Alexie Tweet of the Day

 "Sherman_Alexie: About basketball and aging: I haven't touched the rim since the first Bush was President."

Writing Fiction to Understand Fiction

    We read too much as readers and as students.  We need to start reading as writers, true writers.  And to accomplish that we need to write.  We need to write fiction to understand fiction.

FICTION!!!! NOOOO!!!!!!

     So you're going to write a personal narrative, similar to Alexie's Absolutely True Diary.  A personal narrative is distinguished by a strong first person voice and action centered around one character's thoughts and emotions. TODAY YOU ARE  GOING TO SPEND TWENTY OF THE HARDEST MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE TO WRITE FICTION!!!

      Technique-wise, think about two things.  First, I'd like you to start with a line from True Diary.  Here are a few to begin: 

I was born with ____________ on the brain.

Traveling between ___________and _________, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger.  

Nobody knew the truth.  

I almost didn’t try out for the team.  

I was a joyous freak.  

She was trying to live out her dream.  

I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my _________ are like lifeboats.  

Second, think about the strategy of show, don't tell. Show the reader ideas, don't just spoon-feed them where you want them to go. Here's a good explanation of show, don't tell from @GrammarGirl on twitter.

Your writing will act as a first draft for your third blog assignment.

     

Semicolons, Colons, Elipses, and the Like

Other Punctuation

Semicolons
Can be used:
           to correct a “comma splice”
        I went to the football game, it was fun. ← Wrong
I went to the football game; it was fun.  ← Right

           to separate two independent clauses without a fanboy
          Mr. Hartle teaches Math; Mr. Thompson teaches History.

to replace a period

Mr. Hartle teaches Math.  Mr. Thompson teaches History.

           

to link two independent clauses with an independent clause marker.

Many corals grow very gradually; in fact, the creation of a coral reef can take centuries.

           

to separate items in a series containing internal punctuation.

Delbarton’s most experienced teachers are Mr. Thompson, who teaches AP Euro; Mr. Hartle, who teaches AP Stats; and Mr. Devine, who teaches AP Physics.

Colons
Can be used:
           After an independent clause to direct attention to a list, an appositive or a quotation.

A typical routine includes the a number of exercises: twenty knee bends, fifty sit-ups, fifteen leg lifts, and five minutes of running in place.

Exception: If the list follows the main verb of the sentence.

Delbarton’s most experienced teachers are Mr. Thompson, Mr. Hartle, and Mr. Devine.

         

 Between independent clauses ONLY IF THE SECOND ONE EXPLAINS OR SUMMARIZES THE FIRST

                       Faith is like love: it cannot be forced.
                       There is something great about sports: they reveal character.
           

Style Project

Style Portfolio Project--50 points
On your blog, write a personal narrative (as a reference, Absolutely True Diary is a personal narrative.  This doesn’t mean you have to copy Alexie’s style; in fact, I’d like you to find a unique style.)  The piece must follow the following criteria:

YOU MUST:
1. Begin with a sentence from Absolutely True Diary.  From there, make it your own story.

2. Use the following types of sentences in your piece:
ITALICIZE THE EXAMPLE SENTENCES.  
-Simple Sentence
-Compound Sentence
-Complex Sentence
-Sentence with non-essential phrase
-A sentence with a semicolon
-A sentence with a colon
-An appositive
-A group (2 or more) of non-coordinating or coordinating adjectives
(See my writing tips section for all the handouts concerning punctuation and structure)

3. Take a selection from Alexie (it can be one sentence or a group of sentences).  Create a sentence in your piece that copies the structure of the sentence, both in terms of punctuation and parts of speech use.   

  For example:
Sample sentence: Home, where she longed to be, where she and her mother could be warm together, was far behind.
(Noun/non-essential phrase/non-essential phrase/verb phrase)  <--you don’t need to write this out, but it might help)
My sentence: The game, where I became a man, where I learned how to lose, was never far from my mind.
COMMENT ON YOUR OWN POST AND GIVE THE ORIGINAL ALEXIE SENTENCE WITH A PAGE NUMBER.

Close Reading Strategies

Types of close reading

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

Close Reading--Problems

Close Reading, is there anything more important in English?  Let's take a look at some common issues with close reading. 

Common problems in close readings
Quotes aren’t introduced

Ahab isn’t very smart.  “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”  

Problem: The speaker and the context is not clear.

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab exclaims, “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”

Additionally, in this example, it would make it clearer to the reader if the elements of the quote that the writer wanted to emphasize were highlighted in the introduction.  

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”

The close reading begins with “this.”

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.” In this quote Ahab shows how much he hates the sun.

Problem: It’s not clear what about the quote you’re trying to reference.  This leads to very general close readings

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.” Ahab chooses to reference an object like the sun, with strong mythological connections to God, in order to display his desire to become a god-like man.  

The close reading summarizes the quote.

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”  Ahab describes how if something as powerful as the sun attacked him verbally, he would strike it back physically.

Problem: Summary doesn’t explain how the quotes help prove your idea.  I know what happened.  

There are some good opinions/analysis, but they don’t relate directly to the text quoted.

In chapter 132, Ahab begins to reminisce about his past family life and displays the fact that he wishes he had more time on land to spend with his family. "When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been" (Melville 405). When Ahab says this it becomes extremely evident he hates the isolation from society he has had while on the sea.

Problem: Quotes don’t speak for themselves.  You need to explain how you get to your readings because different people could come to different conclusions.  Explain yourself as if you’re talking to someone who isn’t very smart.  

In chapter 132, Ahab begins to reminisce about his past family life and displays the fact that he wishes he had more time on land to spend with his family: "When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been...the slavery of solitary command" (Melville 405). Ahab describes the “solitude” he has created for himself as “desolation.”  For the entire novel, Ahab has willfully separated himself, but here he reverses himself and explains that he has been a “slave” to himself, suggesting a lack of control over his own role on the ship.

Making statements and claims without quoting the text

Problem: The basis of literary criticism is that the opinions/claims that are made must be supported through analysis of the text.  This is what gives readings credibility. Otherwise, anyone could just say anything.

Note: Every substantial claim or opinion you make in your paper must be substantiated with a piece of the text.

Success--How bad do you want it?

One of my former students, Donny Alvine, sent this to me tonight, and it got me reflecting.

It got me thinking about our man Junior Spirit and what he went through, what he still goes through, what some of you go through, to be successful.

I think in all this literature and essay writing and thesis formulation we can lose sight of one fact: YOU are Junior Spirit.

If you want it bad enough.

How to Use Links in Your Blog Post

How to Write a Thesis

Thesis--A sentence with a purpose
FACT OR TOPIC + EXPLANATION (Why/How) = THESIS

A good thesis takes something you notice (FACT) in a text and explains WHY it happens.  A good thesis takes an event (FACT) and explain HOW it’s possible.  A good thesis mentions a character’s actions (FACT) and explains his motivations (WHY).     

Topic:
New York Jets Defense
Poor:
New York Jets have the best Defense.
Getting there:
The New York Jets Defense is ranked #1 because of their effectiveness on third down.
Best:
The New York Jets Defense is ranked #1 because Calvin Pace creates matchup problems on third down and often sacks the QB.

-Make a claim

        -Be clear
        -Be descriptive; exact
        -Avoid unclear or vague words—Things
        -Avoid Universal Statements
        -Don’t summarize the plot
        -Make a Why/How Statement

-Be adventurous, be a critic, TAKE A CHANCE EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT SURE

       
Good Examples:
Myrtle and Daisy are obsessed with the trappings of wealth in the material world, which ultimately leads to their tragedy.

Hester Prynne’s confidence allows her to take the initiative to define the scarlet letter on her chest in her own terms rather than letting it control her actions and reputation.


Fitzgerald uses the valley of ashes to emphasize that prosperity does not translate into moral character.

Ahab ignores his falsehood because he is not content as God’s subordinate.

Bad:
In the chapter, The Monkey Rope, Melville uses the image of the monkey rope and its importance on a whaling ship in order to symbolize why teamwork and trust have such magnitude in life.
                    -Universal Statement
Even though the blubber of a whale is most important to whalers and even to the whale, the skin of the whale possesses the most significance.
                    -Vague…what significance?
Ishmael and Queequeg are close friends but now they are literally joined together with a rope.
        -Plot..why? What’s the significance?

Read a banned book . . .

Real Writing in Action--Persuasive Post

Rather than try to write out some asinine example of a "persuasive blog post," I'm going to just link you a post that does a much better job than I could.  This is a post that has had real effect, from a blog with thousands of visitors.  It's called TeachPaperless, and is run by a bunch of invested, innovative teachers committed to teaching in this century.

The piece is called "Why do I Hate Paper?" Check it out.

It's informal, it's well-written, but it still uses examples and had developed analysis.  It is smart without being stuck-up or intellectually unavailable.

Real. Writing. In. Action.

How to tag and label, insert pictures, and embed video via blogger

How to Read

How to Read
THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN READING A HISTORY TEXTBOOK!

1. Read slowly, methodically.

2. Don’t read for the plot, read for the phrasing, the sentences, the words.  

3.  Have a pencil or pen in your hand.  Underline key passages.  Write question marks where you’re confused.  Make notes in the margins.  

Read the text for 15 minutes.  Try to read as slowly as you can, read for the words.  
Take particular note of three things:
      -The major themes, ideas in the text
      -The characterization of the narrator, Junior Spirit
      -Particularly striking sentences.  Be sure to think about why these sentences are so effective.

Mad-Libs for better writing

   So you know your parts of speech.  Now what?

   Remember, I'm not going to tell you to learn anything that isn't going to make you a better reader and writer.  First, take a minute and pick two topics: a person and a place.
 
    Let's check out the following passages from our summer reading. 
  
     My first impression of Dean was of a young Gene Autry--trim, thin-hipped, blue-eyed, with a real Oklahoma accent--a sideburned hero of the snowy West.  


Seriously descriptive, percussive, with a nice beginning, middle, and end. But you can write like this. You just have to push yourself out of your comfort zone.


Let's break this sentence down. If we labeled the parts of speech, we might come up with something like this: 


My first impression of _______ was of a (adjective) (allusion)--(adjective), (adjective), (adjective) with a (adjective) (adjective) (noun)--a (adjective) (noun) of the (adjective) (noun).  


Now, take your topic and craft a sentence using Kerouac's form.


Let's try McCarthy. Here's a great passage:


With the first gray light he rose and left the boy sleeping and walked out to the road and squatted and studied the country to the south.  Barren, silent, godless.  


Again, of course this is a beautiful sentence. McCarthy piles on the conjunctions at first and the sentence doesn't seem to end. Then he punctuates it with three adjectives. Very cool. But this is all it is:


With the (adjective, adjective, noun) he (verb) and (verb) and (verb) and (verb) and (verb) the (noun) (preposition) (noun).  (Adjective), (adjective), (adjective).  


Give it a shot. You might surprise yourself.

Let's talk about Nouns and Verbs

   Here's a little food for thought on nouns and verbs.

   Now don't sit there thinking how smart you are and that you know all about nouns and verbs.  You may know what they are, but you don't know their limitations, their magnitude, their importance.  That's what I want to think about--not the definition of these terms and ideas, but how they can be used to communicate.

    Let's take the noun first.  A noun is an idea, and as Sherman Alexie suggests, words help us shape meaning around ideas in our world.  Yes, nouns are used to label things we see.  A cat.  A house.  A dog.  But more often, nouns help formulate complicated ideas and emotions.  Just mentioning a noun conjures up a whole host of experience.  Take this example:



   Why is William Wallace's use of the word "freedom" stirring and evocative?  What does that noun represent beyond the literal meaning?

   Words, nouns, create something larger than reality.  Something people live for.  Something people die for.

   The verb is the most important word in a sentence.  It makes the sentence an act--sentences dominated by the verb are called "active sentences."

   Pick a book from your summer reading that you really enjoyed.  Find a sentence that you think is really effective.  Find the verb from that sentence.  Think about how it effects the sentence.