Writing Across Cultures

For those of you who are attending the Spring Awakening master class, please note that it will occur 1-3 period on Thursday, Feb. 4. Please let your 1-3 period teachers know that you are attending. The actual performance for Spring Awakening will be held on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 11, 7:30 at the Auditorium Theatre (next to Red Cross at the corner of Prince Street and Main).

Your 3rd marking period portfolio is due today. Please make sure you hand this major project in by the end of the day. Use the lab time today to work on last minute material. Please finish reading Charles Busch's plays sometime this week. We will be getting a new book when we return. Please fill out the questionnaire to the side of this blog to vote on what continent you want to begin with.

Your portfolio is due Monday, Jan. 25. I will not be accepting late portfolios, so please turn this in on time. What should be in it? Your creative writing for this class. I should expect to see: a piece on race, a piece on feminism, a piece on gender and/or sexual orientation. I should expect to see at least one previous piece revised. Then anything else you've written this marking period (not for Mr. Painting). If you revised a piece for Sokol or Gannon, please include these. Consider creating and entering a 10 minute play for Geva's 10-minute play contest. Murder several birds with stones. After reading "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom", please continue to read the Charles Busch collection at your leisure (we will be getting a new book after midterms, so please complete your reading by then). Here's some information about Charles Busch. By the way, little Marcy Gamzon knew him as a child. If you get inspired, try your own "drag" play. How to do it? 1. Allow...

The Celluloid Closet ends in the 90's, but much gay and lesbian content has filtered in through the silver screen. Here's a short list: Milk (Gus Van Sant), 2008 Hedwig and the Angry Inch & Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell), 2006 Go Fish (Rose Troche), 1994 Boys Don't Cry (1999) Gods and Monsters (1998) But I'm a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit) 1999 Zombies of Mass Destruction , 2009 v=fsh0JjkKWqo&feature=PlayList&p=1D759D48D5AF05C0&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9">All About My Mothe r (Almodovar) 1999 A Single Man , 2009 Heavenly Creatures (Jackson), 1994 Brokeback Mountain (Lee), 2005 Shelter (Markovitz) 2007 Another Gay Movie (Stephens), 2006 Were the World Mine (2008) Puccini for Beginners (2006) Cowboys and Angels (2003) Transamerica (2005) More can be seen and found here, among other places. Logo Online (Logo is a gay/lesbian themed t.v. network--yes, we're not in Kansas anymore.) What may be important to remember i...

Please prepare your portfolio. We will be working on this next week, but get started if you have not yet done so. Today we will finish watching Celluloid Closet. Please turn in your view sheets at the end of class. Please pick up Charles Busch from the library. He will appreciate it.

Notes about the types of feminists: "In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist." —Gloria Steinem "The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race." —Susan B. Anthony "In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman." —Nancy Astor (British Politician) Feminism The theory that men and women should be equal politically, economically and socially. Notice that this theory does not subscribe to differences between men and women or similarities between men and women, nor does it refer to excluding men or only furthering women's causes. Most other branches of feminism do. Why you believe in feminism and what your ideas are to make femin...

In the library, please conduct the following research. Jot down the answers on a separate sheet of paper to turn in as participation credit. The poem/story can be completed and turned in with your portfolio. Research Toni Morrison on the web. Who is she, what else has she written, what awards has she won. In other words, what makes her a good role model for your own writing? When you have done so, please add a post-it note on Wallwisher.com. You can find the link here . Double click to add a post-it about Toni Morrison -- the catch: you can only include information that has not already been done by others. Rearrange the post-its so that they are off to the side or in order. Once you have completed the wallwisher exercise, please answer these questions to hand in by the end of class: 1. Where in the Bible can the Song of Solomon be found? 2. What does the title mean (or from whence did it come…)? 3. Who is thought to be responsible for writing the Song of Solomon (other than Toni Morr...