Because we haven’t discussed them all year.

We’ll be reading The Pirate’s Dilemma by Matt Mason. Check out Mason’s blog here.

First Assignment:

Read the author’s explanation of why he is allowing people to download the book for free (I bought two class copies, but they won’t be in for a bit. For now, read online).  What do you think? What about his credibility? Read the Introduction of the book, skim through the rest.

Assignment Deux:

Dig up some information on Radiohead’s In Rainbows.  There were plenty of articles written after this came out, so you shouldn’t have any trouble. We’re looking for how much they made from the “pay-what-you-want” scheme. NIN’s Ghosts I-IV and The Slip might be worth checking out, as well.

Do remember that you must have your final paper in to me by Friday at three. I will not grade it without a Works Cited page, so be sure to include one. If you’ve forgotten the structure, go here for instructions. For specific citation instructions, go to the links at the bottom of the page.

Email with questions.

Student hoaxes world’s media on Wikipedia

Is this interesting, or simply sad?

The original Guardian obit can be found here (with correction notice at the bottom). There is no mention of the mistake on The Guardian’s Wiki page.

but we got so close!

If you have kept track, we have gone three (almost four) weeks according to the calendar set up at the beginning of this unit. New Stallings class record. Woot.

Of course, I screwed it up.

Here’s the plan to keep us on schedule:

Today you should email (or scan; more on that in class) a copy of your rough draft to me. I’ll make the necessary remarks, etc. and get it back to you within the hour (hopefully). If you have already emailed a copy to me (one of you so far), check your inbox. If you haven’t, do it during class or talk to the sub about scanning it to me.

Your final papers are still due Wednesday. [What’s that groaning noise?]

You guys have been so awesome in this unit; I can’t wait to see your ideas.

Keep in touch.

It is the day before the AP exam and the teacher is nowhere to be found.

It’s kind of fitting, really. When I’m feeling better I’ll tell you the tale of my morning. It’s a grand adventure wherein I battle the evil forces of gravity in an attempt to make it to school and help my students cram for their big assessment.

But then I’m not one for cramming. (Or assessments.)

You all have been with me for nearly nine months, and I have seen you grow from hesitant writers bored with the tired writing equations you’ve been forced to follow, into energetic crafters of cogent arguments. You have learned to write with style, to take chances with your words, and to present your ideas with an air of credibility that most people never achieve.

Well done. You’ve made it. The test seems like an afterthought.

Really though, tomorrow is not your trial but a chance to show off what you can do; it’s a performance. You don’t need to cram, you don’t need to shuffle through your flash cards one last time. Writing is a skill that each of you has honed to a sharp (often acerbic) point. Write as you always have: with style, with authority, and with clarity.

You can’t cram for that.