should provide an how, but what should we as individuals do when faced with this information? Do we dismiss it as alarmist, or do we need to make some changes? What are these changes? Do we think this is this an inevitable change in society, or is there something we can do to stop it? As individuals? As a class? As a school? What is within our power to change? What do we need help with in order to facilitate these changes?

Oh, the quest(ions) continue....

Some things to read while thinking about this:

Japan Looks to a Robot Future

The Mother Theresa of Baghdad

and to look at:

It's a kitten, in a bucket, surrounded by yarn! Clear your thoughts and imagine your future.

Two Million Minutes

2008-03-02T17:32:00.001-06:00

[This is a repeat of this post from earlier this month.]

Check out the resources for more information:

Yahoo! news article

http://www.edin08.com/

Some things to keep in mind:

EDin08 is a group of political lobbyists seeking to influence the current presidential candidates in their policies.
It is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and is a project of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Group.
This is a trailer for a movie.

Write about your thoughts, reactions, solutions, or arguments. Post below if you'd like.

A few of you have had questions

2008-02-27T17:49:00.001-06:00

about the final paper tomorrow. It must follow the guidelines we established at the beginning of the year. I will not accept a paper that is not properly formatted. These guidelines are as follows:

12 pt Times New Roman font
Double-spaced with 1" margins
Header (on the left) with your name, my name, the class name, and tomorrow's date
A title in 12 pt Times New Roman font (do not use bold or italic font)
Page numbers at the top right corner in this format: Last #
At least three pages in length (your final paper should have a "4" at the top)
No works cited is necessary for this paper unless you use outside information

This paper is your chance to show me what you can write, that you can apply what we've learned these past weeks. Turning in a paper is not a guarantee that your grade will go up, but if you write an excellent paper that illustrates your understanding of the concepts we've covered, it can dramatically raise your grade.

If you have any questions, email me or comment below.

Wrap up

2008-02-23T13:35:00.001-06:00

If you were absent this Friday, your assignment is to choose a book and read it. We will continue the journals through the end of this semester, but I'd like you to find something you're interested in and read it. The type, genre, content, author, time period, and place of publication does not matter.

If you would like some suggestions, please comment below or check out the book widget on the side of the page. I'm happy to help you narrow your search. Happy reading—the weather's perfect for it.

Do not be deceived

2008-02-12T15:30:00.000-06:00

by the brevity of "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula LeGuin. LeGuin's tale is not a simple one. Here is a copy. Print it out, read it tonight if you'd like. We will read and then discuss the tale in class tomorrow.

A couple of questions to consider for your journal:

Is the happiness of the citizens worth the child's lot?
Would you stay, or would you walk away from Omelas?
Are there situations in the real world that are similar to this one?

Also, don't forget your quick journal assignment for tonight:
Record at least twenty choices that you make during the day. The seeming importance does not matter; you can write about choosing your clothes in the morning, what music you listen to, or whether you did your homework or not. The list does not need to be a narrative, just a sentence or phrase for each. Be prepared to share in class tomorrow.

3rd Hour Emotion

2008-02-11T17:37:00.000-06:00

By popular demand, our discussion this week will be centered on the emotion of happiness. Some possible things to consider:

What makes you happy? (and the obvious follow up: Why?)
How important is happiness?
How powerful is happiness as a motivator?

If you think of any other questions, please add them to the comments section.

Interesting side note: In Buddhist philosophy dukka (desire) is the source of all pain or unhappiness in an individual. So, the renunciation of all desire (remember last week's discussion) will lead to happiness. What do you think?

Something to think about

2008-02-10T16:59:00.001-06:00

the next time we complain about our building.

While many people dream of buying a large tract of land on which to retire, high school teacher Matt Schlein saved enough money to purchase 260 acres of land and then built a school. Sort of. Check out the story at NPR's website.

3rd Hour Trends

2008-02-04T17:48:00.000-06:00

Per your vote, the emotion of the week is desire. Look for it in your everyday stuff, write about it, talk about it in class.

Two Million Minutes Trailer

2008-02-01T19:28:00.000-06:00

Oh my. Thoughts?

Check out the resources for more information:

Yahoo! news article

http://www.edin08.com/

3rd Hour Discussion

2008-02-01T14:17:00.001-06:00

Go for it. I'm excited to see the plan.

Sidetrack!

2008-02-01T09:32:00.001-06:00

Check out this blog (Tuna's Aquarium) created by a high school senior taking AP Lang. I came across it while reading teacher-y stuff on Clay Burell's blog Beyond-School.org. I don't know how may of you blog (or if you do, if you would want to share that information with all of us), but I'm impressed by this student's style. Enjoy. As always, comment for the good of all, and post links if you want to share.

Our Next Novel(s)

2008-01-31T16:52:00.001-06:00

Your homework for tonight is to come up with a short list of books you'd like to read for class.

Tomorrow we will decide whether we want to read different books in groups or one novel as a class. If we read together, we will have weekly reading quizzes as we did with About a Boy last semester. If we read in groups, we will work from the Discussion Leader, Connection, and Scrivener worksheets as we did at the end last semester. We'll discuss this in class tomorrow.

D'oh.

2008-01-29T18:52:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure why it has taken me this long to come up with this. I've added a section in the right column entitled "What We're Up To." It is a brief synopsis of what you should be working on for the next class. I will provide the details of all assignments in posts as usual, but this is a good filter for what you need to have done before we meet again.

Visual Projects Due Monday 28

2008-01-27T14:27:00.001-06:00

Just a reminder.

War of the Worlds Reading

2008-01-26T22:20:00.001-06:00

Here is the reading/quiz schedule for War of the Worlds

By Monday 28th: through chapter 12

By Thursday 31st: to Book II

By Monday 4th: finish Book II and Epilogue

Read at your own pace, but be ready for the quizzes on these dates.

Dracula Reading

2008-01-25T10:35:00.001-06:00

We will be finishing Dracula by February 4th. Read at your own pace (finish early if you want), but finish chapter 15 by Monday 28, chapter 20 by Thursday 31, and the rest of the book by the 4th. We will have a reading quiz on each of the days mentioned, so be sure you have read at least the recommended number of chapters.

Visual Project (NOT) Due Friday

2008-01-22T13:17:00.001-06:00

Quick edit. After much discussion and deliberation, we will not be turning in the visual projects on Friday. I am granting a continuance across the board, with one requirement:

You must bring your project to school on Friday. It does not need to be finished, but I want to see your progress.

MGRP Visuals

2008-01-15T16:24:00.001-06:00

We will be working on the visual aspect of our MGRP visuals tomorrow. Please remember to bring your sources to class, as we will be turning in a rough outline/project proposal at the end of class. This outline should contain the following:

A description of media to be used (computer animation, pen and ink, collage, photography, etc.)
A description of content to be included in the work (metaphor, color, design elements, text, sketch of panels if creating a comic strip)
A list of sources to be referenced in the work (these are the books/papers you should bring to class tomorrow)

We will be spending a lot of time on this project, so spend time thinking about what you would like to say with your piece (message), then determine how you should deliver it (medium). If you have any questions, or would like to run an idea by the class, post a comment below.

Dracula and War of the Worlds Essays

2008-01-10T18:17:00.001-06:00

Today we discussed possible topics for our next essays. Here's what we came up with:

1st Hour Dracula—after exploring various symbols in Stoker's novel (vampires, the stake, blood, the transfusions, lightness and darkness, etc), we came up with several topics from the book, which are listed below:

Fear of the unknown
Fear of death
Good versus evil
Holy versus unholy
Purity versus corruption

We also explored the vampire metaphor (life/health/soul/purity/blood-sucking) in modern culture and society. For the essay, each student will be writing a short fictional piece implementing the vampire metaphor and one or more of the topics listed above. We will be workshopping these in class tomorrow, and they are due Monday the 14th. The papers should be at least two typed pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font, header, etc.

3rd Hour War of the Worlds—as with Dracula, we explored various symbols in the novel (aliens, the alien technology, the curate, the hero), then pulled several topics from the work:

Foreign versus domestic
Adversity
Humanity/inhumanity
War
Interaction between opposing cultures

Students will write a short analysis of "Book I" from Wells's novel, discussing one of the topics above and supplementing their argument with quotations from the text.

4th Hour War of the Worlds—Using an "invasion" metaphor, students will write a short fiction piece using one or more of the topics above from War of the Worlds. The perimeters of the paper are the same as those for the Dracula piece above.

Literary Devices in Graphic Novels

2008-01-09T12:09:00.001-06:00

Today in class we continued yesterday's discussion of tone in a few examples from Thompson, Ware, Miller, and Eisner, then moved to Imagery in graphic works.

If you were absent today, please see me tomorrow so I can catch you up, as we completed an assignment worth 20 points in class.

Homework: 1st hour, read chapter 15 of Dracula

2nd hour, read chapters 17-Book II Ch 1 of War of the Worlds

Tone in Visual Media

2008-01-08T19:50:00.001-06:00

Today we went over a few terms specific to graphic works with this handout, which I found on TeachingComics.org (cite your sources...):

(Click the image to expand.) The most important terms in this handout are those surrounding the sample panel, but dropping "recto" or "verso" into conversation is always good for a strange look.

Then, we went through a super-neat slide show of graphics and images, discussing the tone and diction of each. If you were absent, I can email the images to you. We looked at examples of Chris Ware's bleak and often depressing style, noting the simple lines and use of subdued color. In a frame from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, we noticed the use of irony in the frame's idyllic tone and imagery. From many frames from Craig Thompson's Blankets we noted the dark, oppressive, shameful, and sometimes fearful tone of the images depicting a boy's movement from childhood to adolescence.

Tomorrow we will continue using McCloud's "five choices" in our analyses. We will look at the imagery and literary devices employed in a few passages from graphic novels, and discuss the symbols and archetypes in superhero comics.

If any of you have a "Quick Start Guide" that came with an electronic device (one depicting the installation of the device in pictures), bring it to class. We will be discussing Frame and Flow next week, and the guides are good illustrations of these.

Homework: 1st hour, read chapter 14 of Dracula

2nd and 3rd hours, read chapters 15-16 of War of the Worlds

Graphics in Literature or, Comic Books in School (better.)

2008-01-07T15:24:00.001-06:00

This week we will begin a section on graphic analysis. Basically, this means that we will be looking at works (mostly outstanding graphic novels, some shorter comics and comix, some advertisements, and possibly a short video) as we do with literature—think T-DIDLS but with Sandman or Jimmy Corrigan.

So, we began today with an overview of "why we are doing this." Always my favorite way to begin, as it ensures that our vital time isn't wasted. My reasoning is this (please feel free to add another reason in the comments section):

We are literally surrounded, daily, by images. Whether it is the cartoon on our Count Chocula in the morning, the pictures we take on vacation, television we watch, instructional videos we watch in psychology or chemistry, movies or television we use to avoid our homework, or webpages we obsess over. (I'm sure this is one; right? Um, guys?)
Because we are surrounded, we become used to these visual messages in our lives, but we rarely think about them. When is the last time you went to a movie by your favorite director (unless it's Michael Bay; he doesn't count) and were able to come out with a good explanation of why it was good, or why it wasn't (beyond "It seemed real")?
Because the little illustrations that came with your MP3 player manual are really helpful, but would you know how to create one yourself?
Because we can apply what we have learned about literature to graphic pieces. If you still aren't comfortable discussing tone, diction, detail, imagery, language or syntax in a written piece, perhaps it will click as we move through the visuals.

And,

Because graphic novels are finally becoming worth reading in the classroom. Really, what's more fun than that?

We then discussed Scott McCloud's terminology for understanding comics (found in his aptly titled work, Understanding Comics), and discussed how these terms can be applied to anything visual. (What's the tone of your MySpace or Facebook page? How do you know?) Here are his terms alongside our own:

Moment	Diction
Image	Imagery
Frame	Detail
Word	Language
Flow	Syntax

Your homework for tonight:

1st hour: Read chapter 13 of Dracula

3rd and 4th hour: Read chapters 13 and 14 of War of the Worlds

MGRP Essay Guideline Reminder

2008-01-03T14:49:00.001-06:00

Hey guys and girls,

Hope your breaks are going well. If you have any last minute questions about your essays, please shoot me an email. The requirements, in case you've forgotten, are as follows:

Header (on the left) with your name, my name, the class name, and the date you are going to turn it in
Five pages in length with page numbers in the header on the right (Your last name #)
Double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman
Works cited page (Here is an example of how this page should be formatted. If you have questions about individual citations, check the links at the bottom of the OWL page, then email me if you can't find what you need there.)
Brilliance and insight
If you have not turned in an outline, please do so. I can't give you full credit, as it was due on Friday, but we can work something out.

That's it! Enjoy the rest of your break, I'll see you all on Monday.

[Edit: A few of you were confused about the due date, so just as a reminder, your completed papers are due Monday, January 7.]

[Edit Edit: As always, I am happy to look over your essays for content and style before they are due. Send me an email with your essay attached and I'll make some suggestions. (It would be a good idea to send it before Sunday night, though.]

MGRP Outlines and Such

2007-12-20T17:02:00.001-06:00

I am very excited about the essays you all are working on. Most of you seemed comfortable with the outline overview I gave in class, but if you were absent or still have questions, here is an overview:

You will need to have at least four sources for this paper. Two of these will be from your previous presentation to the class, while the remaining two were collected earlier this week.

I have spoken to each of you about a part of your topic on which to concentrate, but if you are still undecided, please email me.

The outlines are due tomorrow. Here is the format:

Thesis statement. What are you arguing?

Topic phrase for first body paragraph.
1. Location of support (must be page number, song name, time during movie, etc) for topic phrase
2. Location of support for topic phrase
3. Location of support for topic phrase
Topic phrase for second body paragraph.
1. Etc.

Basically, I am looking for your thesis statement, the topic for each body paragraph, and the support (quotation) for each paragraph. Before turning in your outline tomorrow, make sure of a few things:

Your thesis statement argues a position. "The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are both from different parts of England. These parts are…" Is not an argument. "The musical styles of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were heavily influenced by the social status of the members of each band. While the Fab Four came from a predominantly blue collar section…" Is an argument. The author is arguing that the history of each band heavily influenced the later sound of each band.
Your topic phrases and support relate to your thesis and support your argument. This is why we write outlines before writing essays. If your argument is not supported, no matter how well you craft your words, the essay will not be a good one.

So, compile your notes from the past two days and write your thesis. The outlines will be graded in class tomorrow, and I will give you suggestions at that time. If you have any questions tonight, please email me or comment on this post.

Essay Topics, Tomorrow's Plan

2007-12-19T17:05:00.000-06:00

Today was fantastic. You all seem really excited about your topics, and I learned a lot. Some of you thought I was kidding when I said you'd each be an expert on your topic, but by the end of this session we will have a whole class of TSAS graduates who are experts on topics ranging from Tudor England to graffiti to the Beatles and Irish mythology. I can't wait.

We devoted today to studying our sources, taking notes, etc. In preparation for the outline that will be due on Friday. I went around to most students, tossing paper topics around until one stuck.

For those that I did not get around to, I will be talking with you first thing tomorrow. For the rest of you, use your time to study your sources and pull quotes that will help with your essay topics. Post-its are great for this purpose, but take notes however you wish.

If you have a video or audio source, bring them to class! I have a VHS player, a CD player, a DVD player, and a projector for online video, so use the 70 minutes in class to review any documentaries/albums, etc. that you may be using as sources.

For class tomorrow: Bring at least four sources for your paper to class. We will be creating Works Cited pages, and the information in the book (on the video/album/picture, etc.) is necessary to do this. We will continue working on our outlines tomorrow as well.

As always, post a comment or email me with any questions or suggestions.

Sources and Such

2007-12-18T16:40:00.001-06:00

Hope the source search is going well for all of you. If not, drop me an email or comment on this post and I'll see what I can drum up.

Here are a few ideas/sources I've come up with.

Topic	Idea/Source
King Arthur and such	King Arthur by Norma Lorre Goodrich*
Medieval weapons	Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World (sorry, didn't catch the author.*
British comedy	Peter Sellers; check out Charlie Chaplain on Wikipedia, there are many videos available and websites under external links.
Wars of the Roses	Many movies available. Check out Borders's medieval section (at 21^st location: top floor, head right) for books
British Language	Cool online dictionary
The Sandman	Come see me for book of academic papers
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen	Come see me for research ideas
Alice in Wonderland	Annotated Alice—I have this. Come see me.
Constellations	Godchecker.com—found this through John. Cross-check the constellations with their mythology and cultural differences

The sooner you find your sources, the sooner you can begin working on your outlines and get most of the work done before the break. Happy hunting!

Ice Day!

2007-12-09T21:55:00.001-06:00

Woot. School's been cancelled for tomorrow, so brew a cuppa chai, curl up by the fire (or space heater), grab Dracula or War of the Worlds and scare yourself silly.

On a separate note, I've noticed that my site banner's getting a bit old. For those of you who are graphically inclined, I am posting a request for a new design. I have only two specifications:

It must be original, drawn by you (either on paper or on the computer).

It should contain the words "Winter's Night" or "Winter's Night Blog," and not contain the name of our school.

From there, it is up to you. I will give 10 bonus points for each submission.

Edit: Due to the inclement weather, and the fact that trees are exploding all around my house [Come to think of it, it's kind of like the Seige of Bastogne, except I was inside, and there were no Nazis. Okay, it was nothing like Bastogne. More like Brian's Winter, except...], I have no electricity and thus no internet access. If you have any questions, please email me, but my responses will be held until I can get to Starbucks again. Or until I figure out how to re-wire the blown transformer outside of my window.

Weekend Reading Schedules and MGRP Plan

2007-12-08T08:47:00.001-06:00

Classes reading Dracula or War of the Worlds should read through chapter 12 before Monday, December 10.

I have been extremely impressed with your MGRP presentations so far. After we finish the presentations on Monday, we will continue our discussion of Dracula or War of the Worlds. Our calendar for next week looks like this:

10 Monday

Complete presentations
Continue discussion of novels
HW: Research MGRP topic

11 Tuesday

Discuss plot elements of novels, listen to radio broadcasts
HW: Research MGRP topic, bring at least 1 new source to class Wednesday

12 Wednesday

Continue research of MGRP topics, reading and taking notes over new materials
Research paper explanation
HW: Research MGRP topic, bring at least 1 new source to class Thursday

13 Thursday

Read and take notes over all MGRP sources
Begin outlining/discussing essays in small groups
HW: Work on outline/essay plan

14 Friday

Continue discussion in small groups, present outline/essay plan to me for approval and advice
HW: Write the essay

As you can see, we will be writing our first MGRP essay next weekend. This week will be devoted to discussing and taking notes over your sources (the book and "other" source you presented last week, and two "other" sources to be found before Wednesday and Thursday) in small groups. Each group member will write a different essay over his or her topic, but the group will work together to create the outlines and ideas for each essay. This is a good chance for each of you to get "outside" of your topic and find new ideas and ways to look at it.

You must submit a completed outline to me on Friday. You will have some time in class to work on it, but I will ask to see them before the end of the hour so I can make suggestions or just be impressed.

As always, post your questions for the good of the community.

MGRP Presentation One

2007-12-03T11:41:00.001-06:00

Before presenting, you should read one book over your topic and at least one source from Internet, printed, audio, or visual material.

This presentation is like the opening paragraph of an essay. Just like in an essay, you will be describing your topic, your two sources, what you plan to study, why, and how. Your presentation should be at least five minutes long, and inform your peers about your topic. Remember, your audience is most likely unfamiliar with your subject material, so provide any necessary background information.

Below is a possible outline for your presentation. Visual materials are not required, but could be helpful.

Opening
1. Introduce yourself
2. Introduce your topic
  1. Why did you choose this topic?
  2. Do you have any past experience with it?
3. Introduce your materials
  1. Where did you find your materials?
  2. Why did you choose these materials?
  3. What background information do you have on your material?
Body
1. Explain your material
  1. What did you learn from your materials?
  2. Describe/explain your book
  3. Describe/explain your other source
  4. Explain why the book and other source are important in studying your topic
2. Describe your future study plans
  1. What other aspects of your topic are you interested in?
  2. What other sources will you look at in order to learn more about your topic?
Conclusion
1. Sum up your presentation
2. Include any additional information or cool things you've discovered about your topic
Ask for questions.

2007-11-30T22:36:00.001-06:00

War of the Worlds Essay

2007-11-29T17:40:00.000-06:00

For third and fourth hours, your essay will be similar to the Dracula one mentioned below. Use the link included in that post for a copy of the outline worksheet, and remember to always back your ideas with evidence from the text.

Prompt:
Using at least two outside sources to back your argument, explain how Wells (or Welles) creates realism in his work. Use examples of diction, detail, and imagery to support your argument.

If you need to go over the radio broadcasts we listened to in class, please refer to the previous post and the links therein.
For the good of the community, post any questions you may have.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha: Dracula Essay

2007-11-29T10:12:00.001-06:00

Ahem. We will be having an essay in class on Friday 30^th over the first three chapters of Bram Stoker's Dracula. For your preparative pleasure, here is the prompt:

How does Stoker use diction, detail, and imagery to create a suspenseful narrative?

An outline will be due with your essay tomorrow. If you would like to get a head start, here is a copy of the outline sheet.

You should use quotations from Stoker's book to support any argument you make (note the "Evidence" sections of the outline).

Also, six days until MGRP Presentations.

Also also, Disney shoes.

Dracula Reading Questions

2007-11-28T13:03:00.001-06:00

If you missed class today, please answer the following questions and bring them tomorrow.

We will be writing an essay in class on Friday 30^th over the author's use of imagery, diction, and detail to create a realistic and (possibly) frightening novel.

1. "Transylvania" means "the land beyond the forest." ln what ways does Stoker create the impression that Jonathan is travelling to a part of the world beyond the reach of an ordinary Victorian reader?

2. What do we learn about Jonathan from the observations he makes about his exotic surroundings?

3. How does Stoker create an atmosphere of suspense in the opening sections of the first two chapters?

4. How does Jonathan react when faced with sights for which he can find no rational explanation?

5. How do the descriptions of Castle Dracula fit in with Gothic Literature conventions?

6. How does Stoker describe the Count? What are the effects of this description?

7. "l think strange things which l dare not confess to my own soul." What is the significance of this statement?

8. What two strange things happen when Jonathan is shaving?

9. How does Jonathan respond to the realization that he is a prisoner? What does it mean that he considers his crucifix to be "a comfort and a strength"?

War of the Worlds Media

2007-11-28T12:53:00.001-06:00

If you were absent, or would like to review the programs we listened to in class, check out these links:

Here, from You Tube (originally NPR) is the history of Welles's radio broadcast.

From MercuryTheatre.info, the original CBS production by Orson Welles.

The essay on Friday will focus on the realism employed by both the novel and the radio broadcast. As you read/listen, look for diction, imagery, and details that make the novel/broadcast seem believable. How did Wells and Welles's use of realism create dramatic tension in their pieces?

MGRP Novels Due Monday

2007-11-24T08:41:00.001-06:00

Quick reminder for all classes: Bring your chosen book or novel over your MGRP to class on Monday. You will have time to read/do further research in class. If you have questions this weekend, email me.

Dracula Reading Schedule

Read this:	Before this:
Chs 1-3	Tuesday, Nov. 20^th
Chs 4-6	Monday, Nov. 26^th
Chs 7-10	Monday, Dec. 3^rd

War of the Worlds Reading Schedule

2007-11-18T18:08:00.001-06:00

The classes reading War of the Worlds (3rd and 4th, I believe) should follow this reading schedule:

Read this:	Before this:
Chs 1-3	Tuesday, Nov. 20^th
Chs 4-7	Monday, Nov. 26^th
Chs 8-12	Monday, Dec. 3^rd

I will update this if something changes, and continue the schedule through the rest of the book as we move into December.

Sidetrack

2007-11-18T17:34:00.001-06:00

Cool story from NPR, "The 'Dirt on Clean' in an Oversanitized World," describes a new book from Katherine Ashenberg on body odors throughout history.

Modest Proposals

2007-11-16T23:10:00.001-06:00

Your assignment for this weekend is to write your own modest proposal in the style of Swift's . . . erm, "Modest Proposal." I want sarcasm; I want irony; I want scathing, acerbic wit. It can be about whatever you like; I know you all hate it when I say this, but this should be a personal reflection.
Requirements (essays will be returned to you if not in this format):

500 word minimum, 750 word maximum.
Typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, header, and a really good title.
No obscenities or profanity (we will be sharing them in class).
Have fun. Really. Do it.

As always, post your questions for the good of the community.

Winter's Night Blog

New Blog!

Weekend Reading Re: Plagiarism

Nonfiction Weekend Reading

Your Grand Experiment

"To Light a Fire" Link and Reading Schedule

I do love Thoreau...

First Day & Love in the Time of Cholera

Another Crazy Vid

Strings Outline

I. Peace

A. Characters Introduced

1. Billy, the only one who has hair

2. Otto, has a wrench

3. Deric MacGrave, extremely thin

1. Spend days playing in streets

2. Rules/guiding strings

3. School, self-writing blackboard

4. Market

5. Our songs

II. Rules for Breaking/Market Vandalized

A. Billy is guided by the Strings to vandalize the market (Couldn’t control himself, enjoyed destroying the market)

B. Wakes up next day and looks for Deric MacGrave, finds him on the street, broken, with X’d-out eyes. He had fallen

1. 1st miss rule

III. Nothing test

A. Billy is terrified, decides to stay in bed all day.

B. Later, Otto comes in to find Billy. Billy is guided to yell at Otto.

1. 2nd miss rule

C. Otto says he is going to tell the Blackboard. Leaves, Billy runs after him.

IV. Twisted School

A. Billy follows Otto out into the street

B. Otto trips and neck snaps on his own Strings. His eyes roll up to X’s.

C. Billy drags Otto to the school to see if he can help.

D. Writes Question on Blackboard.

E. The Board gives a Twisted Drawing in response.

F. Billy throws Otto’s body into Blackboard, breaking it. He finds a recording machine…

V. End of the Line

A. Billy decides to solve his own problems.

B. He climbs his Strings.

C. Finds nothing, just his Strings tied to a bar.

D. Realizes he had been controlling himself all along.

E. He has grown out of his strings.