Writing Across Cultures

LAB: 5-10 minute check in. Check in with your reading groups. How is your reading going? What issues do you think are interesting in the book? Which characters and scenes are most vivid or difficult? What questions or issues do you have? Discuss. At 7:40, please turn your attention to your portfolio. Portfolio PROMPT ideas: Challenge a stereotype (explore how a character's outer image reflects on his/her inner image, or explore how certain behaviors lead us--or a character--to judge that character's personality or future behavior, etc.) Write about an event that happens on one single day. Tell the story of  at least  3 characters who experience that event on that single day. Write a story/poem outside your identified culture (if you are Black, write from a White perspective, if you are Asian, write from a Black or Latino perspective, if you are female write from a male perspective, if you are straight write from a gay or lesbian perspective, etc.) Make a short film a...

Spike Lee  Directors like  Spike Lee  are encouraged to make films for a black audience. Many other actors, directors, and writers begin expanding the ground opened by blaxploitation films, while other black directors are searching for voices that include black experiences or culture, some assimilate the subject, like the most recent films: Black Panther (Ryan Coogler, 2018),  Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016) and A Wrinkle in Time (Ava DuVernay, 2018), while others continue to examine Black cinema's traditional themes of racism, slavery and freedom ( Amistad (directed by Steven Spielberg, 1997),  Belle (Amma Asante, 2013), Dear White People (Justin Simien, 2014) Selma (Ava DuVernay, 2015), and Mudbound (Dee Rees, 2017) as just a few examples. In any case, Spike Lee 's films helped pave the way for black directors and writers in feature films. His films are often thoughtful, satiric, violent, and sexist. They represent the times in which they we...

Lab: (until 7: 50) It's not a lot of time, but please use the lab time to work on your portfolio or workshop something you've written. If this hasn't happened yet, make a schedule for yourself during our Feb. break to write (and complete the required reading). See prompts in the last few posts for ideas for your writing. Remember that the "epic theater" prompt is required. You could also create a draft to send off to Geva's upcoming playwriting contest (March 1 deadline). Remember that you are graded for your behavior during the lab. If the class doesn't use the time to write, we'll use it for other stuff. At 7:45 please go to the classroom to conclude The Caucasian Chalk Circle . When we complete the play, please get together in your small reading groups based on your chosen book: Song of Solomon  by  Toni Morrison   Manchild in the Promised Land  by  Claude Brown  Native Son  by  Richard Wright   The Color of Water  by...

Lab: Please use the lab time to work on your portfolio. See prompts in the last few posts for ideas for your writing. Remember that the "epic theater" prompt is required. You could also create a draft to send off to Geva's upcoming playwriting contest (March 1 deadline). If you didn't read the articles/poems last class please do so now. At the end of period 1 (about 8:05) please go to the library to pick up one of the following book choices for our unit (there will only be 5 copies of each text...first come, first served): Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (literary/magical realism; identity/family) Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown (realistic fictional memoir; gangs/crime) Native Son by Richard Wright (literary/suspense/crime fiction; ethics, social issues) The Color of Water by James McBride (non-fiction memoir; identity/family) We'll begin working with your chosen book next class. Please read chapter 1 of the book you chose, and...

Lab: Period 1 Morning reading task:  please read the following short articles about key political ideas concerning race and culture.  Consider some of the following prompts: Respond to Lincoln's statement that "no man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent."  Consider how we, as citizens, give tacit (silent) consent to others in our lives by not speaking out, or examine the history of hypocrisy of the American government. Are people or certain hegemonies or cultures equal? Examine why there are inequalities in our society? How does pop culture and/or media contribute to or fight this inequality? Is our government, as Thoreau feared, the agent of injustice? Explore the idea. How and/or why? Do you have a personal story that you can relate? Tell it. How should the government or governmental institutions (like education, for example) get out of people's way to allow them to flourish? Dream of a conversation between Thoreau, Linco...

Lab: Period 1 Morning reading task: please read the following short articles about key ideas involving race from a variety of thinkers: Adam Ferguson's "Mankind Have Always Wandered or Settled...In Troops and Companies", W.E.B. DuBois' "The Problem of the 20th Century is the Problem of the Color Line", Paul Gilroy's "There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack", and Elijah Anderson's "The Ghetto is Where the Black People Live." Consider some of the following prompts: Examine an area of human or cultural progress and explain the social cost of this progress (Ferguson) Is Ferguson correct in stating that "commercial growth is driven by self-interest...happening at the expense of traditional values or cooperation"? How might we advocate an issue (for example concerning race) of civic spirit, encouraging people to act in the interest of society rather than self-interest. Respond to W.E.B. DuBois' ideas. Have thi...

Period 1: We will hold our socratic seminar on the book The Distance Between Us . After our discussion, we will continue reading The Caucasian Chalk Circle . See information on Bertold Brecht and epic theater in the post below. Period 2: Caucasian Chalk Circle , etc. Prompt: Find a contemporary issue, perhaps one on race, minorities, class struggle, or clashes with ethnicity. Using Brecht's characteristics of epic theater, write a story or play that utilizes some of these elements. Bring your ideas to our lab next class to work on. We will start looking at some Sociology and Political Science to help inspire you. Bring your play scripts back with you next class. HOMEWORK: None. See the prompt above and prepare to write next class.

Period 1: "More Than Skin Deep" "In Living Color" "Grey Matter" "Color Lines" Junot Diaz Period 1 or 2: Now, let's turn our attention to the play The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht.  Question/Prompt: Should someone who owns a thing have possession of it? Or should someone who uses a thing best hold possession? Relate this to problems of race in our society. Should students, for example, be given every opportunity, even if they do not take advantage of that opportunity? Or should only those who use the opportunity gain benefits from it? Should, for example, immigrants get jobs if the indigenous people lack the skills or interest to hold these jobs? Or vise versa: should immigrants be given privileges (jobs, education, economic stability) that American citizens might lack? Respond in writing. Some background on Brecht: Bertolt Brecht  influenced modern theatre throughout the 20th century. His  brief bio  can ...

Period 1:  Set goals for your writing portfolio, Marking Period 3: Write at least 1 goal that you want to accomplish in your portfolio Check your old goals and see if you met them. If not, why not? What need you do this marking period to be more "on the ball"? Read the portfolio advice (or see below) Choose 1 piece to revise this morning from your portfolio. Call it a new "draft" or Draft #2, #3, #4, etc. Keep your original as reference. Then follow these steps: 1. Identify the climax of your story/essay/poem  2. Move this climactic scene to the beginning of your story 3. Use some of your original beginning as backstory later in the scene. Only use your backstory as suspense or as a delay when you need to transition from one scene to the next 4. Cut anything extraneous or unimportant from this draft Also, during the lab please read the short article: "When Pop Culture Sells Dangerous Myths About Romance." Try a writing prompt: Choose ...

NOTES ON GENRE/PROGRESS: Good job. Thank you for writing. Many good first drafts with much potential.  Variation in genre and samples (range); consider other writing projects you enjoy (short films, Podcasts, comic/graphic novel scripts, tv scripts, Youtube video memes, blogging, songwriting, genre fiction, speeches, Crash Course knock-offs, etc.) Many of you commented that you were surprised how well the Gothic story went Many of you commented on your improvement and progress Some issues you revisited with this portfolio: Lack of motivation (some of you have been dealing with this problem for years) Asking what is the focus of this class? Fleshing out ideas from the prompt writing(s) NOTES ON STYLE: Contemporary writing is more journalistic. Short declarative sentences. Fragments.  Dialogue (in general) goes on too long. In a few cases you still don't know how to punctuate dialogue. OMG. Pick up any fiction book and check it when you are PROOFREADING and pre...

Period 1: A moment of silence for Ursula LeGuin . We will continue our Pop Culture presentations today. We left off with Karina's "Mothman" presentation. What to consider/how to use these presentations: Part of the use for popular culture in writing is to reference it. Alluding to pop culture in our stories, poems, plays, essays, can help stress similarities and connotative symbols/semiotics by way of compare/contrast and analogy. To do this, reference pop culture by: stating the reference directly by mentioning the source (a reference to McDonald's, for example) stating the reference to the topic through a well-known line or quote (a quote from Shakespeare, a quote from a Beatles song) Compare/contrast or parody a character or setting from the original source (Zak Effron's character from High School Musical, or taking a setting from the show--naming your school after East High School, for example) Using/parodying plot events/tropes from a popular so...

Lab: please prepare and complete your portfolios. These will be collected today (or tomorrow). At the end of our lab, (8:05) please go to the library to pick up the required memoir "The Distance Between Us" by Reyna Grande. The author will be visiting us in early March for "If All of Rochester Read the Same Book" program. See homework for details on the book. Period 2: We will view your pop culture presentations. We'll go in order. Please make sure your links work before beginning your presentation. If someone is absent or isn't listed, we'll skip them. Our goal is to identify what the popular culture topic is, its history (where did it come from?), and how it has influenced our culture? The term: convergence, cross-platform, narrative and high/low culutre  may be helpful (from your handout articles). Convergence : the changes and merging that has occurred in media content over time. One meaning refers to technology and another to business. Thus, ...

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

Period 1: Work on your portfolio during the lab.  Please send me the shared link to your presentation!  The pop culture presentations I have links for so far: Alexander   Emily Azana Jocelyn Bella Karina Deja Alexis Tamaron Kyra Liana Sara Period 2: We will summarize the article we read on Dracula and take notes or form questions based on what we hear. These comments/questions will be used to conduct a Socratic seminar on the book. "Kiss Me With Those Red Lips: Gender and Inversion" (gender criticism) The Occidental Tourist: Dracula and the Anxiety of Reverse Colonization (postcolonial criticism/cultural studies) "A Wilde Desire Took Me: The Homoerotic History of Dracula" (queer criticism/gender criticism) HOMEWORK: None. Portfolios are due January 18.

Period 1: Please complete the test on Dracula . If you finish early (before period 2) please use the time to work on your portfolio. Portfolios are due next week (Thursday/Friday). Please send me the shared link to your presentation! The pop culture presentations I have links for so far: Alexander   Emily Azana Jocelyn Bella Karina Deja Alexis Tamaron Kyra Period 2: We will summarize the article we read on Dracula and take notes or form questions based on what we hear. These comments/questions will be used to conduct a Socratic seminar on the book. "His Hour Upon the Stage": Theatrical Adaptations of Dracula (theatrical criticism) Vampires in the Light (film criticism) Suddenly Sexual Women in Bram Stoker's Dracula (feminist criticism) Dracula: The Unseen Face in the Mirror (literary criticism/psychological criticism) A Capital Dracula (Marxist criticism) "Kiss Me With Those Red Lips: Gender and Inversion" (gender criticism) The Occident...

LAB: (Until 8:00)  Portfolios are due January 18 (or January 19*); please use your time in the lab to work on your portfolios. Requirements include: 1. Reflection of your writing progress (not a critique of the class...) 2. A gothic inspired story 3. An epistolary (multiple perspective) story or a television script or a short story or essay regarding pop culture (including gun violence, allusion to pop culture references or fads, a type of essay, previously discussed stream of consciousness, various pieces created from in-class prompts and prompts from the blog, etc.) 4. A revision  A note about the required Gothic Story : Gothic stories deal with the gradual corruption of an otherwise innocent character.  They use recognizable tropes; for a list see: the glossary of literary gothic terms See previous posts regarding Gothic literature; use Dracula as a model as well... All stories have a beginning, middle, and end; a draft is not really complete u...

Enjoy your snow day. We'll resume class on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Just a few reminders: MP2 Portfolios are due 1/18. Very little time will be given in the lab due to testing . You'll have to largely work on your portfolio outside of class. Requirements include: 1. Reflection of your writing progress (not a critique of the class...) 2. A gothic inspired story 3. Multiple perspective or stream of consciousness story (inspired by Dracula or psychology unit) Pop culture presentations will be due next class (we'll perform them, though, after our discussion of Dracula ). Complete Dracula . Test on Dracula & discussion will be Thursday, Jan. 11. Dracula Assistance: Chapters 17 - 25 Chapter 16 concludes the second part of the novel. Lucy, the vampire, has been defeated, but the foreign threat to decent English culture has yet to be stopped. Our protagonists need to defeat the big boss! Chapter 17: Seward invites Mina and Jonathan to the asylum, where Mina ...

Lab: Please use the lab time to complete your pop culture presentations (or work on your portfolio): Popular Culture Presentation Project Your topic should  not  be a FAD.  Your Prezi should include a title slide, a few slides detailing the most important history of the topic, and a short clip of music, video, or other text that identifies the impact of the subject on our culture. Keep your presentation slides visual --very little text should appear on your slides. The text you would normally read to us during your presentation should be practiced and delivered orally as if you learned or know the information (you can have notes if you need them...) Video/music material should be used to hook our attention or to introduce the topic. It may also be used to conclude, but this is a weaker choice. It should not be a replacement for your brief explanation about what the topic is and why it is important. Keep your clips very short if you use them--I'll ...

Lab: (Until 8:00) Dracula is written largely in epistolary form. Letters, newspaper articles, phonograph recordings or transcripts, telegrams, or journals allow a multiple narrative account of the events in the plot. Dracula : Chapters 5-7 (some assistance): Enter the women to our narrative. These chapters contain the letters between Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray (later Harker). Both represent the "new" woman in Victorian England. Lucy will be sexualized--an important contrast with her friend, while Mina is really our kick-ass heroine of the novel, being more resourceful and important to the resolution. In Gothic tropes, a female character's chastity (virginity) is threatened. Temptation (having sex) is often a cause for ruin in many novels and films (consider slasher films like Friday the 13th or John Carpenter's Halloween series).  These chapters contrast with the horrors Jonathan Harker experiences abroad, while also hinting at the coming of a great evi...