Writing Across Cultures

China Tour  (video) Information about China This is China  (promotional documentary) Government The Ka-Cing Dynasty  (Documentary) CrossTalk: China's Century  (economics documentary) Religion Confucianism (The Analects) Literature The Misty Poets  ( Bei Dao ) Chinese American poet:  Li-Young Lee  ( "Eating Alone" ) Contemporary Chinese Poets Film: Sixth Generation Jackie Chan Jackie Chan from Mulan Theatre: Cao Yu  (play  Thunderstorm , adapted into the film  Curse of the Golden Flower ) Music: Harlem Yu Chinese Hip-Hop:  Yin T'sang Don't Worry  (hip hop video) Big Bird in China  &  Rubber Ducky Chinese food in America  versus  Chinese food in China Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion (trailer) Uprising in Tibet (part 1) HOMEWORK: Please read the graphic novel selections from: Shenzen and American Born Chinese , and read Mao Tse Tung's poetry.

This morning, please read the 3 stories by Salman Rushdie . Then move to the lab and work on your portfolio. While there, read about Salman Rushdie. Salman Rushdie  is postcolonial writer. He was born in Mumbai in 1947. His second novel Midnight's Children was critically acclaimed and won the Booker Prize in 1981. His most controversial novel is The Satanic Verses which he caused controversy in the Islamic world due to the perceived irreverent depiction of the prophet Muhammad. Public burnings and firebombings of bookstores caused international bedlam. The book is still banned in several countries. Rushdie found sanctuary in England. The United Kingdom and Iran broke diplomatic relations over the Rushdie controversy and he still receives death-threats from militant Muslim fanatics concerning the novel. He was knighted in 2007 for his contribution to literature. He currently has ten novels and several collections of stories and non-fiction essays published. His style is ofte...

This morning, the conclusion of Sita Sings the Blues . Then, we'll chat about your reaction to Siddhartha and/or the film. Drop Nina Paley a note on her blog if you liked her film. Encourage filmmakers. Become a filmmaker. HOMEWORK: None. Work on your portfolio. It's due May 2. What should be in your portfolio? Writing. We worked on a feminist story, we've covered ethics (right and wrong and conflict), you've been introduced to philosophical ideas and existentialism, we've crossed from West to East and begun to explore India. We covered graduation speeches. Your portfolio should reflect this in a creative way. Also, remember you will need a short reflection and revise your previous work.

Look at the following photographs. What inspires you about the setting? Look up India in Google Images and find other pictures that inspire you. Write about that setting. Visit an Indian grocery store or restaurant. Observe and note your expectations, details you find interesting or how we represent Indian culture in our own. Write poetry. Write fiction. Write non-fiction. Write sketches or scenes or plays. Write. HOMEWORK: Complete Siddhartha for our discussion Thursday.

This morning, let's read some poetry by Indian poet Taslima Nasrin . Then it's off to the lab to conduct some research, brainstorm some ideas for your portfolio, and write, write, write and possibly read. GO BACK OVER THE LAST FEW POSTS AND CLICK THE LINKS. READ THE ARTICLES. WATCH THE VIDEOS. GATHER IDEAS. WRITE MIND MAPS. TAKE NOTES. USE THE SUGGESTED PROMPTS. EXTRA CREDIT: The senior class advisors are looking for a graduation speech. Here are a few samples. If you write one today, please hand your copy in to Ms. Aspenlieter by end of today. Graduation speech tips. 10 Graduation Speeches (samples, including Stephen Colbert, Ellen Degeneres, & Oprah Winfrey) At some point this period, our guest, Kadisha Phillips will be visiting. She wants to talk to you about your experience in this course as it relates to Pop Culture and give you some pointers about college. HOMEWORK: Read Siddhartha . Really. It's one of those life changing books. Yep. Read it. Be ...

This morning, it's 15 minutes to discuss your chosen novel/play. Then, let's focus our literary eyes on some contemporary writing from India. At the end of period 1, we will gather to pick up Siddhartha by Herman Hesse from the library. During 2nd period, please move to the lab to watch, take notes, and research the following (some of the longer works, you may watch and take notes for a story setting in India): India Rich vs. Poor  (documentary) India's Caste System  (student project) Mahatma Ghandi: God is Life speech Ghandi  (trailer) India & Pakistan Gain Independence: Short Documentary  (real footage) Indian Independence: 1947, August 15, midnight ( Midnight's Children ) Full length documentary. Bollywood: Nightline documentary Bollywood: Best of 2013 Hinduism (documentary), part one A scene from Peter Brooks' film:  The Mahabharata  ( The Bhaghavad Gita ), 1989 Vegetable Biryani: Cooking Show Sample Indian Hip Hop George Ha...

This morning, please get into the following groups based on your chosen book/reading: A. The Visit B. The Handmaid's Tale Please use the 1st part of 1st period to discuss your reading with these questions: What ethical dilemmas does the protagonist confront in this work?  How does ethics cause conflict in the novel/play? What types of ethics are present in the novel/play? How does the author use the issue of ethics to develop characters, plot, and conflict? Eastern Culture Eastern and Western traditions of thought have intersected throughout the ages, yet these cultures continue to influence each other. What is Western Thought and what is Eastern Thought? There are differences between the East and the West in the approach to answer the question: what is the meaning of life? Eastern religion would include the following types: • Hinduism • Buddhism • Taoism • Confucianism • Sikhism • Jainism • Islam (“near East”) • Ba’hai While philosophy differs from C...

This morning we will prepare for the coffeehouse tonight. During period 2 we'll return to the lab to work on your late feminist story drafts and reading your chosen book/play. HOMEWORK: Please read your book. Apply your understanding of ethics to the text. What moral/ethical issues are presented to the reader through the characters? How does setting and conflict help illuminate the ethical dilemma in the text.