It was wonderful evening dedicated to the power of language last night at the 5th Annual Cherry Creek School District Poetry Slam. As sponsor of the Youth Advisory Board, I teamed with several fabulous people to bring a slam to my school. The event was emceed by the Poet Laureate of Aurora, Colorado, Jovan Mays. He was joined by two other exceptional slam poets, Ayinde Russell and Ken Arkind who played the distinguished slam role as "Voice of God." And, a most excellent mood was set by the cool beats mixed by DJ Simone Says. Twenty-one young people from around the district bared their souls and the magic of their language with a great crowd, and we honored an evening of language empowerment. I am so impressed with these kids, and I am proud and honored to be able to provide a forum for them.
Poetry is an aspect of English class that generates fairly strong responses. People either love it or they hate it, and that goes for teachers as well as the students. Despite the reservations and angst, however, poetry is important and meaningful in the English classroom. Generally, students receive an overdose of poetry during middle school, and not that much in high school. However, they need the challenge of deciphering complex material more than ever as they head toward college. So, a poetry unit or the linking of poems to other units is not only good idea, but a necessity. Engaging the kids with some entertaining free verse, and even Slam Poetry, is an effective approach. To that end, as I discuss free verse, spoken word, and poetry slams with my kids, I love to introduce them to the wonderful linguistic magic of Taylor Mali:
After you've watch this, you will really want to check out his other videos for The Impotence of Proofreading and What Teachers Make. Taylor Mali, a former English teacher, also has a fabulous website with plenty of resources for use in the English classroom.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Mark Twain Hated Jane Austen
"Every time I read Pride and Prejudice, I want to dig [Jane Austen] up and beat her over the head with her own shin bone."
That scathing criticism of one of English literature's most beloved novels came from perhaps the sharpest wit in all of American literature, Mark Twain. And I can't help but think of the quote every time I hand the book to a seventeen-year-old male in my AP Lang & Comp class.
Of course, Mark Twain is not the only person who had nothing but contempt for Jane Austen. Despite the incredible staying power of Jane Austen and her six novels, she can be a target for criticism of all the sappy romanticism that annoys the realists of the world. And, that's not helped by the cottage industry of Jane Austen derivatives that has risen up in the past decade or so.
This homage to Romanticism's staying power can certainly alienate all the men who are dragged to the latest romantic-comedy "chick flick," or the adolescent males who are subjected to stories of courtship and dancing in their honors English classes. However, there is a lot of value in the satire and social criticism that Austen offered, which is something Twain should have been able to appreciate.
What do you think?
That scathing criticism of one of English literature's most beloved novels came from perhaps the sharpest wit in all of American literature, Mark Twain. And I can't help but think of the quote every time I hand the book to a seventeen-year-old male in my AP Lang & Comp class.
Of course, Mark Twain is not the only person who had nothing but contempt for Jane Austen. Despite the incredible staying power of Jane Austen and her six novels, she can be a target for criticism of all the sappy romanticism that annoys the realists of the world. And, that's not helped by the cottage industry of Jane Austen derivatives that has risen up in the past decade or so.
This homage to Romanticism's staying power can certainly alienate all the men who are dragged to the latest romantic-comedy "chick flick," or the adolescent males who are subjected to stories of courtship and dancing in their honors English classes. However, there is a lot of value in the satire and social criticism that Austen offered, which is something Twain should have been able to appreciate.
What do you think?
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
The Ideal English Major
Several years ago, I read an insightful tome on the teaching of English and the humanities called Why Read by University of Virginia English professor Mark Edmundson. The book posed an interesting question for students in his literature survey classes - "What do you dislike about school, and what flaws in your intellect and character does this reveal in you?" With that provocative challenge to a student's disdain for academic work, Edmundson offers commentary on why we study.
This week Edmundson offers some valuable insight in The Chronicle on the pursuit of an English degree, even in a world where everyone from parents to college advisors to politicians urge students to pursue career and income-producing majors such as accounting and engineering. In his words:
Soon college students all over America will be trundling to their advisers' offices to choose a major. In this moment of financial insecurity, students are naturally drawn to economics, business, and the hard sciences. But students ought to resist the temptation of those purportedly money-ensuring options and even of history and philosophy, marvelous though they may be. All students—and I mean all—ought to think seriously about majoring in English. Becoming an English major means pursuing the most important subject of all—being a human being.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
What to Make of Jonathan Livingston Seagull?
Anyone who has grasped with the metaphysical in the contemporary age is familiar with a little book from Richard Bach known as Jonathon Livingston Seagull. The small, simply fairy tale of less than 10,000 words was first published in 1970, and became an instant hit with its message of aspiring to greatness and believing in the power of believing. The book is a classic in the spiritual, self-help world. Books like JLS or any of its variations from The Celestine Prophecy to the Course in Miracles to The Tao of Pooh all derive from the basic premise of Norman Vincent Peale in his book from an earlier era, The Power of Positive Thinking. JLS has flown into our consciousness again with the recent publication of a "Part IV." Of course, not everyone loves Bach or his philosophy or his silly little tales. In fact, some people criticize books like JLS as the origin and inspiration behind the oversimplification of American thought in the last twenty years. Heather Havrilesky cites the story of "no ordinary bird" as the reason behind the decline of American society. Like all pieces of art, the story of Jonathon is not for everyone, but it does have value in the story it tells and the feelings it evokes. While it is certainly not the answer to our prayers, it also isn't the cause of the alleged "decline" of America, or of American thought. It's a story with a message that might give people a bit of an escape, or a shred of hope, a hint of optimism, or ....
Monday, April 6, 2015
Authority to Speak about "Testing"
I recently received an email criticizing me for being "a shill for the teachers" because of my recent criticism of PARCC testing. And, that sort of surprised me. For those who criticize me for my views on testing, I
suspect there is much they don't know about me and my feelings on the
broad issue of "standardized testing." For twenty-three years I have
been an educator both in the United States and abroad, in both public
and private schools, and at levels ranging from middle school and
developmental English to AP English at the high school level. In
addition I have two advanced degrees and have been writing about
education for six years. Thus, I feel I am as well informed as any to
speak about education. It's worth noting that many, if not most, proponents of testing and test-based reform have little or no experience in the classroom.
As an AP English teacher who preps students for that exam as well as ACT/SAT, I can hardly be considered one who opposes testing, accountability, or teaching to a test. However, I am a well informed and discerning critic of education and assessment, and my views are more complex than being for or against testing. I am suspcious of and critical toward the naive belief that standardized testing is the way to determine good/bad schools, good/bad teachers, and successful/failing students. Being critical of the PARCC assessment, the practice of yearly testing, the narrow focus on math/science, the problematic nature of "reading" tests, and the conclusions that testing will "fix schools" or that all (or even most) schools need to be fixed does not mean that I oppose "our kids getting a proper education." On the contrary, I have committed my life to it. And while I teach high level classes, I also lead school efforts on equity and closing the achievement gap, areas where we've made signficant progress.
Additionally, I disagree with and challenge statements by my critics about testing as a key to helping "our kids compete on the world stage." I can't imagine what they are using to base that assertion. But I know of no data linking test scores and global competiveness - and I know of much that refutes that. As far as my views, here are a few links that expand upon my thoughts here:
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_
http://www.denverpost.com/
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_
As an AP English teacher who preps students for that exam as well as ACT/SAT, I can hardly be considered one who opposes testing, accountability, or teaching to a test. However, I am a well informed and discerning critic of education and assessment, and my views are more complex than being for or against testing. I am suspcious of and critical toward the naive belief that standardized testing is the way to determine good/bad schools, good/bad teachers, and successful/failing students. Being critical of the PARCC assessment, the practice of yearly testing, the narrow focus on math/science, the problematic nature of "reading" tests, and the conclusions that testing will "fix schools" or that all (or even most) schools need to be fixed does not mean that I oppose "our kids getting a proper education." On the contrary, I have committed my life to it. And while I teach high level classes, I also lead school efforts on equity and closing the achievement gap, areas where we've made signficant progress.
Additionally, I disagree with and challenge statements by my critics about testing as a key to helping "our kids compete on the world stage." I can't imagine what they are using to base that assertion. But I know of no data linking test scores and global competiveness - and I know of much that refutes that. As far as my views, here are a few links that expand upon my thoughts here:
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_
http://www.denverpost.com/
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Easter, The American Adam, and the "Re-birth" of Mark Twain
It's Easter, which is the Christian celebration of Christ's resurrection, which is also an adaption of the standard spring fertility celebrations of countless pagan cultures that worshiped the miracle of spring. That concept of re-birth has been sacrosanct for many cultures, but the idea of re-birth and re-invention has always been a foundational part of the American consciousness. America was built on the idea of rebirth and renewal and reinvention coming out of the corruption and decay that had taken over Old World Europe. This renewal idea is grounded in all American literature, and R.W. Lewis called it "The American Adam." It was articulated by Huck Finn's plans to "light out for the territory" and it was symbolized by Gatsby's "green light."
Growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinois, the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn always held a special fascination for me. Yet, I never really discovered the book on its deeper levels until I read it for a survey course in American Literature during my sophomore year of college. That, of course, makes sense because it is anything but a children's book. It is, truly, the place "where all American literature begins." Thus, when I was finishing up my MA in English and considering thesis topics, I was intrigued by Lewis' ideas of the American Adam, and I strongly considered it and Twain for my research. During graduate school, I had encountered the book again in a course on Twain and the "Rise of Realism." My focus would have been the "American Adam" concept and the book's ideas about our never ending search for renewal and redemption. Alas, like many scholars, I accepted the conclusion that "pretty much everything has been said" about the novel, and nothing new could be offered. So, I turned my attention to a contemporary Canadian novelist, Douglas Coupland, and produced a reasonably respectable bit of criticism.
Now, with the arrival of spring and the publication of two new works on Twain, my attention has been brought back to Huck and the concept of the American Adam. For one, it appears a scholar has found something to add to the discussion about Twain's most endearing - and complicated - character, Huck. Butler professor Andrew Levy recently published to positive reviews a fresh look at Huck Finn's America, by focusing on the role of minstrel shows and violence in childhood that so informed Mark Twain's view of American society, and subsequently the role of race relations. That is certainly new and fresh and exciting. And, to add to that, a new biography of Twain has surfaced that has the potential to ignite some renewed interest in America's Bard. Scholar Roy Morris, Jr. has published American Vandal: Mark Twain Abroad, an analysis of Twain's early work Innocents Abroad. Thus, Mark Twain lives again, and the American Adam concept continues to thrive as the story of America's unique relationship with spring, rebirth, and renewal.
Growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinois, the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn always held a special fascination for me. Yet, I never really discovered the book on its deeper levels until I read it for a survey course in American Literature during my sophomore year of college. That, of course, makes sense because it is anything but a children's book. It is, truly, the place "where all American literature begins." Thus, when I was finishing up my MA in English and considering thesis topics, I was intrigued by Lewis' ideas of the American Adam, and I strongly considered it and Twain for my research. During graduate school, I had encountered the book again in a course on Twain and the "Rise of Realism." My focus would have been the "American Adam" concept and the book's ideas about our never ending search for renewal and redemption. Alas, like many scholars, I accepted the conclusion that "pretty much everything has been said" about the novel, and nothing new could be offered. So, I turned my attention to a contemporary Canadian novelist, Douglas Coupland, and produced a reasonably respectable bit of criticism.
Now, with the arrival of spring and the publication of two new works on Twain, my attention has been brought back to Huck and the concept of the American Adam. For one, it appears a scholar has found something to add to the discussion about Twain's most endearing - and complicated - character, Huck. Butler professor Andrew Levy recently published to positive reviews a fresh look at Huck Finn's America, by focusing on the role of minstrel shows and violence in childhood that so informed Mark Twain's view of American society, and subsequently the role of race relations. That is certainly new and fresh and exciting. And, to add to that, a new biography of Twain has surfaced that has the potential to ignite some renewed interest in America's Bard. Scholar Roy Morris, Jr. has published American Vandal: Mark Twain Abroad, an analysis of Twain's early work Innocents Abroad. Thus, Mark Twain lives again, and the American Adam concept continues to thrive as the story of America's unique relationship with spring, rebirth, and renewal.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Big City Chefs Take on "Fast Food"
In Morgan Spurlock's game-changing documentary film Super-size Me, one of his physicians opined, "You know, there's no reason fast food has to be so disgusting."
Exactly.
It's with that insight that "two prominent LA chefs have founded ... a new approach to fast food that provides nutritious and delicious fare in some of LA's poorest neighborhoods." Profiled in this week's WSJ Magazine by Howie Kahn, The Real Fast-Food Revolution, chefs Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi have taken the insight of Spurlock's doctor to heart, and with the launch of Loco'l they are providing a better burger using whole grains and quality products.
Patterson wanted to expand his idea in the form of a fast-food restaurant. It would link the Cooking Project to social enterprise, creating jobs in the Tenderloin. And it would give the fast-food chains that inundate inner-city diets with a steady stream of chemicals and high-fructose corn syrup a run for their money. “We’d bring in a natural, cooked-with-integrity alternative,” says Patterson. “We’d have chefs feed these neighborhoods, not corporations.” In Choi, he recognized the desire to help the same demographic. So a few weeks later, he flew to Los Angeles, where Choi co-owns four popular restaurants, plus the fleet of Kogi Korean taco trucks that put him on the map. They began hatching a plan for Loco’l, their chef-driven fast-food restaurant, over a bowl of Korean noodles. “There was no money behind us yet, no investors,” says Choi, “but we don’t put business in front of ideas. We slurped a hot pot, talked about changing the game, and there was no question from there—we were doing this.”
The chefs chose the 2014 MAD Symposium last August to announce their plan publicly. Choi took the stage to speak, introducing Patterson—“DP,” he said, invoking their bond by way of nickname—eight minutes later. They both stood behind a long, age-worn butcher’s block flanked by trees, the 45-year-old Choi wearing a baseball cap with a crisp brim, and Patterson, 46, donning the festival’s T-shirt. “We’re going to tackle the fast-food industry,” proclaimed Choi. The Loco’l logo—a graffiti-inspired skateboarding hamburger wearing a beanie—popped up on a screen behind him. “We’re going to build a concept that has the heart and the ideology and the science of a chef, but it’ll have the relevance of McDonald’s or Burger King. We’re going to go toe-to-toe to see how we can challenge the status quo of fast food.”
This sort of innovative and inspired leadership by true chefs deserves all the praise it's getting and more. Rather than cheering the bottom line profits and trivial wage hikes by the business community, we should be promoting more people like Patterson and Choi. Other visionaries include Chipotle founder Steve Ells and, of course, the Naked Chef Jamie Oliver. In a nation that has schizophrenic food views that range from "Zagat Guides to Dollar Menus," we can use more people who stand up for quality.
Exactly.
It's with that insight that "two prominent LA chefs have founded ... a new approach to fast food that provides nutritious and delicious fare in some of LA's poorest neighborhoods." Profiled in this week's WSJ Magazine by Howie Kahn, The Real Fast-Food Revolution, chefs Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi have taken the insight of Spurlock's doctor to heart, and with the launch of Loco'l they are providing a better burger using whole grains and quality products.
Patterson wanted to expand his idea in the form of a fast-food restaurant. It would link the Cooking Project to social enterprise, creating jobs in the Tenderloin. And it would give the fast-food chains that inundate inner-city diets with a steady stream of chemicals and high-fructose corn syrup a run for their money. “We’d bring in a natural, cooked-with-integrity alternative,” says Patterson. “We’d have chefs feed these neighborhoods, not corporations.” In Choi, he recognized the desire to help the same demographic. So a few weeks later, he flew to Los Angeles, where Choi co-owns four popular restaurants, plus the fleet of Kogi Korean taco trucks that put him on the map. They began hatching a plan for Loco’l, their chef-driven fast-food restaurant, over a bowl of Korean noodles. “There was no money behind us yet, no investors,” says Choi, “but we don’t put business in front of ideas. We slurped a hot pot, talked about changing the game, and there was no question from there—we were doing this.”
The chefs chose the 2014 MAD Symposium last August to announce their plan publicly. Choi took the stage to speak, introducing Patterson—“DP,” he said, invoking their bond by way of nickname—eight minutes later. They both stood behind a long, age-worn butcher’s block flanked by trees, the 45-year-old Choi wearing a baseball cap with a crisp brim, and Patterson, 46, donning the festival’s T-shirt. “We’re going to tackle the fast-food industry,” proclaimed Choi. The Loco’l logo—a graffiti-inspired skateboarding hamburger wearing a beanie—popped up on a screen behind him. “We’re going to build a concept that has the heart and the ideology and the science of a chef, but it’ll have the relevance of McDonald’s or Burger King. We’re going to go toe-to-toe to see how we can challenge the status quo of fast food.”
This sort of innovative and inspired leadership by true chefs deserves all the praise it's getting and more. Rather than cheering the bottom line profits and trivial wage hikes by the business community, we should be promoting more people like Patterson and Choi. Other visionaries include Chipotle founder Steve Ells and, of course, the Naked Chef Jamie Oliver. In a nation that has schizophrenic food views that range from "Zagat Guides to Dollar Menus," we can use more people who stand up for quality.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Stephen Lurie Schools All Us Whole Foods Foodies
I like to think that quality food matters a great deal to me. I'm a foodie in many ways, preferring to eat once at a place like "Fruition" than four or five times at a place like Applebees. If I could shop exclusively at Whole Foods and the Cherry Creek Morning Market, I would. And I am baffled by people that have the money to eat well, and still think dollar menus are a great deal. I will openly admit to being a food snob, and my wife is a certified natural foods chef, as well as a former pastry chef who makes a European buttercream that can pass muster at places like Bittersweet Bakery where she trained. Yet, despite my supposed commitment to "whole foods," I realize that there is much I fail to acknowledge about the food labor movement. If we are truly committed to higher quality in our food supply, then that commitment must extend to the workers who supply the food. As Stephen Lurie points out in an excellent piece of research for Vox, if we care about where our food comes from, we "Should Care About Who Grew and Picked It."
Despite their positive connotations, none of those certifications — not even fair trade — tells a consumer anything about how a company or restaurant treats the humans involved in the US: its workers. In fact, there isn't currently a standalone certification out there that verifies good labor practices. Even as environmental, animal, and economic movements have started to compete for shelf space with conventional food, there is no widely available option for consumers who wish to shop and eat labor-friendly. The realities of the food industry — from producers to servers — make this a perplexing and pressing deficiency. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nine out of the 10 lowest-paying occupations in America are in the food and restaurant industry. The highest earner of those, the occupation category that includes food- and beverage-serving workers, averages $9.63 an hour, or about $20,000 per year if, against all odds, it is full-time work. That means each of those occupations earns below the poverty line for a family of four, and well below a real living wage. These wages aren't paid out to a handful of young Americans — they're paid to more than 10 million fast-food and food-and-beverage industry workers and to many of the million-plus agriculture and food-processing workers.
There is a better way to think about food and support our food supply:
Despite their positive connotations, none of those certifications — not even fair trade — tells a consumer anything about how a company or restaurant treats the humans involved in the US: its workers. In fact, there isn't currently a standalone certification out there that verifies good labor practices. Even as environmental, animal, and economic movements have started to compete for shelf space with conventional food, there is no widely available option for consumers who wish to shop and eat labor-friendly. The realities of the food industry — from producers to servers — make this a perplexing and pressing deficiency. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nine out of the 10 lowest-paying occupations in America are in the food and restaurant industry. The highest earner of those, the occupation category that includes food- and beverage-serving workers, averages $9.63 an hour, or about $20,000 per year if, against all odds, it is full-time work. That means each of those occupations earns below the poverty line for a family of four, and well below a real living wage. These wages aren't paid out to a handful of young Americans — they're paid to more than 10 million fast-food and food-and-beverage industry workers and to many of the million-plus agriculture and food-processing workers.
There is a better way to think about food and support our food supply:
The Benefit of the Humanities Degree
The Common Core and PARCC testing and PISA or TIMSS have begun, little by little, to steal away or divert attention from the magic of the liberal arts education. Despite warnings from as far back as Charles Dickens' Hard Times, America has begun to myopically focus on a utilitarian foundation for secondary and education. Educating for job skills has replaced educating for the cultivation of the human spirit. And that has put the study of arts and the humanities at risk.
In fact, some in our government believe that student loans should only be available to STEM-majors, and those English and philosophy students can pay for the luxury of studying the humanities. Yet, for as long as I've been teaching - in fact, for as long as I've been around - I've known countless successful business leaders and community icons who began with a humanities degree. And that is the heart of Caroline Gregoire's list of "Irrefutable Evidence of the Value of Humanities Degrees." While I might have expected it from the likes of Jon Stewart or Conan O'Brien, who knew that businessman and multi-millionaire investor Mitt Romney began his adult life with a bachelor's degree in English?
We can follow that up with Rebecca Schuman's latest piece for Slate where she talks about people "Hating on the Humanities."
In fact, some in our government believe that student loans should only be available to STEM-majors, and those English and philosophy students can pay for the luxury of studying the humanities. Yet, for as long as I've been teaching - in fact, for as long as I've been around - I've known countless successful business leaders and community icons who began with a humanities degree. And that is the heart of Caroline Gregoire's list of "Irrefutable Evidence of the Value of Humanities Degrees." While I might have expected it from the likes of Jon Stewart or Conan O'Brien, who knew that businessman and multi-millionaire investor Mitt Romney began his adult life with a bachelor's degree in English?
We can follow that up with Rebecca Schuman's latest piece for Slate where she talks about people "Hating on the Humanities."
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Does Dystopian YA Lit Stereotype Kids?
Cliques. Are they real, or simply a creation of YA writers and Hollywood directors? It's not surprising to find people sorted into groups in most genres of teen entertainment. In fact, Grace, Ed Rooney's secretary from Ferris Bueller laid it out for us in one classic line:
So, why is it that writers and filmmakers always seek to fit characters into the standard groups that are supposed to make up high school? Is society that cliche? Or are the cliches actually valid, which is why they seem so common. Katy Waldman of Slate Magazine suspects there are significant forces at work in a world where "Everybody Knows Where They Belong." From the Sorting Hat of JK Rowling to Suzanne Collins' Reaping, much of the entertainment for young people is grounded in categorizing people. The latest work Divergent from Catherine Roth is only the latest to follow the archetypal story form.
The studies of societal divisions, especially in regards to high school cliques, are endless. But the question is: are they valid, and what can or should we do about it?
So, why is it that writers and filmmakers always seek to fit characters into the standard groups that are supposed to make up high school? Is society that cliche? Or are the cliches actually valid, which is why they seem so common. Katy Waldman of Slate Magazine suspects there are significant forces at work in a world where "Everybody Knows Where They Belong." From the Sorting Hat of JK Rowling to Suzanne Collins' Reaping, much of the entertainment for young people is grounded in categorizing people. The latest work Divergent from Catherine Roth is only the latest to follow the archetypal story form.
The studies of societal divisions, especially in regards to high school cliques, are endless. But the question is: are they valid, and what can or should we do about it?
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Is Joyce's "Ulysses" the Standard for Literature?
There are certain books that people just know - even if they haven't read them. James Joyce's epic and archetypal work Ulysses is certainly one of those. And it certainly qualifies as one that many people know, but haven't read. However, in a compelling piece of literary analysis and commentary, scholar and professor Robert D. Newman of the University of Washington argues that any fan of America's literary fiction actually know Joyce's work well because of its profound and significant influence on the works of some of the country's best known writers. Newman has written the book on Joyce's influence, and now offers a shorter synthesis of his position for Salon.com, "James Joyce's Lyrical Sensual Literary Legacy: Why So Many Novels Steal from Ulysses."
While “Ulysses” is far from the first example of moral fiction in the history of literature and its critical reception often has tended to focus on its explosion of the boundaries of traditional narrative technique as well as its cultural and historical contexts, its persistent presence in traditional plot and character within some recent mainstream American fiction presents another layer of its compelling influence on the ever-widening circle of Joyce’s heirs. “Ulysses” is indelibly embedded in contemporary American cultural expressions. Our current literary everymen shuffle along their confused and revelatory paths while tipping their hats to Bloom.
In high praise for Ireland's most significant artist, Newman believes that the works of American novelists like Pat Conroy, Richard Russo, or even Faulkner and Pynchon, would not even exist if not for Joyce and the publication of Ulyssses. Certainly, the direct allusions to the novel are ever-present in American fiction and culture. And there are many areas of American art where people would not even notice the influence - such as the songs of Kate Bush or the columns of Prairie Home Companion writer Garrison Keillor. Truly the significance of the novel is vast and under-rated. And with that in mind, perhaps Newman and others will continue to remind everyone "Why You Should Read this Book."
While “Ulysses” is far from the first example of moral fiction in the history of literature and its critical reception often has tended to focus on its explosion of the boundaries of traditional narrative technique as well as its cultural and historical contexts, its persistent presence in traditional plot and character within some recent mainstream American fiction presents another layer of its compelling influence on the ever-widening circle of Joyce’s heirs. “Ulysses” is indelibly embedded in contemporary American cultural expressions. Our current literary everymen shuffle along their confused and revelatory paths while tipping their hats to Bloom.
In high praise for Ireland's most significant artist, Newman believes that the works of American novelists like Pat Conroy, Richard Russo, or even Faulkner and Pynchon, would not even exist if not for Joyce and the publication of Ulyssses. Certainly, the direct allusions to the novel are ever-present in American fiction and culture. And there are many areas of American art where people would not even notice the influence - such as the songs of Kate Bush or the columns of Prairie Home Companion writer Garrison Keillor. Truly the significance of the novel is vast and under-rated. And with that in mind, perhaps Newman and others will continue to remind everyone "Why You Should Read this Book."
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Telling Stories in School
"Tell us a story."
That is a great interview question, and it's a great impromptu speech topic for high school students as well. Storytelling is the essence of what we do as English teachers, and the qualities of a good story, as well as the ability to deliver it, should be a primary focus of the classroom. For this reason, the personal narrative is one genre that I always incorporate into my classes, from middle school to AP Language to Senior Composition. And with the Common Core as well as our new Colorado Academic Standards emphasizing narrative as one of the three primary modes of writing instruction, it's important to teach the art form.
When I first began teaching AP Language and Composition, one of the first things I learned from a colleague, office mate, and good friend was the important role that personal narratives play in the rhetoric and composition classroom. Many AP Lang style analysis prompts over the years have been personal narratives. Some memorable ones: Meena Alexander on her Fractured Identity; Gary Soto on The Stolen Pie; Jamaica Kincaid On Seeing England; Nancy Mairs On Being a Cripple; and Richard Rodriguez Family Christmas.
I've always enjoyed teaching personal narratives, and on my colleague's advice, I begin with a class long analysis of Audre Lorde's Fourth of July. Lorde's work is so rich with rhetorical devices that it serves as the perfect example of how the personal narrative works. We also read a great piece by Michael Koenigs called Getting Off the Hammock, about his first summer job. It is a beautiful piece that he wrote at the age of seventeen, and it's a great example of how full of opportunities for writing our students' lives are. Ultimately, my students will write their own personal narrative, which is basically recounting a life event which progresses towards epiphany.
They can be insightful and inspired or sarcastic and silly, but they should be meaningful. And year after year, they are.
That is a great interview question, and it's a great impromptu speech topic for high school students as well. Storytelling is the essence of what we do as English teachers, and the qualities of a good story, as well as the ability to deliver it, should be a primary focus of the classroom. For this reason, the personal narrative is one genre that I always incorporate into my classes, from middle school to AP Language to Senior Composition. And with the Common Core as well as our new Colorado Academic Standards emphasizing narrative as one of the three primary modes of writing instruction, it's important to teach the art form.
When I first began teaching AP Language and Composition, one of the first things I learned from a colleague, office mate, and good friend was the important role that personal narratives play in the rhetoric and composition classroom. Many AP Lang style analysis prompts over the years have been personal narratives. Some memorable ones: Meena Alexander on her Fractured Identity; Gary Soto on The Stolen Pie; Jamaica Kincaid On Seeing England; Nancy Mairs On Being a Cripple; and Richard Rodriguez Family Christmas.
I've always enjoyed teaching personal narratives, and on my colleague's advice, I begin with a class long analysis of Audre Lorde's Fourth of July. Lorde's work is so rich with rhetorical devices that it serves as the perfect example of how the personal narrative works. We also read a great piece by Michael Koenigs called Getting Off the Hammock, about his first summer job. It is a beautiful piece that he wrote at the age of seventeen, and it's a great example of how full of opportunities for writing our students' lives are. Ultimately, my students will write their own personal narrative, which is basically recounting a life event which progresses towards epiphany.
They can be insightful and inspired or sarcastic and silly, but they should be meaningful. And year after year, they are.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)