Writing Across Cultures

Continue reading Sherman Alexie's short fiction. Prompts for poetry, plays, non-fiction, and fiction are below: Read pages: 54-110. 1. Write an unflattering reflection of yourself (or a character who is a composite of unflattering aspects of yourself). 2. Write about a city you would like to get to, or leave. 3. Write about a supernatural talent that an ordinary person wakes up one day to find that he/she can now do. 4. Write about an amusement (something fun that people do). 5. Write about a character you created in the past. Tell a new story with an old character. 6. Choose a small overlooked newspaper article. Change the names and details, but rewrite the article to launch yourself into a story, essay, play, poem, etc. 7. Write about a trial. 8. Write about a medicine man. 9. Search through a history book and select a moment in history. Write down an inspiring or interesting passage or phrase and use this as an epigram before a poem, fiction piece, play, or non-fiction essay.

Please check out the Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven from our library before you enter mid-term week. Begin reading this collection of short fiction. As you read, choose one of the prompts from each group below and write in your journal or type out a short story. These drafts will be helpful to your writing portfolio for the 4th marking period. Please check back periodically during Mid-Term Week for all the prompts. Read: Every Little Hurricane A Drug Called Tradition Because My Father...At Woodstock Crazy Horse Dreams Pages 1-54 Choose any or all prompts: 1. Write about a storm 2. Write about a fight 3. Write about refinding a tradition 4. Write about a drug 5. Write about Jimi Hendrix 6. Write about Woodstock 7. Write about a Dream 8. Write about the man Crazy Horse 9. Write about a father More prompts will be listed later for the next group of stories. Please check back soon!

Pick a decade...any decade. Research the decade to find out various things, details, events, ideology, etc. that occurred during that decade. You may wish to examine: pop culture (from that decade), popular books or literary styles, popular music, food fashions, fashion fashions, historical or political events, economics, religious issues current in the decade, controversy, etc. Log all your details and notes in a journal that you will be expected to work from and turn in for a grade. If you take information from the internet or from books please note WHERE you took that information. Create a "Works Cited" page! This will also be required and turned in! Gather enough info so that when we return from mid-terms, you will be ready for Decade Project - Part II!

Please continue to read (and complete) A Lesson Before Dying or Betsey Brown by next week. Today, please turn in your research notes (1 page looking for allusions/historical references, for Lesson : (the 1940's/1990's) and for Betsey (the 1950's/1980's). Our next writing project will require you to choose a decade or time period in history. Any history. In Betsey Brown , for example, Shange sets her story during the Civil Rights Movement. Before you write, you will be required to take copious notes about history. You should also consult the library and select a book. These secondary sources should be an inspiration and act as resources for your story/play/film script/essay/poem cycle. You will need to include a "works cited" page along with your completed draft of the original writing. More details will be explained in class.