Writing Across Cultures

LAB: Until 8:00. Please continue to work on your writing projects for your portfolio. Additionally, please take a look at the following:   "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 excluding men or only furtheri...

Period 1: If you missed these the first time through, take a moment to read these short articles and apply them to the novel The Stone Gods :  GJ1132b  (synthesis),  Easter Island  and Why People Are Marching for Science . Prep for our discussion:  1. Examine the poem "The Sun Rising" by John Donne:             Busy old fool, unruly sun,              Why dost thou thus  Through windows and through curtains call on us?  Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run?              Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide              Late schoolboys and sour prentices,        Go tell court huntsmen that the King will ride,        Call country ants to harvest offices;  Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,  Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.  ...

Lab: Continue working on your decade project. See previous posts for more details. Also, I asked you to complete some homework. If you completed this work, please turn your draft in before 8:00. See previous posts if you did not accomplish this task. Then complete on your own time and turn in late. Also, for our discussion on the novel (look! a synthesis!), please read the following short articles on the book (see handout): Freshmen Skipping Fun Home for Religious Reasons  in  The Chronicle  by Claire Ballentine Duke Freshmen Boycott Acclaimed Graphic Novel:  in  The Daily Dot , written by Aja Romano The Duke Freshmen  by Jacob Brogan Listen Up Duke Freshmen  by Emily Shire for T he Daily Beast At 8:00, we will go to the classroom to discuss Fun Home . Here are the discussion questions: An "artificer" is a skilled craftsman/craftsperson or inventor. Give some reasons where, how, and why Bechdel uses this trope in the book. (...

Period 1: Sigh. Master classes, senior trips, AP testing, absences, looming graduation malaise--most of you are probably behind a few class periods. Please catch up during your advisement periods or at home. I have to move forward, despite wanting to give you more time to accomplish projects and stories. If you have an upcoming AP exam, you are needed in the Ensemble theater this morning. Please note what you will be missing in the lab and make up the work as needed. LAB: Work on your decade project story draft.  Last class you were to complete a draft by doing the following (see our previous post): Write a story draft set in your decade (or chose someone else's decade if that intrigues you...)   Use what you have learned to inspire your story. Connect your character's main  conflict  to popular culture in some way. All stories need a well thought-out and researched (if possible) setting. Often this comes from our memory, but snuggling into a setting ...

Period 1: Please complete your decade presentation (padlet/prezi, etc.) and send us the link in the comment section of this post. Authors: view these presentations for ideas for your decade story project. Here's how to do it: Write a story draft set in your decade (or chose someone else's decade if that intrigues you...)   Use what you have learned to inspire your story. Connect your character's main conflict to popular culture in some way. All stories need a well thought-out and researched (if possible) setting. Often this comes from our memory, but snuggling into a setting that is alive with wriggling details can enchant the hardest cynical reader. Our job as writers is to provide this "stage" or setting on which our characters play out their fictional lives. Setting is not just location, but includes weather, season, props--the things that characters touch or see or smell or taste or hear. It is imagery. And absolutely required of good writing.  Se...

Period 1: Decade project preparation. Please take the research you have done on your chosen decade and complete your research. Using a padlet , pre zi , or other presentation software of your choice that we can view in class, prepare to present your decade to the class Thursday. Your presentation will only be sharing your work with the class (you will not need to walk us through your presentation--or read it to us. We should be able to figure it out by viewing the Prezi or Padlet. See below for an example. In your project, hit the highlights of popular culture, fads, fashion, music style, leisure activities & games, high/low culture, movies, technology, and major political or social events for your decade. Here's an example of popular culture for the 1700's as a model (hint: view the videos and read the text!): Padlet Write a story draft set in your decade (or chose someone else's decade if that intrigues you...)  Use what you have learned to inspire you...