Um. What? Panic at the Disco meets the Beatles.  Are we ready for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Emo Pop Group?  Popmatters essay

NPR’s All Song’s Considered discusses coming Portishead, Death Cab, Cloud Cult, and My Morning Jacket albums.  With clips! Cloud Cult’s "Everybody Here is a Cloud" is amazing.  I’m unsure about the Death Cab clip, though I love them so.  NPR audio

Pithiness in the wild.  Wooster Collective image

Eh, that was a stretch.

First Hour

Finish chapter six of A Heartbreaking Work.  If you’re interested, here’s the Eggers video from TED.com:

Third Hour

We’ll be reading through page 73 for tomorrow.  To continue the discussion of a book’s impact on how we frame our language, write a journal entry in the style of Charlie.  The topic does not matter, though I would suggest pulling from the previous week’s events.  It is not necessary to think of something exciting.  In fact, a banal event night be best.  Look at it through the eyes of a "Wallflower."  How did the people act?  Why?  Try to "understand" as Charlie does.  He’s grappling with some very new concepts, and has been thrust into a world that he does not always understand.  How is he affected by this?

Charlie mentions reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  He is about the same age as Scout, and they are put into similar situations.  Are their reactions similar?  Why?  Maybe this quote by Shunryu Suzuki can shed some light:

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.

Yeah, the classes are blending.

First Hour

We will be discussing the next chapter of Eggers’s book tomorrow (through page 165).  We noted several things about the beginning of the book in class today:

• The Acknowledgements section is long.  Perhaps it is the author clearing his throat, perhaps Eggers is setting the stage (like a chapter-long opening paragraph), perhaps he is using this section as a means to deconstruct his own life.  A few of you were distracted by the opener, many loved it, others skipped it (Noo…).
• We noted the incredible transitions between the first and second, and second and third chapters.  Eggers is definitely taking us on an emotional roller coaster. As you read, though, keep in mind the overall tone of the sections.  Does the story ever get somber or depressing?  What is he doing when the tone is ecstatic?  Where is Toph at these times?  Is it ever completely serious?
• We discussed the author’s use of humor at length.  Some of you mentioned the fact that he is rarely, if ever, serious.  It seems that every time he makes a sincere statement, he undercuts it with humor.  Why do you think he does this?  In what kinds of situations do we do this?

As you read the next chapter, think about Dave and Toph’s relationship.  The fact that Dave must balance being a brother and parent wears on him, and he often has a hard time balancing the two positions.

• Finally, as you read Dave’s tortured thoughts after he leaves Toph, try to understand why your parents ask you to call them when you’re out late.  Eggers paints an accurate portrait (minus the hat smelling thing, maybe.  Maybe not.) of the stresses of parenting in this chapter.  How does that work out during his first chance to spend time with his friends?

Third Hour

We’re reading through Part One (to page 39) tonight.

Ahh, the Perks.  Are there any (perks, I mean) that you’ve seen so far?  What kind of boy is Charlie?  What kind of girl is his sister?  Do you relate?

We discussed the syntax and diction of this book at length today.  As you read, take note of how Charlie’s letters become more complex and more clearly written.  How does this affect you as a reader?  Does it at all?

We also talked about the impact of a good book on how we think.  When we finally break away after diving into a book, after turning away from the world around us, the cadences and structure tends to color our vision.  Like this:

See you all tomorrow.

*See Wm. Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Act 5 Scene 1

NPR’s John Ridley interviews rapper MF Grimm, novelist Jodi Picoult, and Joss Whedon about moving from their original mediums (music, prose, and TV, respectively) to graphic novels.  NPR Story

Quick reading list:

• The Tenth Circle, an excellent half novel / half comic book about a father’s strained relationship with his daughter
• If you are looking to study dialogue (for any type of fiction writing), check out Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1-3, or any of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.  No really.  Good stuff.

Amazing story of student initiative and giving.  NPR Story

"Rickrolling," memes.  NYT Story

Autism: The Musical review.  Popmatters story

Popmatters reviews Spirits in the Material World, a reggae tribute to The Smiths.  Popmatters Story

Treehugger revisits a "what the future holds" issue of Modern Mechanix from 1968.  Treehugger Story

Analysis of one of author Tobias Wolff’s prevalent topics (lying), and what this topic says about literature.  Slate Story

Article by Louis Menand about the "comics scare" during the Cold War Era.  A great overview; definitely worth reading if you’ve never heard of the Comics Code.  NYT Article

Discussion of Nine Inch Nails’ latest album.  You know: the free one.  Popmatters Story