Writing Across Cultures

100 Years of Solitude: Characters! The complexity of this book lies within its characters. If you are having trouble keeping them all separated and distinct while you are reading, take a look at some of these details to help you: Third Genertion: Arcadio  is José Arcadio's illegitimate son by Pilar Ternera.   He is a schoolteacher who assumes leadership of Macondo after Colonel Aureliano Buendía leaves and becomes a tyrannical dictator. When the Liberal forces in Macondo fall, Arcadio is shot by a Conservative firing squad. Aureliano José  is the illegitimate son of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and Pilar Ternera.  He joins his father in several wars before deserting to return to Macondo. He deserted because he is obsessed with his aunt, Amaranta, who raised him since birth. The theme of incest is a motif in the book. We might consider "incest" insolation from outside or marginal cultures. Aurenliano Jose is eventually shot to death by a Conservative captain mid...

Period 1: we will complete The   Royal Hunt of the Sun by Peter Shaffer. Period 2 (ish): We will give our presentations (speeches first...) Ecuador: Jesziah Venezuela: Jenna Suriname: Akhiyar Bolivia: Pahz Paraguay: Kyla Panama: Alquasia Honduras: Joshua Guatemala: Isobel Costa Rica: Kemani Trinadad & Tobago (islands): Raeona Belize: Turon HOMEWORK: Complete your reading of 100 Years of Solitude . Take notes! There will be a test and discussion on the book when we return. See posts for details and help with the book if you need it. Post Colonialism Criticism Audiobook, Part 2 Crash Course: 100 Years of Solitude, Part 1 (with John Green) Crash Course: 100 Years of Solitude, Part 2 Have a nice winter break! Rest, read, repeat...

Period 1: We will continue to read  Royal Hunt of the Sun. Period 2ish: Please work on your South and Central American Culture documentary projects/research or your writing/workshops with time remaining in class. 100 Years of Solitude Notes: Macondo is drawn from García Márquez's childhood town,  Aracataca . Aracataca is located near the north (Caribbean) coast of  Colombia , 80 km South of  Santa Marta . Macondo was originally the name of banana plantation and literally means "banana" in the  Bantu  language. In June 2006, the people of Aracataca organized a referendum to change the name of the town to Aracataca Macondo. Although the  yes  vote won, the referendum failed because of lack of voters and Aracataca kept its traditional name. The town first appears in García Márquez's short story "Leaf Storm" but he uses the setting in many of his works. An author that uses the same setting for his/her stories is a regional writer ....

Period 1: Please work on your South and Central American Culture documentary projects/research or your writing/workshops this morning. Your rubric: A: You present your work in a creative way, perhaps even in an entertaining but informative manner. Your research clearly informs your work with significant and interesting details about your culture. Your presentation is polished, well-delivered, and you appear knowledgeable about your topic, going above the typical research of your peer group in thoroughness or creativity. You are able to answer questions posed by your classmates to enhance their learning. Overall, an excellent/exemplary job! B: You present your work, allowing the digital or visual elements and speech you wrote to carry the meaning of your presentation. Your research is accurate and significant in teaching us about your researched culture. Some gaps in your research or speech weaken your presentation. You may be able to answer some/basic questions about your resea...

This morning, complete the material on Jeremy Benthem's philosophy. Please take a quick look at Nicaragua and the short story. Guyana and the Jonestown Massacre . Then use the time until 8:30 to continue your country research and presentation project. Aim to complete this project and deliver your presentation by Thursday, Dec. 19. You may also use this time to write and respond to peers in your writing workshops. At 8:30, we'll pick up the play The Royal Hunt of the Sun by Peter Shaffer concerning the Spanish invasion of Peru and the Incas. HOMEWORK: Keep reading 100 Years of Solitude . (Aim for pg. 262 by end of the week) Bring your play scripts back with you to our next class.

Magical Realism: After taking notes, pair up and examine the first 131 pages for examples of magical realism. Turn in your notes at the end of period 1.  When you are done with your analysis, you may work on your research or writing for your portfolio/workshop. For those who would like or need it: Audiobook: 100 Years of Solitude Period 2: We'll read the rest of the Brazil lit from the packet. Then use the remaining time to work on our projects/writing, etc. HOMEWORK: Keep reading 100 Years of Solitude .

Workshop/Research: Period 1: This morning, please continue your workshopping (or writing drafts--see previous posts for ideas/prompts) or research your chosen country: Ecuador: Jesziah Venezuela: Jenna Guyana & French Guiana Suriname: Akhiyar Bolivia: Pahz Paraguay: Kyla Uruguay Panama: Alquasia Costa Rica Nicaragua Honduras: Joshua Guatemala: Isobel Trinadad & Tobago (islands): Raeona Belize: Turon Use your research notes to create a voice-over script for a film project (documentary), podcast, or use the notes to write your speech for your live presentation (like a TedX talk) Misha Glenny Ted Talk Presentation Example/Model: Brazil (14 min.) Period 2: (25 min.) Reading/Writing: Brazil short stories. From 8:20-8:45: Moacyr Scliar's "Agenda of Executive Jorge T. Flacks for Judgment Day" Prompt: create a "schedule" or "agenda" for an important event in the lives of your protagonist or for an entire nation/culture, ...

Period 1: (30 min.) This morning, please select one of the following countries to study (see handout to sign up for a country): Ecuador Venezuela Guyana & French Guiana Suriname Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay Panama Costa Rica Nicaragua Honduras Guatemala Trinadad & Tobago (islands) Belize Research your chosen country and examine its culture to present a short presentation to the class. Your presentation may be a documentary (short film), podcast, or speech/presentation. More details will follow, but you want to research and find out about the culture of your chosen place. This information may lead you to find an appropriate setting for your magical realist story draft (details will be discussed soon).  Culture may include: technology, economics, music, visual art, dance, theater or film, writers, leisure/sports, games, media, architecture, traditions, myths, beliefs, government, education, popular culture of the country, food, fashion, and so on. As yo...

Period 1: Today, after reading Borges' poetry, we will spend the rest of period 1 working on the prompts listed in the posts below to build your portfolio/workshop folders. Period 2: Let's begin our adventure into the novel 100 Years of Solitude . As we leave Argentina and Borges (and those inspired by Borges: Cortazar, Luisa Valenzuela, and others), we journey to Colombia to meet the master writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. First, a bit of context. Then: History of Colombia Now: Clashes in Colombia Here's a couple of good reasons to read this masterpiece. HOMEWORK: Read up through pages 1-131. Bring your books back with you to our next class (Tuesday, Dec. 3). You may also feel free to flesh out and write any drafts (or revisions) of your work for a workshop the week we return.

Selections from the "Bestiary" Share your monster idea with us! (5-10 min.) "The Book of Sand" Prompt: Consider  infinity .  Infinity according to Jorge Borges.  Write about it.  Join the debate!  (Here's another  site  (article) that might help...) "The Garden of Forking Paths" The Psychology of Choice Write your own "choose your own adventure" or have fun with Margaret Atwood's  Happy Endings. Poetry: "A Wolf"  - Write about an animal; connect the animal to past cultures or mythology; what is assumed about the animal (and how does it surprise us?) "Adam Cast Forth" - Write about a dream you had (or all of us had); write about a Biblical story in a new and unexpected way. "One Morning in 1649" - Write about a historical or legendary figure; write a sonnet about something you love (or write a sonnet about a historical figure...); write a poem that rhymes. "Limits" - Select a...

This morning, let's read some of Borges's short fiction and poetry. There will be several prompts you can try afterward. But let's look: "Funes The Memorious" How We Make Memories: Crash Course #13 Selections from the "Bestiary" Create a creature, monster of legend, or chimera and describe it (or place it in a story...)  Check out this list of medieval and ancient monsters  for ideas Speculative idea: what if one of these monsters was real? Write that story... "The Book of Sand" Prompt: Consider  infinity .  Infinity according to Jorge Borges.  Write about it.  Join the debate!  (Here's another  site  (article) that might help...) "The Garden of Forking Paths" The Psychology of Choice Write your own "choose your own adventure" or have fun with Margaret Atwood's Happy Endings. Poetry: "A Wolf"  - Write about an animal; connect the animal to past cultures or mythology; what is assum...

We'll screen the last song from Evita , then take the rest of period 1 to work on your song, musical, historical story, or any of the previous writing prompts for your 2nd marking period portfolio. You may also write something creative about what you learned from your discussions on Friday about Climate Change (essays, fiction, non-fiction, documentaries, scripts, poems, PSAs, etc.) If you need some more inspiration to write a musical, take a look at this: 22 Musicals in 12 minutes . If you did not complete your homework (the Borges packet, see below) please read that during the rest of period 1. Period 2:  TASK: From your homework, please post a COMMENT in the COMMENT section of this blog about what are some of the things that you learned about Borges that you found interesting or important from the packet. Then, please, choose one of the two short stories we read ("The Circular Ruins" & "August 25, 1983")--see your homework rubric for details ab...

As you watch the film of the musical, consider making some connections. Here are some ideas to explore as you watch: PROMPT(s): Leadership . What are the qualities of good leadership ?  Love . What are the limits of our love for our families, friends, lovers, or, even our country? Motivation . What causes a person to act, even when changing a culture or system seems futile or impossible? Other* (find your own meaning and be ready to discuss what you find...) Write a rap battle. Pick two historical figures and have them spit rhymes. See this handy article for ideas and help! Write a musical. Like Evita or Hamilton, pick a historical character (not limited to these...). Research this figure and write a script. Use poetic skills to create songs for your dramatic poem/musical. See the script for Evita as an example of the kind of thing you could be writing. [Song lyrics in musicals are CAPITALIZED when they appear...]; See the following for help. Write a song; see the follo...

Portfolio Notes: First off: good job, overall! Writing is not (nor will it ever be) easy. Congratulations on completing your first marking period portfolio.  While you might not get the highest grade on your first portfolio, please take these notes and advice on how to improve to heart. You have a lot of good starts. And, yet, as frustrating as it seems, your work is not done. Now that you have 1st drafts (or even second or third ones), you should look over your portfolio and select or mark the pieces that you might want to continue working with. [Do that now...] Review the rubric. Look at the "exemplary" notes and use that to help you bring your accomplished or promising work to the level of exemplary. In general, pay attention to:  Artistically developing your characters, the plot, structure, conflict, theme, and setting of your fiction/plays/essays/poems. Fiction (and non-fiction both) should rise to a dramatic climax, etc. Poetry (fiction and non-fiction) shou...

Please make sure you have posted your comment (it is late!) regarding the 4 short stories from last week that you were to have read. This small assignment will appear on this marking period's grade. Today is the last day to turn in any late work! Let's take a sample look at Luisa Valenzuela's work. "Luisa Valenzuela is a post-'Boom' novelist and short story writer. Her writing is characterized by an experimental style that questions hierarchical social structures from a feminist perspective. She is best known for her work written in response to the dictatorship of the 1970s in Argentina ." Argentina's coup occurred from 1976-1983. Let's read: "The Verb To Kill" A little context/history: A short animated history of Argentina (2 min.) The Funeral of Eva Peron, British Pathe' Newsreel (1 min.) History v. Che Guevara (6 min.) Should revolutions be judged by their ideals or their outcomes? (you decide...) Famou...

This morning, please prepare your MP portfolio. See the rubric posted above. Each marking period, you should reflect on your work and progress during the marking period. I'd like you to cover that now before you submit your final MP 1 portfolio. What should I see in the portfolio? (some or all of the following...) How it feels to be me - essay The Namesake writing prompts A piece about names A cultural poem draft A transformation story (using the archetypal transformation story plot/tropes) (from short stories "Horse", Julio Cortazar's "Axolotl" or "A Yellow Flower", etc. A science-fiction story draft (from The Stone Gods) An anti-poem in the style of Nicanor Parra A Pablo Neruda-style poem draft A piece set in Chile or using Rapa Nui mythology Other prompts from our reading (see Oct. 24, Sept. 30, for an example.) Other blog prompts--check the blog for details! Your reflection: [Please avoid writing about the excuses as to why...

This morning, let's take another 20 minutes or so to complete our discussion on The Stone Gods . See previous post for sample discussion questions. Please complete and turn in your Socratic review sheets for credit. We made slight reference to the idea that history and human events (like natural ones) tend to be cyclical or repeat themselves. To branch out a bit then, take a look at the handout on George Santayana. He is most famous for the quote: "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." For progress to be possible, he says, "we must not only remember past experiences, but also learn from them; to see different ways of doing things" and "real progress is not so much a matter of revolution as of adaptation." Listen to the linked article on Santayana and then respond in writing to anything you heard or found interesting or thoughtful. Period 2: Let's start off with a little research and brainstorming about Argentina...

Period 1: We will take our test on the novel The Stone Gods this morning. After your test, please work on your portfolio (see below) and when all have completed their test, we will have our Socratic seminar discussion on the book. PORTFOLIO PROMPTS for  The Stone Gods : Use any of the prompts below to create something. You may (of course) use your own ideas, or combine any of these prompts as you'd like. Write a traveler's tale about a secret place that no human has visited...until now (this could be a planet, a country, an island, a city, a house, or anything imaginable).  Write a short story or poem in which you deliberately use a metaphor to say something about the human condition or an environmental issue. Pick your favorite "classic" novel, short story, or poem. Steal a line from this literary work and/or use this allusion to enhance your own story (or choose to revise something you've already written and use allusion to enhance the piece). Write your...

Let's take the next 20 minutes this morning to complete the poems and short stories in the packet. Then, please use the rest of class to workshop. Remember to comment IN the Google doc of your fellow workshop participants--give them feedback. You may refer to the workshop handout I gave you to help. When you have completed your feedback to your peers, use the rest of the workshop time to develop your own work and write.  Here are some recent writing prompts: PROMPT: Write an "anti-poem"--break poetic convention. See the Nicanor Parra post/writing for details. PROMPT: Mistral combines the themes of LOVE and DEATH in many of her poems. Write an elegy or use these themes in your own writing. PROMPT: Mistral and Neruda both use body parts in their poetic lines and connect these body parts with nature or natural imagery. Do the same. PROMPT: In The Stone Gods , Captain Handsome and the crew tell stories of planets. Make up your own planet and tell that story. PROM...

Now, back to our Chilean writers. Let's look at Gabriela Mistral and other contemporary poets/writers today. Before Neruda and Parra, there was Gabriela Mistral. Let's learn about her here:  Gabriela Mistral documentary  (11 min.) and then read some of her poems. We will stop occasionally for some writing prompts. Your portfolio is due Nov. 4. At 8:30 or so, we'll stop where we are and return to  Easter Island . Here's another current  article on Easter Island . Can't read? Here's a helpful video . PROMPT: Take a look at a recent discovery in science, archeology, or some other current event and speculate (ask what if...?) about something that intrigues you. Then write that story. Here are some sites to help: Science ( Discovery ) Wired  (Technology) Astronomy Archeology Science Daily PROMPT: Write a science fiction story. Examine some science fiction tropes, get a couple of characters together and strand them on your fictional planet. Can they ...

Let's check in with Jeanette Winterson's novel. Jeanette Winterson  is a contemporary novelist. She is a lesbian writer who dabbles in science fiction, literary and poetic prose. She was born in Manchester, England, and adopted by Pentecostal parents who brought her up in the nearby mill-town. She attended Oxford, and currently writes for various UK newspapers (she is a journalist, as well as a literary novelist and poet). 5 Minutes with Jeanette Winterson Jeanette Winterson talks about her favorite books Author interview with Jeanette Winterson “I can't believe that we have reached the end of everything. The red dust is frightening. The carbon dioxide is real. Water is expensive. Biotech has created as many problems as it has fixed, but we're here, we're alive, we're the human race, we have survived wars and terrorism and scarcity and global famine, and we have made it back from the brink, not once but many times. History is not a suicide note - it...