Writing Across Cultures

Period 1: Lab  Our next unit will cover Psychology. This morning please view the  Introduction to Psychology   and take notes of key ideas/questions you might have. Then please continue working on the following projects/drafts for your portfolio (see the portfolio rubric in the post below). Random Writing Prompt (if you need one...): pick a cultural setting for a story/play outside of your normal Hegemonies--no American cultures allowed. Make a list of cultures that you are fascinated or interested in. Research the topic and find a gruesome or shocking event or occurrence in history. Use that background or setting to tell a survivor's tale. You can project your story into the future, or extend the years of your protagonist. But there should be some reference or allusion regarding the historical event. Prepare a draft or two of work you would like feedback on for our workshop next week (Thursday). There will be a test Monday on the novel you have chosen to read. Please b

Chapter One of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri divides its narrative between Ashima and Ashoke, as they await the arrival of their new son. When she goes into labor in the summer of 1968, Ashima recalls how she met and fell in love with her husband in Calcutta, when she was a 19-year-old English tutor. While in the waiting room, Ashoke is reminded of a tragic train accident years ago that left him partially crippled. On the train, he had met a businessman named Ghosh who encouraged him to travel the world. Ashoke stayed up that night to read Nikolai Gogol's "The Overcoat" when the train crashed. The rescuers noticed a ruined page from Gogol's story and found Ashoke among the wreckage. After his recovery, Ashoke takes Ghosh's advice to study abroad at MIT. The chapter ends as the nurse enters and breaks Ashoke's revery. He is a new father. Chapter One of the best-selling novel The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan concerns Jing-Mei

Period 1: Lab  Please continue working on the following projects/drafts for your portfolio (see the portfolio rubric in the post below this one): How it feels to be me reflective essay Cultural poem(s) Writing prompt creative responses (use the exercises/reading we've done in class to create a poem, short story, film, script, play, essay, speech, article, blog, podcast, etc.) Identity poem responses (see the previous post for details) Creative responses from the essays/plays/stories we read last class Chapter summaries Other... Aim to prepare a draft or two for workshopping next week! Period 2:  Classroom Readings: Edwidge Danticat: "The Book of the Dead" to understand this story you should be familiar with the reference to  Fort Dimanche , some information about  Haiti's history ,  Haiti's Dark Past , and  Francois Duvalier . Prompt: pick a cultural setting for a story/play outside of your normal Hegemonies--no American cultures allowed.

I will be using the following rubric when assessing your portfolios. A portfolio is due each quarter and comprises the major part of your quarter grade (along with attendance, participation/homework, reading, quizzes/tests, presentations and class activities). Please note that you will be expected to conduct some revision each marking period, along with a short 1-3 page reflection. Reflection pages  do not count for the # of pages indicated below.  Please also note that your portfolio grade is a combination of  quantity  AND  quality . Scores are determined by an average score based on the holistic rubric. Some papers/assignments are also required and should be included in your marking period portfolio. This marking period the summary papers, your identity drafts, and work from the psychology unit should be included in your portfolio. 4 = Exemplary 3= Accomplished 2= Promising 1=Beginning 0=Failing Exemplary : Thoroughly and artistically developed and crafted characters, plot

Here are the results of the survey for our curricular map: Psychology Sociology/Political Science Popular Culture Race & Minority Literature Gender, Feminism, & LGBTQ Studies Literary Genre Studies/Dystopian-Utopian Literature Philosophy Mythology North American/Native American/Canadian Literature African Literature South/Central American Literature Middle Eastern Literature British Literature European Literature Pacific/Island Literature Australia/New Zealand Literature Asian Literature We will begin these units as soon as our introductory unit is complete and work our way through them during this year as much as time and energy allow. 

Lab: 7:30 - 8:00 Please continue working on the following projects/drafts for your portfolio: How it feels to be me reflective essay Cultural poem(s) Writing prompt creative responses (use the exercises/reading we've done in class to create a poem, short story, film, script, play, essay, speech, article, blog, podcast, etc.) Identity poem responses (see the previous post for details) Creative responses from the essays we read last class Prepare for our discussion (see below) More Prompt Ideas: Choose a passage or line in the book you are reading. Do one of the following with it: Steal up to 25 words from the passage. Rearrange and use the words (or forms of them) in a poem, short story, essay, script, etc. Steal a line. Start something fresh using the line as an  epigraph  for your own/new story, poem, etc. Write the next scene or the chapter that does not exist in the novel you are reading: for example:  Write the story of Gogol's childhood,  or  Tin Jong&

Period 1: Lab This morning contemplate the meaning of identity as you watch the following videos: Food for thought: Who Am I? A Finger, Two Dots, Then Me by Derrick Brown Respond to these ideas creatively in a poem, short story, essay, etc. about "Who am I? Really." Then please continue working on the following projects/drafts for your portfolio: How it feels to be me reflective essay Cultural poem(s) Writing prompt creative responses (use the exercises/reading we've done in class to create a poem, short story, film, script, play, essay, speech, article, blog, podcast, etc.) More Prompt Ideas: Choose a passage or line in the book you are reading. Do one of the following with it: Steal up to 25 words from the passage. Rearrange and use the words (or forms of them) in a poem, short story, essay, script, etc. Steal a line. Start something fresh using the line as an epigraph  for your own/new story, poem, etc. Write the next scene or the chapter tha

Period 1: Lab Summary exercise : choose chapter one   or  chapter two of  The Namesake  or  The Joy Luck Club.  Summarize the chapter you chose. To do this: Read critically: examine the content of the chapter, note the title of the book, identify the main point(s) of the chapter, identify the subordinate points or details that help you understand the main points, identify the different sections and POV of these sections for the chapter--note when shifts in narrative occur, examine transitions, notice white space, etc. You may need to reread parts of the chapter you chose to summarize.  In a single sentence, identify the premise of the chapter (what is this chapter about?) follow this premise with a summary of the major events/characters/settings in the chapter. Write your summary as one-sentence per paragraph, for example--or one-sentence per scene. You may find outlining, mind-mapping, or using bullet points to create a list to be to your benefit.  For more assistance writ

Lab: We're beginning to fall behind a bit due to our last assembly. This morning, please work on the following writing tasks. All writing assignments are due in your portfolio by the end of the marking period: 1. Continue working on your "How it Feels to Be Me..." essay draft. 2. Write a cultural poem draft. 3. Use any writing prompt exercises from our classes and work on creating drafts (short stories, plays, essays, etc.) When you have completed a draft, you may workshop your draft with other students or me. Formal workshops will be scheduled soon. Period 2 (classroom): Let's finish the poem drafts to inspire our creative poem drafts. You may write several "cultural poem" drafts for your portfolio. Frank O'Hara: "Autobiographia Literaria" (pg. 779) Donald Hall: "My Son, My Executioner" (pg. 794) Lucille Clifton: "Homage to my Hips" (pg. 845) Carolyn Forche: "The Memory of Elena" (pg. 880) Askol

This morning you will be treated to your first senior town hall meeting. After that, we'll continue with our course. Poetry Draft Exercise: Elizabeth Bishop: "In the Waiting Room" (pg. 726-728) Gwendolyn Brooks: "The Mother" (pg. 750-751) Frank O'Hara: "Autobiographia Literaria" (pg. 779) Donald Hall: "My Son, My Executioner" (pg. 794) Lucille Clifton: "Homage to my Hips" (pg. 845) Carolyn Forche: "The Memory of Elena" (pg. 880) Askold Melnyczuk: "The Enamel Box" (pg. 888) Cathy Song: "Lost Sister" (pg. 889-891) Write a cultural poem draft. There is no wrong way to write a cultural poem. Everyone's experience and subject matter will be unique. It's okay to get personal. Avoid over-dramatizing your poem. This is not a life or death situation in most cases, but a subtle understanding of your (or your speaker's) own place in the world. You may tell a story, use fictional eleme

Lab: If you missed it for homework, please read the very famous essay: "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston in class this morning. Generally, 1st period will be used to give you some lab time. After reading and digesting Hurston's essay, we will write a personal creative nonfiction essay on an aspect of  you . The task will be to write an  essay * about your experience within a specific hegemonic group or culture that you identify with (one, perhaps, that you listed earlier in last class). This can be an examination of your gender, your "race" or "class", your heritage, your identity or involvement in a sub-group or minority, your religion, a family tradition, etc. In order to begin thinking about this, consider how you identify yourself. What part of your personality/tradition/culture is unique to you. Focus on this idea in your creative essay. Remember: Non-fiction is creative--remember to use poetic/literary devices (imager

Let's define  culture . What is culture? In your own words, describe this term. Share your response with a partner. In your notes/journal, brainstorm some cultural groups you belong to. What cultural groups (hegemonies) do you belong to? You will need this list a little later today. Brainstorming is the first step in the creative process. Brainstorm now! Much of our class will use our reading to brainstorm ideas for stories, poems, plays, films, non-fiction and other writing projects. Let's try that with an article about multicultural education. After reading, respond to the article in writing. A few ideas might be: think about your own educational experience. How multicultural has your experience been?  Is there value in having a common culture (for example stressing the idea that we are all 'Americans' over fragmenting our culture)?  Choose a side and argue for or against it. Who is right in your opinion?  Does this idea need updating?  Is this issue still i