We’ve been blazing through the process of invention, or "coming up with something worth writing about." The following is a quick overview, but as you know, there is no substitute for our rapid-fire discussion technique.
If I missed something, or there is something I need to clarify, post a comment below for the benefit of all.
We will discuss the writing process tomorrow and what I expect from your essays.
We will be presenting articles and analyses tomorrow. Check the previous post for links to the articles that we discussed on Tuesday, then search for a new one that will continue our discussion.
Comment below or send me an email if you have any questions.
"America’s Worst Cities to be a Sport’s Fan" from Forbes
"The Death of Wikipedia" from RoughType
"Advertisements: Manipulation of Innocent People" from General Information
"Hipster: The End of Western Civilization" from Adbusters
Yesterday, we chose to read and discuss Don Delillo’s White Noise. Unfortunately, because it is an amazing book and the world is against us, there is a shortage of copies in Tulsa. For your convenience, here are the number of books and their locations around the city:
Border’s 81st: 6
Border’s Midtown: 3
B&N 41st: 1
Steve’s Sundry: 0
Gardner’s Used Books: 0
Waldenbooks in Promenade: 0
Grab a copy if you have a chance. I’ve ordered five more copies from B&N at 41st, but they will take around a week to come in. I’ll let you know when they arrive.
We will begin this unit with shorter works that are thematically related to White Noise. The first of these will be "Raj, Bohemian" by Hari Kunzru (originally published in The New Yorker), a short story about modern identity and consumer culture. As we dive in, feel free to bring to class anything you feel will supplement our discussions.
Remember, article analyses are due every Tuesday and Thursday.
Enjoy your weekend. Go outside! Read near an open window if it’s raining!
What I need from you, dear blog readers: If you are reading this, I assume you check the blog often enough. I need you to bug the others to get on here. This is the front-line source for articles online. The heart of my discussion material.
What I need from everyone: Topics! Ideas! If you are into something, I want to hear about it. We are creating a class on the art of persuasion, so there is nothing that we cannot discuss. But we must discuss often. We must post often. We must write often. We must read often. In this, and in all things, we shall prevail! [Diction, anyone?]
Oh, sorry for the extra-long post, but here are the notes from today’s class:
