Writing Across Cultures

Please check out Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. You may begin reading this book. When we return from break, we will have a writing assignment due at the end of that week. Aim to complete your reading by 3/1/09, the beginning of March. For a prompt, try creating your own imaginary recipe. Perhaps take an abstract concept, for example (love, solitude, melancholy, etc.), and create a metaphorical recipe. How much jealousy would you require to add to the batter of love? Not to your liking? You may, of course, write a script for a cooking show, sprinkle recipes through a fictional story, or write a non-fiction personal essay discussing the importance of family and food--or pick a prompt from your reading. Let Esquivel inspire you. When we return we will be discussing Magical Realism and Mexican/South American literature. Have a safe and happy break!

Remember your two writing pieces are due Friday! You are being graded on content, form, style, creativity, theme, character (speaker), plot, conflict, literary devices used skillfully, development, and just plain good-ness. High scores of 4 = Accomplished, 3 = promising, 2 = developing, 1 = beginning. Work not turned in receives a zero. Please no late papers. Finish reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven . We will discuss the test on Friday.

Please read the rest of the collection (pg. 110-211) 1. Use a series of years (as in Jesus Christ's Half-brother...) as a frame work for a character or a series of characters. Try keeping your prose style as journalistic as possible. As an additional style challenge, end each year section with a distinct image that does not necessarily conclude the "chapter" - you'll notice in Alexie's story, he ends each section with a short concise declarative sentence. Try that. 2. Tell a story about someone telling a story. Change the story style as you go. Perhaps you may want to tell a sci-fi story, then a romance, then an action adventure story, then a realistic drama, etc. Play with tone and voice. 3. Write about your culture. What games or leisure activities do YOUR people like? Write about that. 4. Write about a domestic crisis. 5. Write about people at the edge, not over-the-edge, but people in a desperate situation in their lives -- it is important that you do not ...