Quick reminders:

If you have chosen to re-write the essay from last Friday, the last day to turn it in is Monday, Sept 8th.

If you have not finished About a Boy, try to knock it out this weekend.  We will be writing over themes from John Donne’s "Meditation #17" and Simon and Garfunkel’s "I am a Rock" on Wednesday, specifically as applied to About a Boy.  We discussed these in class, but it would be a good idea to go over them once again (find Donne’s work here, Google "I am a Rock lyrics" for the song) before you finish the novel.  As you read and journal on About a Boy, it might be helpful to keep these questions in mind:

• Is "Meditation #17" reflected in the creation of the extended family at the end?
• Donne says "No man is an island," while S&G state "I am an island."  Do you see any characters in About a Boy thinking either way?  Does the character change his or her mind?
• In your reading of Donne’s writing, do you think he believes we have a choice to disconnect ourselves from everyone (like Will and Fiona do in the beginning), or are we able to create our own "island" like S&G try to do?  What does this mean for the characters?

Remember, these are just possible interpretations.  If you have other ideas or feel like you can support other interpretations, please do so.  Your essay will take the form of an answer to one of these questions.  Convince your reader that your interpretation is a solid one by using support (quotations) from all texts you choose to include.

If you have any questions about either last week’s or next week’s essay, please post a comment below or send me an email.

Enjoy your weekend.  Read outside!

I really enjoyed reviewing your drafts today.  This gives me a chance to see where you are as writers, and an opportunity for me to give you specific feedback.  As you finish your essays this weekend, keep these things in mind:

• Go over the handouts I gave you in class.  If you have any questions, or if an example is unclear, please post a comment and I’ll get back to you quickly.
• Turn in anything you write on.  I’ll only grade what you ask me to, but it helps me if I can see your thought process.
• Avoid summarization.  Each sentence should show your reader what you got out of the text, not how you would re-tell the story.
• Papers are never perfect, but work on it at least once more after you get everything down, even if only for 10 minutes.  Make sure your idea is clear and you’ve supported each major point with (cited) quotations from the text.
• Don’t worry about typing them unless you:
• Are unsure about punctuation, citations, etc.  (I will grade all on this, but my explanations are clearer when the paper’s clean.)
• Have really terrible handwriting.
• Feel that you are a poor speller.  (Please give me a copy of your handwritten draft as well if this is the case.  I do not specifically count off for spelling errors at this stage, but I would like to see where I can help.)

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.

You can pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble on 41st (by AMC).  Begin reading as soon as possible.  We will be discussing the novel on Monday.

As always, if you have trouble getting a copy, please let me know.  We can work something out through the school or you can have one of my personal copies.  No worries.

[EDIT: I neglected to mention that you should also explain how your video reflects a device.]

For the past week, we’ve been discussing literary devices in British music and (mostly) WWI-era poetry.  To move our discussions into the realm of popular culture, we will compile a series of videos that represent our favorite devices.  In doing so, we will not only demonstrate understanding and application of the devices, but also (perhaps) defend YouTube as a site worthy of our perusal.  Our main challenge will be sifting through the channels for clips worth watching.

Here are the rules of the game:

• First, familiarize yourself with the list of literary devices I handed out in class.  We have covered most, but certainly not all, in our discussions this past week.
• Second, add the following devices:
  • Allegory
  • Anachronism
  • Flashback
  • Foreshadowing
  • Irony
  • Satire
• Third (before you head to YouTube), try to come up with an example off the top of your head.  (Your journal might be a handy resource for this.)  The Simpsons, Scrubs, Seinfeld, and Family Guy are rife with allusions, puns, metaphor, characterization, etc.  You can often find a short clip of your example without resorting to browsing the stacks.
• Fourth, If you cannot come up with one, begin your search.  Google’s video search is a good place to start.
• Fifth, once you find your video, please make sure it is clean (see your syllabus).  I suggest using "not suitable for minors" filter under the Advanced Search button (to the left of the Search bar) on YouTube or Google when undertaking your search.
• Finally, post a link to your example in the comments below.  (If you are unable to log in and you’re using a Yahoo! account, follow this link to enable the OpenID feature of your screenname.  If you aren’t using a Yahoo! account, send me an email with your comment and I’ll post it for you, or create a Google account.)
• Oh! Idea: If you find yourself without an example after having thoroughly searched, why not make your own video?  A short, creative clip illustrating one (or more) of the terms would be awesome (and graded accordingly).

The idea for this assignment came from this post on Todd Seal’s blog.  If you click on the link, you can view his examples for most of the devices.  As you can see, he hasn’t completed the list.  Let’s see if we can all do it in a weekend.

About a Boy Update

If you want to get a head start on About a Boy, go ahead and purchase it.  (Gardner’s or Steve’s Sundry usually has a cheap copy.)  I’ve ordered a class set at B&N on 41st, so we should begin our discussions on the 25th or 26th, depending on when they come in.

Have a great weekend!  I look forward to watching your videos!