Writing Across Cultures

Lab: (Until 8:00) Dracula is written largely in epistolary form. Letters, newspaper articles, phonograph recordings or transcripts, telegrams, or journals allow a multiple narrative account of the events in the plot. Dracula : Chapters 5-7 (some assistance): Enter the women to our narrative. These chapters contain the letters between Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray (later Harker). Both represent the "new" woman in Victorian England. Lucy will be sexualized--an important contrast with her friend, while Mina is really our kick-ass heroine of the novel, being more resourceful and important to the resolution. In Gothic tropes, a female character's chastity (virginity) is threatened. Temptation (having sex) is often a cause for ruin in many novels and films (consider slasher films like Friday the 13th or John Carpenter's Halloween series).  These chapters contrast with the horrors Jonathan Harker experiences abroad, while also hinting at the coming of a great evi...

Lab: (work on your portfolio, workshop, or read...) If you didn't look at last class's resources or notes, please do so today. PROMPT: Write a post-modern story. Use pop culture references or allusions as a way of informing your reader of deeper meanings. Remember that popular culture is not always contemporary culture...contemporary writers are often inspired by everything...from ancient myths to Shakespeare to 19th century novels... PROMPT: Write a zombie story. Inspired by "Sally's Big Adventure" & "A Zombie Walk for Timmy" (see zombie handout collection from last class), write your own zombie story. Feel free to create your own puzzle or game or fake news article or play or creative essay or poem, etc. inspired by the packet reading. PROMPT: Inspired by "A Thing Built to Fly is Not a Promise" choose a well-known popular cultural historical figure (someone real who everyone knows) and tell a story the reader wouldn'...

Lab: Please read/note the following information: Post Modernism (the literary period you are in at the moment) is characterized by some of the following elements: Often views nationalism, politics/government, religion, war, etc. as primitive Loss of confidence in a corrupt Western world largely due to Capitalism & adherence to ancient traditions/beliefs about religion or the environment; The Western world is outdated and hidden behind faceless and uncaring bureaucracies The West's claims of freedom and prosperity continue to be nothing more than empty promises; there is a cheap, jaded, cynical sense of public and private life Truth and ethics (right & wrong) is for an individual to determine for herself Nationalism and Capitalism build walls, create enemies, destroy natural resources, and create unbalanced, unjust societies of "have and have nots" There is no truth, no pure, no absolute. No one has the authority to define meaning for others Theref...

Turn in your homework today. Lab: (Until 8:00) Using the prompt/short story from last class, flesh out your "scene" by doing one or more of the following: Add a scene after the scene you wrote Add details to the scene you wrote Add dialogue to the scene you wrote Add conflict to the scene you wrote Add internal monologues or backstory to the scene you wrote Add literary elements to the scene you wrote Add a symbol, motif, or trope to the scene you wrote Add a description of setting to the scene you wrote Move your story ahead in time and continue... Move your story back in time and continue... Add a subplot that mirrors or develops or comments on the scene you wrote Add a scene after the scene you added to the scene you wrote... See where this draft takes you. Try to write 1-2 pages in the lab today. If you get stuck or need a shift in activity, please continue to workshop or write drafts for your portfolio. See previous posts for details. Perio...

Lab: Please continue writing drafts and revisions for your portfolio and/or workshopping your writing. Some ideas for prompts: Prompt: Write and design a television pilot. You may work with a partner if you'd wish for this. Choose a type of TV show that inspires you, create characters, a title, an episode, etc. and write a script for the show's pilot. Formatting tv shows is similar to film and play writing, but has its own special format. See the handouts for the television script format or here online. Television Script Format Feel free to read the sample scripts. These are only act 1 script samples. TV scripts are usually written in 3-acts (beginning to crisis, crisis to climax, climax to resolution). You can find full tv scripts online for models as well as the handouts. One place to look is here at Simply Scripts . Choose your favorite TV show and go to town! Prompt: choose one of the topics from our brainstorming session and write about the topic. I.E., wri...

Lab, Period 1: Please place any workshop pieces you would like feedback from your workshop groups on in your group's shared folder. Remember to write a note to your peers about what you want them to look at. It is only helpful if you ask for the kind of feedback you need to improve the story, poem, essay, script, etc. If you don't ask, you will not get any feedback (even from me!) Use your lab time to workshop or continue writing material for your portfolio. See previous posts for prompts/details, etc. Prompt: choose one of the topics from our brainstorming session and write about the topic. I.E., write about a specific problem or issue relating to trash culture, pop culture, counterculture, fads, progressive evolution, pop or media icons, popular technology, sports/leisure activities/games, music, fashion, food/lifestyle, etc. Keep writing essays, poems, scripts, stories, making documentaries, podcasting, etc. involving the topics you care or are passionate about. Per...

LAB: Food for Thought: Perfect Grades Don't Always Matter  (5 min.) Please take the first 20 minutes of class today to discuss your novel in your discussion groups. When you complete your discussion, please turn in the Socratic Seminar evaluation and work on your portfolio pieces. You may return your books to the library. By now you should have somewhere between 5-8 pages of new work (that would be averaging about 1-2 pages per week.) If you don't, please use your time effectively in the lab to write new material for your portfolio. See previous posts for prompts if you need them. Note: you may also workshop or revise your work. Next lab class will be devoted to workshopping. Period 2: What is  Popular Culture ? Popular culture studies popular culture from a critical theory perspective. It is generally considered a combination of communication studies and cultural studies. Barriers between so-called high and low culture have broken down, which encompasses s...

Lab: Please use your time in the lab to do the following: PROMPTS from reading the article "The Color of Family Ties" and previous classes: Write a story in the decade that you think you would have preferred to live in...or research that decade and set a story or poem in that decade/setting. What will you miss about your youth/growing up? Project what the world might be like in 10-15-20 years and think about what you are going to miss about your childhood. Write an essay about it. Write a television episode or television pilot using popular culture to guide you as to what the media may want to see. Use your favorite television episodes as models. Check out Drew's Scriptorama website for sample tv scripts. Write about your family. Are you from a traditional family? How or how not so? You may also focus on writing about a family secret, a specific family member, or an important family event that helped shape who you are. Does culture or economic class have more t...

Lab: 5-10 minutes: Book Groups: Get into your book group and see where you all are. Answer or discuss any issues with the book. How's it going? Check in. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  by Ken Kesey (the story of a criminal who pleads insanity, then has to question his own sanity in an asylum) The Bell Jar  by Sylvia Plath (a fictionalized memoir about Plath's descent into clinical depression and madness) Name All the Animals  by Alison Smith (a memoir about Rochester native Alison Smith dealing with the traumatic death of her brother and her own sexual identity)  Flowers for Algernon  by Daniel Keyes (science fiction; a mentally disabled man undergoes experiments to "cure" him of his disability).  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks  by Rebecca Skloot (non-fiction scientific journalism about a black woman whose cells were used to cure diseases. Examines medical ethics & race) Aim to finish the book by Dec. 4. For your discussion sess...

One famous psychological experiment tests your intelligent quotient ( your IQ --you can play with this but it won't give your results unless you pay them. Don't!). In it, you are sometimes asked how many ways can you think of to use or understand two unrelated objects. This develops your abstract brain. [It may be why nerds are smart]. The more unique combinations you can create, the higher your IQ. So it is with tests (as well as Art). See? A relevant connection. For our purposes (teachers, professors, academics, etc.), tests are meant to "test" your understanding of texts (usually those covered in classes). Text here refers to any literary material that must be interpreted (film, operas, media, print books, visual art, etc.) As such, you can expect to take tests as long as you engage in your academic career. While some tests objectively determine whether you know something specific, most of the ones you are likely to encounter in college test your ability to ...

Lab: This morning, please watch the following video  Mesmerism & Hypnosis: Altered States (Crash Course)  then: Hypnotism: Hypnotism , from the Greek word for  sleep , is actually really the opposite. It is a state of human consciousness, often meant to heighten one's focus and attention. A person who is hypnotized is usually relaxed, focused, and more prone to suggestion. Unlike the popular cultural notion that the patient has lost his/her free will, the hypnotized has complete control of his/her mind and mental state. It is sometimes used as a treatment in psychotherapy as a way to relax or focus the patient. Please read the short story "The Strange Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" by Edgar Allan Poe and the short summary of Abbe Faria. Some trivia: Poe's story was originally published in a collection of other medical reports. His, however, is fictional. Mesmerism  was a popular topic when Poe wrote this story. Learn about the topic at the lin...

Lab: 10 minutes: Book Groups: Book groups: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  by Ken Kesey (the story of a criminal who pleads insanity, then has to question his own sanity in an asylum) The Bell Jar  by Sylvia Plath (a fictionalized memoir about Plath's descent into clinical depression and madness) Name All the Animals  by Alison Smith (a memoir about Rochester native Alison Smith dealing with the traumatic death of her brother and her own sexual identity)  Flowers for Algernon  by Daniel Keyes (science fiction; a mentally disabled man undergoes experiments to "cure" him of his disability).  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks  by Rebecca Skloot (non-fiction scientific journalism about a black woman whose cells were used to cure diseases. Examines medical ethics & race) Meet with your book group. Decide how far to read over the November break. Aim to finish the book by Dec. 1. Answer any questions that might arise. Then, note:  ...

Look! Chocolate. Don't eat it. Yet. LAB: please use your time in the lab to research/write about/reflect: Check out this wordpress: wisdom stories to live by . Popular culture: Gun violence. Why is America so crazy for guns? Reflect on your discussion yesterday and write about the topic in some creative way during the lab. Popular culture: Education. Write about the future of education in America. Any hope? Why should we educate the poor--they don't take advantage of what's given to them anyway...? College visits versus the city school district. What's the difference? Reflect on your experience from the field trip. What's better, for example, SOTA or MCC; high school classes where the teacher thinks for you vs. seminar classes in college where people talk about stuff; high school students vs. college students; high school lunches vs. college lunches? Elementary teaching/learning vs. High school teaching/learning, etc. Write a story using slang . See how far ...

Lab: Please complete and turn in your Equus character psychological analysis. These are due today and will count as a quiz grade. If you finish before the period ends, please do the following: Prepare for our field trip tomorrow by reading the article handouts; think about recent gun violence in America. Please be in the Commons by 8:00 tomorrow. You will need your journals/writing utensils, and you may wish to bring the articles, but little else is needed. Lunch will be provided by the college.  Read the following 8 Charts That Explain  America's Unique Gun Violence  Problem. Take notes. Prepare readings for the coffeehouse tonight. 7:00, Ensemble Theater. Classroom: Notes/comments about your portfolios. Protagonists should protag; without a character making decisions, your work is boring Show don't tell--we need to remove abstraction and generalization for the specific Imagery  Research Essays: reflect...write structure as you would a story or...

Lab: Period 1 Please read the handout on the psychologists. Boris Cyrulnik: Our history does not determine our destiny Life sucks. Tragedy strikes. Bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to bad people. Resilience is not inherent within a person; it is developed over one's lifetime, mainly through relationships. Humor and positive emotions build resilience. Some people have a greater ability to "bounce back" from problems or are able to manage or cope. Pain is determined often by how we react to it. The brain adjusts to pain or trauma (ventricles and the cortex shrinks), but it can recover in a well supported environment. Lawrence Kohlberg: Morality Develops in Six Stages Children develop a moral code and awareness of respect, empathy, and love through the interaction with others.  Preconventional stages (childhood): behavior is determined by conditioning (punishment, reward, and reciprocity). Conventional stages (adolescence-early adulthood): ...

Lab: Period 1 I am giving you an extension on A Clockwork Orange . Realize that there will only be one test grade for this marking period and that may affect your final marking period grade (depending on how you did on that test...); Instead of a test on A Clockwork Orange , the character analysis for Equus will count as a test score next marking period. With the time in the lab, please do the following activities: Please read the handout on psychologists Solomon Asch on social conformity, Virginia Satir & Guy Corneau about family and fathers, and the others: Daniel Kahneman, Nico Frijda, and Eliot Arneson. You should aim to use some of these theories, along with Freud, Anna Freud, Watson, Skinner, Pavlov, James, Janet, and the other psychologists we've studied to examine your chosen character: Dysart Alan Frank Dora Hesther Jill Write a summary (1-2 pages approx. length) of how any of these theories help explain the motivation, objectives, conscious actions o...

This morning please read Equus in class. As we read, examine the mental state of the character you chose to analyze. HOMEWORK: Please complete A Clockwork Orange (and prepare for a test on the book). We will also discuss Equus and A Clockwork Orange next class. Bring your books back with you.

Lab: Please prepare your portfolios. Your reflection should discuss issues or problems you are having with your writing, issues or questions you wish to explore further, or details that will help guide my feedback. What kind of feedback would you like from me about your writing? Print and attach all revisions. See REVISION HISTORY in your Google docs, if necessary. Proofread your work, spellcheck, do last minute revisions, etc. If necessary, you can continue reading A Clockwork Orange . Aim to finish the book by Wednesday of next week (for the test/discussion on the book). Check out these sources & videos: Peter Shaffer   Anthony Shaffer  & The Wicker Man Peter Shaffer  article Freud's theories   More  about Freud Rorschach & Freudians (Crash Course) How We Make Memories (Crash Course) Period 2: We will continue reading Equus . As you read the play, choose a character to examine and analyze. Apply Freudian and other psycholog...

4 = Exemplary 3= Accomplished 2= Promising 1=Beginning 0=Failing Exemplary : Thoroughly and artistically developed and crafted characters, plot, structure, conflict, theme, and setting. Uses vivid description, effective diction and word choice, tone, voice, POV, imagery, and compelling characterization and/or dialogue throughout the portfolio. Uses a variety of effective literary devices (both poetic and rhetorical) that enhance the artistic quality of the work. Writing can be considered “art,” effectively communicating issues central to the human condition in a compelling and creative way. Titles are creative and compelling. Has very few errors in spelling punctuation, syntax, and usage. Sentence structure, syntax, and the overall effect of the work is artistic. The format is effective, carefully and correctly followed. Work includes evidence of several revised drafts that improve on earlier drafts, strengthening the quality of the writing. Work included in portfolio...

Lab: Make sure you have read the article on Freud. If you didn't, you are probably sublimating something. What does that mean? Take some notes on the info below (and examine your handout today) during lab. Freud - Part 2 More Freudian Theory: (hang on to your pencils...sometimes a pencil is just a pencil...) Here's a bit more information about  Freud's theories . Feel free to research these links as much as you'd like to get smarter. To learn more  about Freud  as a person and historical figure, click over there. Repression : When painful memories or anxiety or negative thoughts occur, repression is the process of pushing or keeping them out of the mind. Be aware a person is not AWARE of Repression, as it is a subconscious event. The goal in psychoanalysis is that these repressed memories or thoughts break through to the conscious level where they can be worked on and resolved. Suppression : Similar to repression, except that this is in the conscious...

Lab: (period 1) Please read, annotate, and creatively respond to the article: "You Think With the World, Not Just Your Brain." September, 2017, The Atlantic . Writers use a synthesis of information/articles/films/poems/trivia and so on when writing. Everything can be used as long as it communicates an idea. In this essay alone the author references philosophers, science/biology, pop culture film, and somewhat obscure literature. As you read, notice how the author uses pop culture to hook the attention of the audience, but then supports ideas present in the film into more serious philosophy, science, and psychology. The author then returns to the film by the end of the essay, framing the narrative effectively. You can use a similar framing tactic in your own creative essays and stories. To help with some references made in the article, check out: Videodrome (film, 1983; Cronenberg) Descartes : Cogito Ergo Sum Octopus (Why the Octopus brain is so extraordinary) ...