The Weiss Reader's Bookblog/Courselog

Wedding Cupcakes

2009-07-17T06:04:00.001-07:00

Wedding Cupcakes for a Magazine Shoot!
Originally uploaded by kylie lambert (Le Cupcake)

Today I'm going to try and finalize my wedding cupcakes. My theme was white on white with silver embellishments when i was planning to wear the #34, style #FAM6E507 dress shown here:

http://www.maxazria.com/spring2009/

Now that I have a new, more traditionally romantic dress, I'm rethinking that decision. I love the look created on this posting pic and might use it as inspiration for my cakes.

I know that the small details of the wedding day won't be noticeable to anyone but me, but I can't help but regret the change in tone that has occurred with my change in dress. The first dress was, in my opinion, glamorous - an old Hollywood feel - whereas the new dress is much sweeter and pretty.

I've gone from channeling Angelina to becoming Jen Aniston - a change I'm totally comfortable with... except that the original gray, yellow, and orange theme doesn't seem quite right anymore and I don't know how to change it: my two girls have purchased their dresses and the dark gray/pale orange invitations have already gone out.

Thoughts?

Book Suggestion

2009-07-08T18:18:00.001-07:00

CRAZY LOVE
Originally uploaded by STRANGE_1

This one's for the ladies

If you're looking for a summer reading book and have ever wondered about/witnessed/experienced an abusive relationship and asked yourself "Why do women stay?", well here is a memoir that may answer that question, in addition to providing insight into what to watch out for in a relationship.

Leslie Steiner was barely older than you (ok, she was just out of college) when she got a job writing/editing for Seventeen Magazine. Soon after, she met the man of her dreams on the subway. Connor was a charming, Harvard educated, good looking guy who swept her off her feet in a whirlwind relationship that quickly developed into an engagement and subsequent marriage.

5 days before their wedding day, but many months after the first time he verbally abused her, he hit her for the first time. This book is the story of that relationship and how she eventually left.

I hope none of you ever come close to experiencing an abusive relationship like those of Leslie and so many other woman but I know that is wishful thinking. Hopefully, however, if you are one of those woman, this book will make you realize that you are not alone, it is not your fault, it is NOT easy to leave, BUT you can do it!

Check out Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner. Her voice is clear and the tone of the book makes it easy, addictive reading.

http://www.lesliemorgansteiner.com/

BUH BYE

2009-06-24T16:01:00.001-07:00

BUH BYE
Originally uploaded by sfgirlbybay

Well kids, it's the end of the road and I must say that although it's been bumpy at times, it's been an great journey and I'm glad I was a part of it!

I wish all of you the best of luck in your senior year and please don't hesitate to stop by B22 if you need anything! Each and every one of you impacted my practice; I've learned from all of you and I hope you've learned from me!

You're an awesome group of kids and despite some combinations that drove me a bit crazy at times, I can honestly say that I genuinely like all of you as individuals. Please continue to work hard to be the best student you can be, the best friend you can be, the best child you can be and most importantly, the best person you can possibly be.

Stay true to yourself and remember that you are the only person in this entire world who can control YOU, so think of it as an honor and act accordingly!

Don't forget to check out the school's summer reading website at www.ebnet.org/summerreading and in addition, stay posted to this blog for the big changes that are right around the corner - as of August 29th, I'll no longer be Ms. Weiss and with my new name will come a new blog!

Stay tuned so you can be the first to bookmark the new site when it's up and running and make sure to check in from time to time as seniors to see what's happening in my world!

I'll miss you!!!

Weiss... soon to be La Pointe. I know, weird.

Works Consulted, again.

2009-06-14T05:25:00.001-07:00

teach
Originally uploaded by kewlio

FYI - this is a LONG blog entry; I've posted SEVERAL other blog entries this weekend, so make sure to scroll down past this one to read the additional blog entries.

HOW TO DO MLA in-text parenthetical citations:

Single author named in parentheses.
The tendency to come to terms with difficult experiences is referred to as a "purification process" whereby "threatening or painful dissonances are warded off to preserve intact a clear and articulated image of oneself and one’s place in the world" (Sennett 11).

Single author named in a signal phrase.
Social historian Richard Sennett names the tendency to come to terms with difficult experiences a "purification process" whereby "threatening or painful dissonances are warded off to preserve intact a clear and articulated image of oneself and one’s place in the world" (11).

Two or more authors.
Certain literacy theorists have gone so far as to declare that "the most significant elements of human culture are undoubtedly channeled through words, and reside in the particular range of meanings and attitudes which members of any society attach to their verbal symbols" (Goody and Watt 323).

Corporate author (organization, association, etc.).
The federal government has funded research concerning consumer protection and consumer transactions with online pharmacies (Food and Drug Administration 125).

Works with no author.
Several critics of the concept of the transparent society ask if a large society would be able to handle the complete loss of privacy ("Surveillance Society" 115).

Two or more works by the same author.
In his investigation of social identity, The Uses of Disorder, Sennett defines adulthood as a stage where people "learn to tolerate painful ambiguity and uncertainty" (108).

In a surprising move, Richard Sennett combines the idea of power with that of virtue: "the idea of strength is complex in ordinary life because of what might be called the element of its integrity" (Authority 19).

Work found in an anthology or edited collection.
For an essay, short story, or other document included in an anthology or edited collection, use the name of the author of the work, not the editor of the anthology or collection, but use the page numbers from the anthology or collection.

Lawrence Rosenfield analyzes the way in which New York’s Central Park held a socializing function for nineteenth-century residents similar to that of traditional republican civic oratory (222).
Bible passage.
Unfortunately, the president could not recall the truism that "Wisdom is a fountain to one who has it, but folly is the punishment of fools" (New Oxford Annotated Bible, Prov. 20-22).
Secondary source of a quotation (someone quoted within the text of another author).

As Erickson reminds us, the early psychoanalysts focused on a single objective: "introspective honesty in the service of self enlightenment" (qtd. in Weiland 42).
Web page.

Abraham Lincoln's birthplace was designated as a National Historical Site in 1959 (National Park Service).

HOW TO DO A WORKS CONSULTED:

This project will also include a Works Consulted, as opposed to a Works Cited - this means that all genres gathered for the project will be presented in this document, as follows:

Print Magazine:
Gawande, Atul. "The Man Who Couldn't Stop Eating." New Yorker
          9 Jul. 2001: 66-75. Print.

Online Magazine:
Saletan, William. "The Ethicist's New Clothes." Slate.com. Slate,
           16 August 2001. Web. 17 August 2001.

Full Text Article from Database:
Gore, Rick. "Pharaohs of the Sun." National Geographic Apr. 2001.
          Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Aug. 2001.

Books with a Single Author:
Fleming, Thomas. Liberty!: The American Revolution.
           New York: Viking, 1997. Print.

Two Authors:
Sennett, Richard, and Jonathan Cobb. The Hidden Injuries of Class.
          New York: Vintage Books, 1972. Print.

Encyclopedia and other Multi Volume Works:
Lumiansky, R.M. "Chaucer." The New Encyclopaedia Britannica:
      Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1998. Print.

Print Newspaper:
Holden, Stephen. "Frank Sinatra Dies at 82; Matchless Stylist of Pop."
           New York Times 16 May 1998, natl. ed.: A1+. Print.

Online Newspaper:
Wright, Steven. "Curriculum 2000 Draws Criticism." The Chronicle:
             the Independent Daily at Duke University. 25 Jan. 2001.
             Web. 7 Nov. 2001.

A Letter:
Miller, Ella. Letter to Ella V. Rinker. Mar. 1865. MS. Ella V. Rinker
           and Reuben E. Hammon Papers. Rare Book, Manuscript
           and Special Collections Lib., Duke U, Durham, NC.

An Interview:
Elloie, Pealie Hardin. Interview with Kate Ellis. Behind the Veil:
          Documenting African-American Life in the Jim
          Crow South. Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
          Collections Lib., Duke U, Durham, NC. 15 July 1994.
          Audiocassette.

A Film:
Platoon. Dir. Oliver Stone. Perf. Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, and
           Charlie Sheen. Hemdale Film Corporation, 1986.
           Videocassette.

A Website:
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site. National Park
         Service, 11 Feb. 2003. Web. 13 Feb. 2003.
         < HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/abli/" http://www.nps.gov/abli/>.

Online Posting:
Casper, Karl. "Re: Watered Down Curricula." Math Forum. Drexel
           U., 1 Oct. 2001. Web. 26 Oct. 2001. < HYPERLINK "http://mathforum.org/" http://mathforum.org/>

Email:
Baker, Virginia. "Tips for finding sources." Message to Jane Robinson.
28 Oct. 2002. E-mail.

Book Review:
Salinger, Sharon V. Rev. of Not All Wives: Women of Colonial
Philadelphia, by Karin Wulf. The Journal of American
History 88 (2001): 184-185. Print.

Government Document:
United States. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Hearing on the
Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1998. 105th Cong.,2nd sess. S.J. Res. 1529. Washington: GPO, 1999. Print.

You Tube:
Shimabukuro, Jake. "Ukulele weeps by Jake Shimabukuro." 04 April 2008. Online video clip. YouTube. Accessed on 22 April 2006. < HYPERLINK "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k>

Podcast:
Mondello, Bob. "Charlton Heston, Old-School Gentleman, Dies at 84." 8 May 2008. Podcast. "NPR Movies." National Public Radio. 10 April 2008. < HYPERLINK "http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89421208" http://www.npr.org/ templates/story/story.php?storyId=89421208>

Television News Program:
"Torture." Narr. Scott Pelley. Sixty Minutes. CBS. WCBS, New York. 30 March 2008.

Television Show:
"Trash of the Titans." The Simpsons, Season 9. Dir. Jim Reardon, Mark Kirkland, et al. Voices: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer. CBS. KPIX, San Francisco. 10 September 2006.

Work of Art:
Artist's last name, first name. Title of the work. Museum, City.

HOW TO CITE IMAGES:
http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/daap/resources/Citing%20Images2.pdf

HOW TO CITE MUSIC:

http://library.otterbein.edu/tutorial/Citing%20Sources%20for%20Music.pdf

Statement of Discovery

2009-06-13T09:13:00.001-07:00

Discovery Rebrand Pitch - Poster 10
Originally uploaded by the last mixtape

Here's an example of a Statement of Discovery:

When I began this project, I wanted to explore the 30 years of friendship I’ve had with my childhood girlfriends. My main focus, I thought, was going to center on two recent instances that pulled the six of us closer together and so I began my research by searching for genre sources based on those two incidents: my one girlfriend's pregnancy and my other friend's recent diagnosis.

I chose my first set of genre sources from my personal documents, pulling from electronic sources such as online conversations, emails, Facebook threads, and articles and also a hardcopy source, in the form of a thank you note. Beginning with a visual source, a picture of my friends and I taken at a baby shower a few weeks ago, I set out to discover the basis of this long lasting friendship by first analyzing the details of that still image. From there, I moved on to comparing two textual sources related to the photo in an attempt to further the meaning behind the image and connect it to my topic at large.

At that point, I realized that I had spent pages talking about my friends but I had only gone into detail about a few of them, so I decided to shift my focus for a moment and describe each of the girls and how we met. I felt this was imperative since a significant amount of attention had been focused on the longevity of our friendship; I want to afford my reader an opportunity to meet each girl as I did, all those years ago.

At that point, I sourced additional genres because I knew I wanted to segue from the role my friend's pregnancy played in reuniting our friendship circle to the role our other friend's diagnosis had in strengthening it. I turned to a well known literary friendship, that of deceased poet Lucy Grealy and current contemporary fiction novelist, Ann Patchett.

Their story served as a meaningful transition between the two parts of the story I was trying to tell and in the end, I discovered that it was the second story that was the most powerful part of the project, which is why I spent 13 pages writing the story that she told to me.

I believe that story says everything about friendship that needs to be said; the discovery and the telling of that story is that makes this project meaningful. This project afforded me an opportunity to take time to explore something that is often taken for granted - the value of our personal relationships and in the end, I've realized just how fortunate I am to have such a lovely circle of friends.

Multigenre Help

2009-06-12T15:24:00.001-07:00

help me...
Originally uploaded by blue out

OK - this is your last bit of help:

Don't forget:

- Title Page with the name of your project, centered, with your name centered beneath

- Table of Contents (don't forget to number your pages)

- Statement of Purpose

- SIX separate modes of expression on your SIX genre sources; don't forget to include a minimum of TWO secondary extensions in the form of footnotes

- Statement of Discovery

- Works Consulted for all TEN sources

Here's a sample of my Works Consulted:

Works Consulted

Black, Erica A. Thank-You Note to Ali Weiss. June 2009. Ali Weiss Papers. Hoboken, NJ.

Black, Erica, Jennifer Donohoe, Caryn Miller, Heather Agler Roth, Ali

Weiss, Amy Welliver. "Re: Yippee and Yahoo." Facebook. 5 June 2009. Web. 8 June 2009. .

Donohoe, Jennifer. “hey…”. Message to Ali Weiss. 9 June 2009. E-mail.

Grealy, Lucy. “Autobiography of a Face.” New York. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

Grealy, Sue Ellen. “Hijacked by Grief.” The Guardian. 7 August 2004. Web. 6 June 2009.

Patchett, Ann. Truth and Beauty: A Friendship. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

Sparks, Muriel. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. New York: Harper Perennial, 1999.

Six Friends at Christmastime. December 27th, 2008. Photograph. Courtesy of Ali Weiss

Six Friends in Lewisburg, PA. May 24th, 2009. Photograph. Courtesy of Ali Weiss.

Wodehouse, Suzanne. “Re: Keeping it real since 1973”. Facebook. 26 May 2009. Web. 8 June 2009. .

If you have further questions, email me at readwriteweiss@gmail.com and I'll get back to you at some point over the weekend.

And yes, it is due on MONDAY the 15th, NO EXCEPTIONS!

IN DA CLUB

2009-06-12T15:00:00.001-07:00

IN DA CLUB
Originally uploaded by thug lif3

In honor of the end of the school year, if you mention that you read this blog posting over the weekend by saying the phrase "gee, Ms. Weiss, I'm sure glad we're out of the media center and back In Da Club", I'll show your class my infamous dance video.

Multigenre Research and Writing Project

2009-05-30T10:26:00.001-07:00

Travel Gear Set 2: Shoot, Think, Write
Originally uploaded by Patrick Ng

Hey kids - Copy and paste this into a WORD document, print it out and bring it to class on Monday.

MULTIGENRE RESEARCH MODES

Creative Original: A Creative Original work is one that is inspired by your sources but does not contain any part(s) of your original source(s). It follows the form of the source, but its content is original. It does not include citations and its creation is credited to you alone.
Ex: A Creative Original could be a poem that you wrote, a personal essay, a short story, a brochure, an advice column, a work of art, a collage, etc. The projects you completed this year for The Thirteenth Tale fit into this category, the Hornby Model Essay, and the 13 Ways poems are all examples of Creative Originals.

Parenthetical Creative Original: A Parenthetical Creative Original work is one that is inspired by your sources and contains part(s) or your original source(s). It is your creative original work supported with evidence from the source(s) and includes parenthetical citations.
Ex: A Parenthetical Creative Original could be a poem, short story, personal essay, advice column, letter, diary entry, song lyrics, etc. that includes supporting evidence in the form of direct quotes from a primary source(s). The Porphyria’s Lover letters, Macbeth journal entries/letters, Freedom Writer prompt responses are all examples of Parenthetical Creative Originals.

Visual Primary Analytical: A Visual Primary Analytical work is one that focuses on studying the details of a primary source in order to draw conclusions about that source alone.
Ex: After looking at a photograph of your grandparents and considering their body language, you make an assumption about their relationship, citing details from the photograph as supporting evidence.

Textual Primary Analytical: A Textual Primary Analytical work is one that focuses on studying the written details of a primary source in order to draw conclusions about that source alone.
Ex: After reading an entry from your grandmother’s diary, you make an assumption about your grandparent’s relationship, citing direct details from the entry as supporting evidence.

Visual Primary Comparative: A Visual Primary Comparative work is one that focuses on comparing the details of two or more visual primary sources in order to draw a conclusion about your topic.
Ex: After looking at three different photographs - one each of your maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents and your parents - you arrive at the conclusion that of the three couples, your parent’s relationship is the most natural and authentic, citing details from the three photographs as supporting evidence.

Textual Primary Comparative: A Textual Primary Comparative work is one that focuses on studying the written details of multiple primary sources in order to draw conclusions about your topic.
Ex: After reading an entry each from your maternal grandmother’s diary, a letter written to your paternal grandmother from your paternal grandfather, and a note written to your dad from your mom, you think it is clear that your parents married for love and not obligation. You write this up using direct quotes from each source to support your conclusion.

Secondary Extension: A Secondary Extension is research that grows out of your primary exploration and answer questions that arose during your research by providing expert support or clarification in the form of a footnote.
Ex: During an interview with your mother, she mentions that she met your father a week after her 22nd birthday, while watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform at the first Lalapalooza concert. Later in the interview, she mentions that she was born in 1953, making her currently 56 years old. You find it hard to believe that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were performing back in 1975, so you Google the date of that concert and discover it was held in 1991. Your Secondary Extension clarifies the information presented in this interview in the form of a footnote that cites information from the secondary Google source.

Multigenre Research Project Instructions

Step 1: Gather at least 10 genre sources; your final project must explore a minimum of 7 genres. You are required to include a literary source, a visual source, a technological source, and an interview. You may choose the additional 3 genres. You will receive a grade for including the required genres; each required genre included in the final project is worth 5 points, for a total of 20 points.

Due Dates:
Tuesday, June 2nd: 5 sources due for approval, 10 points
Thursday, June 4th: 5 additional sources due for approval, 1

Step 2: Your project will begin with a Statement of Purpose that explains how your project topic evolved from the course studies. This must be typed and double spaced, organized by paragraphs, and include a direct quote from the primary source that reveals what in that source gave you pause and lead to your topic. The rough draft is worth 10 points, final draft is worth 15 points.

Due Date:
Wednesday, June 3rd: Statement of Purpose rough draft due, typed. 10 points.

Step 3: You will explore your 7 genres in seven separate parts; each part is worth 20 points. You are required to include the following 4 modes of writing:
a Creative original
a Parenthetical Creative Original
a Visual OR a Textual Primary Analytical
a Visual OR a Textual Primary Comparative

Your three remaining genres can be explored in the mode of your choice, but 2 must include the following:
a Secondary Extension (included in the form of footnotes)

Due Dates:
Monday, June 8th: Rough drafts of 2 parts, 10 points each
Wednesday, June 10th: Rough drafts of 2 additional parts, 10 points each
Friday, June 12th: Rough draft of 2 additional parts, 10 points each

Step 4: All parts MUST be labeled with the appropriate mode. Each part of the project is worth 20 points; failure to label the mode of each part of your project will result in the automatic deduction of 3 points, per unlabeled mode.

Step 5: Your project will end with a one page, typed and double spaced Statement of Discovery that must be organized into paragraphs. This statement will trace the discoveries you made from the beginning until the end of the project and will draw a conclusion
regarding your topic. This Statement of Discovery is worth 15 points.

Step 6: Works Consulted, 10 points.

Final Project Due Date:

The complete project is due on Monday, June 15th. Since there are not rough drafts due of the Statement of Discovery or the Works Consulted, they must be included in the final project or you will receive a zero on those parts of the project. For each day the project is late (including handing it in after class has ended on the due date), 10% will be deducted from the final grade.

NO PROJECT WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17TH.

Breakdown of Grade:
Inclusion of four required modes: 20 points
Source Approval: 20 points
Statement of Purpose RD: 10 points
Statement of Purpose FD: 15 points
Separate Parts, RD: 10 points each/60
Separate Parts, FD: 20 points each/140
Statement of Discovery: 15 points
Works Consulted: 10
Total Points: 300

List of Genre Ideas

Literary Source
This is the most important requirement of this project - you must include a literary genre as a primary source in order to explain how your project evolved from our work in class this year or if your project topic stemmed from one of the film units studied during this course, you must then include a literary genre as a Textual Primary Analytical or a Textual Primary Comparative. This source may be a play, poem, novel or essay.

You may also include literary source as a Creative Original if you want to write a poem or a super flash fiction story (limited to 2 typed, double spaced pages), or a one act play.

Advice columns
Examine one(s) found in magazines(s) or newspaper(s) as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. An advice column features a letter from a reader who needs advice or help and a response from the columnist whose expertise allows him or her to sincerely give this help. You should consult a real column in a newspaper to see how you could format yours.

Campaign speech
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. If you create one, remember that politicians who are running for office give speeches that they hope will get them elected. These speeches usually include the person's views on important issues as well as statements that they hope will help voters understand what kind of people they are.

Map w/ legend
Examine a map as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. Your map should be hand made to represent the "geography" of your concept. Make a legend to help the reader understand your map. Look at a highway map for an example, but also, try to find old maps to see their artistry. You can model your map after either kind.

Collage
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. Create a collage of images that represent the key ideas you are representing. The collage can include words and phrases to reinforce ideas.

Diary Entry
Examine a diary entry as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A personal diary is a daily journal, a recording of the significant moments of the day. It begins with the date. Some diary writers begin, "Dear Diary," but that's not a rule. Since a diary is meant to be personal, it often reveals feelings and thoughts that people tend to keep private. You should include diary entries for several days. This genre is a good way to show a process over time.

Interview
Examine or conduct one for use as a primary source. Determine appropriate questions to ask an interviewee by following this guideline: First, get the facts. Next, ask your interviewee to clarify what has been said. (What do you mean by...?) Then the interviewer is supposed to verify information given, provide any follow-up questions, and provide closure to the discussion. Interview either two different people on the same subject in order to draw a conclusion or interview the same person on the same subject at two separate times to see if their answers vary.

Travel poster
Analyze a travel poster as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. You can use graphics, photos, or drawings to reveal a certain place in the world relevant to your topic. Make sure you use the space on you poster/web site effectively. Capture the viewers attention and keep it. Your travel poster should reveal the essence of the destination and what it has to offer. Keep the design simple yet inclusive of all necessary information. Achieve unity in the design by the use of balance and repetition.

Personal Essay
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. Most personal essays fall into one of three styles: an amusing commentary, a description of an event whose consequences are emotionally charged or easy to relate to, and finally, a personal point of view about something serious. The common elements that personal commentaries share are that they reveal something about the author and they have a single, central theme.

Photograph
Examine as a primary source or take your own for use as part of a Creative Original work. Please do not include heirloom photography or pictures from your parents’ albums/collections. Instead, please photocopy, scan, or print the picture in order to avoid losing or ruining the original. If it is a picture from your own collection, please think carefully before submitting an original, as I can not guarantee its return.

Advertisement
Examine a magazine article as a primary source or create a one page advertisement like you'd see in a magazine. You want to get your reader's attention, demonstrate the need for what you are selling, and show how your product/service will satisfy that need. Study professional ads to see how these goals are accomplished and use
those examples as your models.

CD cover
Examine a CD cover as a primary source or create art work for the front of one as a Creative Original. If you create, include the name of the band and the title of the CD. Then, on another "square," include your list of song titles. CDs generally have between 10-13 songs. Finally, include the lyrics to one song or liner notes. Liner notes are notes about the making of the CD, the experiences of the band, or other informative details that would be of interest to the listener. See a real CD or album for a model of how yours might look.

Post card
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A post card must have three parts. On the front is the picture and a greeting, such as "Hello from Ontario," or "Wish you were skiing with us." On the back are the address and stamp to the right and the message to the left. People generally write in small print on postcards to let them say everything they want to say or they may write brief ideas. Be sure that each word in your message counts or means something.

Grocery list
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. We can tell a lot about people, sometimes, by what they buy at the store. For example, someone who never buys any fresh fruits or vegetables may not be eating healthy, well balanced meals. This list can also extend beyond the grocery store to a different store or a list of things to do. Your list should reflect some aspect of a person's preferences or habits. You should include a title at the top, such as "groceries," or "camping supplies," or "what to pack." You must have at least 20 items on your list.

A Memory
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A memory is similar to a monologue in that it is the reflection of one speaker. To write a memory is to single out an important event from the past and recall its details (who, what, when, and where) and to write also about why the memory is important. How did the event change the person (speaker, narrator) or why does it still come to mind? Why was this event important? Memories are written in first person point of view and should be full of details that make the event seem true to life. Your reader should be able to visualize the event, almost as if he or she were there.

Graph/chart
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. Create a graph or chart in Excel or on paper. Make sure that the graph or chart is complete with details, numbers, percents, etc. The graph or chart should be able to be read without additional explanation. See other charts or graphs in textbooks, newspapers, or magazines to use as examples. Add a paragraph explaining the data, if you need it.

One act play
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A one act play introduces characters in a conflict that is resolved in one act. Before writing your own, read a one act play to give you an idea of how to proceed. The play must be written using the typical conventions of a play or drama.

Announcement
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. We hear announcements each day in school. There are also announcements in church or before a meeting. Announcements alert people to important events that are coming up. Create an announcement that gives critical information about an upcoming event: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Top the announcement with an attention-getting label, such as "Attention all athletes," or "important information for all drivers."

Song/ballad
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. Write lyrics to a song or ballad (a song that tells a story). You should have several verses. Think of the main ideas you want the song to express. Remember that songs are to be sung, so think of that as you compose. If you're really adventurous, record your song and make your genre an audio file. Look at the structures of some of your favorite songs to use for examples.

Eyewitness account/Interview
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. When important events happen, someone is generally there to see it happen. An eyewitness is asked to give details about exactly what happened, when it happened and how it happened. The eyewitness would provide specific, concrete details like colors, sizes, distances, times, etc. that make the account as factual as possible. While not everyone sees an event in the exact same way, eyewitness accounts help us put the event into perspective. The account could be prompted by a reporter's or a police officer's questions.

Illustration
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. An illustration is a drawing that illustrates a concept or an idea. It is often accompanied by labels or margin notes to explain aspects of the drawing. An illustration is often done in ink on white paper and is detailed. Think of how a scientist illustrates the process of cell reproduction or how a naturalist illustrates the stages maples trees go through during the four seasons.

Work of Art
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A work of art can be incorporated as a primary source by including a picture of the work found in a book, online, or taken in person. You can create your own work of art if you are an artist and it can take the form of print work, painting, sketching, drawing, sculpture, etc.

Recipe
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A recipe includes a list of ingredients, directions for mixing, combining, preparing, baking or cooking and serving. To create a recipe for something non food, such as peace or health or a good marriage, think of the essential ingredients. What does it take to be healthy or what are the things a couple must have for a good marriage? List these ingredients. Then show how these ingredients are used or managed. The recipe should be written in typical recipe form. See samples of recipes from magazines or cookbooks for examples. You must create your own, original recipe.

Blog
Examine one as a primary source or create one as a Creative Original. A blog is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.

Research Project

2009-05-28T12:04:00.001-07:00

notes for research paper
Originally uploaded by kellyatacat

Hey kids -

Here's a list of what we have read and studied this school year - make sure you have your topic determined for tomorrow:

Unit I: Why Do We Read?

Handout: Four Kinds of Reading. Donald Hall
Handout: Lazy Eyes: How We Read Online. Slate. 2008
Handout: Why Women Read More than Men. NPR.
Handout: Today’s Kids Are, Like, Killing the English Language. Yeah, Right. Kirk Johnson
Handout: A Good Mystery: Why We Read. NY Times. 2007

Unit II: The Anglo Saxon Period

from Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Wife of Bath’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

“Oh My Sweet Carolina”, an essay by Nick Hornby

”Violent Media is Good for Kids" by Gerard Jones

"The Rite of War and the Warrior Psyche" by Sam Keen

Unit III: The Middle Ages

“Le Morte D’Arthur” by Sir Thomas Malory

from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” translated by John Gardner

Film: King Arthur

Shakespearean Sonnets 29, 116, 130,

Spenserian Sonnets 30, 75

“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe

“The Nymphs Reply to the Shepherd” by Sir Walter Raleigh

“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

TV Clips: from The Office: Season Three – “The Coup”

Unit IV: The Restoration and 18th Century

“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

TV Clips: from The Office: Season One - “Basketball”, “Diversity Day”

Various satirical articles from The Onion

Unit V: The Romantic Period

“The Tyger” by William Blake

Blake’s theories on Innocence, Experience, and Organized Innocence

Film: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

“Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth

“She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron

“Ode to a Nightingale”, “Ode to Melancholy”, “When I Have Fears” by John Keats

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Settenfield

Unit VI: The Victorian Period

Film: The Freedom Writers

“My Last Duchess”, “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning

“Sonnet 43” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A Selection of Contemporary British Sonnets

“Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold

“Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy

“Bloodied” by Charles Johnson

Unit VII: 20th Century/Modernism

Film: Sliding Doors

“13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” by Wallace Stevens

“13 Ways of Looking at Hip-Hop” by Vincent Toro

“Araby” by James Joyce

“The Demon Lover” by Elizabeth Bowen

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

”Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell

"A Hanging" by George Orwell

Local Gallery of the National Gallery of Writing

2009-05-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

Moleskine Writing Project Stickers
Originally uploaded by Ninth Wave Designs

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

As curator of our local gallery of the National Gallery of Writing, The Writers of East Brunswick High School, I am pleased to announce a publishing opportunity for the students and faculty of East Brunswick High.

This gallery is dedicated to promoting works written by the students and teachers of East Brunswick High School, New Jersey. We invite works of traditional and contemporary poetry, flash fiction (under 1000 words), short-short stories (under 2500 words), personal essays (under 2500 words), and works of creative non-fiction (under 2500 words).

To submit to this gallery for consideration, use this link:

http://galleryofwriting.org/galleries/55353

from The National Council of Teachers of English:

“Whether we call it texting, IMing, jotting a note, writing a letter, posting an email, blogging, making a video, building an electronic presentation, composing a memo, keeping a diary, or just pulling together a report, Americans are writing like never before. Recent research suggests that writing, in its many forms, has become a daily practice for millions of Americans. It may be the quintessential 21st century skill. By collecting a cross-section of everyday writing through a National Gallery of Writing, we will better understand what matters to writers today—and when writing really counts. Understanding who writes, when, how, to whom, and for what purposes will lead to production of improved resources for writers, better strategies to nurture and celebrate writers, and improved policy to support writing.

America's writing will be front and center on October 20, 2009—the National Day on Writing. On that day, writers from every walk of life will pause to share their work. Communities across the nation are planning events to celebrate local writing, and NCTE will open the virtual National Gallery of Writing for all to appreciate the rich variety of work on display (the National Gallery will remain open until June 2010). A celebratory gala will be hosted by the New Yorker magazine in Manhattan to mark the National Day on Writing and to honor winners of the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Awards”.

Call for Manuscripts

2009-05-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

Succour Open one
Originally uploaded by Shaun.numb

Hey kids -

Here are some contest and publishing opportunities:

The New England Shakespeare Festival Rubber Ducky Sonnet Contest:

http://newenglandshakespeare.org/sonnet_contest/ducky-guidelines.pdf

The English Journal:

Student Voices:This is a forum for students to share their
experiences and recommendations in short pieces of 300 words.
Teachers are encouraged to submit the best responses from their classes, not whole class sets,please.Individual students are welcome to submit as well. Topics are as follows:
• What nonfiction text that English teachers might not think of would you like to read in English class? (Deadline: July 15, 2009)
• What positive lessons have you learned from English class about working with other people? (Deadline: September 15,2009)
• How has logical thinking helped you out of a difficult situation?(Deadline: November 15, 2009)

Congratulations!

2009-05-20T17:30:00.001-07:00

bad mum apron patch
Originally uploaded by memake

One of my favorite essayists just made the NY TImes Best Seller list with her latest release, a collection of personal essays entitled "Bad Mother".

Congrats to Ayelet Waldman - I love not only her writing style and blunt honesty, but I also love her because when I emailed her a couple of years ago, she actually emailed me back and for that entire day, I felt like a rock star.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/books/review/Dominus-t.html

Humanities

2009-05-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

Humanities
Originally uploaded by quinn.anya

Hey kids -

Before I forget, I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about your senior year course schedule.

So many of my awesome students from last year have been dropping by my room this week to run poems by me that they've written about themselves for a class project. They are nervous about presenting in front of their peers but their nerves are secondary to the excitement they are feeling as they anticipate the moment this week when they will get up in front of a crowd and reveal their most sacred thoughts - some kids for the first time EVER ! Many of those kids view this experience as one of the culminating moments of their entire high school experience!

Wow - that's intense and amazing and it's all because of a course called Humanities.

If you haven't already signed up to take Humanities your senior year, RUN to guidance ASAP and make sure it's on your schedule.

It's a great course taught by 3 awesome teachers (yeah, you heard me - three. That means you don't see the same ole face day after day for an entire year but instead rotate amongst three geniuses)!

The course examines ideas from different perspectives in order to encourage and foster a holistic approach to viewing the world around you; basically, it teaches you how to move away from a singular view by exposing that viewpoint to the a multitude of arenas such as art, philosophy, classics, history, current events, literature, poetry, culture, sociology. This in turn pumps up your jam, making you wiser and giving you lots of fodder for future late night dorm room discussions.

I heart Humanities and I heart its instructors just as much so get it on your 2009-2010 schedule! NOW!

Modernism

2009-05-13T07:37:00.001-07:00

Modernism
Originally uploaded by Marcos Dopico

Characteristics of Modernism

•Loss is a major theme in modernist works.
•The “truth” is questionable, as a common theme, and many narrators are unreliable, whereas in traditional literature it is the narrator’s job to further understanding. Also, there may be more than one narrator, showing the diversity of truth.
•More use of the first person narrative, reflecting the lack of universal truth, i.e. there are only individual truths.
•The destruction of the family unit.
•Characters may be given little or no physical description, and one or more characters is usually an "outcast."
•Authority figures are often untrustworthy, reflecting the question of truth.
•Movement away from religion.
•The reversal of traditional roles
•Ambiguous endings
•Often setting is more than just the setting (i.e. more meaning to it than just where the story takes place), or, maybe there is no setting at all
•The use of improper grammar to reflect dialect.
•Fragmentation – in plot, characters, theme, images, and overall storyline. Thus, for instance, many modernist works are not in the typical linear sequence.

In Poetry:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5664

In Prose:

http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/943010

In Art:

http://www.arteducation.com.au/art-movements/modernism.php

In Film:

http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0092.html

The Old Curiousity Shop

2009-05-05T14:02:00.001-07:00

The Old Curiousity Shop
Originally uploaded by Jp Corkery

Today's lesson plan focused on identifying moments of irony in the Orwell essay Shooting an Elephant however a moment at the beginning of class lead to a bit of irony of our own - how ironic, don't ya think?

In the essay, a young Orwell makes a decision based on his fear of embarrassment and as a result, commits a gruesome, murderous act.

In my classroom, I see kids make decisions based on curiosity, apathy, impulse, anger, ennui, fear, and so many more emotions.

What I would like to see my students base their decision making on is what I wish young Orwell would have based his on - logic.

I know it's not always easy to think logically in a heated situation but remember, control of oneself is the greatest power one can ever possess so exercise your logic and I guarantee you'll be happy with the results.

Shooting an Elephant

2009-05-04T08:52:00.001-07:00

The stand off
Originally uploaded by Mr Andrew Murray

Here is a link to the essay.

http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/887/

Periods 8/9 and 12 ONLY : Please answer the questions below for homework, due Tuesday.

Periods 2 and 4 ONLY: Quiz on the reading tomorrow.

Shooting an Elephant: Day 1
a. How does Orwell feel about the British presence in Burma? How does he feel about his job with the Indian Imperial police? What are some of the internal conflicts Orwell describes feeling in his role as a colonial police officer? How do you know?

b. Orwell wrote and published this essay a number of years after he had left the civil service. How does Orwell describe his feelings about the British Empire, and about his role in it, both at the time he took part in the incident described, and at the time of writing the essay, after having had the opportunity to reflect upon these experiences? Ask students to point to examples in the text which support their view.

c. What did Orwell mean by the following sentence: It was a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than I had had before of the real nature of imperialism- the real motives for which despotic governments act.

Manuscript

2009-05-02T19:07:00.001-07:00

Poster print collage from an old page manuscript book - Not paper but fine cotton canvas
Originally uploaded by artisticoshop

I printed out my manuscript today and I'm excited to sit down and read it tonight.

I think I'm at the halfway point but I'm not sure because, well, I've never read it straight through from beginning to end. When I'm writing, I'm so focused on the writing itself that sometimes the plot fades into the background and instead of furthering it, I'll spend three hours re-structuring a paragraph... or sometimes a sentence.

Or I'll get caught up researching a detail to assure its historical accuracy... to the point that I won't rest until I find evidence in a primary source and the next thing I know, hours have passed.

So, tonight I'm going to read and see what I've been writing - let's hope it reads like a book!

Work Ethic

2009-05-01T11:51:00.001-07:00

protestant work ethic
Originally uploaded by berniq

I have a strong work ethic. Sometimes I really enjoy working. Sometimes I really hate it. But regardless of how I feel about it, I continue to work, because that is what one does; one works.

When I was a teenager, I hated school work just as much as the next kid. However, 99.9% of the time I did it anyway and submitted it when it was expected because that's what one did - one worked when asked to work and one produced what was expected.

The remaining .1% of the time when I didn't do my work, I felt guilty and nervous and wished I had just done my work in the first place because it would've been a lot easier than feeling bad about myself.

But instead of getting caught up in a cycle of no return, I would go out and buy all new notebooks and folders and pens and start fresh the next day.

Why? Because doing my work never resulted in harm. Yes, I missed out on a few TV shows here and there but miraculously, I managed to do my work and still closely follow the lives of Brenda, Brandon, Dylan, Kelly, Donna, David and Steve (I never cared about Andrea's life).

I did my work out of respect for my teachers, to keep my parents off my back, to make use of my new pens and notebooks, to lord it over my friends who didn't do their work, but most of all, I did it for two reasons:

1. So I could feel good about myself and not suffer anxiety, like I did when I walked into a classroom unprepared

and

2. So I wouldn't have to look at a crappy grade on my report card and feel bad about myself

So I worked. Why? Because that's what one does - one works in order to achieve success. If one does not work, one will not achieve success. End of story.

Don't expect to get something for nothing.

Ugg

2009-04-28T18:50:00.001-07:00

12/365: Out sick
Originally uploaded by Blueeyes24

I haven't been feeling well. I missed school today and I'm overwhelmed in general, so it's been difficult to keep on my schedule.

I feel very guilty - I had a high school teacher who once said to me "oh, so you want to be a writer. Well, let me ask you this: do you write daily? Do you write obsessively? Do you write when you're sick? Well, if you don't, you're not a writer."

That tidbit has stuck with me for the past 20 years and it's because of that comment that for 19 years, I did not view myself as "a writer". However, as I've gotten older, I've grown to realize that writing is not as cut and dry as people try and make you believe. Writing is difficult, it's petulant, it's submissive, and it's enlightening.

Most of all, it's not what one high school teacher determined it to be 20 years ago. It's what it is. Period.

Just because I'm not writing, doesn't mean I'm not thinking. And I'm usually thinking about writing. Actually, I'm always thinking about writing.

So, if I don't pump out more pages, that doesn't mean there aren't more pages in me. If I don't write on a strict schedule, well, that just means that I don't have that luxury because instead, I have a 2 hour daily commute, a wedding to plan, 3500 papers to grade each quarter, 20 pages of lesson plans to write every two weeks, a fiance to spend time with, a cat to take care of, groceries to buy, nails to maintain, patio furniture to purchase, local foods to source out, friends to keep in contact with, a family to keep in touch with, a house to keep clean, a self to keep healthy... and the list goes on.

Just because I'm not writing, doesn't mean I'm not a writer.

Progress

2009-04-24T13:43:00.001-07:00

471486781_3564bca14d_o
Originally uploaded by mariecoppla

Well, let me say that I didn't quite meet my goals.

I did write the letter of rec, BUT not until the girl came and sat next to me and waited until I finished it, which was around 2:45.

I did write some more pages, however it was more like 3 total in 3 days instead of the 12 I originally had proposed - BUT Friday doesn't end until midnight so technically, I still have time and I'm going to write from 5:00 until 8:00.

I didn't do anything with the travel query BUT I did become Facebook friends with a girl I met while traveling, so that cancels out my failure to send submissions - I mean, people are more important than words, right? And I can eventually write about how we met and then I'll have two travel articles to shop around. Brilliant.

I didn't print any of my manuscript BUT ink is expensive and well, it was Earth Day a few days ago so I can justify not printing because I was, um, conserving paper and saving trees.

Hmm. What will my excuses be today?? I had to Tweet? I had to update my Facebook status? I had to write this blog?

Excuses, friends, are everywhere if you look for them and procrastination is more enticing than a candy aisle, which is why it's no wonder we often do not meet our own deadlines or the deadlines of others.

So, what's the secret formula, the magic trick to turning on inspiration and motivation at the exact same time?

There isn't one. You just have to suck it up and get to work (although I do think working on a computer that does not have access to the Internet is as close as some of us are going to get to an elixir).

Which is why in 14 minutes, after I look at pictures of flowers that could possibly work with my wedding colors, I'm going to pretend that the Internet just died and start writing and I'm going to write for 3 hours and at the end of those 3 hours, maybe I'll have met my goal.

Then, I'm going to curl up on the couch with Pinkerton, some sushi delivery, and watch Grey Gardens as my reward.

Remember - you are the only thing that you can control.

Today's Writing Check List

2009-04-22T08:26:00.001-07:00

Self Critique Checklist
Originally uploaded by changeorder

1. Start a new Scotland chapter - write MINIMUM of 3 pages. DO NOT open up the ongoing document for fear of editing and revising instead of writing.

DEADLINE: Friday. 12 pages by Friday.

2. Begin printing manuscript, 20 pages at a time?

3. Letter of rec. - get this done by 2:10

4. Mass mail travel article query - revise to mention status as a simultaneous submission

5. Draft weekend writing schedule - another Scotland chapter, 12 pages, by Sunday evening.

Chapter Length

2009-04-21T18:04:00.001-07:00

Chapter One, Stroud Green, N4
Originally uploaded by Ewan-M

At this moment, my YA novel is 172 pages which contain 53,130 words, and are divided into 13 chapters. I'm trying to alternate chapters back and forth between 2 concurrent plot lines; one takes place in Central PA and the other is occurring in Scotland.

I have a few issues currently:

1. I have 7 PA chapters and only 2 Scotland chapters.
2. I have 2 prologue chapters containing backstory (the remaining 2 chapters are PA/Scotland interaction chapters ie. phone calls, IM sessions, etc between the PA/Scotland characters
3. My chapters range from 8 to 24 pages. Most are in the 10-11 range but two fall into the 20 - 24 range. This can easily be solved by dividing those 2 into 4 chapters, which would take me to 15 chapters.
4. I need to add 5 Scotland chapters, which would push me to 19 chapters and approx. 230 pages.
5. I then need to finish the novel - perhaps 6 additional chapters? which would put me at my goal of 300 pages

Lost of work - my big question is, what is the perfect chapter length?

My Writing Life

2009-04-21T16:19:00.001-07:00

Write Your Self
Originally uploaded by renmeleon

So, I've decided to add a function to this blog because, well, I'm pragmatic and economical. I've kept several blogs over the course of the past few years, but most of them have fallen to the wayside or I'm no longer interested in maintaining them.

Plus, I just have too many forums in my life right now and I need to consolidate. That's why I'm going to use this blog not just to keep you up to date on assignments and news related to reading, but also to chronicle my journey as a writer.

2009 is the year I've dedicated to finishing my YA novel (hopefully by June) and perhaps my other writing project, which I'm not quite ready to talk about yet, for no other reason than it's barely underway.

So, if you're interested you can follow along on my journey and I'll keep you in the know about my progress, my frustrations, the creative process, the editing process, the publishing circus, etc.

I read an article in Writer's Digest this past weekend on getting published and one of the tips it gave was "to establish an online presence". Well, I don't think it was referring to my Facebook account or even my Twitter feed, so I'm going to use this to get that going.

Feel free to send this link to anyone interested in writing, reading, publishing, or good ole fashioned voyeurism.

Did I spell that right?

BRING AN INDEPENDENT READING BOOK ON WEDNESDAY!!

2009-04-06T11:42:00.001-07:00

READ
Originally uploaded by jessamyn

Hey kids - Independent Reading on Wednesday, April 8th. Please bring a favorite or find one in my classroom library tomorrow.

Now, read the blog that follows - it has your assignment due tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7th.

Blooded and Passport by Charles H. Johnson

2009-04-06T06:11:00.001-07:00

«In Flanders' Fields» - published & illustrated in 1918
Originally uploaded by jbrichter_de

Hey kids - read these poems for tomorrow. Please copy and paste them into a word document and bring it with you to class.

BLOODED

A half hour after the shots
the calls came through loud and clear.
My RTO handed me the receiver.
Congratulations. I was blooded.

The 1st and 3rd platoon leaders
radioed their approval. No longer
was I green like the jungle
in which I was buried.

Congratulations. I was blooded.

My platoon had recorded its first kill.
North Vietnamese regular. Pith helmet,
uniform, rubber-tire sandals
adorning a lifeless body.

One bullet cleanly through his forehead.
Congratulations. I was blooded.
The enemy was dead,
ambushed from behind a tree.

Odd there was no blood visible
draining from the body. Existence fled
when the bullet hit its target
but the only thing that bled
all over the jungle floor
was my innocence.

Congratulations. I was blooded.

PASSPORT

Poetry is news that happens

every time it’s read.

- Clayton Evans

A harvest of trees from Canada
brings news from around the world.
It arrives each morning on my doorstep –
my passport to other lands.

Sipping coffee I’m blinded
by the flash of a terrorist blast
in Israel. Blood runs everywhere.
My cup too slippery to hold.
I cradle it in my hands
to steady the quaking shaking
me awake. The Holy Land welcomes
me with its own brand of salvation.

Back across the ocean
I slip into Northern Ireland
unnoticed by Protestants and Catholics
who keep the same day holy
while believing the other side is wrong.
The IRA apologizes
for hundreds of civilian deaths
during 30 years of bombings.
Cries of "Why?"
drown out any celebration.
Coffee scalds my tongue.

Ink rubs off onto my fingers
but not enough fades to erase
my entrance into Iraq
where civilization’s parents
want to spank
their 21st-century offspring.
They say the only option left
is “holy war” against the West.
I refuse to wait for it to begin.
I turn the page and travel to India
while eating sausage and eggs.

Three Indian strike divisions
pull back from the border of Pakistan.
These new nuclear superpowers
toss the atom back and forth
like a cue ball they fear
will glance off the rack and disappear
into a corner pocket of oblivion.
Nowhere is there mention of the Taj Mahal.
Only Mecca’s call falls from minarets.

No rain in Spain today.
The country detains
three suspected terrorists
who would return the Alhambra
to its Muslim architects
centuries after expulsion
by beliefs in a different master builder.

I swallow the last piece of toast
dry like dust swirling at a bullfight
where only the matador dies.
It’s time to go to work.

On my way out the door
I toss the newspaper on the sofa.
Six alternatives for the downed
World Trade Center vie for acceptance
on the front page.
The global faith they profess is in money –
the seed growing more trees
in Canada which each morning provides
my passport to other lands.

Freedom Writers Writing Assignment: DUE WEDNESDAY

2009-03-30T05:28:00.001-07:00

Freedom Writers
Originally uploaded by picassina

The Freedom Writers: Writing Prompts

Choose one of the following and write a rough draft of a one page response:

• Do you ever feel like you are “living a life you didn’t agree to”?

• What does Scott mean when he says “because I can’t be your wife”?

• What does it mean to love “the idea” of someone more than you actually love them?

• One of the students asks, “Why should I read books about people that don’t look like me? People that I don’t even know and that I am not going to understand because they don’t understand me!” How would you respond to that question?

• What does it mean to be “blessed with a burden”?

• Do you agree or disagree with the statement “silence will get you no where in life”?

• Ralph Waldo Emerson said “To improve is to change, and to be perfect is to change often”. Do you agree or disagree?

• What does Erin Gruwell mean when she says, “Don’t use me as another excuse as to why you can’t make it”?

• When Erin Gruwell is lobbying to teach her students their junior year, she’s asked by her adversary “what is it that you’ve actually accomplished?” In your opinion, what has she accomplished?

Report to Deputy Dwight Shrute

2009-03-24T05:48:00.001-07:00

Dwight Shrute
Originally uploaded by `Megan :)

Porphyria’s Lover Assignment

Pretend you are writing a letter to a psychiatrist or a deputy sheriff, like Dwight Shrute. In the letter, you are reporting the behavior of Porphyria’s lover – you want to tell how you suspect he is seriously demented and possibly insane. Find THREE quotes from the poem to use in your letter as evidence of his twisted nature, such as:

EXAMPLE:

As I was walking by Porphyria’s lover’s cottage, I glanced in the window and saw that he was “wrapping her hair three times around her neck”.

DUE THURSDAY - Typed, double spaced

Survey says...

2009-03-18T07:59:00.001-07:00

Survey says...
Originally uploaded by paloaltosoftware

Hey kids -

I've compiled all of your submitted survey questions into this survey. Please consider each question and choose one to develop tomorrow in a Dover Beach model poem.

Rate the significance of the following in terms of its influence on current culture and society:

1. The first African American president of the United States
2. The Rhianna/Chris Brown story / the Michael Phelps situation / the behaviors of under age entertainers such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan and their influence on today's teens and young adults
3. The current state of the economy
4. Global warming and its impact on weather, habitat and wildlife
5. The threat of terrorism stemming from the situation in the Middle East and the brewing situation in Mexico
6. The moral and ethical debate over issues such as stem cell research and abortion - are those issues personal or should the government be involved?
7. Genetically modified foods vs. organic foods
8. Pressure on today's students to not just achieve but to excel in all fields of study
7. The rising cost of college education and the pressure to attend a four year academic university - is it necessary for all students to go on to college?
8. How much control should parents have over their child's decisions and when should that control start/end?
9. Globalization and its benefits versus its downside, such as human trafficking
10. Our government's recent decisions: Socialist or Democratic?

Tennyson Monument. Isle of Wight. England.

2009-03-11T17:00:00.001-07:00

Tennyson Monument. Isle of Wight. England.
Originally uploaded by Patrick Eden

Hey kids -

Sorry I posted this so late - please read the entire poem and annotate the first two sections - underline words and phrases you feel best reveal the speaker's attitude.

http://www.metalvortex.com/poems/ulysses-.htm

HOMEWORK for Monday, March 2nd

2009-02-27T05:56:00.001-08:00

Michael Scott & Dwight Schrute bobblehead cardboard cutouts
Originally uploaded by muuuusic

Hey kids -

Here is a link to an online version of "A Modest Proposal".

http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html

Please read it in its entirety for Monday and be prepared to answer questions on its content.

Also, don't forget to complete The Office: Diversity Day Worksheet, due Monday. You can catch the rest of the episode at www.hulu.com

I found the following online; it's a little blurb about the episode and its satirical nature:

The Office: Diversity Day

"During its first three seasons, NBC's The Office satirized corporate America's bumbling attempts to change its own entrenched sexist, racist, and homophobic attitudes. Michael Scott is a comic representation of the hypocrisy of the American business environment; personifying both its urge to be seen as likable and tolerant and its longing to return to a time when it could freely run on a system of white male privilege.

A manager who became successful during a time when business shamelessly ran on the good ol' boy system, Michael cannot change his sexist and racist outlook to keep up with the corporate world's new need to seem inclusive. Yet, it is he who has to lead the diversity day training (where he requires all staff to say racially insulting things about whatever ethnic group is named on a card taped to the person's head) and oversee the sexual harassment awareness training (in which he constantly sexually harasses the office women).

However, no matter how diverse his staff or how many diversity training sessions he attends (or leads), Michael continuously fails to rewrite his sexist and prejudiced views of people. Michael treats every woman as a sex interest, a matron, or an emotional fluff brain and insults every minority by mimicking stereotypical representations of their ethnic group. He is constantly surrounded by women and minorities who are far more competent than he is, but he unfailingly adjusts his view of them to match his preconceived notions of a group to which they pertain. Part of the humor of the show comes from watching people decide how to react in the face of his egregiously incorrect views. We watch people react to Michael's misbehavior and recognize the decisions we make on a daily basis about when to let an offense go unmentioned and when we should protest."

Keats Homework Assignment

2009-02-23T15:28:00.001-08:00

Keats House Hampstead Heath 015
Originally uploaded by Camaro's Hood

Hey kids - yes, that is the home of John Keats! Very exciting - I think he wrote "Ode to Nightingale" in the front yard!!!

Here is your assignment:

Read the poem (Google it).

Do the following:

1. Make a list of and identify all allusions

2. What is the speaker's mood in lines 19 and 20 and how is the mood revealed?

3. Compare the celestial images in stanza 4 to the earthly images in stanza 5 and determine the point of the contrast.

Enjoy - Due tomorrow, February 24th.

Comp Entrance Essay

2009-02-08T06:04:00.001-08:00

Afghan Entrance Exam.JPG
Originally uploaded by thejob

Hey kids -

Here is a link you can check out for tips on how to write the comp entrance essay. Although it's information about how to write the SAT essay, you can follow the advice and get a good idea of what to do and what not to do.

The #1 issue I foresee kids falling into tomorrow is the employment of vague/tired/cliche/average examples, such as "Changes do make our lives easier because we now can write essays on a computer instead of by hand which takes too long."

Remember, be specific. Use interesting, well developed examples that support your main idea. Don't write a lot of B.S. Develop an idea in a new and interesting way. Vary your sentence structure. Brush up on your grammar. USE PARAGRAPHS to separate EACH NEW IDEA!! Do not use "text speak" - capitalize words that need capitalized and don't use abbreviations or slang.

Here's the link - it's from your favorite website:

http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/newsat/chapter6section5.rhtml

Don't Forget to Finish The Thirteenth Tale !!

2009-02-02T09:21:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by phoebeagle

Hey kids -

I hope you are surviving midterm exams! Just a reminder - you only have ONE more weekend to finish The Thirteenth Tale!

I promised I wouldn't make you do any work related to the novel while you were reading it and I hold true to that promise... however, as of Monday, February 9th, that promise expires.

In preparation for class the weeks of February 9th and 16th, come to class each day prepared with a written answer to the following assigned questions:

Tuesday, February 10th:

Consider this quote: "All children mythologize their birth. It is a universal trait. You want to know someone? Heart, mind and soul? Ask him to tell you about when he was born. What you get won't be the truth; it will be a story. And nothing is more telling than a story." -- Vida Winter.

How does this quote act as a thesis for the entire novel?

Wednesday, February 11th

Margaret tells a tale in the book of becoming so engrossed in reading a book that she falls off the wall where she is sitting. She suggests that this proves that "reading can be dangerous."

The Thirteenth Tale shows that reading is powerful, and that the dangers of reading are far more pervasive and can be far darker than Margaret's amusing childhood tale would allow. These dangers are not confined to the naive reader, nor can they be limited to childhood. Reading is a dangerous pastime; words have an inescapable physicality and can work for profound good or profound evil. Do you agree with Margaret about the danger of reading? Why, or why not?

How does this connect to our study of Blake's Three Stages of Being?

Thursday, February 12th

When Margaret challenges Miss Winter on the many versions of her life story she has already told, the author replies "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller." For Miss Winter, Margaret's pursuit of biography, her insistence on working with facts, is "horribly dull...Don't you think one can tell the truth much better with a story?" (p. 46). Who do you agree with more, and why? What makes someone's life story fiction? A biography? A memoir?

Friday, February 13th:

Like the book whose secrets are hinted at by its cover, houses reveal much about their owners. This is especially true in The Thirteenth Tale, where houses are virtual reflections of their inhabitants. Margaret's room above her father's bookshop, Angelfield, and Miss Winter's Yorkshire home all reveal much about the people who live in them, as does Aurelius's cozy cottage. What did you think about the meaning of houses and other structures in The Thirteenth Tale? What do the characters' surroundings say about them and their role in the novel?

Tuesday, February 17th:

Consider our study of Romanticism and apply the definitions we drafted in class to the following: What does Dr. Clifton mean when he tells Margaret that she is "suffering from an ailment that afflicts ladies of romantic imagination"?

Also, choose one character from the novel and gather 10 quotes from the book that reveal, directly or indirectly, that person's true "character".

Wednesday, February 18th:

The Thirteenth Tale is, at its core, a novel about secrets and the ways that the characters are shaped by secrets, their own and the secrets of those around them. Vida Winter is "as famous for her secrets as for her stories" (p. 11), and Margaret is forever scarred by her discovery, at the age of ten, that her mother has kept a secret. What role do secrets play in the story, and which ones did you find most surprising?

DUE MONDAY 1/26: Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

2009-01-21T05:43:00.001-08:00

VIDAS PELIGROSAS
Originally uploaded by mueredecine

The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys
And William Blake’s “The Tyger”

Label each of Blake’s Contrary States of the Human Soul as Innocence, Experience, or Organized Innocence

1 This state relies upon recognition of the Church’s desire for people to be obedient and accept oppression, poverty, and inequality. It is a profound disillusionment with human nature and society. One entering this state sees cruelty and hypocrisy only too clearly but is unable to imagine a way out. _______________________________________________

2. This state is a higher form of consciousness. In this state, one’s sense of the divinity of humanity coexists with oppression and injustice, however involves continued recognition and active opposition to them. __________________________________________________

3. A state of genuine love and naïve trust toward all of human kind, accompanied by the unquestioned belief in Christian doctrine. Those in this state did not realize that the Church was using religion as a means of social control. ________________________________________

Scene 1:
The Note: Francis, Margie and William Blake’s The Tyger (on the bleachers at soccer practice)

Examine this scene, keeping in mind Blake’s definition of Innocence. Describe how this scene embodies innocence. How does Blake’s poem fit into the scene?

Scene 2: Boys on the Bus: Tim and Sister Assumpta and the book of Blake’s poetry

Paraphrase Sister Assumpta’s view of William Blake and considering William Blake’s States of Being, determine her role in Tim’s Bildungsroman.

Do you agree with Sister Assumpta’s view of William Blake? How does her view reflect the Romantic ideal of the Church using innocence as a means of social control? How is Sister Assumpta trying to control Tim?

Scene 3: Kids at the Zoo: The plan to get back at Sister Assumpta

Who, in this scene, seems to most clearly understand Blake’s concept of Organized Innocence? Read and interpret Blake’s poem “The Tyger”. What does the poem reveal about Blake’s view of experience? Using the poem’s unlocked meaning, consider what the guide says about the souls of animals. Whom do you think the guide would claim created the beast? Whom would Sister Assumpta claim created it?

Scene 4: Margie’s Secret

Consider Margie’s behavior from the beginning of the film up until she reveals her secret to Francis. Compare that behavior to her secret and to the fact she attempted suicide and determine where she is on her Bildungsroman at this point in the film.

Scene 5: Loss of Innocence – Tim and Francis and the dog on the side of the road.

In this scene, consider the stages Tim traveling through and toward. Is Tim in a state of innocence, experience or organized innocence? What actions would lead you to believe that he possesses innocence? Experience? Both?

Scene 6: Blake’s poem “The Tyger”, revisited

Has Francis moved from a state of Innocence to Experience to Organized Innocence? How does this scene depict Francis’ movement into this state? What is he doing that displays active opposition? Why was this poem a good choice for Francis? What does it symbolize to him? Whom do you think Francis would say made the tiger?

Writing Contest~

2009-01-20T14:34:00.001-08:00

Jane Eyre Macro
Originally uploaded by ...Rachel J...

Hey kids - Penguin Publishing Group is running an essay contest and giving out five $1000 prizes.

This year, the essay focuses on the novel Jane Eyre - which is mentioned in The Thirteenth Tale several times! If you have read Jane Eyre or it you are interested in reading it, consider this contest!

Here's a link to the website:

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/services-academic/essayhome.html

Last Chance Workout

2009-01-16T14:26:00.001-08:00

Grunge_Make_Up_Work_LGStamp
Originally uploaded by MissRestless

Ok - here's the deal: I will give you partial credit for each assignment you make up. Partial credit will range anywhere from 2 points off to half credit, depending on the assignment.

For those of you who need to make up Act I questions, here they are: (the rest of you scroll down)

Act I, Scene i (You can find the play online by Googling it)

1. List two paradoxes from this scene.

a.
b.

2. Use three or four specific words to describe the emotional tone of the scene

a.
b.
c.

Scene ii

1. Identify and explain the simile in the soldiers opening lines.

2. According to the soldier, what did Macbeth do in the battle?

3. Would the attack of a sparrow dismay an eagle?

4. What fate has befallen the Thane of Cawdor? How will this affect Macbeth?

Scene iii

1. Why is the first witch in a foul mood?

2. Macbeth's opening lines are an echo of which earlier lines?

a. Why would he think the day was foul?

b. Why would he think it fair?

5. Examine Banquo's comments and reaction to the witches and then choose one or two line that accurately infers Banquos attitude towards the witches and their prophecy.

5. Compare and contrast the reactions of Banquo and Macbeth when they hear the message from the King that Macbeth was named Thane of Cawdor.

6. Macbeth is a bit worried. He says that the recent events cant be bad but they also cant be good. Why cant they be bad? Why cant they be good?

For those of you who need to make up the Star Wars/Polanski Macbeth assignment, go to the top left corner and type "Star Wars" into the box and click on "search blog".

For those of you who need to make up the Office Macbeth assignment, see me Tuesday.

For those of you who need to make up the Found Macbeth assignment: choose a scene from Macbeth and using 10 words or lines cut from magazines, write a collage style letter from one character to an audience revealing the character's perspective of the incident.

For those of you who have not written the Hornby Essay, go to the left hand corner and type "Hornby" into the search box and click on "search blog". Follow the instructions on the post that appears, EXCEPT remember to use an allusion from Macbeth as one of your supporting allusions in the 3rd paragraph.

DO NOT EMAIL ANY ASSIGNMENTS TO ME. Please print them out and bring in a hard copy next week.

Memoir

2009-01-12T18:18:00.001-08:00

Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
Originally uploaded by avon romance

Hey kids - I'm SO sorry this posted so late! I posted earlier today from my classroom but when I just checked the blog, I noticed my earlier post never posted!

Therefore, if you don't finish the assignment, we'll finish it at the beginning of class tomorrow. Also, I took some time to revisit the questions and realized that most of them are really pretty awful. Therefore, I'm substituting the following generic questions to get you thinking:

One of the happiest times in my life was…

One of the saddest times in my life was…

I came to the important realization that…

I realized that I was no longer a child when…

The best birthday present I ever received was…

My favorite holiday is…because…

My favorite place is…

When I was little, I used to...

I was proud of myself for...

I was ashamed of myself for...

I have never been so engrossed in learning as when...

I spent time with someone who was much different from me when…

A time when I decided to do something differently from everyone else around me was...

The person who has had the biggest influence on me is...

An experience that challenged me was...

One of my biggest successes was...

One of my biggest failures was...

I realized that I had a talent for...

The worst thing that has ever happened to me is...

I was in grave danger when…

Help Wanted...

2009-01-09T14:59:00.001-08:00

Help Wanted...
Originally uploaded by Thewmatt

Hey kids -

I was wondering if any of you could do me a favor. I was wondering if any of you would be interested in reading a few random paragraphs from my novel. I'm interested in your feedback regarding its "readability" - I just want to know if it's easy to read and makes sense to you since you are my target audience.

It's kind of an experiment - I mean, if I'm writing a book for young adults, which you are, I want you to be able to read it with ease and interest.

I'll admit that writing is very enjoyable to me however I don't know if I'm even on the right track in regard to writing to my intended audience. If you're interested in providing me some feedback, please email me and let me know. I'm keeping this project fairly private, so I'm only going to send you a paragraph or two, so it shouldn't be too much work on your part.

Thanks in advance to anyone interested,

Weiss

Sonnets

2009-01-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

Sonnet 18
Originally uploaded by Cláudio Gil

Hey kids!

Here is the information I gave you in class on sonnets:

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines. It follows one of several set rhyme schemes. The two basic types are:

•The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet: generally an octave + a sestet (abbaabba + cdecde, cdcdcd or cdedce). The octave presents a narrative, rasises a question or states a proposition to which the sestet then responds.

•The English or Shakespearean sonnet: uses four divisions, three quatrains + rhymed couplet for a conclusion. The quatrains can have different rhyme schemes, but the typical pattern is abab cdcd efef gg.

But there is a third type:

•The Spenserian: although not as popular, this style complicates the Shakespearean form by linking rhymes in the quatrains: abab bcbc cdcd ee.

A "conceit" is a fanciful notion, generally expressed through an elaborate analogy or metaphor. The sonnet tradition carried its own peculiar conceits which have made their way into our social consciousness.

From Petrarch, the sonneteers of the Renaissance took not only a conventional form but also conventional sentiments. The relation between the poet and his beloved is presented in terms of an idealized courtly love: the persona is a "humble servant" tossed by a tempest on the sea of despair, the beloved can wound with a glance, and her beauty is described in stereotypical fashion. Her cheeks are like roses, her eyes sparkle, and her lips are ruby red.

Shakespeare pokes great fun at such conventions with his "Sonnet 130: My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun."

Happy holidays!

2008-12-23T20:32:00.001-08:00

Happy holidays
Originally uploaded by urbanmkr

Hey kids! Have a great break and make sure to relax and rejuvenate your mind. Go to a movie, read a great book, hang out with friends and spend time with your family!

Speaking of family, take this advice from your older and wiser teacher - in a year and a half, most of you will be going off to college and for many of you, that will mark the end of living at home with your family.

Your college years will be full of fun and independence, followed by your first real jobs, first real apartments, and a myriad of amazing experiences before you settle down and have families of your own.

Which is why I want you to take a moment this holiday season to appreciate your family. Perhaps spend an evening at home over break watching a movie with your family or having lunch with your mom or coffee with your dad. Go visit your grandparents and listen to their stories or offer them a helping hand.

These are the moments you'll treasure when you're older and you'll be glad you took the time to slow down your last year and a half at home and spent time with the people who love you unconditionally.

My parents only live four hours away but in this busy world, those four hours seem like an eternity and as a result, I only see them four times a year. I wish I could see my mom and dad on a daily basis, so do me a favor and give your parents a hug daily since I can't hug mine!

Remember - you're only young once but you're old forever, so don't try to grow up too fast. Your friends may come and go but your family will always be there for you, so spend some quality time with them this season.

In the long run, you'll be glad you did.

Have an amazing holiday season - Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Weiss

Monday is Independent Reading Day!!!

2008-12-17T19:06:00.001-08:00

{ Reading makes you grow ,,
Originally uploaded by { B a r c a <3 ,,

Hey kids -

Monday we are going to the Media Center to READ! That's right - we're not going there to work on a project, or write essays or do research, we're going there so you can escape your little classroom desks and instead find a comfortable place to sit and read.

So, bring your independent reading book - you know, the one purchased with the generous grant I received from the East Brunswick Education Foundation - and meet me in the Media Center on Monday, December 22nd!

Homework - British Literature

2008-12-13T19:28:00.001-08:00

Macbeth Wallister canvas
Originally uploaded by DominikHildebrandt

Periods 2,4,8/9:

Consider the choices made by Polanski and the student directors of Star Wars Macbeth - what was important to each director when transferring ideas from page to screen? Did he focus on character? Visual effects? Dialogue? Plot?

Write a reaction that answers the above question. Your response should be at least one half page, typed and double spaced if possible. Please follow rules of grammar and mechanics and present your ideas in an organized fashion.

If you want to refresh your memory, check out this link:

http://www.dcfr.net/macbeth/mainpage.html

Period 12: Since you did not view Star Wars Macbeth, please apply the above question to the Polanski version you viewed on Friday. If you want to watch Star Wars Macbeth and focus your response on it, feel free to do so - just go to the above link.

LOST?

2008-12-08T15:23:00.001-08:00

LOST
Originally uploaded by A.J .. !!

Do you ever get lost when trying to find something on the blog? If so, check out the upper left hand corner - yes, there's a search box and you can search within the blog to find what you're looking forward, instead of scouring the archives!

Feel better? If you still can't find what you're looking for, such as the info on the SAT Prep Boot Camp, scroll down an entry or two and look on December 3rd.

Writer's Workshop Assignment - RD of Paragraphs 1-3 Due Wednesday!

2008-12-08T15:17:00.001-08:00

Ryan Adams_Gold
Originally uploaded by cassadaga22

Step #1:

In the intro paragraph, reflect on a past experience that taught you something about the world around you. Take a moment and brainstorm a few memories.

Step # 2:

In the first paragraph, reveal your INITIAL reaction to an event, conversation, experience, etc. through the use of an informal anecdote. Refer to the section of Hornby's essay below for further clarification.
OH, MY SWEET CAROLINA by Ryan Adams: AN ESSAY BY NICK HORNBY

“A long time ago, when I was still teaching English to foreign students in a London language school, I gave private conversation lessons to an unhappy man who called himself Edward, even though that wasn't his name. Edward was an African living in Rome, where he was a foreign correspondent for his home-town newspaper, and he was unhappy because he was going through a divorce. But he was lucid in his unhappiness: he talked with regret, of course, but also with insight, and enormous intelligence, and his melancholy took him off to all sorts of interesting conversational places — places I never normally got to visit in the normal run of things. I remember the concentration our talks required, and the stillness and intensity they engendered; I knew that he was in pain, but when our fifty minutes were over I felt invigorated and inspired. When it was time for him to return to Rome, he asked me to go and stay with him, and I accepted the invitation.”

Step #3:

In the next section of your essay, continue by making either a contradiction to your initial observation OR further explaining your initial reaction on a deeper level. In this section, it's important to finish reporting your personal response to your experience, but do not offer analysis of the situation. Refer to the section of Hornby's essay below for further clarification:

“But when I got there, a few weeks later, he wasn't unhappy any more. He was revelling in his status as a single man, a status that, apparently, required very little self-reflection or intelligence: on the night I arrived, I found that he'd fixed us up with a couple of call-girls. I copped out, in my prissy English way, but he disappeared for forty-eight hours (leaving me with sole use of a beautiful apartment in the centre of Rome); when he came back, he told me he was engaged

Step #4:

Ok, the third section of the essay is crucial. The first sentence of your third section is the thesis statement – when you look back at the experience described in the first two paragraphs, what is your epiphany? In Hornby's essay, he reflects on his time with Edward and how Edward changes but what he truly realizes is larger than his experience with Edward - he realizes that "some people are at their best when they're miserable". Model this section of the essay by first producing a strong, active statement, like Hornby did - remember, less is more. Keep it simple - a statement - DO NOT USE "I think"!! BE STRONG!

Step #5:

To continue the 3rd paragraph, use an outside source to support your thesis – this could be a song, a scene from a film, a poem, a memory, a personal experience, a moment in a book, a quote, etc. Remember DON’T retell the story of the outside source, just use it to support your thesis statement like Hornby does below:

“Some people are at their best when they're miserable. Ryan Adams's beautiful Heartbreaker album is, I suspect, the product of a great deal of pain, and "Oh My Sweet Carolina" is its perfect, still centre, its faint heartbeat, a song so quiet that you don't want to breathe throughout its duration. (It helps that Adams got Emmylou Harris, the best harmony vocalist in the history of pop music, to sing with him on it.) On Adams's next album, Gold, he seems to have cheered up, and though that's good news for him, it's bad news for me, just as it was when Edward stopped being miserable. His upbeat songs are fine, but they sound a lot like other people's upbeat songs (you can hear the cheeriest incarnations of the Stones, Dylan and Van Morrison all over Gold); his blues gave him distinction.

Step 6:

Finally, you need to come to a conclusion about what it all means to you - this is your "Jerry Springer Final Thought". Tell the reader what you think about not revealing what could potentially be useful information, what harboring guilt can do to a person’s life, how you think excessive pride and ambition is actually a worthy quality, how bitterness toward others is actually the worst form of subjectivity. Do that and then wrap up the section with your “final thought”. See Hornby’s conclusion below:

“What rights do we have here? Are we entitled to ask other people to be unhappy for our benefit? After all, there are loads of us, and only one of them. And how can you be happy, really, if you are only ordinary in your happiness, but extraordinary in your grief? Is it really worth it? It sounds harsh, I know, but if you are currently romantically involved with someone with a real talent — especially a talent for songwriting — then do us all a favour and dump them. There might be a Heartbreaker — or a Blood On The Tracks or a Layla — in it for all of us. Thanks.”

SAT Weekend Workshops

2008-12-03T11:35:00.001-08:00

Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Originally uploaded by –nathan

If you're interested in attending an SAT Weekend Boot Camp Workshop in January, check out the link below:

http://web.me.com/lapointe23/Site/About_Me.html

or email:

ArtemisEducation@gmail.com for more information

Sweet Child O' Mine

2008-11-24T18:35:00.001-08:00

Guns N´ Roses (1985 - )
Originally uploaded by S. Corporation

Reader's/Writer's Workshop Submission One Assignment - Rough Draft due

2008-11-24T18:28:00.001-08:00

Original Essay taken from : http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2006/7/11moe.html

Reader's/Writer's Workshop Submission #1
Instructions in BOLD print
Original Essay in Italics

Step #1: Choose one of your favorite songs and take a moment to examine the lyrics. Consider what the speaker is saying, on a literal level. Identify any silly lines that do not make logical sense.

Step #2: Pretending that you are the songwriter's editor, you're going to craft a short letter to the songwriter questioning his use of language. Take a moment and read the following introduction by John Moe:

NOTES ON "SWEET CHILD O' MINE,"
AS DELIVERED TO AXL ROSE BY HIS EDITOR.
Hi, Axl,

`Just got your manuscript and demo for the song "Sweet Child O' (sic) Mine." I think we need to talk. As your editor, I am responsible for making your songs as cogent as possible, for helping them reach the high editorial standards your public has come to expect. With this one, I am certainly earning my keep. After several attempts to reach you by phone, I am sending along my notes. Please make appropriate fixes as soon as possible, at which point I can send them to copyediting and proofreading in time for your upcoming studio session.

Step #3: Begin to draft a writing that models Moe's essay. Begin with a similar introduction and continue to frame your essay by quoting lines and responding to them, modeling Moe's essay that follows. Use questions and logical, direct statements to address use of illogical statements.

She's got a smile that, it seems to me—Why equivocate? You weaken your point by framing this as a mere personal observation instead of a fact.

Reminds me of childhood memories—Redundant. You either have a memory or you're reminded of something. You're not reminded of a memory. Heavy-metal fans won't stand for such writing, my friend.

Where everything was as fresh as a bright blue sky—I asked around the office and no one is sure a blue sky is "fresh." You could have a blue sky at the end of a long, sweaty day and there would be nothing fresh about it. And she reminds you of a time when things were fresh? Fond reminiscences of freshness are no foundation for love. Fix.

Now and then when I see her face it takes me away to that special place—Again, you're weakening your own argument. Why does the sight of her face transport you only periodically? And is it just her smile or her entire face that does this to you? Because you've already said both. Consistency, Axl!

And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry—Why would you do that? Because you miss the freshness you described earlier? I think the whole "fresh" thing is really tripping you up. Also, crying? Wimpy.

OK, on to the second verse.

She's got eyes of the bluest skies—See, this is just getting worse. Now her eyes are made of sky? Nice imagery, but you just got done saying her smile reminded you of memories of sky. Is this verse actually supposed to be a second draft of the first verse? Am I just confused on formatting? Help!

As if they thought of rain—Axl, eyes can't think of rain. And even if they could, which they can't, why would bluest skies think of rain? Perhaps less imagery of thinking eyes made of sky and more direct exploration of your feelings?

I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain—Well, hell. I guess in your special Axl World anything is possible. Eyes can be made of sky, ponder the weather, and exhibit pain in amounts that can be weighed.

Step #4:

Take a moment and continue reading Moe's essay. Incorporate one or two word commands as independent sentences such as "Delete. Fix. Do something." This is harder to do than it seems – make sure that you are choosing strong, active words.

Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide—Delete. Fix. Do something. You'd hide in a place that reminded you of hair? Never show me such phrases again.

And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by—Whew. OK, listen to me now: Thunder can't quietly do anything. It's thunder. And, more importantly, do you really want to come across as a wuss who's constantly on the verge of weeping and skittering into hair caves to escape from rain? Is this a song about love or climatic anxiety? You need to work these things out.

Step #5: Read the conclusion of the essay and then choose a persuasive technique to employ as your final appeal – you can use either a logical, emotional, or ethical appeal – and then, wrap it up!

Finally, Axl, I think we might have had a misunderstanding regarding my previous notes. When I wrote in colored pencil "Where do we go now?" I wasn't offering that as a lyric. I was simply observing that, in narrative terms, the song needed to progress in some way. You love the girl, she's helping you work through some issues, whatever. So where do we go now? But instead of providing a satisfactory conclusion, you simply took my note and repeated it over and over again before ultimately just stating the title of the song. This is unacceptable. Don't ask us, the listeners, where we go. That's up to you as the writer! Tell us where we go now!

Again, let's try to fix these things soon and get "Sweet Child of Mine" ("My Sweet Child"?) into your fans' hands as quickly as possible. Because, frankly, if it should ever hit the street in its current form, the song would be a colossal failure.

Talk soon!

Your Editor

Any Interest in Jumping the Pond? Class Trip to Great Britain!

2008-11-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hey Kids!

Do you want to travel to Great Britain? If so, shoot me an email - I'm trying to poll interest for a trip that would take place either this summer or next summer, so let me know if you're interested. If at least 12 students are interested, I'll call a representative and get some price quotes. The trip would hopefully last 10 to 14 days and would cover England, Scotland, and Ireland. Let me know!

Glamis Castle

2008-11-18T15:53:00.001-08:00

Glamis Castle
Originally uploaded by emarinuk

Hey kids -

Here's a picture of Glamis Castle. As you know, Macbeth was Thane of Glamis however in the play, his castle is not Glamis Castle but instead is referred to as the castle at Dunsinane. Since there is no longer a castle at Dunsinane, I thought this picture would suffice for you to get an idea of the play's setting.

Remember - in the play, he just became the Thane of Cawdor, therefore he wouldn't live in Cawdor Castle... although there is one!

Also, although Inverness is referenced throughout the play, his castle would not have been the castle at Inverness. Inverness also refers to the area surrounding the city itself.

Technical Difficulties

2008-11-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

If you need the Macbeth assignment, please email me tonight. For some reason I can't copy and paste it to the blog.

Don't Make The Same Mistake Michael Made!

2008-11-05T16:47:00.001-08:00

Otter
Originally uploaded by sparky2000

Hey kids,

I'm grading your Wife of Bath essays and I'm noticing that many of you are making the same error - instead of explaining HOW the story reveals who is in control, you are just making a simple statement and then retelling the story.

One of the problems, in my opinion, of studying classic literature in a contemporary classroom is that because the teacher knows the story inside and out, he or she can't help but reveal that knowledge during class discussion. Therefore, instead of teacher and students unlocking new meaning together, teachers pass on canned meaning to students for future regurgitation.

I don't want that to be the basis of our classroom discovery - instead, I want you to determine your own meaning and to then tell me how you came upon that meaning through your reading.

Take a look at this article from The Onion - pay attention to Lucy Swain's comment toward the end and in this class, try NOT to do what she thinks teachers want you to do!

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30988

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

2008-11-04T04:28:00.001-08:00

Macbeth poster 2
Originally uploaded by Luis perez perez

Hey kids -

I hope you're enjoying your break from school; for those of you who are 18, don't forget to vote today!

Don't forget to read Act I of Macbeth. Every human fault, foible, value, and virtue can be found within this play's five acts - it's all of humanity rolled into one play!

If you haven't started reading Macbeth yet or if you have started but are having difficulties, take a moment to refresh your mind and remember the reading skills we have been practicing this year:

1. Choose a moderate amount of material to begin with - perhaps the first few scenes. Keep in mind the structure is written employing enjambment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enjambement. Also, remember language choice is of utmost importance in a play, so consider how the play's language reveals its meaning.

2. Get a grasp of how the material is organized:
Scan the section for stage directions, headings, sub-headings, and topic sentences to get its general idea; pay attention to people's names, titles, ranks, relationship to one another, elements of setting, etc.

3. Make use of annotations: read first for what you do understand, and to determine the difficulty of the rest. Use the annotations to clarify meaning immediately. Some of you are still resistant to this - don't be! The annotations will help unlock meaning and deepen your understanding of the moment.

4. Mark what you do not understand to review later. Remember to invert the syntax of the structure to make sense of antiquated sentences - find the subject, then find its verb!

5. Look up words whose meanings are important to your understanding of the material, but you cannot discern from the context.

6. As you read, practice the "look-away method:" Periodically look away from the text and ask yourself a stimulus question relating to the text. Write these questions down on your packet as annotations and record your answers, thoughts, discoveries next to them.

7. Make connections and associations, but don't use this exercise to memorize--but rather understand. Remember: making connections to your personal life is a good pre-reading activity that will help to unlock meaning later. It is not the goal, however, of academic reading, so be prepared to go beyond making connections!

8. Read to the end. Do not get discouraged and stop reading.
Ideas can become clearer the more you read. When you finish reading, review to see what you have learned, and reread those ideas that are not clear.

9. Continue to interact with the play by taking notes on it. Later, you can organize your notes by connecting ideas into an outline or concept map. Pay attention to relationships between ideas.

10. At this point, if you do not understand your reading, do not panic! Set it aside, and read it again the next day. Remember, once you've genuinely gone through this process, it's not cheating to check out "Macbeth Made Easy" or "No Fear Shakespeare". Just remember the importance and value of attempting the original play first!

11. If necessary, repeat the above process. This allows your brain to process the material, even while you sleep. This is referred to as distributed reading.

12. Try reading aloud - it forces you to consider language more carefully than reading silently to yourself because it is active and forceful.

13. One last option - the online textbook may have audio of particular scenes. Reading along while listening to a recording may not have worked for you in the classroom in the past, however I find listening to a play or novel expands my understanding and has made me a MUCH better reader, so feel free to check out the online site!

Good luck kids - I hope you enjoy Macbeth. Of course there will be sections that won't keep your interest, but for the most part it is a riveting play and one that if studied carefully, can be used as an allusion for the rest of your life.

Ballad Assignment

2008-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Your original ballad is due on Friday:

1. Choose a news article from an online news source.
2. Read the article and underline 5 important facts.
3. Write a stanza for each fact. Each stanza must be 4 lines long and follow a ABCB rhyme pattern - the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme.
4. Each stanza must include a refrain - you can make the last line of each stanza repeat as your refrain.
5. Make sure your ballad tells the story of your article.

Homework Due Wednesday, October 29th

2008-10-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Homework Assignment Due Tomorrow for All British Literature Classes:

What are the similarities between "Lord Randall" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"?

1. Make a list of the elements of a ballad found in each and give an example from each ballad.

2. Write a sentence or two in which you determine the speakers in the Dylan ballad - infer your answer from context clues; be specific.

3. Write a paragraph in which you choose two lines from the Dylan ballad that best reveal the ballad's overall message and explain their significance to the ballad as a whole.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways,
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin',
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin',
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin',
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin',
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin',
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony,
I met a white man who walked a black dog,
I met a young woman whose body was burning,
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow,
I met one man who was wounded in love,
I met another man who was wounded with hatred,
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin',
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',
But I'll know my song well before I start singin',
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
Copyright ©1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

Wife of Bath Writing Due Monday!

2008-10-25T10:13:00.001-07:00

Chaucer: The Wife of Bath
Originally uploaded by lynnikins

Hey kids,

Don't forget that the Wife of Bath writing is due on Monday. The prompt asked you to determine who, in your opinion according to the story, "wins" in the end - i.e. who has control in the relationship, the Knight (manhood) or the hag (womanhood).

You need to start off with a strong, straightforward thesis statement (remember - don't waste space with one of those "According to Webster's Dictionary blah blah blah" introductions) that declares your opinion and then defend your thesis, using 3 properly blended direct quotes as evidence.

Remember what my smart friend Strachan says regarding your opinion: "No matter which side you take, there are good people who will agree with you, so make your decision based on what YOU think, not what you think WE want you to think".

Who are the so called "good" people, you ask? Well, they are scholarly critics with published credentials and believe me, no matter how far out there you may think your opinion is, there is someone who has probably published a 50 page dissertation on that topic!

Also - in each class, if every student hands in a paper on Monday, I'll add a point to everyone's paper in the class; the paper is worth 15 points. However, if one student fails to hand in a paper in his/her class, no one in that class will get the extra point (and of course, the only person who will lose a point for not turning it in on time is the person who doesn't bring it on Monday!).

THE SCHOLASTIC ART and WRITING COMPETITION

2008-10-25T09:50:00.001-07:00

THE BOSTON GLOBE SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS
Originally uploaded by Gabriela González Gaete

Here's another opportunity for artists and writers! The Scholastic Art and Writing Competition is the foremost in the country of its kind. Here's a link to information - make sure to click on the PDF files to see the categories... there are so many to choose from! Winners of this competition are eligible to compete for scholarships reserved only for winners. It's a national competition and colleges give its winners careful consideration!

http://www.artandwriting.org/how_to_apply.htm#categories

The deadline for submission is December 19th!

Do You Want to Get Published as a Writer?

2008-10-25T09:45:00.001-07:00

Susquehanna University 2
Originally uploaded by pennsylvaniamentor

If so, you should check out Susquehanna University's "The Apprentice Writer" publication, a literary magazine devoted to the work of high school students.

I grew up near Susquehanna and it's a beautiful campus and a fantastic liberal arts college. It's creative writing summer program for high school students is one of the top 3 in the nation!

Here's information on its summer institute, which is highly competitive and prestigious:
Advanced Writers' Workshops
in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction

"Every year I am amazed by the enthusiasm of the faculty in the Susquehanna program. Their passion is contagious; by week's end the students have not only learned much about the craft of writing, but are also energized to continue the exploration of their own creativity."
-Susan Perabo, author of Who I Was Supposed to Be and The Broken Places

Tentative Dates: June 28-July 4, 2009 (Program Details)
Request an Application for the Advanced Writers' Workshop

"Through the Writers Workshop, I learned many skills that helped me become a more accomplished writer. By rooming on campus with the other kids in the workshop, I got to experience the feel of college life and in the process made friends that I still consider to be my nearest and dearest nearly two years later." -Charlie Riccardelli '09

An exciting weeklong experience now in its 20th summer, the Writers Workshop at Susquehanna University provides America's most talented high school writers with the opportunity to work in intensive, small-group workshops headed by nationally recognized authors. One of only 27 programs selected by Early College Programs 2003 as a Best Value in Summer College Programs for High School Students, the Writers Workshop features workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Class sizes are limited to 15 students in order to ensure close supervision and individual conferencing.

The Writers Workshop is open to experienced writers entering 11th or 12th grade in the fall of 2008. Writers Workshop attendees are chosen based on teacher/counselor recommendations and portfolio submissions, and each applicant is required to submit 5-6 poems or 6-8 pages of fiction/creative nonfiction. Portfolios and applications must be postmarked or e-mailed by May 1, 2008, to be considered for review.

"While attending the Writers Institute week-long workshop, I wrote some of my best work and feel that, in the short period of time I spent there, I improved immensely. My positive experience at the workshop is the main reason why I am at Susquehanna." -Yvonne Harris '09

And here is information on submitting:

The Apprentice Writer
Submission Requirements
1. Manuscripts must be typewritten and double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 pages. The writer's name, address, and appropriate teacher must appear on each page. Please be sure to affix sufficient postage.

2. We do not return written submissions. Please keep a copy for yourself. All rights return to the writer after publication. We will ask students whose work is chosen to send an electronic copy.

3. If you are submitting photographs and would like them returned, please include an adequately sized, stamped, self-addressed envelope. You must include your name and address on the back of each photograph. All other work will be destroyed.

4. There are no restrictions on style, subject matter, or length (up to 30 pages). We are looking for the best written work and photography/graphics by high school students (grades 9-12) from the United States.

5. Categories for submissions are:

Fiction
Poetry
Essay
Photography
6. We send copies of The Apprentice Writer to accepted contributors and their teachers.

7. We are unable to acknowledge those works which are not accepted for publication. If you have not heard from us by May 10, 2008, you work has not been accepted.

8. Submit individually or have your teacher send to:

Gary Fincke
Writers Institute Director
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164

Submission Deadline: March 1, 2009
Acceptance announcements will be mailed by May 1, 2009
Publication and Distribution: September 2009

It's never too late to think about the future!

experiencing technical difficulties...

2008-10-22T18:40:00.001-07:00

experiencing technical difficulties...
Originally uploaded by bruce grant

Hey kids! I've been experiencing difficulties posting to the blog from school - I just noticed that several posts I submitted from my classroom computer have not posted! Fortunately, they were not posts outlining assignments however they were posts full of exciting information about reading!

I'll try to re-post the content tomorrow; until then, enjoy your evening and have a good time at hall decorating in the morning!

Also, thanks to all of the parents who have stopped by the past few days during teacher conferences. It's great to meet face to face and if you ever have any questions, feel free to email me at aweiss@ebnet.org or readwriteweiss@gmail.com.

Ms. W.

Finish Reading The Prologue for Thursday

2008-10-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Make sure you finish reading "The Prologue" for tomorrow (Thursday). Remember - don't stop looking up unknown words and make sure to continue reading and applying the annotations in order to gain insight!

Reading difficult texts is tough - it's not as simple as reading a contemporary young adult novel written in an accessible narrative voice - so remember to apply the skills necessary for success and ask the questions necessary to unlock meaning. It may take longer than expected now, but it's meaningful work and it will pay off!

Brit Lit Homework Due Tomorrow October 14th

2008-10-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Read lines 1 - 279 of Chaucer's Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. It starts on page 105 of the textbook and can be accessed from the online textbook as follows:

- Go to my.hrw.com
- Pull the left hand scroll bar down to "Collection 2"
- Pull the right hand scroll bar down to "from The Canterbury tales and The Prologue"
- Click on the link labeled "Read Prologue 2"

While you are reading, make a list of the pilgrims you encounter... don't forget The Narrator!

Also, pay CAREFUL attention to the annotations on the side of each page and the end notes - there will be a quiz taken from this information tomorrow! If you're using the online textbook, make sure to click on the circular hyperlinks found within the text - a pop up will appear with the annotation!

Book Blog: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2008-10-07T15:11:00.001-07:00

the lovely bones!
Originally uploaded by Rakka

Submitted by Kelly Kisch

At first, the novel "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold seems like an
extremely sad story. It centers on the death of Susie Salmon, a
fourteen year old girl living in the suburbs of Pennsylvania in the
1970’s and opens with her murder.

Brutally rapped and killed by a neighbor, Susie is dismembered and her body parts are scattered throughout the surrounding corn fields; however, there is never enough evidence to convict her neighbor, George Harvey, of her murder.

What makes this book interesting is that Susie is narrating the story from her new home in heaven. She spends most of her time watching her family and friends very closely, but sometimes she takes time out of the story to describe what heaven is
like. In the book, heaven is different for everybody; for Susie, in heaven, she lives close to a high school. She has a swing set outside and every once in a while stray dogs wander in and out of her yard. Her heaven happens to overlap with the heaven of a girl named Holly, who Susie becomes close to in heaven.

From Heaven, Susie watches her family try to cope with her death, and sees despicable things done out of desperation, beautiful
moments, and the ugly reality of a family barricaded from each
other. She watches the lives of those she loves unravel, all the time
wishing she could back to them on earth. More than anything, Susie longs for a chance to grow into a young woman.

The story is sad and heart wrenching at its core, but in the end it has beautiful messages about life and death and turns out to be a great book.

REMEMBER THE PASSWORD

2008-10-07T15:02:00.001-07:00

REMEMBER THE PASSWORD
Originally uploaded by thane

So you don't have to go back through the blog archives, here is the online textbook username and password:

Username: lenglish22
Password: x2u4

Homework Due Tomorrow - October 8th

2008-10-07T06:09:00.001-07:00

Gawain + Green Knight
Originally uploaded by Sporko

Hey kids -

Please read "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" on pages 159-165 in the text book or go to the online text book at my.hrw.com and set the tabs to "Collection 2" and "from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and then click on "Read the Narrative Poem".

Pay close attention to the repetition of the magical number three and think about Sir Gawain's initial sin and his cycle of redemption.

Before you read the story, however, take a moment to read this background information; it leads up to the beginning of your reading assignment:

As Sir Gawain and the Green Knight opens, King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table are feasting. Suddenly an enormous green stranger bursts into the hall. King Arthur greets the Green Knight and asks him to state his business. The Green Knight, after a few scornful words about the manliness of King Arthur’s knights, says he only wishes to play a New Year’s game. He challenges any knight there to agree to “exchange one blow for another”—he will even give that knight his gisarme, his two-bladed ax. The stranger says he will stand for the first blow; the knight must agree to let the Green Knight have his turn in a year and a day. Gawain accepts the challenge—no other knight except Arthur himself has dared to, and Gawain refuses to let the king give up his life.

Gawain hefts his ax and chops off the giant green head. But the Knight never falters. He picks up his green head, repeats his challenge, and gallops off with the head in his arms.
Just before Christmas the next year, Gawain sadly sets off on the long journey to honor his pledge. One day he comes upon a beautiful castle. The lord of the castle invites him to rest a few days and then suggests an odd “game.” The lord says that he will go hunting each day and whatever he wins in the hunt he will give to Gawain. In return, Gawain must give anything he has won that day to the lord.

Each day when the lord goes off hunting, his beautiful young wife tries to seduce Gawain. For two days, Gawain accepts only kisses, and true to his bargain, he gives the lord the kisses when he returns from hunting. But on the morning of the third day, the lady not only kisses Gawain but also makes him accept a magical green girdle, or sash. She says that if he wears the sash, he cannot be killed.
When the lord returns from the hunt, Gawain gives him the kisses but keeps the sash a secret.

Now it’s New Year’s Day. Gawain sets off to find the Green Chapel and the dreaded Green Knight. Snow and sleet have fallen, and howling winds have piled up drifts of snow. Gawain leaves the castle with the green sash wrapped around his armor. He is certain he is headed for his death.

Book Blog - "Is This a Great Game, or What?"

2008-10-04T05:22:00.001-07:00

Phillies Opening Day Ceremony
Originally uploaded by stksave27

Submitted by Matt Rusay

In the book "Is This a Great Game, or What?", Tim Kurkjian talks about the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR is a convention located in Dallas and is like, he claims, "a Star Trek convention for baseball" (Kurkjian 119). I found it interesting the way the Kurkjian describes this convention. He shows mixed emotions, laughs at how ridiculous this group is and admires how dedicated these members are to the game of baseball.

As an example of the level of dedication (or obsession) shown by the members, Kurkjian states that in May 1995, Todd Hundley hit a pinch-hit, extra-inning home run, and he (Kurkjian) wanted to know how often this has happened and the last time it occurred. Upon arriving at the convention, he asked one person who to ask about the frequency of this event, and that man replied by pulling a list of the instances this has occurred out of his breast pocket! Kurkjian was astonished and happy to be in a place where people love the game as much as he does. Therefore, it is interesting to see how important SABR is to sportswriters.

GOOD LUCK!

2008-10-03T20:38:00.001-07:00

repeated sat answers
Originally uploaded by sattutorblog

Best of luck to students taking the SAT Saturday! Remember - when in doubt, eliminate the prepositional phrases, find the subject and its verb, and that will allow you to unlock the meaning!

Another Successful B2SN!

2008-10-02T20:11:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU
Originally uploaded by Werner Schnell

Just a quick thank you to the parents who came to B2SN this evening. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope that I was able to answer questions and provide a clear sense of what to expect this year.

Now, go get some sleep so you're well rested for the world tomorrow!

Ms. Weiss

Ps. And remember - what happens at B2SN, stays at B2SN! Wouldn't the kids like to know... !

Congratulations!

2008-10-01T09:52:00.001-07:00

Congratulations
Originally uploaded by Eduardo!

Congratulations to the writers of the three Book Blogs chosen for blog publication this round. Although there isn't a prize for this honor, I hope these entries will inspire reading and will serve as examples for future blog entries!

Student Book Blog: Why I'm Scared of the Library

2008-10-01T09:48:00.001-07:00

the library
Originally uploaded by antonious (www.anthonyaphoto.com)

By Bennett Galperin

I always feel uncomfortable in the library. In addition, I seem to never have luck finding a good book there. Every time I go to the library, nothing catches my eye. Instead, I normally find books through recommendations or placement at bookstores. Even though I have no trouble finding a book that I know the title of at the library, I can't discover new and interesting books there.

On a parallel topic, I never feel comfortable at the library because I am afraid that I might run into someone I know and they'll think I am at the library to learn or study. If it was up to me, I would never go to the library but obviously I do not want to spent my hard earned money on a book that I may read only once and then never touch again. Proof of this is that in my room, I have a bookshelf crammed full of books that I have either never opened or that I read years ago.

To make matters worse, my dad loves the library and constantly forces me to go there with him. He always wants me to do research for reports at the library even when it is not necessary. In conjunction, he tries to force me to study at the library but I always refuse.

Funny enough, the East Brunswick Public Library has been making attempts to attract teens like myself to the library. The library has created a teen area that allows its occupants to game online, play video games, board games, and it also has an expanded teen book section. No matter what anyone does, I still will always try to avoid the library because I have barely ever discovered a book at the library that I liked and it will most likely stay that way.

I'm not a hater of books, though: I do enjoy going to Barnes and Nobles and finding a couple books that look interesting and reading a few pages of them while having a frappuccino, as do many others. By reading the first few pages, I can infer whether or not I will enjoy the book, plus the frappuccino makes the experience more pleasurable.

Obviously I am scared by the library, which is probably why I am always embarrassed to be there. I much prefer bookstores like Barnes and Nobles. I am usually more successful in finding a good book in a bookstore than in the library.

Student Book Blog: Nightrise by Anthony Horowitz

2008-10-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

New books
Originally uploaded by shewgirl

Reviewed by Raj Shah

The book, /Nightrise/ by Anthony Horowitz, is an amusing, adventurous, addicting novel. The book is about Jamie and Scott Tyler who are telepathic twins who perform telepathic acts at their uncle’s theater. People come from all over the world to see their tricks, but there are also a few people out there in the world who want to get rid of people with these kinds of talents.

One night, after a performance, two men attempt to kidnap the twins, and one of the men successfully kidnaps one of them. The rest of the story is about the remaining twin tries to find the other and what he has to go through in order to do so. That’s not all: in the end, the suspense maximized when the twins find each other not in person but in their dreams and that is what leads them to each other.

I liked this book not just because of the suspense, but also because the story itself had substance. It isn't one of those stories where each chapter is continuing from the previous one. In /Nightrise/, the chapters are not in any particular order and instead are all about something different. The way they flow and transition into each other is amazing and the clarity in the book overall is very good.

Throughout the whole book, I pictured everything like it was on HDTV. I personally like novels that are adventurous fiction because they broaden my creativity level and show the reader new ways to think. I would recommend this book to those who like adventurous fiction books. I was surprised at how addicting this book was - it made me want to stop what I was doing and just read! This book has changed my opinion on reading by making me want to finish the whole series and read more books from this author.

Student Blog: "Passage to Dawn"

2008-10-01T09:31:00.001-07:00

Some things are international
Originally uploaded by ubulin21

Passage to Dawn
Reviewed by Stephen Markel

R.A. Salvatore is well known in the Science Fiction genre, as is his character Drizzt Do'Urden. From the new cover style to the quote on the back from within the book, R.A. Salvatore knows how to bring readers back to harbor.

R.A. Salvatore uses great details to describe his short plot in such detail that the you, the reader, often find yourself easily picturing Twinkle, one of Drizzt's scimitars given to him by a friendly old adventurer. The wide expanse of Faerun, in particular the infamous Sea of Swords, is portrayed with superb specifics to detail and design.

However, one problem I find with the series is that the heaviness of details lengthens an event over a long period of pages. This often leaves the reader disappointed to see that Drizzt, a drow elf, has only made short progress over his long lifetime - Faerunian Elves have been known to live around 900 years on average. In other words, the writer often takes too much time describing the time needed for travel, the 'simple times' when characters take time to develop their battle prowess, build friendships with other characters or when they just go about their daily routine on a 'boring' day.

Despite that, this book is impressive, but because of all of the detail, I may take time out from this series to read a classic piece of literature. I am currently deciding between Vergil's "Aeneid", Dante's "Inferno", or "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", granted I can find an English-translated copy of any of them.

A Gift to You!

2008-09-29T11:07:00.001-07:00

4718731_gal
Originally uploaded by sora's lover

Word Bank for King Arthur Worksheet – DUE THURSDAY

This should be a complete list, however I may have overlooked one or two – complete the sheet regardless of omissions. Numbers next to names denote times used on the sheet.

Hadrian’s Wall
Pagans
Galahad
Roman (3)
Merlin (3)
Woad (3)
Cerdic
Evacuating
Father’s grave
Saxons (3)
Pelagius
Dagonet (2)
Round Table
Arthur (2)
Guinevere (2)
Tristan (2)
Godson
Father’s
Native Celts
Lancelot (2)
Excalibur
Celtic
Rome
Lake of ice
Bor
Sarmatian
Tombstone
Fifteen
Gawain
Heretic

Assigment for Periods 2, 8/9, and 12 - Due THURSDAY 10/02

2008-09-29T06:05:00.001-07:00

King Arthur's Court
Originally uploaded by julauch

Hey kids -

In addition to completing the fill in the blank worksheet, here is an assignment for Periods 2, 8/9, and 12, due Thursday. Period 4 has a separate assignment, which I handed out in class on Monday.

Below is a link to the poem Morte d’Arthur by Lord Tennyson. Read the poem and then in a well developed, organized (use paragraphs!) response, make a connection between the poem and 3 scenes from the film. Use lines from the poem as textual evidence to support your response.

Please type and double space your response. It should be one page in length.

http://home.att.net/~TennysonPoetry/mort.htm

Homework Due Tomorrow for Periods 8/9 and 12

2008-09-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

Beowulf exhaust can - Suzuki GSXR 750
Originally uploaded by J_a_m_e_s

1. List 5 phrases listed at the beginning of the poem that point to Grendel’s evil nature.
2. Why does Grendel not dare to touch Hrothgar’s throne? Use textual evidence to answer this question – use a direct quote and cite line numbers.
3. An Epic Hero possesses superior strength, supreme ethics, and is a fatalist. Is Beowulf a true Epic Hero? Find 3 examples from the text to answer this question – one for each characteristic – and cite page and line numbers.
4. What is Unferth’s relationship with Hrothgar and how does that relationship provoke him to challenge Beowulf?
5. Describe the injury Beowulf inflicts on Grendel that leads to Grendel’s death. Cite line numbers.
6. What does Beowulf hang from the rafters of Herot?
7. Re-read the bottom of page 40 and visualize the position of Beowulf’s body during this scene. Describe how he is positioned and then connect this position to Christianity. Make a connection to this position and Beowulf’s survival during the battle against Grendel’s mother?
8. Beowulf submerges into the lake to kill Grendel’s mother and re-emerges victorious. Think of a Christian practice/rite/ritual that you can symbolically relate to this scene – “Beowulf’s submersion/emergence into and then out of the lake is similar to the Christian practice of… because…” Cite at least two words or phrases from the text as evidence.

IMPORTANT: Online Text Book Log In Instructions

2008-09-17T11:31:00.001-07:00

Beowulf
Originally uploaded by Dunechaser

1. Go to my.hrw.com

2. Log in using the following user name and password, which are case sensitive:

Username: lenglish22
Password: x2u4

3. A page titled "My Subscriptions" should appear; pictured on the page is the purple covered Sixth Course British Literature book.

4. Click on the "Go to the Online Textbook" link.

5. Once the online textbook loads, go to the pull down bar in the upper left hand corner, labeled "Choose a Collection". Pull down and click on the "Collection One" label and release. It should now read "Collection One".

6. Then move to the right to the bar labeled "Collection Menu" and pull down the "from Beowulf" label and release. It should now read "from Beowulf".

7. Click on the "Go" button to the right and allow the selection to load.

8. Read and take notes on the following, due Monday. MAKE SURE TO COME TO CLASS WITH NOTES/ANNOTATIONS

Introduction
textbook pages 18–19

Before You Read
textbook page 20

Read Epic 1: The Monster Grendel
textbook pages 21–23

Read Epic 2: The Arrival of the Hero
textbook pages 24–27

Read Epic 3: Unferth's Challenge
textbook pages 27–32

Good Reads

2008-09-16T04:43:00.001-07:00

bookshelf spectrum, revisited
Originally uploaded by chotda

1. Go to www.goodreads.com

2. Click on the “sign up” button

3. Enter your name, email address, and choose a password

4. The next step allows you to upload your email address book. By uploading your address book, you’ll see if any of your friends have a Good Reads account and you can ask to “friend” them – Facebook has a similar process.

5. Click on the friends you want to add to your account. On the next screen, it will give you the opportunity to invite additional friends to join Good Reads. This is up to you.

6. Now that you have created an account, fill your “bookshelf” with books you have read by entering the titles in the search engine.

7. Once you’ve filled your shelf with the titles you remember, search for your next great read by exploring books recommended by others.

8. By the end of the period, you must email at least one title of a book you would like to read in the future, and an explanation of why you would like to read it, to readwriteweiss@gmail.com.

Period 1 - R/W Workshop Assignment Due Tomorrow

2008-09-15T07:03:00.001-07:00

Homework
Originally uploaded by magnusmagnus

Hey kids -

Please add the following to the 2nd Submission draft, due tomorrow. Also, make sure to label the draft "2nd Draft / 2nd Submission".

* Add an allusion to your draft. Remember, an allusion allows your reader to make a connection and gain insight. It also adds credibility to your writing. Highlight or underline the allusion.

* Use paragraphs. Drafts written in block format will be docked points.

* Use the active voice and write about literature in the present tense.

Thanks! Make sure your draft is typed, double spaced and stapled to the original draft.

Ms. Weiss

Period 1 - R/W Workshop Syllabus for Week of 9/15

2008-09-15T06:58:00.001-07:00

Someone's Lost Schedule Book
Originally uploaded by ASurroca

Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop Class Schedule
I.R. – First 5 minutes of every class
September 15th – 19th

Monday, September 15th:

In Class:
• SW read the article “ Why Women Read More Than Men”
• SW complete Blue Book Prompt #3
• SW show unedited draft of 2nd submission

Tuesday, September 16th:

DUE: 2nd draft of 2nd submission

In Class:
• SW hand in 2nd edited draft, which includes a properly employed highlighted allusion
• SW go to the computer lab to research future independent reading books
• SW sign up for “Good Reads” account

Wednesday, September 17th:

In Class:
• TW return 2nd draft with revisions
• SW spend the remainder of the period reading independently and commenting in their Blue Books
• 3rd and final draft will be due on Monday, September 22nd
• Blue Books will be collected on Monday, September 22nd

Thursday and Friday, September 18th and 19th:

• TBA

Homework Questions Due Tomorrow

2008-09-10T11:20:00.001-07:00

those moments as a parent that make you wonder
Originally uploaded by a mere excursion

Hey kids -

If you didn't finish the questions on the "Lazy Eyes" article in class and need to finish them for homework, here they are:

1. Do you agree or disagree with the opinion that reading online is 25% slower than reading a hard copy. Compare your experience reading the article online and in class.

2. Does reading online influence how you feel about reading a hard copy or vice versa? Why?

3. Reading which mode makes you feel more in control - online or hard copy?

4. If you had to read and comprehend an important document, such as a contract, will, love letter, etc, which mode would you choose and why?

5. Make a list of what distracts you when you are reading online.

6. Make a list of what distracts you when you are reading a hard copy.

Additional Homework for Thursday, Sept. 11

2008-09-09T10:50:00.001-07:00

Online Reading
Originally uploaded by judy_breck

Hey kids,

We didn't get to this article yesterday in class, so take some time to read it online tonight.

http://www.slate.com/id/2193552/

Pay attention to the level of reading difficulty - do you find it easy to read an article online or is it difficult for you to read assignments online?

Be prepared to discuss your findings tomorrow. Also, don't forget the scheduled homework listed on the syllabus - read the blog posting titled "Bookshelf Excerpt" from 11/2007.

Have a good night,

Ms. Weiss

Confused?

2008-09-07T09:29:00.001-07:00

Confused Sign
Originally uploaded by kudaker

Hey kids -

To clarify, the homework assignment due tomorrow is to read the blog posting already posted on the blog, not write a blog posting. If you did write a blog post, well, you are ahead of the game and won't have to do it for the 24th.

Also, make sure you read the handout I gave you in class on Friday and be prepared to list and discuss the four types of reading. You do not need to complete the questions.

Ms. Weiss

BRITISH LITERATURE SEPTEMBER SYLLABUS

2008-09-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

This Is England
Originally uploaded by bossk

Read, Write, Weiss:

An Exploration of British Literature

September Syllabus

“ The How and Why: Reading Non-Fiction and Fiction”

All students are responsible for keeping up with the syllabus. All major assignments are due on the due date, no exceptions. If you are absent on the day an assignment is due, you must place a hard copy in my mailbox or hand it to me directly by 7:30 am the day you return to school. I will not accept emailed assignments unless specified in advance. All essays must be typed and double spaced, employ 12 point font, organized in paragraphs and printed before class begins.

Please note: Printer issues are not an excuse; if your printer is not working the night before, print your essay in the library or neatly hand write it on a clean sheet of paper. As a last resort, see me before 7:30 am.

• Plagiarism will not, under any circumstances, be tolerated. Evidential instances of plagiarism will result in a zero grade on the assignment, no exceptions. I will not write letters of college recommendation for any student caught plagiarizing in ANY class and I will REVOKE any letters written if the case of plagiarism occurs after the letter has been sent.

• Articles assigned for homework must be annotated and the meanings of all unknown words and allusions must be determined before class.

Literature and Materials:

Handout: Four Kinds of Reading. Donald Hall

Handout: Lazy Eyes: How We Read Online. Slate. 2008

Handout: Why Women Read More than Men. NPR.

Handout: Today’s Kids Are, Like, Killing the English Language. Yeah, Right. Kirk Johnson

Handout: The Rites of War and the Warrior Psyche. Samuel Keen

Handout: A Good Mystery: Why We Read. NY Times. 2007

Blog Posting: Does the Library Scare You?

www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com. 3/2008

Blog Posting: Bookshelf Excerpt.

www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com. 11/2007

Blog Posting: Beowulf, Edited by Seamus Heaney.

www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com. 12/2007

Pages 21-46 in the textbook: Beowulf. Trans. by Burton Raffel

September

9/8 DUE: Handout: Four Kinds of Reading. Donald Hall

DUE: Blog Posting: Does the Library Scare You? www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com. 3/2008

9/9 In Class: Handout: A Good Mystery: Why We Read. NY Times. 2007.

9/10 DUE: Today’s ... English Language. Kirk Johnson

9/11 DUE: Blog Posting: Bookshelf Excerpt. www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com. 11/2007

DUE: Handout: Lazy Eyes: How We Read Online. Slate. 2008

9/12 DUE: Handout: The Warrior Psyche. Samuel Keen.

9/15 DUE: Handout: Why Read Beowulf? Robert Yeager

In Class: Handout: Why Women Read More than Men. NPR.

9/16 In Class: The Heroic Myth Index

9/17 In Class: The Heroic Myth Index Con’t.

9/18 In Class: Violent Media is Good for Kids

9/22 DUE: Pages 21-46 in the textbook: Beowulf. Trans. by Burton Raffel

9/25 DUE: Blog Posting: Beowulf, Edited by Seamus Heaney. www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com. 12/2007

READER's/WRITER's WORKSHOP BLOG ASSIGNMENT

2008-09-05T04:45:00.001-07:00

Date Due
Originally uploaded by Carl's Old Photos

Writer’s/Reader’s Workshop Blog Assignment

Due Dates: Friday, September 12th, 26th
Friday, October 3rd, 10th, 17th, 31st
Friday, November 7th

The purpose of this assignment is to spread the word about great books… or not so great books! Please feel free to make comments on all posted entries – comments will be moderated by Ms. Weiss, of course.

Remember – the language you normally use online (in emails to friends, in blog posts of your own, during IM sessions) is not appropriate for class assignments. Therefore, please proofread and spell check your work. Feel free to use a relaxed, conversational tone but save internet speak such as “gr8”, “lol”, etc. for your “BFF Jill”.

Instructions:

1. Go to www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com and read posted entries.
2. Write a blog post of your own, using previous entries as models, to add to the Book Blog.
3. Email your post to readwriteweiss@gmail.com NO LATER THAN 7 AM FRIDAY MORNING. If you can’t email your blog post, a hard copy is due Friday in class.
4. TW read all emails over the weekend and select a few to post, with writer’s permission, on the Book Blog.

BRITISH LITERATURE BLOG ASSIGNMENT

2008-09-05T04:38:00.001-07:00

deadline
Originally uploaded by Montrasio International

British Literature Blog
Assignment Due Dates:

Wednesday, September 24th
Friday, October 17th Friday, November 21st
Friday, December 12th Friday, January 16th
Friday, March 20th Friday, April 24th
Friday, May 22nd Friday, June 12th

The purpose of this assignment is to spread the word about great books… or not so great books! Please feel free to make comments on all posted entries – comments will be moderated by Ms. Weiss, of course.

Remember – the language you normally use online (in emails to friends, in blog posts of your own, during IM sessions) is not appropriate for class assignments. Therefore, please proofread and spell check your work. Feel free to use a relaxed, conversational tone but save internet speak such as “gr8”, “lol”, etc. for your “BFF Jill”.

Instructions:

1. Go to www.theweissreadersbookblog.blogspot.com and read posted entries.
2. Write a blog post of your own, using previous entries as models, to add to the Book Blog.
3. Email your post to readwriteweiss@gmail.com NO LATER THAN 7 AM on the due date. If you can’t email your blog post, a hard copy is due Friday in class.
4. TW read all emails over the weekend and select a few to post, with writer’s permission, on the Book Blog.

Um, Duh!

2008-09-04T18:34:00.001-07:00

duh, esquire 1
Originally uploaded by 1115

I just realized that I chose the same picture for this blog as the blog two posts down.

Ridiculous. I guess I should pay closer attention.

At least it's a great pic!

Thanks for stopping by...

2008-09-04T18:30:00.001-07:00

Plundered from book sutlers in various ports!
Originally uploaded by lunawhimsy

It's Thursday night and we're almost through our first week of school... just one more day in the humid sweatbox of B22!

I hope you're enjoying the first few days of class - thanks for checking the blog and reading this. It's a good habit to get into; although I will not update the blog daily, it's important to check it daily just in case.

If you haven't found an independent reading book yet, see me tomorrow either before or after class and I'll make an effort to find one for you. The weather is supposed to be miserable this weekend, so perhaps you can shelter from the storm at the EBPL or Barnes and Noble.

Speaking of the library, one of my students caught me red handed this evening at the EBPL holding a Jane Austen audiobook. He commented that he was surprised I was listening to a book and not reading it cover to cover like a good English teacher should and I understood where he was coming from.

A lot of people think listening to a book on audio is "cheating" and, well, my verdict it still out on that one. Whereas I understand the difference between reading and listening, I'm not going to say one is more beneficial than the other - they are just different. Listening to audio books during the school year is the only way I can "read" for pleasure at the rate I'm used to. I commute two hours a day and listening to an audio book is the ONLY thing that gets me through those awful minutes - it actually makes me look forward to getting in the car in the morning.

During the summertime, I'll read a book day but that's not possible during the school year because, obviously, I work during the day. In addition to the hours in my work day, I do an hour or two of work in my classroom after school before I go to the library to tutor for several hours a night. By the time I get home, it's almost 8pm and then it's time for dinner and, I'll admit, television (I'm a primetime tv junkie - I never turn it on when I'm home during the day but once 8pm comes, watch out! I need my fix of "The Office", "House", "The Biggest Loser" or "Paranormal State").

I read every night before I fall asleep but it's never more than a page or two because usually, I'm out like a light. I need to read - it's what I do. I like it so much, I made a career out of it. So thank goodness for audio books - they afford me two hours of reading a day. I guess you could say that I'm safely multi-tasking at the wheel. If you've never tried listening to a book on audio, take a chance and give it a try - I promise it's better than listening to a recording of "The Fall of the House of Usher"!

Welcome Back!

2008-08-29T06:42:00.001-07:00

Back to School Cake
Originally uploaded by T-Wood's

Welcome kids, to the 2008-09 editions of British Literature and Reader's/Writer's Workshop!

This year we are going to read - a lot. We are going to write - a lot. And most importantly, we are going to laugh - a lot!

Here's what you need to know:

1. Come prepared to work for the entire period. Always have an independent reading book with you - ALWAYS. Make sure to keep up on classwork/homework and do not forget for one minute the importance of every grade. This is your junior year and the most important three letters in your life are G.P.A!

2. Be nice - to me, to your classmates, and to yourself. I can't begin to express how important this is for success. A pleasant learning and working environment is essential and I do not tolerate unpleasantness!

3. Every night, it is your responsibility to check this blog for assignment updates, homework, additional information, links to required readings, etc. Do not forget.

4. Maintain open communication at all times and ALWAYS be honest with me. If you have a question, ask it immediately. You can talk to me before and after class or you can email me at readwriteweiss@gmail.com and I'll get back to you! I check my email regularly between 7:15 am and 10:15 pm.

5. The goal of this course is to increase your critical thinking, to challenge you to take academic risks, and to show that English is a discipline, not just a flowery subject that talks about your "feelings". We're not here to talk about how the literature makes us "feel". We're here to discover how it makes us think.

I look forward to a great year - I am dedicated to my students, to my colleagues, to my job, and to my study of literature. I don't know everything and I don't expect you to - I do know, however, how to find the answers and that's what I'm here to teach you!

Welcome Back!

Ms. Weiss

Does the library scare you?

2008-03-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

Plundered from book sutlers in various ports!
Originally uploaded by lunawhimsy

I was talking to one of my students the other day and she admitted that finding books in the library is a daunting task for her. I get that - unless you grew up using the Dewey Decimel System, it can be intimidating. In our technological world, what should be easy (finding a good book) often becomes a challenge of search engines and blinking cursors and hypertext links!

Honestly, call me old fashioned but books are tactile and meant to be handled, which is why I believe it's easier to find a good book if you employ a "hands on" approach. Personally, I like to find new books at bookstores rather than at libraries because to me, it's easier to come across a good read at a place like Barnes and Noble than it is for me to find something new at the EB Library. Having said that, I must admit that although I like to find them at BN, I like to obtain them from the library.

Why, you ask? Well, for one main reason - I don't like to buy a book for my personal collection unless it's a book I know and love. That's why I like to read it first for free and then decide if it merits purchase. Gift cards to BN are like gold to me and every time I get one, I take my time planning my purchases and 9 times out of 10, I purchase books I've already read!

From my email to that student who was having a hard time finding books at the library, here's a suggestion: go to Barnes and Noble and spend some time looking around. Look in the New Paperback section and the New Release section, plus, look in the teen section. Because Barnes and Noble encourages reading, you can grab as many books as you can carry and take them over to the cafe, order yourself a Grande Non-fat Caramel Machiatto with Extra Foam and sit back and read!

Explore the first few pages, read a couple of chapters, whatever - they encourage people to read before purchasing! Then, make a list of the books and authors you come across that you like and voila! Now you have a purpose when you go to the EB library!

It's much easier to find good books at the book store because they are displayed nicely but that doesn't mean you have to buy them there...

This Just In! Student Review of A Great and Terrible Beauty

2008-01-31T09:03:00.001-08:00

Ahhhhhh! Ooooh! 12-31-07
Originally uploaded by AwFreakOut

A Great and Terrible Beauty
Reviewed by Giuli Galiano

Because the cover is so pretty, and because it is a New York Times Bestseller, A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, stole my attention. I love how the beginning of the novel starts off with a quotation. Whenever a story has a quote in the introduction, it immediately hooks me into reading further.

Bray uses descriptive language to describe the streets of India in raw detail. I always see pictures and hear people speak about the poverty in parts of India and how some cities are clouded in dust and pollution. Bray's stylistic use of detail and specific images bring this observation to life and makes the reader feel like they are walking through the crowded streets of an Indian market place.

My only complaint so far is that the first chapter is confusing. I understand some sort of mystical storm happens upon the narrator, Gemma, and her mother as they are walking through the market place but I'm not quite sure what exactly happened. The same event reoccurs when the narrator moves to London to go attend private school. I hope I found out why this mystical storm and its subsequent spirits keep appearing to Gemma! A friend who has read the book told me it has something to do with superpowers, so the book is bound to get quite interesting!

Because Writer's/Reader's Workshop ends on Feburary 8th, I don't have much time left to read the book - I'm paranoid about loosing the the media center's copy, so I've been storing it in Ms. Weiss' desk. I must find out what happes, though, so I plan on finishing A Great and Terrible Beauty by next weekend. With midterms going on this week, I'm going to brave it and take it home because I am looking forward to reading it during this half day week and at night.

NIght Light by Terri Blackstock

2008-01-31T08:48:00.001-08:00

Night - Light
Originally uploaded by Jonas Thomén

NIght LIght by Terry Blackstock
Reviewed by Dmitry Ratushnyy

For the first time in my life I am reading more than one book at the same time, which truly is like flipping channels on the TV. I’m not very far into the story, but I’m fairly satisfied with Terri Blackstock’s novel, Night Light. This novel centers on an idea, which frankly, is not very original. Nevertheless this factor doesn’t affect Terri Blackstock’s ability of telling an interesting story. Night Light is about a world that is plunged into the chaos of total human recession. With modern technology rendered completely useless, and human kind relying on the little instinctual intuition that is left behind, after centuries of technology, humanity is bound for extinction.

This Dark Age has thrown mankind into a new era, an era not of enlightenment and progression, but of survival of the fittest. Stripped down to merely our own fragile bodies and a weak will to live, humanity must endure the harsh conditions that men managed to cheat through for so long. This book reminds me a lot of the movie, I Am Legend, which was fantastic and basically shares a similar plot with this novel, except for the references to human-cannibals. I strongly recommend this book.

If you’re wondering what other book I’m reading, it’s Paulo Coelho’s fable, The Alchemist. After reading a few pages of Coelho’s novella, I realize how much I’ve missed reading good books. My next log will be about The Alchemist.

What I've Been Reading...

2008-01-31T08:44:00.001-08:00

Books awaiting my wife's attention
Originally uploaded by listorama

Hey readers! Here's a quick list of what I've been reading. I've cut and pasted summaries and links from online sources so you can get a detailed account of or an excerpt from each book.

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See:

"This absorbing novel – with a storyline unlike anything Lisa See has written before – takes place in 19th century China when girls had their feet bound, then spent the rest of their lives in seclusion with only a single window from which to see. Illiterate and isolated, they were not expected to think, be creative, or have emotions. But in one remote county, women developed their own secret code, nu shu – "women's writing" – the only gender-based written language to have been found in the world. Some girls were paired as "old-sames" in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

An old woman tells of her relationship with her "old-same," their arranged marriages, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood—until a terrible misunderstanding written on their secret fan threatens to tear them apart. With the detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha , Snow Flower and the Secret Fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all time—female friendship."

STILL SUMMER by Jacquelyn Mitchard

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/excerpts/2007-08-20-still-summer_N.htm

A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY* by Libba Bray

"Gemma Doyle, sixteen and proud, must leave the warmth of her childhood home in India for the rigid Spence Academy, a cold finishing school outside of London, followed by a stranger who bears puzzling warnings. Using her sharp tongue and agile mind, she navigates the stormy seas of friendship with high-born daughters and her roommate, a plain scholarship case. As Gemma discovers that her mother's death may have an otherworldly cause, and that she herself may have innate powers, Gemma is forced to face her own frightening, yet exciting destiny . . . if only she can believe in it."

* The first in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy

http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/books/great.html

SONGS WITHOUT WORDS by Ann Packer

"Ann Packer’s new novel centers around two childhood friends, Liz and Sarabeth, as they navigate the challenges of their lives as adults, confront loneliness and near tragedy, and test both the limits and the redemptive power of their friendship.

Songs Without Words is a novel about friendship and about family, but it is also very much about suicide. Sarabeth remarks that Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina, which she is reading at a retirement home, are not so much about adultery as about suicide. Adultery is an issue, too, in Songs Without Words, as Sarabeth struggles to climb out of the wreckage of one adulterous affair and to avoid falling into another. But suicide is the mother lode in this novel, just as it is in Flaubert’s and Tolstoy’s. When Sarabeth’s mother took her own life, which for Sarabeth was a “devastating relief,” it deepened the bond between her and Liz. But decades later, when Liz’s daughter tries to kill herself, it threatens to destroy their friendship.

Part of what makes Songs Without Words so deeply moving–and so terrifying–is its extraordinary level of realism, the way Packer captures both the most subtle and most dramatic emotional currents that spark human behavior. What Packer shows with such devastating effect is how fragile even the most seemingly normal families can be, how easily despair can well up to engulf someone like Lauren, who in a moment of self-hatred nearly severs herself from life. But, as much as the novel examines unflinchingly the nature of human suffering, it also affirms, in writing that is as vivid and emotionally compelling as any in contemporary American fiction, the healing power of friendship and of love."

That's all for now - more to come!

A Brief History of the Dead

2007-12-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

A Brief History of the Dead
Reviewed by Chung-Yi Chang

What I am reading now is a book called A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. When I first saw the book cover, which pictures an invincible man wearing a long black coat with only his hands visible, it truly intrigued me. Although I bought this book before summer began, I haven’t had a chance to read it until now but so far, it has been a page turner for me. I am about two thirds through the book, which has about two-fifty pages.

Let me give you a brief history of A Brief History of the Dead. In the book, between life and death, there is a middle ground where people live called “The City”. The dead live in The City, and they can live there as long as someone alive on earth still remembers them. No one knows how big The City is because no one has seen the edge of it. Also, no one knows where they go after those alive have completely forgotten them. In The City, there are always people arriving each day and The City's only newspaper, run by Luka Sims, brings news from the other side to those living in the afterlife. Recent arrivals tell of a virus call “the blinks” which is sweeping through Asia, and suddenly, The City is quickly overrun by new residents who quickly disappear as all of those who remember them being to die, too.

As the population of the city dramatically declines, a few people remaining, including Luka Sims, find out that they all share a connection - they have all been kept alive in The City because they are all remembered by a woman named Laura Byrd, who is trapped on an Antarctica research station with her supplies running low. Brockmeier fuses two story of the dead and the live beautifully into a romantic novel.

The book also mentions a very interesting point which is how many people could you remember, if you sat down and tried to make a list? We're not just talking about folks you know well, but anyone whose face you can conjure up—your mail carrier, that girl at the coffee shop, an old teacher. One character in the book, Pucket, tries to do just that and comes up with an estimated number around fifty-thousand.

So far it has been a thrilling book, if you like mystery and the struggle between life and death, then A Brief History of the Dead is must read for you in your spare time!

The Bar Code Tattoo

2007-12-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Bar Code Tattoo
Reviewed by Kelly Wang

I recently finished a book that left me in deep thought. It is titled The Bar Code Tattoo.
The story begins with a girl named Kayla who is having a meeting with her guidance counselor. It is in the future and times have certainly changed and technology is far more advanced. Everyone now has an imprint on their arm... of a bar code. The purpose of the bar code, or so they say, is so people no longer need to carry cash or any form of ID. Also, the bar code is supposed to come in handy when people are rushed to the hospital because all of their medical records would be known immediately.

As Kayla and her counselor discuss her issue about the art college she wants to attend, she can't help but notice the tattoo on his arm. She leaves feeling awfully depressed because she has no chance of getting into the college of her choice because she is bad with computers. After this scene, strange things begin to happen to her family - this is right after her father and mother get their bar code tattoos. Her father gets laid off and her parents start to fight constantly.

One day, Kayla joins a group that is against bar code tattoos. From the other group members, she learns that strange things keep happening to people who have bar code tattoos. Some people from far off countries have been known to try anything to have the tattoos removed. When Kayla returns home from the meeting, she sees her father being loaded into an ambulance. Her mother tells her it was the tattoo that did it, that her father has committed suicide!

In the end, Kayla finds out everything about the power of the tattoo and that information ranges from advanced knowledge of diseases to the fact that the tattoo basically controls everyone who has it! I won't spoil anymore, but I really recommend this book, particularly because it contains, sci-fi, suspense, horror, and even a bit of romance.

Ruth, John and Julii

2007-12-13T18:57:00.001-08:00

Until I Find You
Originally uploaded by hampshiregirl

I haven't had a favorite author since I was about nine years old. Back then, it was a writer named Ruth Chew.

Chew wrote books about kids and modern day witches and most of them were set in Brooklyn. I loved Ruth Chew and spent most of my free time reading and re-reading her books. When I wasn't reading her books, I was writing her letters and waiting for her replies and she did reply - with letters written on an old school type writer that concluded with an original hand drawn witch doodled at the bottom.

I loved her books so much that I wrote her often... that is, until she wrote back one last time saying that while she enjoyed my letters, they were keeping her so busy that she didn't have time to write back to any other girls or boys. Heartbroken, I vowed to never again declare a favorite author.

And for a quarter of a century, I didn't.

That changed two days ago when I finished The World According to Garp and made a decision to officially name John Irving my favorite writer. Years ago, while on a trip salmon fishing in upstate New York, I read his bestseller A Widow for One Year and fell in love with it. A decade later, I revisited Irving after Mr. Pellicane told me about one of Irving's bizarre novels, The Hotel New Hampshire. I took his advice and read it that summer and agreed it was bizarre and a bit twisted but interesting and attention grabbing nonetheless.

The Hotel New Hampshire lead me to check out his semi-autobiographical novel Until I find You and WOW! I absolutely fell in love with that book - it had everything in it that I find fascinating: Scotland, tattooing, the Baltic Sea, Canada, Hollywood, novelists, the works! It's the kind of book you wish you'd never read, just so you could read it all over again for the first time.

After Until I Find You, I vowed to read all of his books. I picked up The Fourth Hand at a charity shop in London this past summer but I openly admit it didn't hook me until last week. I picked up the audio book of The World According to Garp at the EBPL a month ago and for a good three weeks, it made my two hour a day commute not only bearable, but highly enjoyable - to the point where I found myself listening in my car in front of my apartment with the engine idling. That's when I decided to officially name John Irving my favorite author and that the next day, I would get one of his most popular novels out of the library that I've been meaning to read.

But I didn't make it to the library the next day because instead, when I walked into my classroom that morning, I found a package of books on my desk. On the top of the pile was Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany and a note from Julii Ritter saying it was her favorite book (I think it's Ms. Nelson's, too!). I was so excited, as it confirmed my decision to declare Irving my favorite author - I mean, if such a smart, voracious reader like Julii loves Irving, how can I be wrong?

Thanks, Julii and thank you John Irving!

Beowulf, Edited by Seamus Heaney

2007-12-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

Beowulf as edited by Seamus Heaney

aka "Kicking Shakespeare in the Arse With His Own Left Leg"

Reviewed by Joe Cascia

You know, I've always thought that poems were boring. From Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath (the only reason I remember her name is because she fried herself in an oven), nothing could put me to sleep faster like something in pentameter. Imagine my disappointment, then, when I learned that Beowulf--the ONE thing I had to read for class that I actually looked forward to--was an epic poem. Here I was, expecting a good, old-fashioned Lord of the Rings-style bloodbath, but what I got instead was just a gigantic, overly-glorified haiku. Almost unconsciously, I picked Beowulf off of the shelf and opened it up, now expecting each page to be covered with sleep-inducing "thees" and "prithees."

One hundred and twenty pages into the poem, I had not encountered any of those damnable words. What I had found instead, to my incredible surprise, was some of the most disgusting and vile gore ever to be lain down in print. Several people are decapitated; another person has their torso ripped off and eaten; the main character (Beowulf, of course) tears a villain's arm, shoulder and all, right off his body with his bare hands--each one of these events is described with a disturbing amount of detail, and the fact that most of the monsters in the story happen to bleed acid makes it so much more gory (and so much more enjoyable, I might add). Beowulf is a likable hero with all his morals and such, but what makes him truly appealing--to me, at least; the same may not be true for those who are sane--is the way he holds on to those morals even though he's tearing things apart like crazy.

In itself, the story is interesting and (mostly) keeps your attention; however, it is irking that the reason the poem is over three thousand lines long is because half of it is dedicated to describing things that have nothing to do with the main plot. Seriously, I think at least fifty of those lines are devoted to a Dane's description of his ham sandwich (or something around those lines; the point is that a lot of the lines are pointless). Reading through all the descriptions of the fungus between Healfdane's toes is worth it in the end, however, as for every hundred lines of random nonsensical gibberish, there are two hundred and twenty-two lines of relentless, entrail-slashing action.

All in all, Beowulf isn't as bad as I thought it'd be--it's bloody, it's fun, and it's probably a hell of a lot better than the new movie. Even though it gets slow in some parts--and I mean guy-with-all-his-limbs-hacked-off-by-a-rusty-sword slow--it's still worth a read, and there's no denying that ripping off a guy's arm with your bare hands is really, really cool.

Hearts in Atlantic by Stephen King

2007-12-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King
Reviewed by Donia A.

Currently, I'm reading Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King. I have to admit that I only picked up the book because I was curious to read Stephen King's infamous writing. Of course, this isn't his typical psychological thriller, but it's still an intense read. It delves into a time period, the 1960's, when everything was chaotic. It starts off , before the Vietnam War in 1960, in a very rough town with a rather dysfunctional family of main characters.

The first part is called the Yellow Men in Coats. It's about a young boy named Bobby who lives with his mother. His father died and his mother seems never to miss a day without explaining the horrible state their father left them in. At first, Bobby seems to have normal boy problems- bullying, a girl crushing on him, and discovering the world of reading. However, when a strange old man named Ted moves into the third floor of his building, he brings with him a world of fantasy and danger to Bobby. He befriends the old man quickly and falls in love with the novels the man has in his apartment. Bobby's mother immediately hates the old man, though, because of his appearance, even though the old man is very intelligent.

Through a series of adventures and mishaps, Bobby and his friends go live a difficult life that kills their innocence quicker than usual. Bobby eventually grows up to become an infamous trouble-maker whom even his two closest friends, Carol and Sully-John, don't want to have anything to do with.

I am not quite done with the second part titled Hearts in Atlantis, the title of the book, but honestly, the constant use of the game of hearts as a symbol is getting annoying. It's probably only me, but Stephen King emphasizes it so much that it quickly becomes redundant. However, I do love the characters and their different personalities. I'm also enjoying all the irony portrayed. This part takes place in 1966 and we're following a different narrator named Pete Riley. The two stories connect (so far) through Carol. She was Pete Riley's "temporary" girlfriend and had Sully-John as a boyfriend before. Although, the story is really interesting, as it described the political standpoint of those against the Vietnam War, I find myself waiting for Bobby to appear. So far, I liked the first part a lot better.

Maybe it's because I don't understand the game of hearts well and the majority of the text revolves around its irony and symbolism. Also, I think I enjoyed the first part more because it's more my genre: fantasy mixed with reality. The second part is simply historical fiction and I'm not really that excited to read about the Vietnam War protests.

One thing I'm sure of, though, is that by the time I finish this book, I will love it. I'm not saying it's not a good book now, for what it is, it's wonderful; it's just not an"I must stay up all night and read it until it's finished" kind of book.

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

2007-12-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Reviewed by Giuli Galiano

I never would've thought that I would get so emotional reading a book that my mom requested I read. Usually, the books she reads are long and confusing but For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, is just the opposite. This book is non fiction but makes you feel as if you are witnessing the events at the same time the main character, Charley, goes through them.

This book makes you wonder: if you could take anything back and rewind your life to a certain spot, to which spot would you rewind it? Obviously, you can't give a simple answer to that question and this book makes you realize the challenges life can throw at you.

Charley looses his mother in the book, who is described as a caring woman who always dresses up in style and is the exact match of a "desperate housewife". The detailed writing style of Mitch Albom helps the reader connect to the characters - I picture a typical 1950's mother from the Leave it To Beaver era as Charley's mother in this book. Not only is For One More Day a suspenseful book, but it has humor, mystery, romance and jealousy scattered through out its pages. I rate this book an eight out of ten because any reader can engage in this novel and feel like they are in the narrator's shoes. -Giuli Galiano

"Teen Angst...Naaah" by Ned Vizzini

2007-12-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Teen Angst... Naaah by Ned Vizzini
Reviewed by Brianna Bicho

Teen Angst... Naaah, a "quasi-autobiography" by Ned Vizzini, is the shiznit (I heard that on a TV show once... I'm not sure if we're allowed to say it. If not, I'm sorry). This book, which consists completely of random stories from the author's high school life will make you laugh until you can't see the words anymore because your eyes are tearing up!

Ned was classified as a total loser, but he is so easy to relate to and down to earth that you can't help but love him. He talks about everything from Magic: The Gathering, to coming home intoxicated, to going to Hooters with his dad and little brother on a family vacation. See, I knew you'd be interested.

Eventually, Ned does get a girlfriend, but you have to read the book to fully appreciate his thought process through the many complications and dare I say "bumps in the road" along the way. This book is awesome and if you - as Mr. McEvoy would say - "have a fascination with other people's misfortunes" (who doesn't?) then you should most definitely read it. I guarantee you'll love it... unless, of course, you know... you don't.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

2007-12-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Review submitted by Deanna Acosta

Right now, I am still reading the book The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. This is the third book that I have read by her and if you read her too, then you know why I keep reading her books! I'm pretty far into the book and so far, much has happened.

I chose to read this book because everyone who has read it told me it was their favorite of her books. I can not wait to finish this book and find out what happens because Picoult is known for her surprise endings!

My predictions for this book are as follows:

1. Jason Underhill will not be guilty of rape.
2. Mr. and Mrs. Stone will get a divorce and Mrs. Stone will go back to Seth (the man she had an affair with, who is one of the students in her college seminar).
3. As for Trixie, well, I think her life is going to take even more of a turn. Her relationship with her father will still stay strong but she will turn completely against her mother. She is never never going to speak to her best friend again, and she might even run away!

There are times in the story when I just can't put the book down - oh wait, that’s every time I read one of her books! I find something new and exciting with each turn of the page that just adds to the problems or “drama” between the characters in the book.

During my day it is hard for me to find time to read but when I am reading a book by Jodi Picoult, I will everything else and read read read!! The Tenth Circle is such an amazing book; I can not wait to finish it. When I'm done, I will be able to tell the ending to those in my class who want to know and I'll be able to discuss it with a few of my friends who have read the book, too. And of course, the day after I finish, I will pick up another book by Jodi Picoult! Hopefully, I will get those books done by the end of the quarter, too.

Bookshelf excerpt

2007-11-04T19:18:00.001-08:00

Bookshelf excerpt
Originally uploaded by Kill Pop

It's probably no surprise to any of you but I read three or four books at a time. Wait, that's not true - I read three or four books at a time and listen to an additional one or two. I know some of you have expressed concern with that concept and have asked how it's possible to get involved with more than one novel at a time and my response is always this: Do you watch more than one television series each season? Well, reading more than one book at a time is not much different than watching episodes of House, Grey's Anatomy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm all in the same week.

Your mind is capable of moving from one idea to the next idea at an alarming rate of speed - after all, don't you switch gears constantly throughout the day, transitioning easily from Mr. Brown's Humanities class to Mrs. Ambrosy's Psychology class to Mr. Markot's math class?

Just as our appetite cravings vary from one moment to the next, so do our emotional and intellectual desires. By providing a bit of variety in your reading life, you'll find it's easier to satiate those cravings; in turn, your reading life will be well fed and able to take root. For those of you who are reluctant readers, you may find yourself looking forward to spending more time in your reading world because it's the one place you can travel to without moving your feet!

Having said that, here's a list of what I'm currently reading:

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides:

The book begins with "I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of l974". 'Nuff said?

Ps. This is the book where I got the quote about marriage taking place in circles

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro:

This is the book I'm currently listening to and I'm not kidding when I say that it's the reason I leap out of bed in the morning - I can't wait to get in my car and find out what's happening in the messed up, dystopian world of Never Let Me Go. The characters are intriguing and the setting is brilliant. The writer reveals plot elements just in time to keep the reader from going mad while veiling the novel's dark message in a tale of childhood friendship set in a seemingly ideal location. Don't let the author's easy style and subtle clues trick you into thinking this is just another novel about boarding school!

Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman

Having read her novel, What the Dead Know, I was excited to read another of Lippman's books. I chose this one because the cover looked kind of creepy and I like creepy!

Here's a blurb I found online about this novel: "Two little girls banished from a neighborhood birthday party take a wrong turn down an unfamiliar Baltimore street -- and encounter an abandoned stroller with an infant inside. What happens next is shocking and terrible..."

Well, I must admit - it's not so shocking and terrible that I haven't been able to put the book down. To be honest, since I started Middlesex, I really haven't paid too much attention to this book but I'm not worried. It's a paperback, so it will either get shoved in my purse and read while I wait in my dentist's waiting room or I'll pick it up before bed on one of the few nights I haven't gluttonously watched 4 straight hours of crime shows.

The Murder Room by P.D. James

This one doesn't really count as current because I finished it last week but I'm going to bend the rules and include it on this list. P.D. James wrote Children of Men - a GREAT novel but not such a great movie (sorry, Gaby!) but most of her novels are not science fiction ones like C of M; instead James is famous for her murder/mystery novels. In The Murder Room, James once again evokes her effective formula, summoning Commander Adam Dalgliesh "and his team to investigate the murder of a trustee of the Dupayne, a small private London museum dedicated to the inter-war years and an establishment locked in a battle over its future" The team "find their probe complicated by a second corpse, as the case threatens to destroy Dalgliesh's growing relationship with Emma Lavenham".

I love murder/mystery novels, particularly ones set in Great Britain, and James is, in my opinion, a masterful writer whose characters are so intricately woven one can't help but feel they are real. Not only that, there's a hint of romance between characters; it's just enough to keep the characters realistic without being treacle. In fact, the way the novel is written speaks volumes of the differences between the way Americans and Britains conduct themselves and between the societies themselves.

Hmm, what else am I reading? I can't even remember - I know there are at least one or two other titles, one being a John Irving novel (The Fourth Hand), but I'm not deep enough in them to report on them just yet, therefore I'll stop here...

After all, it is time for Cold Case!

Help! What Should I Read Next?

2007-11-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

By Shirley Li

What should I choose to read next? I'm halfway through The Bourne Identity and feel I need a change in genre, perhaps to one I don't usually read. A mystery sounds good even though I was never a huge fan of the Nancy Drew series or any of those detective books. On the other hand, there's hundreds of genres that I haven't had the chance to read much from yet.

My point is this - I want to move away from the typical types of books that I usually slide off of the shelves. Any suggestions? Whether they are autobiographies or "light", easy and quick to read novels, I would really appreciate some suggestions. Following Bourne's character around makes my head swim with facts and subtle details that I have to struggle keep up with, Everyone Worth Knowing bored me, and 1984 was just plain confusing until the end, so a lighter read sounds good.

It's not just the genre that I'm interested in, though. I'm big on how real the characters feel to me and should stress the fact that they should continue to develop throughout the story. Not only that, but the plot should be understandable yet unpredictable and interesting. The books that I tend to read more than once, often fulfill these expectations.

Also, as I have said before, I need to stray away from the action/thriller, chick-lit, classic, and "On the New York Times Bestseller list for..." books I've been reading the past few months... any suggestions?