Writing Across Cultures

 As you read your novel, look for some of the characteristics of Black Literature: 1. Concern with identity. Characters in Black literature often struggle with who they are, who they should be and where they belong in society. Look for examples of this as you read.  2. Concern with position in the dominant society. “Raisin in the Sun,” is a sterling example. Issues of marginalization are common. Look for some examples of this as you read. 3. Use of the colorful, creative language of the African-American culture. The music of language, the free form structure of jazz, the rhythm of the Blues, Hip Hop, and Rap...the unique flow of sentence structure, allusions or songs, dialect, syntax, narrative structure, etc. breathes life in these works. Look for examples of this. 4. Use of religious imagery, settings and the dominance of the black church in the Southern black community (or in a "higher spiritual purpose"). 5. Use of the theme of freedom and independence. Although slave nar...

  In Chapters 1-3, Kendi narrates his parents' early relationship in 1970s New York, where they were both students and Black liberationists. After they married and settled down into their respective careers, however, they became assimilationists, meaning they believed Black people could and should integrate into White society and prove themselves equal through hard work and impeccable moral conduct. Kendi introduces W.E.B. Du Bois' idea of the dueling (or double) consciousness, in which Black people are torn between feeling racial pride and feeling the need to conform, to be accepted by White people. Kendi notes that the concept of race was invented by the biographer of Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator in the 15th century as a means of legitimizing the earliest iteration of the slave trade. In Chapters 4-5, Kendi outlines some of the most common forms of racism, their origins, their effects, and his experiences with them. He begins with biological racism, the belief that ...

Let's start with some advice about revising and strengthening a draft. We'll take a look at fiction, non-fiction (essay), and poetry. As we watch, reflect on your own pieces and take these writers' nuggets of wisdom to heart. After all, the adage "Writing is rewriting..." is a true one. After viewing, choose 1 statement from the 20 listed below and let's discuss what you think. How might you apply this wisdom to your current draft, the workshop, or your writing process? After your workshop, please submit your second (or third or fourth) draft here for credit. Your second (or subsequent) draft should LOOK different (and read better!) for full credit. Along with your draft, please write a short explanation as to what part(s) of your writing you are satisfied with--or not satisfied with--and whether or not you want to or plan to continue working on this piece. Your final working drafts will be collected for your writing portfolio (due at the end of the marking ...

 After our viewing of the Crash Course video and completing the slideshow on Quizezz, we'll workshop a couple student poems and then take about 20 minutes of class to write (or continue writing) your MCAAD American Dream response (a poem, story, essay of 1,000 words or less).  With whatever time we have left in class, we will begin reading and discussing the "myth" of the American Dream. The materials we do not get to in class should be read and "responded to" in a creative way that might be incorporated into your creative draft, or they may simply be used as models for your own writing, or they may be discussion points as we examine this topic.  [A reminder that the MCAAD contest has a quick turnaround deadline: September 21st by 3:00. The problem here is that without drafts to revise, many of you will not risk submitting your draft to the contest. The delay of school this year has caused some issues, alas. To help, anyone who wishes to enter the contest Monday...

Welcome, Class of 2021! Well met by moonlight...or distance learning rather.  Please use this blog, our Google Classroom, and the various websites (you can find them on the pages in the header...) to help you find and keep track of your assignments this year.  Welcome to Writing Across Cultures, your senior capstone course!  The fundamental idea of this course is to use our research, reading, and discussion or responses to a variety of important topics to inspire our artistic and academic impulses. Secondly, it is a course that urges the artist to depict him or herself in relation to or as  the other . We will be examining power structures and hegemonies, cultural groups, and cultural artifacts and ideas in relation to each other. We will use this topic to reach a more universal and engaged POV about our own selves, our own cultures, and the world audience itself. This course is a literature course, a course in ideas, as well as a practice fr om which to write and ca...

The District has  adjusted the start of our school year to include four Superintendent’s Conference Days from Tuesday, September 8 through Friday, September 11. Students will begin their classes online on Monday, September 14.  See you then!

Galton, (remember him?) the biological determinist who coined the idea of nature vs. nurture, supported the idea of  eugenics : The belief (and practice) of improving the genetic quality of the human race through selective breeding, extermination, (or sterilization in some cases), separating the superior from the inferior. Eugenics was practiced in the US years before Hitler got his claws into the idea to exterminate the Jews (and others). During the  Progressive Era , eugenics was seen as the best way to preserve and improve the dominant Hegemony in our population.  Perhaps not surprisingly, the American eugenics movement received funding from various corporate foundations (the 1%) including the Carnegie Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation. The Eugenics record office (ERO) was located in Cold Spring Harbor, NY by Charles Davenport. The ERO was one of the leading organizations to promote eugenics in seeking a solution to the problem of the "unfit" members o...

Introduction to Philosophy Under the main heading of philosophy, there are several branches. These are divided by the kind of questions they ask. Here are the main ones: I.  Ethics : the study of values in human behavior or moral problems: (what is good or right?) II.  Aesthetics : the study of what is beautiful or artistic: (is this art? What is beauty?) III.  Axiology : the study of value (value theory): (what is at stake or what is of value in a life or human action?) IV.  Epistemology : the study of knowledge. (what is truth?) V.  Ontology : the study of existence. (what is real?) VI.  Metaphysics : the study of extra-normal existence (really a sub-branch of ontology). (what created the world? Do we have a soul? What is God?) VII.  Existentialism : also a sub-branch of Ontology--it seeks to answer: What is the meaning of life? Here's an example:  Monty Python sketch from The Meaning of Life  (1983)  What is philosop...

Israel/Palestine/Afghanistan: Israeli poets: The Jewish Virtual Library Israeli Poems to get us through Isolation and Fear 5 Israeli Poets You Should Know Here are some links about ancient Hebrew/Jewish culture, Palestinian culture, and Afghanistan: Ancient Hebrew Culture Ancient Hebrew Language Jewish Culture and History. Hebrew Culture The Maps of Israel The Balfour Declaration (documentary clip) This is Israel (in 60 seconds) History in 60 Seconds (Formation of Israel) The History of Palestine Palestine History: Time Line Made in Palestine: a website with poetry and visual art  Afghanistan life Women in Afghanistan Inspired by the videos and poetry selected here, search Google Images to find a picture for an ekphrastic poem set in either Israel, Palestine, or Afghanistan. Write a draft for your portfolio. Remember that you can workshop your poem in the shared Google folder for this class!

The  Ghazal  is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century pre-Islamic Arabic verse. It is one of the principal poetic forms which the Indo-Perso-Arabic civilization offered to the eastern Islamic world. History: The ghazal spread into South Asia in the 12th century under the influence of the new Islamic Sultanate courts and Sufi mystics. Although the ghazal is most prominently a form of Persian and Urdu poetry, today it is found in the poetry of many languages. The Arabic word غزل ġazal is pronounced [ˈɣazal], roughly like the English word  guzzle . The Form: A ghazal is composed of five or more couplets . The second line of each couplet in a ghazal usually ends with the repetition of a refrain of one or a few words, known ...

Take a look at the poems by some Middle Eastern poets (many of whom are now living and writing in America today). After reading some of their poems, choose 1 author/poet and 1 of their poems to read out loud and record yourself reading their poem. Send me the recording through Google Classroom for credit. Due May 1. Palestinian-American poet: Naomi Shihab Nye How Palestinians Keep Warm Two Countries Arabic Blood Kindness Making a Fist Streets Iraqui-American poet:  Dunya Mikhail  (b. Iraq, 1965) The War Works Hard Pronouns Your Email The Airplane And several others: Raza Ali Hasan Mohja Kahf Mahmoud Darwish  Fady Joudah See full assignment in Google Classroom!

Need a little spirituality in your life at the moment? Let's learn a little about Islam here at the link and read some "mystical" poets from the Middle East. Take a look at Hafez, Farid al-Din Attar, and the master poet Kahlil Gibran. More info on Islam coming in the next few days. Once you do that, try writing your own poem in a similar style. Spend some time in contemplation and meditation then grab a pen/pencil, paper (or your computer) and write with a clear mind with your focus on God and the Infinite Universe (and, of course, love). Hafez : Ode 44 TRANSLATED BY  RICHARD LE GALLIENNE Last night, as half asleep I dreaming lay,     Half naked came she in her little shift,          With tilted glass, and verses on her lips; Narcissus-eyes all shining for the fray,          Filled full of frolic to her wine-red lips,      ...

You should have started reading the graphic novel Persepolis . Please aim to finish that book by the end of the week. Details about your assessment based on that will be forthcoming. Additionally, if you have not yet turned in your response to The Life of Pi ...please do that! This assignment will count for the fourth marking period.  Just a reminder: Don't procrastinate this marking period. All required materials posted from now until May 15 are due by May 18. Also, this marking period you will have your final senior portfolio for this course. You can start working on that today! Contact me with any questions/concerns (the sooner the better...!) The Middle East & Middle Eastern Literature: Our image of the Middle East often comes from antiquity. We are largely outdated in our understanding of this area of the world and romanticize exotic aspects of this "foreign" land. Arabia (the ancient middle east) has a particularly rich literary histor...

All work for MP3, up to March 13 must be in today (or email me about an extension if you need one). Otherwise, I need to start closing my MP3 grade book. Thanks! Welcome to Marking Period 4! While our closure has certainly done a number on our progress, it is the expectation that you continue with your classes (including assignments). We know that we will not be returning to the physical classroom until after May 15, so any assignments here will ultimately be required of you by the end of the marking period. Please make sure you work on these assignments/activities periodically to avoid having a raft of work to complete at the very end of the academic year. As always, please email me, ask for a Zoom meeting with me if you need one, and keep in touch. I am available throughout the week (daily) and will get back to you within 24 hours if I receive your email or contact. Weekend responses may be a little longer. I have a life too.

Persepolis (2008) by Marjane Satrapi (see resources in your Google Classroom for copies of the book!) Our next cross-culture pick is the graphic novel  Persepolis  (2008) by Marjane Satrapi. For those interested, take a little look at the  history of Iran  (another example of a documentary...) Watch this crash course video and learn something about Iranian culture/history for context. Also, at the link below, learn about the pop-cultural phenomenon that is  comicon . Resources for comic books (and writing one) can be found here and here . You can find sample comic book scripts here. And here's the proper format (Dark Horse)  for a graphic novel/comic book. Take a look!

By now, you should have finished The Life of Pi. If you haven't, please try to do so in the next day or two--certainly by Monday. As your final evaluation for the book, here's the "exam"--record a video review of the book. Something similar to this one. The district is recommending the use of the Screencastify Chrome app for video and microphone recording. You will need to go to the RCSD Chrome Web Store in order to install and use the webcam and microphone. In order to do this, please see the directions below: 1. Go to the following link à RCSD Chrome Web Store 2. From the RCSD Chrome Web Store, click on the app they are interested in installing (in this case, Screencastify) 3. Click on the button 4. A popup will appear, have them click on “Add Extension” You should see an icon in the top right side of their Chrome Browser for Screencastify. ß 5. Follow the online steps to setting up Screencastify. You will need to do this after clicking on the button à ...