Writing Across Cultures

During period 1 today, please complete your reading of The Homecoming . After reading, please discuss some of the questions posed on the handout from last class. During period 2, we will get our next book, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express . Agatha Christie Best selling author for the past seventy or so years, Agatha Christie's has sold over two billion books worldwide and her books have been translated into over 45 languages. The world knows her name and her writing. She has eighty novels, several short story collections and over a dozen plays to her name. The play The Mousetrap , has been the longest running straight play in theatrical history. None too shabby. HOMEWORK: Please begin reading Murder on the Orient Express . Here are a few clips from various Agatha Christie films: Murder on the Orient Express (VIDEO GAME) Murder on the Orient Express (1972) Death on the Nile (1978) Evil Under the Sun And Then There Were None (1945) 10 Litt...

EQ: Why is Harold Pinter's The Homecoming an important postmodern drama? The play, The Homecoming is considered to be Pinter's finest work. It is also an interesting mix between post-modern absurdism and theater of cruelty. Key themes found in the play based on the time period that Pinter was writing include his commentary on: Gender inequality major world wars with high toll of human casualty. Technology growing at an alarming rate, creating various problems within capitalism. Moral decay & extreme poverty vs. conservatism, wealth, and power structures The meaninglessness of life; human beings as powerless under a greater force Questioning the existence of God Unreliability of human communication A mixture of farce and tragedy Symbolic characters or events Key Themes in Pinter's Homecoming: Alienation and Loneliness Emotional impotence Power Play/Struggle   in Different Forms Appearance and Reality Oedipal Desires/Incest/Inordinate Desire...

This morning we will hold a small group discussion on The Stone Gods . When we have completed this, we will begin reading the play The Homecoming . Some background for you: The Teddy Boy Style: a subculture from the 1950's characterized by men wearing clothes inspired by the Edwardian dandies (Oscar Wilde, etc.) The fashion began in London and spread across the UK, and influenced American rock&roll. Men wore drape jackets often with velvet trim collars and pocket flaps, high-waist pants to expose colorful socks, slim tie, Oxford shoes, suede (blue-suede shoes...), and long, greased hair. Girls (known as Judies) wore similar jackets, hobble skirts, long plaits, rolled-up jeans, flat shoes, and staw boater or coolie hats. For more details take a look at this video about style. Fashion Video from BBC . British Mod Period: a subculture occurring at the end of the 1950's and running through the 1960's (with revivals in the 1970's, 1980's in America, and in...

EQs: How do contemporary human issues or ideas (feminism, for example) find their way into the plots and dialogue of plays? What is the structure of the play Top Girls and how does Churchill present us with a MDQ? Who is Harold Pinter and why is he important to contemporary theater? We will finish reading Top Girls during period one. During period two, we will pick up the play The Homecoming by Harold Pinter and return to the 3rd floor lab to work on our portfolios and research Harold Pinter (or to watch The Dumb Waiter : see posts below). Information about Harold Pinter is here. Please read about him. This is also a link to his website. You can gather more information here as you please. The Dumb Waiter part one The Dumb Waiter part two The Dumb Waiter part three The Dumb Waiter part four The Dumb Waiter part five HOMEWORK: Please be prepared for a test and discussion on The Stone Gods on Wednesday. Portfolios are due Friday.

Today we will continue to read (and probably finish) Top Girls. Keep your notebooks/journals handy for some impromptu writing exercises. Otherwise, consider how "feminism" functions in the play. What key issues are being brought up by Caryl Churchill? HOMEWORK: Please complete the Stone Gods for Monday. We will have a discussion on the 2nd half of the book.

During our first half of the period, let's discuss The Stone Gods & Irvine Welsh's "Acid House". 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 is 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 excludin...

This morning, let's wake up to the fictional stylings of contemporary Scottish writer: Irvine Welsh . Information about the author can be found here on his website. He is responsible for the film: Trainspotting (1996); and a clip . After reading his work and discussing the rest of the Irish poets (see previous post) and working with Jeanette Winterson, please travel upstairs to the lab for portfolio time. HOMEWORK: Please read part 1 of The Stone Gods , complete the handout (story grid) for Tuesday. Read "The Acid House" by Irvine Welsh--be prepared to discuss both next class.

Our playwrights' festival is May 18. Our coffeehouse is May 29 at 7:00 in the Ensemble Theater. All seniors are required to perform or screen at least one short piece.

During period 1, 1/2 period, please work on your portfolio in the lab. During the second half of the class, we will be going down to the library to pick up Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods , then returning to room 238. Then let's take a look at a few contemporary poets from England and Ireland. Those of you most inspired may get ideas for your own poems or writing from these. As you read today, keep your notebook nearby and jot down ideas as they come to you. Eavan Boland The Pomegranate (see copy of poem in handout) War Horse Anorexic (see copy of poem in handout) Seamus Heaney St. Kevin and the Blackbird (author reading) & the text . Blackberry Picking (author reading) & the text . Paul Muldoon Anseo (author reading) (see text in handout) Hedgehog (animated video, read by the poet) and the text . Ted Hughes  The Thought Fox and the text . Vampire The Horses Jeanette Winterson is a contemporary novelist. She is a lesbian wri...

There's no easy way to boil down over a hundred years of British films, directors, and entertainment. Instead, I'll pull a few bits and pieces together that you may find interesting. Alfred Hitchcock: before he emigrated to America, Hitchcock cut his teeth in several well directed British suspense and mystery films. Here are a few clips of his best. The Man Who Knew Too Much (the entire film) The 39 Steps (1935) The entire film: The 39 Steps The-lady-vanishes (1948) (the entire film) Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Lamb to the Slaughter (by writer Roald Dahl) Shlocky Horror in Hammer Studios through the 1950-1970's (most starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee) They were responsible for making horror sexy--before Twilight ...: The Horror of Dracula (1957) The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) The Mummy (1959) The Gorgon (1964) The Plague of the Zombies (1966) And many more, here's a tribute . James Bond: 007. Before there was Austin Powers, there w...