Writing Across Cultures

Last class I asked you to write a creative response to the articles we read in class for homework. If you have written those and printed them out, please place them in your portfolio. If you did not complete this work, please do so on your own time and put your drafts in your writing portfolio. This morning, after our short reading, please be prepared to take notes on some key course vocabulary. Last class we ended with the term: Hegemony . When discussing these power structures, it is helpful to know what groups to which we belong or to which we identify. We may have cultural groups that we share with others: for instance we are all living in Rochester, NY. We all attend the RCSD. We all go to SOTA. More than half of us are female. Only a few of us are Buddhist or Catholic or Muslim. There are many social, political, and philosophical roles we participate in through our lives. Some groups we only share a tenuous connection with, others define who we are or how we see the world. I...

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

Let's define  culture . What is culture? In your own words, describe this term. Share your response with a partner. Now, let's read. What sticks out for you as important or interesting in this article? Much of our class will use this technique to brainstorm ideas for stories, poems, plays, films, non-fiction and other writing projects. The fundamental idea of this course is to use our research and responses to a variety of topics to inspire our artistic 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 hegemonic cultural groups in relation to each other, using 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 from which to write and capture authentic voices. You will be allowed in many cases to make your own path as yo...

Welcome back, class of 2015! You have stumbled upon our classroom blog. Check here each class period for agendas, deadlines, educational information, advice, and a whole lot of links to enhance your education. All you have to do is read and click. Any material and links or articles posted here are fair game when it comes to unit tests. You will be using this blog throughout this course. If you're absent or missed something in class, please check the blog to get caught up. As stated above, each new class period includes a new post. If you have a question about an assignment and are too embarrassed to speak to me in public (or you have a question that you think you will forget to ask), feel free to use the comment section. I look forward to seeing all of your writing and thoughtful work this year as you climb the metaphorical mountain toward graduation! Please note and follow our school policies, as is expected. Our class BEGINS at 8:05. Excessive tardies will affect your...

Today, read Queneau's  Exercises in Style  and play around with a writing exercise. Please turn in your writing by the end of class today. Information on  Raymond Queneau  can be found here. Exercises in Style: 1. Write a short succinct story about "modern" life. This should be nothing more than a short anecdote. In fact, you can title the first entry anecdote. Or Writing Exercise. 2. Rewrite the same short story at least two or three more times (total of 3-4, but you can do more if you'd like) using any of the following writing "Styles": Metaphor Simile Personification Alliterative Anagrams Formal Slang Onomatopoeia Past Tense Present Tense Future Tense Passive Sonnet Alexandrine Exclamations Epic Heroic Cockney Cross Examination Five Act Play Summary Tragedy Comedy Introspective Subjective Objective Apostrophe Awkward Syntax Biased Olfactory Ode Elegy Haiku Villanelle Sestina Journalistic Accented (pick an accent)...

Italy: Umberto Eco: How to Essay. This morning please read the short essay "How to Travel with a Salmon" by Umberto Eco in class together. Then, please retire upstairs to the lab 339 to write your own "How To" essay. As writing exercises, try your own hand at writing a short "How To" essay. This should be short 1-2 page in length (400-600 words, for example) and deal with "How to" do something. Some ideas are: How to Pass a _____ Class, How to Cheat on your Boyfriend/Girlfriend, How to Buy a Dress for Prom, How to Survive Senioritis, How to Eat Unhealthily, How to Train a Dog, How to ... you get the idea (How to Get an Idea...) Turn in your draft by the end of class today. If you finish early, please continue reading and researching the rest of this blog post. There's a lot o' info here today. We are nearing the end of your education here at SOTA. The rest, well, is up to you... Another one of my favorite Italian writers: Italo ...

Key moments in German History: The Reformation Prussian Empire Bismarck Empire Immanuel Kant & Moral Philosophy Franco-Prussian War  (Napolean) Karl Marx Sigmund Freud First World War Weimar Germany Nazi Germany G erman Propaganda German Propaganda (part II) German Propaganda Images East/West Germany  - a country torn in two The Fall of the Wall Images of the Wall Pop Culture articles  (an example made of Germany): Article on German filmmaker & auteur:  Werner Herzog German Newspapers/News sites on line: (in English) German News Germany Info suitable for writer/research The Local Info about  Berlin Symphony of a Metropolis  (formalistic German film) An interesting article:  "Sexual Freedom vs. Fascism in Germany"  by Leslie Feinberg Persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany . German Gay Rights Movement Willkommen from  Cabaret  (Joel Gray) The play was based on the life of  Christopher Ishe...

Today, a smorgasbord of Norse culture. For those of you who are not completely exhausted from learning, you may find these resources here helpful in setting your fiction, poetry, plays, and essays in a Norse setting. Since we are running out of time to cover the entire world in this course, we will only briefly glimpse at a very rich and extensive culture. For your benefit (although not our focus) this unit misses  Switzerland , and  Iceland . Click on their links and learn about them on your own time. Some of their literature can be found in the packets of reading. Our focus today will briefly be on: Swedish Culture More Swedish culture info Swedish pop culture Norwegian Culture Nordic Noir (literary trends) Danish Culture Finland For those of you interested in Norse mythology (or mythology) and Vikings, here are a few interesting links: The Creation of the World  (Norse Mythology) The Vikings Erik the Viking (Terry Gilliam) (full film) How To Train Y...

Our race around Europe! In the days remaining, let's travel! Czeslaw Milosz is one of Poland's best loved poets.  His poems can be found here. Forget by Czeslaw Milosz Forget the suffering You caused others. Forget the suffering Others caused you. The waters run and run, Springs sparkle and are done, You walk the earth you are forgetting. Sometimes you hear a distant refrain. What does it mean, you ask, who is singing? A childlike sun grows warm. A grandson and a great-grandson are born. You are led by the hand once again. The names of the rivers remain with you. How endless those rivers seem! Your fields lie fallow, The city towers are not as they were. You stand at the threshold mute. Learn a little about Poland ! And some cuisine ...

Russia (basic information) : the US Department of State has information on World countries with statistics. This can be helpful for social studies courses. Compare US information with a site in the UK.  Russian Culture Russian Revolution Rasputin Vladimir Putin Soviet National Anthem News articles Russian Poets Architecture Sports Russian recipes Rap Battles: Rasputin vs. Stalin  (strong language warning!) By far, the most influential film maker of early Russian film was  Sergei Eisenstein . Please read this article on the  state of contemporary Russian Film . Anton Chekhov  is considered to be one of the greatest short story writers the world has ever known. We have read  The Sea Gull , and some of you may have read other Chekhov plays ( Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sister, The Bear (or The Boar), The Marriage Proposal, Ivanov,  etc.)  Consider the elements of a fine fiction story. In normal fiction, a character is e...

You should have completed drafts of haiku (see post below), your collaborative dramatic monologue draft (see last few posts), and the renga and tanka drafts (see post below) from last class. Please print these out and leave them with your sub on Thursday, May 22. No credit will be given to absent students or for incomplete work (of course, remember that these are DRAFTS). Use your time in the lab efficiently. For those of you done with your writing, please take a look at: Korean poets Vietnamese poets Toeti Heraty: Indonesian poet Thailand Writers Eastlit website Please print out and turn in your writing by the end of class today. HOMEWORK: None.

In the lab, please use your time to read and write a few tanka and renga poems. The renga is a collaborative project, so find a partner and write a draft today. By Thursday, you should have completed drafts of haiku (see previous post), your collaborative dramatic monologue draft (see last two posts), and the renga and tanka drafts from today's class. I will be asking that you print these out and leave them with your sub on Thursday, May 22. Tanka  is an older form of Japanese poetry, often written by members of the court, it has become a traditional poetry form for anyone looking to celebrate or honor something. It has more feeling supposedly than haiku, although it, too, focuses on nature. It centers on a vivid image that is related to an emotion. The tanka traditionally has 31 syllables or fewer in 5 lines. Traditionally that would be 5,7,5,7,7 but contemporary tanka, like haiku, suggests fewer syllables when possible. Here are some  examples . And here are some  t...

Today in the lab, please complete the following: Read the handout on the Korean poet. I'll discuss Korea in more depth in the next few classes. Ask your sub for the handout. Read the poems. Think about them. Note what you liked and reinforce your knowledge of poetry and poetic techniques. Check out the links from last class. Read and research. Take notes where appropriate. Inspire yourself. Use the research and links, clips, etc. to create. Brainstorm some ideas. Working alone or with your group of 1-3 from last class, spend some time with your dramatic monologue writing exercise. Consider the form of your work: are you writing a one-person play script? Fiction (a short story) similar to Akutagawa's "In A Grove"? A poetry cycle with dramatic monologues? Decide with your group what form your work will take. Then spend time today in the lab to write it. Also/or: Read about and practice some haiku today. Haiku , as you probably know, is a short, closed form ...

This morning let's read a story or two and some brief poetry. Then it's off to the lab to research. In the lab, please research the following links and articles. Use what you find here to create some creative response involving Japan. Japanese News Traditional Japanese "Noh" Theater Hiroshi Kawasaki  (poet) Japanese Pop Music Sumo: cultural pastime Japanese literature and history is divided into various periods (based largely on who was controlling the country): Nara Period  (710-794 A.D. or C.E.) Japanese literature traces its beginnings from an oral tradition that later used a writing system introduced from China. Most of this literature from the eighth century was created as governmental projects. The  Kojiki  ( Record of Ancient Matters ) and  Nihon shoki  (Chronicle of Japan) are really an anthology of myths, legends, stories, and history (much like the Western Bible, but without the religious significance). The most brilliant literary...

During period 1, please complete your short story of 1,000 words set in China. 1. Research the links, read the poems, watch the videos, gather ideas. 2. Write a short story draft (due Monday) about China, Chinese culture, etc. Your protagonist may either be Chinese, of Chinese lineage, or from another culture we have studied. 3. Length should be around 1,000 words. Include a works cited page where you indicate what sources you used as inspiration for the story. During period 2, please share your story with the rest of the class. Turn in a draft to the sub or put in my mailbox or in-box, please. HOMEWORK: None.

Use the links below to gather some ideas for a short story of 1,000 words set in China. 1. Research the links, read the poems, watch the videos, gather ideas. 2. Write a short story draft (due Monday) about China, Chinese culture, etc. Your protagonist may either be Chinese, of Chinese lineage, or from another culture we have studied. 3. Length should be around 1,000 words. Include a works cited page where you indicate what sources you used as inspiration for the story. HOMEWORK: Please finish reading "A Tiger Fighter Is Hard To Find" by Ha Jin. Complete your draft for Monday. Bring the draft to "turn in" and share with the class.

Portfolios are due Tuesday. I will not be accepting late portfolios, so please make sure you can turn in your work by that date. Use the lab to work. HOMEWORK: Complete your portfolio.

China Tour  (video) Information about China This is China  (promotional documentary) Government The Ka-Cing Dynasty  (Documentary) CrossTalk: China's Century  (economics documentary) Religion Confucianism (The Analects) Literature The Misty Poets  ( Bei Dao ) Chinese American poet:  Li-Young Lee  ( "Eating Alone" ) Contemporary Chinese Poets Film: Sixth Generation Jackie Chan Jackie Chan from Mulan Theatre: Cao Yu  (play  Thunderstorm , adapted into the film  Curse of the Golden Flower ) Music: Harlem Yu Chinese Hip-Hop:  Yin T'sang Don't Worry  (hip hop video) Big Bird in China  &  Rubber Ducky Chinese food in America  versus  Chinese food in China Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion (trailer) Uprising in Tibet (part 1) HOMEWORK: Please read the graphic novel selections from: Shenzen and American Born Chinese , and read Mao Tse Tung's poetry.

This morning, please read the 3 stories by Salman Rushdie . Then move to the lab and work on your portfolio. While there, read about Salman Rushdie. Salman Rushdie  is postcolonial writer. He was born in Mumbai in 1947. His second novel Midnight's Children was critically acclaimed and won the Booker Prize in 1981. His most controversial novel is The Satanic Verses which he caused controversy in the Islamic world due to the perceived irreverent depiction of the prophet Muhammad. Public burnings and firebombings of bookstores caused international bedlam. The book is still banned in several countries. Rushdie found sanctuary in England. The United Kingdom and Iran broke diplomatic relations over the Rushdie controversy and he still receives death-threats from militant Muslim fanatics concerning the novel. He was knighted in 2007 for his contribution to literature. He currently has ten novels and several collections of stories and non-fiction essays published. His style is ofte...

This morning, the conclusion of Sita Sings the Blues . Then, we'll chat about your reaction to Siddhartha and/or the film. Drop Nina Paley a note on her blog if you liked her film. Encourage filmmakers. Become a filmmaker. HOMEWORK: None. Work on your portfolio. It's due May 2. What should be in your portfolio? Writing. We worked on a feminist story, we've covered ethics (right and wrong and conflict), you've been introduced to philosophical ideas and existentialism, we've crossed from West to East and begun to explore India. We covered graduation speeches. Your portfolio should reflect this in a creative way. Also, remember you will need a short reflection and revise your previous work.