Writing Across Cultures

If you completed your test questions for Fun Home , please submit these now. Open book exam questions are due today. No late work accepted after announcements. Please upload your files to our Google Classroom or turn in by hand/or printed in the in-box today. Before our discussion on the novel (look! a synthesis!), please take 15 minutes to read the following short articles on the book and note your reaction/thoughts about the articles: Freshmen Skipping Fun Home for Religious Reasons  in  The Chronicle  by Claire Ballentine Duke Freshmen Boycott Acclaimed Graphic Novel:  in  The Daily Dot , written by Aja Romano The Duke Freshmen  by Jacob Brogan Listen Up Duke Freshmen  by Emily Shire for T he Daily Beast At 7:50, we will discuss  Fun Home . Here are the discussion questions: Were the Duke freshmen justified in refusing to read  Fun Home ? Discuss. Consider "safe spaces" on college campuses...you'll be there soon. Share y...

Today, please watch the following videos at the links. Then, post a COMMENT in the COMMENT section of this blog (below) about a film, novel, or tv show that does not pass the Bechdel test. Explain why this may be an issue of concern or problem. If it's not, why not? Then explain what the Bechdel test is (what are its rules, for example) and why it might be important when examining pop culture, media, or literature? Feel free to comment on the linked videos. The Bechdel Test Analyzing the Bechdel Test in 21st Century Narratives The Bechdel Test vs. The Mako Mori Test Female Characters in Games (video game writing)  &  Race in Games LGBT Cartoon Character Analysis (video) With the rest of the class period today, please continue reading Fun Home and use the book to answer the following questions as a "take-home" quiz (due Thursday, see homework). Fun Home : discussion questions: An "artificer" is a skilled craftsman/craftsperson or inventor...

Period 1: After attendance, please go to the library this morning to pick up our next graphic novel: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Then attend the assembly for Black Lives Matter. Have a good Feb. break! Race Unit Preview:  My Descent into America's Neo-Nazi Movement - And How I Got Out - TedX, by Christian Picciolini. Read  Fun Home  for next Tuesday, Feb. 26 .  As you read, consider the hegemonic group or classification of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, et al. Queer : the quality or trait marked as odd or strange; also any expression that can be labeled as contra (against), non (not), or anti (against) straight, heterosexual images, representation, etc. As you read, consider how the book represents LGBTQ identity, and how the author's "memoir" is an effective "queer" (see definition above) representation. Check out the link below as well and read about queer critical theory and the author. Practice this critical lens as you read Bechdel...

Today, we will continue reading the short story "Wilderness Tips". Margaret Atwood's Poetry: You Fit Into Me... You fit into me like a hook into an eye  a fish hook an open eye This is a Photograph of Me The Animals in that Country Habitation Spelling Poetry Prompt:   Please read Andrew Varnon's poem: "Be My Sherpa", Then, write your own love (or anti-love) poem as your post assignment on your blog. You might find it helpful for your brainstorming to: List objects, ideas, associative words on a page Find random words in a dictionary or thesaurus and write them down (the more random the better) Find a random article from the internet and select a variety of words and include them on your list Listen to snippets of conversation and select random words from what you hear and write them down Then use a stem prompt like: Be my... I love you like... You're my... You're not my... Don't be my... Use any time left in ...

Use period one to continue the story draft you started last class. Use your time to develop your ideas, theme, work on plot, character development, setting, and other aspects of your fiction writing. Remember, your story should include the following: Write a draft that includes a flashback . Consider an urban setting, but at some point in your story, move to a more natural setting. The setting should reflect the inner conflicts of your protagonist if possible. Avoid character cliches: surprise your reader (and possibly yourself or even your character) Include a secondary character who should act as a foil to the protagonist. Write in present tense ; (flashbacks can be written in past tense); Use 3rd person POV (limited, omniscient, objective). See the previous post for more details. Period 2: Let's discuss what we've read so far in the collection. Wilderness Tips is   Margaret Atwood’s second volume of short stories ( Bluebeard’s Egg and Other Stories (198...

Period 1: Please read the rest of the article "How to Look At Women" starting with the end of the first section. Afterward, please read "Hairball" together in your Wilderness Tips collection. Atwood's style generally takes a character's past issues (used often through flashback sequences), problems, situations and details them. This is then juxtaposed with the present. Present scenes are written in present tense. Try this style in your own story. 1. Choose a protagonist. Get to know your protagonist by taking this quiz . Write your answers in your notes/journal. Use the details here in places in your story to allow your reader time to get to know the character better. 2. Use at least two flashbacks to examine backstory and character development. Each time you flashback, we should go further in-depth about what we find out about that character. Often this can be a secret or some deeply hidden desire, dream, or wish. Each flashback should complicate ...

Period 1: Misogyny in Video Games.  Please watch the following videos and read the article "Your Princess Is In Another Castle". Use the source material to write a reflective essay/article on your position regarding this important issue about the misogyny of video games & digital media. You may, like Anita Sarkeesian, film a vlog post or create a Podcast and upload on your blog your own critical review on the topic. [You may work collaboratively on this project!] Your Princess is in Another Castle  (article) - Arthur Chu Damsel in Distress, Part 1  (video; parts 2 & 3 can be viewed as well...) - Anita Sarkeesian Women As Reward - Feminist Frequency  (video) - Anita Sarkeesian Not Your Exotic Fantasy - Feminist Frequency  (Sexist, Racist Tropes in Video Games, video) - Anita Sarkeesian Writing Ideas: Choose a video game you have played and examine the roles of male and female characters. Write an essay in which you reflect on the issue (use g...

Welcome back from our arctic weather... Today we will conduct our discussion (long overdue) on The Stone Gods . 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). Author interview with Jeanette Winterson Jeanette Winterson talks about her favorite books Discussion and Socratic Seminar on  The Stone Gods   (see handout) Library: Please pick up Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood. Margaret Atwood Interview on Writing Misogyny in Video Games.  Please watch the following videos and read the article "Your Princess Is In Another Castle". Use the source material to write a reflective essay/article on your positio...

MP3: Welcome! Remember: you will have a portfolio due by the end of the marking period (in April). Portfolios should include a reflection of your progress throughout the marking period/semester. While 1/2 your academic year is over, you are not through the woods yet. No matter what your attitude towards the School of the Arts is, what you are learning here is more important than you think... Plan to participate more this semester. Stop putting off your writing, reading, and growth... Period 1: Brainstorm problems women face. Or complete this statement: "The biggest challenge women face is..." or "one small overlooked issue women face is..."; if you need help thinking of something, check online where all the information is... Ms. and The Odyssey online  (for large ideas) and then other smaller issues here: Bustle . 3 international short stories: Italy: 'The Falling Girl" by Dino Buzzati Antigua: "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid France:...

Please take the first few minutes of class to prepare and submit your portfolio for MP2. We will continue our writing prompts today. Develop and write your drafts for your portfolio. Morning Prompt: L et's read the article, non-fiction/pop culture essay: "Why Don't We Like the Human Body" by Barbara Ehrenreich. Use the essay as a model for your own reflections on the topic. Try your own essay on the subject. The Stone Gods: Part 2 Robinson Crusoe is perhaps the most famous survival story. Winterson retells the story as a tragic gay love story in part 2. Try your own survival story; or gender bend one of your previously written stories.  Retell a fairy tale (see previous posts for details & links). Ex. Revolting Rhymes video (30 min.) Finally, read and examine the articles on feminism from your packet and online. Use them as inspiration and examine themes, issues, and style for your own work: Gloria Steinem: "If Men Could Menstruate" W...

We will continue our writing prompts today. Develop and write your drafts for your portfolio. Morning Prompt:  choose 3 films you love or have loved for a while (as a child, for example). List these films and then list the women's roles quickly. Think about the women in those films. What kind of women are they? What personality types or physical traits do they possess? What actions do they perform? List a question (or two) concerning what you notice. Is there a pattern developing? What might these women mean to you personally? Are they role models? Do these women remind you of real people in your lives? If so, who? If not, why not? Explore in the next 5-10 minutes. Then let's read the article, non-fiction/pop culture essay: "Types of Women in Romantic Comedies Who Are Not Real" by Mindy Kaling. Use Kaling's essay as a model for your own reflections on the topic. Try your own essay on the subject. At 8:00,  The Stone Gods  science fiction/fantasy prompts fro...

Let's complete the video on gender stratification from last class... Gender Stratification: Crash Course #32 Theories of Gender: #33 Structural Functionalism: human behavior helps keep society running... Social Conflict Theory: gender is a social construct that affords power to some and disadvantage or marginalization to others... Symbolic interactionism: language and symbol influence behavior... Intersectionality: the interplay of class, race, gender, orientation, etc. that often results in disadvantage or marginalization Use this information and what you think about the ideas found therein to write a creative piece of your own. Poetry ex.:  Anne Sexton's poems,  " The Operation " & others "Snow White" & "Rapunzel"  " Women " by Louise Bogan Write your own feminist poem  Pick a subject that focuses on an important topic for women in our society/culture and write about that (see models & examples...) ...

Period 1: Feminist Philosophy (cont.):  please read the packet of feminist philosophers & learn about these women at the following links: Mary Wollstonecraft Simone de Beauvoir Julia Kristeva Ann Oakley Women in the 19th Century (Crash Course) Harriet Martineau & Gender Conflict Theory (Crash Course) Gender Stratification: Crash Course #32 Use this information and what you think to write a creative piece of your own. Poetry ex.:  Anne Sexton's poems, Part 1 " The Operation " & others  " Women " by Louise Bogan Write your own feminist poem  Use these articles and poems as models and examples Place your draft in your portfolio--Portfolios are due Jan. 17. Period 2: The Stone Gods , Part One: This new world weighs a yatto-gram The Stone Gods is written in four parts; The first part begins on Orbus, a world very like earth, and like earth running out of resources and suffering from the severe effects of climate cha...

"In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist." —Gloria Steinem "The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race." —Susan B. Anthony "In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman." —Nancy Astor (British Politician) Writing Task: write a paragraph describing the perfect man and another describing the perfect woman. You will have at least 2 paragraphs: one to describe the perfect traits of a woman, and one for the perfect traits of a man. Traits can be physical, mental, social, or personality trait. Try to imagine the ideal woman and the ideal man and describe these figures or archetypes with your own viewpoint, descriptio...

This morning, please pick up The Stone Gods by Jeannette Winterson (see below). When you return from the library, please help yourself to a bagel. Then take the online quiz on Odd & The Frost Giants . This is NOT an open book test! After completing the test do one of the following while you are waiting for others to finish: 1. Work on your horror/suspense/weird story draft 2. Begin reading The Stone Gods 3. Finish reading part 1 of "The Call of Cthulhu" (your homework from last class) When all are done with their quiz, let's continue reading "The Call of Cthulhu." HOMEWORK: Work on your portfolio. You will have about 3 weeks when you return to complete your portfolio. For those of you who need extra time to read, begin The Stone Gods . We will be heading completely into gender issues when we return from winter break. As you read, apply feminist and gender critical theories to the text. Have a nice winter break & holiday! 

Let's begin reading "The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft in class. "My reason for writing stories is to give myself the satisfaction of visualising more clearly and detailedly and stably the vague, elusive, fragmentary impressions of wonder, beauty, and adventurous expectancy which are conveyed to me by certain sights (scenic, architectural, atmospheric, etc.), ideas, occurrences, and images encountered in art and literature." -- H.P. Lovecraft   The great American horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft wrote a little book called  Supernatural Horror in Literature  in 1927 and an essay entitled: "Notes on Writing Weird Fiction". He also continued to train other horror writers of the time, as well as influence new horror writers of today. He wrote: "The true weird tale has something more than secret murder, bloody bones, or a sheeted form clanking chains according to rule.  A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknow...

Gender & Mythology: Why women? Mothers & Daughters ( archetypes and female divinities: crash course) As we watch the film "Sita Sings the Blues" apply key feminist criticism questions to the text. Then We'll try to discuss... With time remaining, let's begin reading "The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft in class. See homework. HOMEWORK: Continue reading  Odd & The Frost Giants  by Neil Gaiman. Write a creation myth of your own based on your own pantheon of Gods/Goddesses; use a myth and update it in a clever or creative way. Notice how the book uses male & female archetypes to teach boys (and maybe girls) contemporary values. There will be a test on this question, so examine, examine, examine. Note taking is suggested. Bring "Cthulhu" back with you to next class.

Gender & Mythology: Why men? Fathers & Sons ( archetypes and male divinities: crash course ) A final example of Indian mythology:  The Ramayana . Ramayana Crash Course . Now that you have the basics, how might an author use the myth creatively to discuss gender? Let's take a look at Feminist criticism (see handout). As we watch the film "Sita Sings the Blues" apply key feminist criticism questions to the text. HOMEWORK: Continue reading  Odd & The Frost Giants  by Neil Gaiman. Write a creation myth of your own based on your own pantheon of Gods/Goddesses; use a myth and update it in a clever or creative way. Notice how the book uses male archetypes to teach boys contemporary values. 

Please upload/submit your presentation to Google Classroom. Types of Creation Myths (cosmogony): Creation  ex nihilo  (out of nothing): creation from nothing Earth Diver: a "diver" (aquatic) animal digs up the earth from the abyssal depths of an ocean. Emergence: the world appears from the body of a primordial being or through metamorphosis or passes through other "worlds" to come into being. Cosmic Egg: creation from a cosmic egg Order Out of Chaos (creation from chaos): order/the world is created from primordial chaos Presentation Topics: Chinese Japanese Norse Incan Aztec Australian Dreamtime Maori Oceania Egypt Zulu Iroquois Hindu Navaho Gender & Mythology: Why men? Fathers & Sons ( archetypes and male divinities: crash course ) A final example of Indian mythology: The Ramayana . Ramayana Crash Course . Now that you have the basics, how might an author use the myth creatively to discuss gender? Let's take a look at Fem...

Mahabharata  Discussion  - Complete Socratic seminar sheet The Mahabharata  has influenced Indian culture for thousands of years. Consider & discuss how the following cultural ideas are found in the epic: Gods Caste system Dharma Ashrama Reincarnation Epics Myth Criticism, what do we learn from the epic about:  Love Life Nature Death Society Truth, justice, goodness, mercy, sacrifice Evil, conflict, betrayal, illusion, lies, anger, violence After our discussion, please read/discuss: "Savitri" (short story/myth): how does a female hero's story differ from a male's? What are some similarities? With the rest of your time in class, please continue to work on your creation presentation projects.  HOMEWORK: Complete your presentations by Monday, Dec. 10. Workshop or write for your portfolio.