EWC4U |
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Fall Term |
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Unit 1: Remembering (creative nonfiction)/ Catherine Gildiner's AFTER THE FALLS Unit 2: Short fiction/ AJ Somerset's COMBAT CAMERA Unit 3: War reporting/ Dexter Filkins' THE FOREVER WAR/ Charles Ferguson's NO
END IN SIGHT/ Photography by Lynsey Addario, Chris Hondros & Tim Hetherington/ Deborah Scranton's "War Tapes" Unit 4: Poetry Unit 5: Travel Writing Unit 6: Screenwriting |
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DATE |
AGENDA |
HOMEWORK |
Extra links |
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76 |
Wed May 23 |
ISP presentations continue |
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75 |
Fri May 18 |
ISP presentations continue |
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74 |
Wed May 16 |
ISP is due Presentations begin |
MISSING WORK M=0 (I will not accept any missing assignments after the final day of class. The choice is yours.) Poetry Anthology (due February 27) Cardy Travel Writing (due April 16) Batten-Cotte Blair Blake Farrow Zhu The Wire blog post (due April 20) Batten-Cotte Bickley Farrow Malcolm McLafferty |
Tuesday May 29th is the last day I will accept any missing assignments. After that date your M=0 remains. |
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73 |
Mon May 14 |
VISITING AUTHOR |
Work on your ISP--due next class. |
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72 |
Thurs May 10 |
Tweet @RonCharles what intrigues you about his review of #InOnePerson. Browse The Hemingway Papers Tweet @torontostar something you discovered in #TheHemingwayPapers ISP Work Period |
Draft of original screenplay is due to Trevor Cole by 5pm today. Work on your ISP. It is due on Wed May 16th. Presentations begin that day. |
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71 |
Tues May 8 |
CURRENT EVENTS Tweet @latimes your reponse to the Biden piece about #gaymarriage. ISP Work Period Your original screenplay must include sluglines, action lines and proper formatting for dialogue. |
You need to send a draft of your original screenplay to Trevor Cole by Thurs May 10th at 5pm, if you'd like to receive feedback. Your ISP is due Wed. May 16th. |
Sample screenplays: The Wire, Episode 101 |
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70 |
Fri May 4 |
CURRENT EVENTS Tweet @BarackObama your considered response to his recent address delivered in Afghanistan. THE WIRE Episode 408, "Corner Boys" |
Work on your screenwriting ISP. It is due Wednesday May 16th (Less than two weeks away) |
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69 |
Wed May 2 |
CURRENT EVENTS Tweet @ TheDailyBeast your response to the controversial #ObamaAd. AMERICAN MOVIE Tweet @SonyPictures what engages you so far about #AmericanMovie. American Movie website Continue screening |
Work on your screenwriting ISP. It is due in three weeks. |
(Exam will be written on Friday June 1st from 12:30-3:30 pm. Bring your laptops) |
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68 |
Mon Apr 30 |
Hello, Martians. This is America by Margaret Atwood Tweet @MargaretAtwood how her @nytimes #Martian piece both educated and entertained you. Original Travel Writing returned. Poetry Month Tweet #TodaysPoem a favourite line from any of the following established Irish poets: Seamus Heaney, Thomas Kinsella, W.B. Yeats, John Montague. Include the title. American Movie American Movie website |
There are many of you who have M=0 recorded in FA web for either the travel writing piece or the blog post based on Episode 101 of THE WIRE. Please get that late work done and submitted. Work on your screenwriting ISP. It is due in three weeks. |
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67 |
Thurs Apr 26 |
Poetry Month Louis MacNeice "Dublin" "Dublin" recited by Mick, a homeless Dubliner Tweet a line from any MacNeice poem to #TodaysPoem. Include the title. AMERICAN MOVIE A Seat of the Pants Director, profile of Mark Borschardt in the New York Times THE WIRE, Episode 109, Game Day |
Work on your Screenwriting ISP. |
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66 |
Tues Apr 24 |
Tweet @WireFans what hooks you about THE WIRE. Explain why. THE WIRE Episode 109, Game Day A Seat of the Pants Director, profile of Mark Borschardt in the New York Times Begin Documentary AMERICAN MOVIE |
Work on your Screenwriting ISP. You should at the very least have read/viewed two episodes and written the first blog post required. FINAL DRAFT software allows you to try it out gratis for up to 15 pages. (You only need 10 pages of your original episode for your ISP) It is the industry standard for formatting/writing screenplays. |
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65 |
Fri Apr 20 |
Post your paragraphs about conflict and character development in the opening 15 pages of Episode 101 of THE WIRE. Tweet @pulitzertweets your response to the board's decision to not award a 2012 #fiction prize. THE WIRE, Episode 109, The Game |
Work on your Screenwriting ISP. You should at the very least have read/viewed two episodes and written the first blog post required. |
THE WIRE on Twitter. @wirefans Bunk= @WendellPierce Omar= @BKBMG Stringer= @idriselba Cedric= @lancereddick Marlo= @JamieHector Greggs= @SonjaSohn Bubbs= @AndreRoyo Waylon= @SteveEarle Bodie= @Jdbricksbodie Duquon= @JermzCrawford Snoop= @BmoreSnoop |
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64 |
Wed Apr 18 |
Tweet@HuffPostCanada your response to Tupac's hologram "appearance" at Coachella. Orange Prize Short List announced Tweet @OrangePrize which of the shortlisted titles intrigues you. Explain why. Hashtag the book's title. The Visual Style of the Wire -shot variety -intentionally mimics documentary style -the camera does not intuit speech/action -use of horizontal, framing -surveillance/ rearview mirror frame -the sofa Continue screening Episode 101 of THE WIRE, The Target |
For Fri Apr 20 Read the first 15 pages of Episode 101 and write a blog post about how David Simon builds conflict and reveals character (by what characters say and do and by what other characters say about them). |
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63 |
Mon Apr 16 |
Original Travel Writing is due Is #Titanic's Ismay to be pitied or scorned? Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit your opinion and quote the poem with proof. THE WIRE, Episode 101, The Target -character development a) station house: McNulty, Bunk, Lester, Daniels b) community housing: Stringer Bell, Avon Barksdale, D'angelo Barksdale |
Watch this clip about the visual style of THE WIRE. |
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62 |
Thurs Apr 12 |
Complete anonymous EWC4USurvey Finish screening THE TRIP Tweet @RobBrydon what engaged you about #TheTrip. SCREENWRITING THE WIRE, episode 101, The Target Begin screening Episode 101 -note images in the opening sequence -quotation attributed to a character -theme song by Steve Earle -consider verisimilitude |
Make final changes to your original travel writing piece that is due next class, Monday April 16. Be sure you include all drafts as well as a hard copy of Trevor Cole's recommended changes. |
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61 |
Tues Apr 10 |
Tweet @biblioasis about something you learned from Ray Robertson's @WritersTrust visit for #WhyNot? Read the Griffin Poetry Prize press release of the shortlisted titles announced today. Tweet @GriffinPoetry which poet you would read based on the descriptions provided. Name the poet. Hashtag the title of their collection. Email the current draft of your Travel Writing piece to Trevor Cole. Print a hard copy of your current draft. Revise: 1) Is there sufficient sensory detail? 2) Have you used the most effective verbs? 3) Is there a beginning, middle, end? 4) Is there any direct speech? 5) Have you revealed something about the narrator that invites the reader along? Introduction to Screenwriting Screenwriting ISP assigned (due: Wednesday May 16th) Begin screening American Movie documentary (winner 1999 Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Festival) |
Begin researching screenplays and watching episodes of model shows. |
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60 |
Wed Apr 4 |
VISITING AUTHOR: Ray Robertson  Tweet #TodaysPoem a line that moves you from "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry. Explain why. |
Have a complete draft of your original travel piece prepared to submit to Trevor Cole at the beginning of class on Tuesday April 10th. |
Video profile of Ray Robertson produced by the Writers' Trust of Canada |
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59 |
Mon Apr 2 |
Tweet @harpercollinsCA something you learned about #writing from #DennisBock's visit. Read aloud introduction from Ray Robertson's essays collected in WHY NOT? Tweet @GoodMenProject your response to the #philanthropy piece. What impressed you? TRAVEL WRITING 1) Exchange your draft. 2) Is there a hook/ action in the opening paragraph? 3) Is time/place established? 4) Is something specific about the narrator revealed? 5) Suggest ways to improve descriptive detail. Continue screening THE TRIP. |
For Wed Apr 4 Revise your original travel writing piece with particular attention to local custom/ people. Try to have 750 words for next class. |
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58 |
Thurs Mar 29 |
VISITING AUTHOR Dennis Bock  |
Work on your travel writing piece. Have at least 500 words drafted for Mon April 2nd. |
Dennis Bock's books: |
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57 |
Tues Mar 27 |
How the Holocaust Saved my Life, TED Talk by Bruce Walsh Tweet @ancanlan your response to his #reinvention #TED talk. Check out Bruce's site: Another Canadian Landscape Original Travel Writing piece assigned (due: Mon April 16th) Continue screening THE TRIP |
Try to write 500 words of your original travel piece. |
The Lives of Alice Munro, CBC Archives  |
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56 |
Thurs Mar 8 |
Tweet @randomhouseCA what intrigues you about #InOnePerson. Current Events Tweet @globeandmail your response to the #Kony piece. PRACTICAL JEAN Final SUE (chapters 17-epilogue) TRAVEL WRITING model Will Ferguson "St. John's is Gnawing on my Bones" (from Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw) -local dialect, humour, custom Characteristics of the road trip: -confines of a car -a plan from which you're prepared to deviate -food wrappers/ fast food - conflict/ conflict/ conflict Begin screening THE TRIP (2010) |
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55 |
Tues Mar 6 |
A MEAL YOU LOVE is due. Please include your response from Trevor Cole. Current Events Tweet @yahoosports your response to YOU CAN PLAY. Travel Writing Models a) Peter McCarthy "The Whiff" -use of misdirection, humour b) Will Ferguson "St. John's is Gnawing on my Bones" (from Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw) -local dialect, humour, custom |
Read to the end of PRACTICAL JEAN for Thurs Mar 8. There will be a final SUE on chapters 17-epilogue. *ANY MISSING WORK NOT SUBMITTED BY THURSDAY MARCH 8th will receive 0. Check FA to see what you have not submitted. Some of you owe work from January. |
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54 |
Fri Mar 2 |
Peer Edit A MEAL YOU LOVE -is there sensory detail? (esp smell/ taste) -have you recreated time/place effectively? -are the verbs/ adjectives suitable? Tweet @telegraph what appeals to you about #MaylesPerfectWknd. Travel Writing Models Morley Callaghan: THAT SUMMER IN PARIS excerpt Peter Mayle: "June" from A YEAR IN PROVENCE (local custom, foreign phrases, revealing character through gesture) |
For Tuesday March 6 Revise your A MEAL YOU LOVE based on Trevor Cole's suggestions. Your final copy is due. Include a hard copy of Trevor Cole's comments Read chapters 17-20 in PRACTICAL JEAN |
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53 |
Wed Feb 29 |
SUE on chapters 9-16 in PRACTICAL JEAN Submit your Poetry Anthology (due last class) Select a poem by Irish poet John Montague (born #Feb29) to tweet for #TodaysPoem. Include an excerpt & the poem's title. ASSIGNMENT: A MEAL YOU LOVE (300-400 words, draft due next class; final copy due Tuesday March 6th) TRAVEL WRITING MODELS Bill Bryson excerpt “Travels in America” (local custom; humour; use of comparison) Annie Dillard “In the Jungle” (local custom; figurative language; sensory detail) |
Work on the draft of A MEAL YOU LOVE. Email it in the body of an email to Trevor Cole before Friday's class. Copy me on your email. |
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52 |
Mon Feb 27 |
Tweet #TodaysPoem an excerpt from a poem that appeals to you. Hashtag the title and the poet's name. ELEMENTS OF TRAVEL WRITING: a) local custom b) local people/ direct speech/ actions c) sensory detail MODELS Dennis Bock “Clear Water, Big Fish” Todd Babiak “La Crotte” |
There will be a SUE on Chapters 9-16 of PRACTICAL JEAN at the beginning of Wednesday's class. |
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51 |
Thurs Feb 23 |
Poetry Anthology Work Period |
Poetry anthology is due next class: Mon February 27th. |
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50 |
Tues Feb 21 |
Poetry Anthology Work Period |
Be sure you email WIER Trevor Cole 2-3 of your original poems before next class. |
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49 |
Wed Feb 15 |
Finding your Blogging audience: Mlle. Michaels POETRY Original pieces based on visual art/ celebrity CHECKLIST FOR ORIGINAL POEMS -5-7 poems - varied structure/ layout -use of rhyme -use of rhythm (same number of syllables, at least ) -alliteration -simile -metaphor -other figurative language Model Poems Wrigley "Religion" Yeats "The Second Coming" and "Leda and the Swan" |
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48 |
Mon Feb 13 |
PRACTICAL JEAN Recap Chapters 9-11 POETRY Revise poems from "Catching Elvis's Handkerchief" and "Lee Miller Photo" Be sure to include some of the following elements: -rhyme -rhythm -simile -metaphor -personification -hyperbole -spare punctuation WORKSHOP ACTIVITY From Art to Image Bruegel "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" Michelangelo's David Poetry Models Auden "Musee Des Beaux Arts" Ferlinghetti "In Goya's Greatest Scenes" Somerville "Imprisoned in the Galleria dell'Accademia" Williams "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" |
For Tues Feb 21 Read chs 12-16 (161-221) in PRACTICAL JEAN (There will be a SUE based on chapters 9-16) For Wed Feb 15 Find a sculpture, painting or photograph that inspires you. Try to write 3 stanzas of 3 lines each about it. Save a copy of the image. |
Poetry Anthology (due Mon Feb 27th) ACTIVITIES SO FAR: a) 10-minute spill b) Colour poem c) From Idea to Image d) Lee Miller archive photo (WWII or Paris) e) "Catching Elvis' Handkerchief" f) Original art (painting, sculpture, photo of choice) |
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47 |
Thurs Feb 9 |
SUE on Chapters 1-8 in PRACTICAL JEAN Tweet @trevor_cole a phrase/sentence that made an impression on you in chapters 1-8. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES Catching Elvis's Handkerchief a) real/imagined brush with celebrity (athlete, moviestar, painter, politician) b) include an object c) include a relative
of yours Lee Miller Photo Archive a) select an image from WWII or Paris b) write in 1st person c) use couplets or tercets (2 lines/ 3 lines) Read these Model Poems "There Are Days" by John Montague "Praise Song For the Day" by Elizabeth Alexander (delivered at President Obama's inauguration) Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit how one of the above poems moved you. Hashtag the title. Poetry Anthology Assigned (due Mon Feb 27th) |
Read chapters 9-11 in PRACTICAL JEAN for Mon Feb 13. |
PRACTICAL JEAN Reading Schedule Have the following pages read by the date posted: Tues Feb 7 chs 1-4 (pp 1-46) Thurs Feb 9 chs 5-8 (pp 47-111) Mon Feb 13 chs 9-11 (pp 112-160) Tues Feb 21 chs 12-16 (161-221) Thurs Feb 23 chs 17-20 (222-263) Mon Feb 27 chs 21-end (264-294) |
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46 |
Tues Feb 7 |
Tweet @trevor_cole your 1st impressions of #PracticalJean Tweet #TodaysPoem a few lines from the Nobel-winning poet you selected for today's class. Hashtag the poet's last name. T.S. Eliot Seamus Heaney Pablo Neruda Tomas Tranströmer W.B. Yeats Read this piece from the Sunday NY Times Magazine: Wonder Dog: A Golden Retriever Reaches a Raging Boy. Tweet @NYTmag what moves you emotionally about the work that Chancer does. #WonderDog Model Poems "Litany" by Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins reads "Litany" 3-year-old recites "Litany" After watching both clips of "Litany," tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit which #poetry performance you prefer and why. |
For Thurs Feb 9 Read chs 5-8 (pp 47-111) in PRACTICAL JEAN There will be a SUE on the first 8 chapters on Thursday. |
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45 |
Fri Feb 3 |
Pick a poem that appeals to you from one of the provided collections. (Borson, Brand, Carson, Clarke, Crozier, Degen, Downie, Heaney, Montague, Mordecai, Neruda, Ondaatje, Page, Purdy, Redhill, Summerhayes) Tweet #todayspoem an excerpt from that poem. Include its title and the poet's name. Edited Poems from Workshop Activities: a) 10-Minute Spill b) Colour poem POETRY WORKSHOPS Your family kitchen a) sketch bird's eye view b) add something green c) add something dead d) have a female relative enter the space From Idea to Image a) rage/ecstasy/pain/peace b) justice/evil/mercy/angel |
For Tues Feb 7 1) Revise/Edit your poems from the following activities: Your Family Kitchen From Idea to Image 2) Find a poem that appeals to you by one of the following Nobel Laureates: T.S. Eliot Seamus Heaney Pablo Neruda Tomas Tranströmer W.B. Yeats 3) Read to p. 46 in PRACTICAL JEAN (end of chapter 4) |
PRACTICAL JEAN Reading Schedule Have the following pages read by the date posted: Tues Feb 7 chs 1-4 (pp 1-46) Thurs Feb 9 chs 5-8 (pp 47-111) Mon Feb 13 chs 9-11 (pp 112-160) Tues Feb 21 chs 12-16 (161-221) Thurs Feb 23 chs 17-20 (222-263) Mon Feb 27 chs 21-end (264-294) |
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44 |
Wed Feb 1 |
Tweet @guardian how you would feel if your Facebook timeline were read by a potentional employer. Your poem selections. a) read aloud b) explain why it appeals to you 10-minutes spill original pieces POETRY WORKSHOP Colour poem Write a 3-4 lined poem in which a colour plays a central role. Your family kitchen a) sketch bird's eye view b) add something green c) add something dead d) have a female relative enter the space |
For Fri Feb 3 1) Revise each of your workshop poems. 2) Edit specific verbs. 3) Be sure each line ends with a strong word (e.g. a noun, a verb--not an adverb or preposition) Print clean copies of each of these three original pieces: a) 10-minute spill b) Colour poem c) Your family kitchen |
via @telegraph Scroll down for TRANSCRIPT |
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43 |
Mon Jan 30 |
State of the Union Blog Post is due Tweet @guardian your opinion about #Franzen's piece. Do you agree/disagree with him? Explain why. Introduction to Poetry "The Shout" by Simon Armitage "Inventory" by Frances Richey "Killing Time" by Simon Armitage WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES 10-minute spill Write a 10-lined poem that includes a popular expression that you have altered slightly. Also include 5 of the following words: whir, mother, voice, needle, cloud, lick, finger, blackberry. Colour poem Write a 3-4 lined poem in which a colour plays a central role. |
Find a poem you admire and bring it on Wednesday February 1st. Be prepared to pitch it to the class. Complete your 10-minutes spill. Be sure to have a copy of Trevor Cole's PRACTICAL JEAN before the end of the week. I will be assigning reading beginning Fri Feb 3rd. |
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42 |
Thurs Jan 26 |
Comments on ACTS OF FAITH by Mary Rogan * bias * experts * anecdotes * spare use of questions * Tyrell's voice CBC Contest State of the Union website |
For Mon Jan 30 Write a 3-paragraph blog post that comments on the content and style of President Obama's State of the Union. Address whether you think it will encourage or alienate supporters in this election year. Thinking /10 Communication /5 Get a copy of PRACTICAL JEAN by Trevor Cole for Fri Feb 3rd. |
New WIER (Feb-June 2012) Novelist TREVOR COLE @trevor_cole PRACTICAL JEAN, winner of the 2011 Leacock Medal for Humour  |
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41 |
Tues Jan 24 |
Investigative Writing Models Gloria Steinem "Palin: Wrong Woman, Wrong Message" Michael Sokolov "The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius" (NY Times Magazine, Sunday January 22, 2012) Tweet @nytimes a personal response to #Pistorius profile .CBC Archives INVESTIGATIVE WRITING Exploring a Contraversial Issue "Acts of Faith," Saturday Night, June 1999 |
Finish reading ACTS OF FAITH. |
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40 |
Fri Jan 20 |
Precis Blog Post is due POPULAR CULTURE Official Trailer Trailer mashup Satire Your selections from print news. Exploring a Controversial Issue "Please Take Our Children Away" NY Times Magazine, March 2001 *use of credible sources *effective use of analogy *use of images to enhance text |
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39 |
Wed Jan 18 |
THE FOREVER WAR Final SUE (the end of the book) Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit what moved you about Filkins' THE FOREVER WAR. INVESTIGATIVE WRITING Profile of a Person "Tiger in the Rough" Vanity Fair, February 2010 |
For Fri Jan 20 Pick ONE of the three profiles we've read. (Brian Burke, Josef Penninger, Tiger Woods) Re-read it and write a precis. (Reduce the content, in your own words, to a piece about 250-300 words long). Post it to your blog. /10 Thinking /5 Communication |
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38 |
Mon Jan 16 |
THE FOREVER WAR SUE chapters 17-19 Tweet @guardian about the photo that moved you the most. Explain why. Hashtag the photographer's name. INVESTIGATIVE WRITING model Profile of a Person *Use of analogy *Figurative language *Structure |
Finish reading THE FOREVER WAR. There will be a SUE on the final chapters next class. |
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37 |
Thurs Jan 12 |
100-word book pitch is due to be posted to your blog. Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit a review of that book. Use the hashtag #cbc140 Censorship or Good Sense? Tweet @deadwhiteguys or @baratunde your opinion about censoring #HuckFinn. Tweet @susanorlean your response to her piece about #HuckFinn. Copy @TeenBoyLitCrit. INVESTIGATIVE WRITING GQ piece about Brian Burke by Mary Rogan: Out on the Ice |
For Mon Jan 16 Read chapters 17-19 in THE FOREVER WAR. There will be a SUE. You may bring one page of notes on 8X11 paper to use. Find a recent article in a credible newspaper that interests you. (The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, etc) Either bookmark the link or bring a hard copy to class. |
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36 |
Tues Jan 10 |
Holiday Reading Roundup Tweet @TYPEBooks your impression of #JoyOfBooks. Tweet @salmanrushdie something you learned about Hitchens from his @VanityFair piece that you didn't already know. Hitchens' Final Piece: Charles Dickens' Inner Child |
Due: Thurs Jan 12 Write a 100-word pitch for the book you read over the holidays. Post it to your blog. Provide the book cover as well as the publishing information. /15 Thinking /5 Communication Here's a sample, using a book I read: THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF MAF THE DOG AND OF HIS FRIEND MARILYN MONROE will transport you headlong into the 60s: the nascent Camelot presidency of JFK; the Sinatra brat pack tomfoolery; the Hollywood star system that transformed Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe into supernovas. A gift from Sinatra, Maf journeys everywhere with Marilyn in her final years, dining at the best restaurants, visiting film sets, and witnessing acting classes with the Strassbergs. He philosophizes about high art, bedroom comedy, poetry-quoting cats, and the heady politics of change. Andrew O'Hagan's picaresque novel is a romp that will have you yearning for more and Maf may well become your familiar. Category: Fiction - Literary Format: Hardcover, 288 pages Publisher: McClelland & Stewart ISBN: 978-0-7710-6839-3 (0-7710-6839-5) Price: $29.99  |
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35 |
Tues Dec 20 |
THE FOREVER WAR SUE on Chapters 15/16 COMBAT CAMERA creative piece is due Tweet @guardian your personal response to McEwan's #HitchTribute. Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit your response to the news of Kim Jong Il's death. #NorthKorea |
Read a book of your choice over the break. If you're looking for some interesting titles try: Fiction Patrick DeWitt THE SISTERS BROTHERS Esi Edugyan HALF-BLOOD BLUES Jennifer Egan A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD Chad Harbach THE ART OF FIELDING Stephen King 11/22/63 Nonfiction Christopher Hitchens ARGUABLY or HITCH-22 Walter Isaacson STEVE JOBS David Sedaris ANY TITLE |
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Fri Dec 16 |
Polemicist Slashed All Freely, With Wit (NY Times Hitchens obit) Write across Ontario story competition. Deadline: February 1st, 2012 Excerpt from HOLIDAYS ON ICE by David Sedaris, "Crumpet the Elf" Recap "The War Tapes" Consider what Scranton's documentary adds to the story of what you already know about soldiers serving in Iraq from NO END IN SIGHT and THE FOREVER WAR. Work on COMBAT CAMERA creative piece. Deadline to submit to AJ Somerset for feedback is today (Fri Dec 16) at 5pm. |
Your final clean copy of your COMBAT CAMERA creative piece is due on Tuesday December 20th at the beginning of class. Consult the rubric to be sure you are meeting the criteria required for Level 4. THE FOREVER WAR Read chapters 15 and 16 for Tues Dec 20. There will be a SUE. You may bring in a single-sided page of notes on 8.5X11 paper. |
10 Questions for David Sedaris (TIME, 2004) |
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Wed Dec 14 |
Trial of the Will by Christopher Hitchens Tweet @vanityfair what moved you emotionally about #TrialOfTheWill. Explain why. Consider what Scranton's documentary adds to the story of what you already know about soldiers serving in Iraq from NO END IN SIGHT and THE FOREVER WAR. Revise COMBAT CAMERA creative piece Have you connected to: -specific characters (Zane, Melissa, Barker, Christine, etc.)? -actual plot detail? -theme (loneliness, outsider status, etc.)? |
Revise your COMBAT CAMERA creative piece. |
Write across Ontario story competition. Deadline: February 1st, 2012 Consider entering this competition. One of the story prompts is by Ian Rankin (He wrote "A Deep Hole" as well as about 20 crime fiction novels) |
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32 |
Mon Dec 12 |
Tweet @ajsomerset something that you appreciated about his visit on Thursday. Meta pop culture THE FOREVER WAR SUE based on chapters 9-14 Work on COMBAT CAMERA creative assignment |
Work on your COMBAT CAMERA creative piece. Have a 1st draft complete for Wed Dec 14. @brownoftheglobe's THE BOY IN THE MOON is front and centre on this bespoke book jacket jacket as one of the top 10 reads of 2011 at the @nytimes.  |
Write across Ontario story competition. Deadline: February 1st, 2012 |
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31 |
Thurs Dec 8 |
VISITING AUTHOR AJ Somerset Combat Camera creative activity assigned (due Tues Dec 20th) |
THE FOREVER WAR Read chapters 12-14 for Mon Dec 12th There will be a SUE based on chapters 9-14 then. Work on Combat Camera creative piece. |
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30 |
Tues Dec 6 |
CURRENT EVENTS Tweet @wtcommunities your response to Bella's piece. Questions for AJ Somerset/ COMBAT CAMERA THE FOREVER WAR 1) Comments about chapters 6-8 2) SUE based on chapters 4-8 Finish screening NO END IN SIGHT (Charles Ferguson's documentary about the US occupation of Iraq) |
For Thurs Dec 8 THE FOREVER WAR Read chapters 9-11 Bring your copy of COMBAT CAMERA. AJ Somerset will be spending Thursday's class with us.  |
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Fri Dec 2 |
On the Gutting of the Global Fund, Stephen Lewis at Yale (Nov 28, 2011) Tweet @stephenlewisfdn evidence of Lewis's talent as a rhetorician in his #GuttingGlobalFund address. Recap chapters 4 and 5 in THE FOREVER WAR "Land of Hope and Sorrow" "I Love You, March 2003" Continue screening NO END IN SIGHT |
THE FOREVER WAR Read chapters 6-8 for Tues Dec 6th "Gone Forever" "A Hand in the Air" "A Disease" There will be a SUE based on the contents of chapters 4-8. |
Interested in learning more about the AIDS pandemic? Read Stephen Lewis's book of his Massey Lectures, RACE AGAINST TIME.  |
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28 |
Wed Nov 30 |
Tweet @slate your personal response to #NewGaffe. THE FOREVER WAR Recap "Only This" "Forebodings" "Jang" -collateral damage How does Filkins create sympathy? Continue screening NO END IN SIGHT |
Read chapters 4 and 5 in THE FOREVER WAR "Land of Hope and Sorrow" "I Love You, March 2003" |
"Lost Soldiers" by Dexter Filkins and Ashleigh Gilbertson Ten Best Books of 2011 according to The New York Times |
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27 |
Mon Nov 28 |
SHORT FICTION In-class essay Follow the directions carefully. You must address EVERY element listed. |
Read chapters 2 and 3 in THE FOREVER WAR. "Forebodings" "Jang" |
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26 |
Thurs Nov 24 |
Introduction to THE FOREVER WAR by Dexter Filkins *Prologue *Only This (Kabul, 1998) Documentary: NO END IN SIGHT by Charles Ferguson |
Annotate your SHORT STORY for the in-class analysis to be written during class on Monday November 28th. You will NEED your copy of the story to refer to as you are writing. THE FOREVER WAR Finish reading "Only This." |
NO END IN SIGHT trailer |
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25 |
Tues Nov 22 |
Tweet @errolmorris what intrigues you about his interview with Tink Thompson. SHORT FICTION Winter, "The Pallbearer's Gloves" -filmic -eavesdropping -fiction that reads like nonfiction -minimalist Smith, "Home" -appeal of 2nd person perspective -effective use of sensory detail |
Pick the story you are going to use for your in-class analysis. Re-read it and begin annotating it according to the criteria. Bring your copy of THE BOY IN THE MOON to school tomorrow. Ian Brown will be speaking to all Grade 11/12 students from 10:45-11:30 in the chapel on Wednesday. He will sign your copy, if you bring it. |
Ian Brown's THE BOY IN THE MOON is named a Notable Book of 2011 by The New York Times  |
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Fri Nov 18 |
True Winter's Tale CBC Writes contest Print a hard copy, including word count. (must be 400-500 words) Reader 1 a) Check verbs (tense & best word) b) Is there sufficient sensory detail? (sight, sound, smell) Reader 2 a) check the punctuation b) Is there a variety of sentence structure? COMBAT CAMERA Recap chapters 12-16 -how does Somerset build tension? Tweet @ajsomerset what you find authentic about Zane's character/story. SHORT FICTION MODELS Salinger, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" -authenticity -pacing -structure Winter, "The Pallbearer's Gloves" -filmic -eavesdropping -fiction that reads like nonfiction -minimalist |
If you are submitting to the CBC contest, your True Winter's Tale piece must be submitted by Sunday November 20th. Find your copy of Dexter Filkins' THE FOREVER WAR, the collection of essays about combat journalism in Afghanistan and Iraq. |
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23 |
Wed Nov 16 |
Tweet @HarlanCoben about something that moved you about his #OpEd piece. Tweet @cathygildiner something you learned from her visit. Postcard Stories returned and added to Portfolio. SHORT FICTION Finish reading "A Deep Hole" by Ian Rankin ( @Beathhigh) -believability -builds tension -authentic regional dialogue Tweet @Beathhigh what engages you about #ADeepHole. COMBAT CAMERA Recap chapters 12-14 -how does Somerset build tension? |
FInish reading COMBAT CAMERA for Fri Nov 18 (chapters 15-16) Work on your True Winter Tale (400-500 words) Bring a complete draft to class on Friday. The deadline for the competition is Sunday November 20th. |
Wednesday Poem by Billy Collins |
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Thurs Nov 10 |
VISITING AUTHOR Catherine Gildiner CURRENT EVENTS   |
For Wednesday November 16, read chapters 12-14 in COMBAT CAMERA. |
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21 |
Tues Nov 8 |
Questions for Catherine Gildiner about AFTER THE FALLS or the writing life. (She will be here on Thursday for the entire class.) Tweet @globebooks who you think will win @GillerPrize tonight based on their panel discussion. COMBAT CAMERA Recap Chapters 6-8 How does Somerset create tension? (between Zane/Melissa; between Zane/ workplace) Tweet @ajsomerset what you admire about his prose style/ narrative technique so far. SHORT FICTION "A Deep Hole" by Ian Rankin ( @Beathhigh) -believability -builds tension -authentic regional dialogue |
For Thursday November 10th, read chapters 9-11 in COMBAT CAMERA. Bring your copy of AFTER THE FALLS TO CLASS. Catherine Gildiner will be here.  |
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Fri Nov 4 |
COMBAT CAMERA Recap Chapters 3-5 content What have you learned about photography so far? What have you inferred about PTSD? Tweet @ajsomerset what you know about Lucas Zane so far in #CombatCamera. Explain how/why. Pick a photo from the archives of work from Robert Capa or Walker Evans. Write a 6-word story based on it. Tweet it to @sixwordstory. Hashtag the photographer's name. RICHARD FORD Frye Festival interview with Martin Levin continued |
For Tues Nov 8 Read to the end of Chapter 8 in COMBAT CAMERA |
Important photographers mentioned in COMBAT CAMERA "If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough." |
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Wed Nov 2 |
POSTCARD STORY is due (include AJ Somerset's comments as well as any drafts as evidence of process) Canada Reads 2012 Top 10 (via @cbcbooks Nov 1) The Day of the Dead
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For Fri Nov 4 Read to the end of Chapter 5 in COMBAT CAMERA. |
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Mon Oct 31 |
CURRENT EVENTS Chalk It Up cartoon (Christie Blatchford & Jack Layton's death backlash) Tweet @walrusmagazine your response to #ChalkItUp A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs by Mona Simpson (@nytimes October 30, 2011) Introduction to COMBAT CAMERA Tweet @ajsomerset what expectations he sets up in the opening pages. SHORT FICTION Model "Leaving for Kenosha" by Richard Ford |
Polish your postcard story. Consult the rubric again. It is due next class: Wed. November 2nd Read chapters 1 and 2 of COMBAT CAMERA. |
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Thurs Oct 27 |
POSTCARD STORY Revising Content Checklist READER ONE 1) Is the plot purposeful? 2) Is there conflict/obstacle for protagonist? 3) Is it interesting? 4) Is time/place established? 5) Are there sensory details? READER TWO 1) Is the character(s) believable? 2) Is there effective direct speech? 3) Is there a title? Does it complement the content? READER THREE 1) Is there a variety of sentence structure? 2) Is verb tense consistent? 3) Are the best verbs used? 4) Is there proper punctuation? (Omit comma splices. Check end
punctuation) SHORT FICTION Model "Leaving for Kenosha" by Richard Ford |
Submit your revised Postcard Story to AJ Somerset for feedback by midnight tonight (Thurs Oct 27) Find your copy of COMBAT CAMERA. I will be assigning reading from it beginning Monday October 31.  |
Qaddafi Grafitti |
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16 |
Tues Oct 25 |
Qaddafi blog post is due AFTER THE FALLS blog posts returned SHORT FICTION Model "Victory Lap" by George Saunders -consider how Saunders distinguishes the voices (he convincingly inhabits a
young teenaged girl, for one) Tweet @newyorker something that impressed you about #VictoryLap by George Saunders. |
Complete a draft of your POSTCARD STORY. (350-400 words maximum) |
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Fri Oct 21 |
AFTER THE FALLS blog post is due. CURRENT EVENTS The Death of Qaddafi, by Amy Davidson at The New Yorker Qaddafi Killed, Say Libyan Officials, The Atlantic Wire An Erratic Leader, Brutal and Defiant to the End, obituary, The New York Times 2011 Man Booker Prize Winner THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes SHORT FICTION Model "Victory Lap" by George Saunders POSTCARD STORY assigned |
1) Select an image (perhaps from the Significant Objects website) for your postcard story. 2) Write a 2-3 paragraph blog post response to the news of Qaddafi's death. Refer specifically to each of the pieces we read in today's class. How will life change for Libyans? Due: Tues Oct 25. Thinking /10 Communication /5 |
Libya Conflict in Pictures: Fall of Qaddafi via @TelegraphPics |
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Wed Oct 19 |
Tweet @TorontoStandard something that intrigues you about the interview with design guru BRUCE MAU. SHORT FICTION 6 word stories For sale: baby shoes, never worn. ~Ernest Hemingway Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket. ~William Shatner Starlet sex scandal. Giant squid involved. ~Margaret Atwood Tweet @sixwordstory one of your own. Collaborate with someone to create a 6-sentence story that you submit. Here are the guidelines. MODELS a) Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" b) Curtis Sittenfeld "Spotted Dog Figurine" |
Complete your AFTER THE FALLS blog post (due Fri Oct 21) Be sure you have followed the instructions and have quoted excerpts from the memoir to support your points. |
True Stories Vote for Ian Brown's THE BOY IN THE MOON and Catherine Gildiner's TOO CLOSE TO THE FALLS to help them make the next cut. |
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Mon Oct 17 |
Tweet @Lynn_Coady a response to her @nationalpost #SmartPhone piece. Tweet @JulieKlam and @penguinusa about the effectiveness of the trailer promoting #LoveAtFirstBark. Final words on AFTER THE FALLS "Hooke's Law" "A Real Pip" Work period for AFTER THE FALLS blog. (Due: Friday October 21st) |
Work on your AFTER THE FALLS blog post (due Fri Oct 21) |
@shawnmicallef's pic of |
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12 |
Thurs Oct 13 |
AFTER THE FALLS Recap "Love It or Leave It" "The White Rabbit Meets the Blue Elephants" "The Hour of the Wolf" Excerpt from Esi Edugyan's HALF BLOOD BLUES. Shortlisted for @GillerPrize @ManBookerPrize @writerstrust Tweet @ThomasAllenPub your 1st impressions of #HalfBloodBlues. Excerpt from THE ANTAGONIST by Lynn Coady. Tweet @Lynn_Coady what convinces you about Rank's voice in #TheAntagonist. Copy @HouseOfAnansi. Tattoo model "Take All of Murphy" by Vincent Lam (from BLOODLETTING AND MIRACULOUS CURES) *How does it reveal character? Of Murphy? Of the anatomy students? |
For Mon Oct 17 Finish reading AFTER THE FALLS. Work on your AFTER THE FALLS blog post (due Fri Oct 21) |
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Tues Oct 11 |
Tweet @HouseOfAnansi how your expectations are set up by the opening of #TheSistersBrothers Christopher Hitchens (@hitchbitch) Tweet @hitchbitch something that moved you about either the #NYTimes piece or his portrait of #Didion. AFTER THE FALLS Recap chapters 13, 14 and 15. "A Fire in the Cellar" "The Mirror Room" "The Avalanche" What contributes to Cathy's attitude change about romantic relationships? MEMOIR piece returned and added to portfolio. |
For Thursday October 13th Read chapters 16-18 in AFTER THE FALLS. "Love It or Leave It" "The White Rabbit Meets the Blue Elephants" "The Hour of the Wolf" Continue highlighting passages that you might include in your blog post due on Fri Oct 21. |
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Thurs Oct 6 |
Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit an excerpt from the commencement address that moved you. #RIPSteveJobs Original Memoir Piece is due Checklist a) final copy double spaced/ intriguing title b) all drafts numbered and in order c) hard copy of AJ Somerset's email comments d) rubric on the front THE SISTERS BROTHERS by Patrick DeWitt Short-listed for: @writerstrust @ManBookerPrize @GillerPrize |
AFTER THE FALLS For Tues Oct 12 Read chapters 13, 14 and 15. "A Fire in the Cellar" "The Mirror Room" "The Avalanche" Highlight passages in AFTER THE FALLS that you might use in your blog post due on Thursday October 20th. |
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Tues Oct 4 |
Current Events Tweet @AlecBaldwin your response to his piece on the #DeathPenalty. AFTER THE FALLS Recap chapters 11/12/ Popular Culture *Billie Holiday *London Fog *Hush Puppy *Pappagallo shoes *Minnie Pearl *Marilyn Monroe *Popeye *Gomer Pyle *Betty Crocker *NAACP *Rosa Parks *Joan Baez *Peter, Paul and Mary *John Wayne *Gary Cooper *Gregory Peck *Aretha Franklin, "Respect" Tweet @cathygildiner a link for an interesting clip to one of the #PopCulture references she makes. Tweet @writerstrust the #NonFiction title that most appeals to you based on the description. Explain why. |
Make final revisions to your original memoir piece. It is due next class, Thursday October 6th. |
Writer's Trust FICTION short list/ publisher on Twitter: Clark Blaise THE MEAGRE TARMAC (@biblioasis) Michael Christie THE BEGGAR'S GARDEN (@harpercollinsCA) Patrick deWitt THE SISTERS BROTHERS (@HouseOfAnansi) Esi Edugyan HALF-BLOOD BLUES (@ThomasAllenPub) Dan Vyleta THE QUIET TWIN (@harpercollinsCA) |
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Fri Sept 30 |
Current Events Andrew O'Hagan: "Short Cuts" at the London Review of Books about #TroyDavis Tweet @LondonReview your response to O'Hagan's #TroyDavis piece. AFTER THE FALLS Recap chapters 8-10 "Short Order" "The Loafers" "A Vial in the Sunshine" Tweet @cathygildiner a question about one of the incidents in these chapters. Revising ORIGINAL MEMOIR piece. a) Is there an appealing title? b) Check paragraphing and end punctuation. c) Omit comma splices d) Revise diction. Are you using the best word for the
context? e) Is verb tense consistent? f) Have you used sufficient sensory detail and a smattering of direct speech? g) Omit unnecessary words (according to novelist Michael Winter) |
Make the changes to your ORIGINAL MEMOIR piece that AJ Somerset suggests. Your final copy is due, with evidence of process (several drafts, revision editing on the hard copies) on Thursday October 6th. Number your drafts. Include a hard copy of AJ Somerset's comments. AFTER THE FALLS Read chapters 11 and 12: "Leaving Home" and "The Straw Homberg" |
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Wed Sept 28 |
Tweet @shawnmicallef your opinion about his piece in @torontoreview. 1st Draft is due (About 750 words) Editing/Revising READER ONE a) direct speech: is it used? is it authentic? where may more be added? READER TWO b) verbs: best word for context? consistent verb tense? (mostly present or mostly past) WRITER REVISES AND PRINTS DRAFT #2 READER THREE c) omit needless words: take out what is NOT the story READER FOUR d) sufficient sensory detail? (add touch, sight, sound, smell, taste elements where appropriate) |
Email a revised draft of your original memoir piece to our Writer-in-Electronic-Residence AJ Somerset by midnight tonight. Just type his name into First Class. Print a hard copy of his response to you. Make the changes he suggests. Bring that revised copy to class on Tues Oct 4th. You will submit it as part of evidence of your process. AFTER THE FALLS Read chapters 8-10 for Fri Sept 30. "Short Order" "The Loafers" "A Vial in the Sunshine" |
POPULAR CULTURE |
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Mon Sept 26 |
Blog post: Moving the Reader is due Recap of AFTER THE FALLS "Black Lawn Jockeys" * "You're deportment is your department." * "not going back to Dr. Small for break and enter. Count me out." "Fried" 1963: 15 years old Mary Kay: "Fake it till you make it." -reading as essential as exercise -Kennedy assassination "Scars" *"Real experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." * "If you ever get in over your head, call me. I will come and get you--no questions asked, ever." Tweet @cathygildiner a question about her behaviour in one of the above chapters. WORKSHOP Reimagining what happens outside the frame in a childhood photograph. Work on ORIGINAL MEMOIR 1st draft. |
Work on your ORIGINAL MEMOIR PIECE, using one of the workshop activities you began during class: a) early memory b) person from childhood (not a relative) c) 9/11 d) childhood neighborhood e) childhood photograph f) 1st experience with death Aim for 800 words. Print a hard copy, double-spaced to bring to class on Wed Sept 28. |
Missing Blog links. Please email Ms. Somerville a working link ASAP: Diplock Durham Farrow Malcolm McAnoy Purkis |
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5 |
Wed Sept 21 |
Since it's #StephenKing's birthday, tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit something you've learned from him so far in #OnWriting Models Burroughs, "Ass Burger" Lane, excerpt from There is a Season WORKSHOP 1st Experience with death AFTER THE FALLS Recap "A Donnybrook," "Good Friday," "Hit the Dirt" Tweet @cathygildiner an example of what engaged you emotionally in one of these chapters. |
Bring a childhood photo to class on Monday September 26. For Mon Sept 26 Blog post: Moving the Reader Using "Ass Burger" by Augusten Burroughs and Catherine Gildiner's After the Falls (up to the end of chapter 4): 1) Copy two short passages from each piece. 2) Explain how/why each piece (4 in total) moves you emotionally. (Emotions may be positive or negative) Thinking /10 Communication /5 After the Falls Read chapters 5-7 ("Black Lawn Jockeys," "Fried," "Scars") |
Augusten Burroughs' brother John Robison's website.  |
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Mon Sept 19 |
WIER Sept-Jan Novelist AJ SOMERSET Discuss excerpt from Michelle Shephard's DECADE OF FEAR Tweet @dougmaclit what moved you about #DecadeOfFear AFTER THE FALLS Recap ch 1 -use of popular culture references -emotional connection/ universality of adolescent experience Tweet @cathygildiner about your 1st impression re: #AfterTheFalls 9/11 MODEL Ann Patchett, "Truth and Beauty" WORKSHOP September 11, 2001 |
AFTER THE FALLS Read chapters 2-4 (to the end of "Hit the Dirt") |
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Thurs Sept 15 |
Tweet @nytkeller your personal response to his @hitchbitch piece #ManOfHisWords. Tweet @TeenBoyLitCrit a favourite phrase/line in #AManOfHisWords ON WRITING Recap to the end of section -14- Read aloud -15- and -16- Writing Workshop Model: Annie Dillard's AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD Childhood Neighborhood |
Finish reading the excerpt from Michelle Shephard's DECADE OF FEAR. Underline/highlight sentences that strike you as particularly effective. Read chapter 1 in Catherine Gildiner's AFTER THE FALLS. |
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Tues Sept 13 |
1st Blog post due: Personal response to Christopher Hitchens' interview with Charlie Rose and "The Topic of Cancer" Christopher Hitchens: A Man of His Words by Bill Keller (NY Times, Sunday September 11, 2011) ON WRITING Section -2- "Eula-Beulah" Workshop Activity A PERSON FROM CHILDHOOD -include direct speech -include sensory detail where appropriate Read excerpt from Michelle Shephard's DECADE OF FEAR. |
ON WRITING Read section -3- to the end of section -14- Note King's relationship with his brother Dave and his early development as a writer/storyteller. |
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Fri Sept 9 |
Christopher Hitchens: "The Topic of Cancer" in Vanity Fair, September 2010 Introduction to Memoir Writing WORKSHOP ACTIVITY: Earliest memory -include sensory detail like sound, colour -include direct speech/ overheard conversation |
1) Make sure you have Catherine Gildiner's After the Falls. Reading will be assigned beginning Tues Sept 13 2) BRING A BOOK YOU READ DURING THE SUMMER TO CLASS ON Tues Sept 13 3) Set up a reading blog at blogger.com and email Ms. Somerville an active URL. 4) 1st Blog post: Personal response to Christopher Hitchens' interview with Charlie Rose and "The Topic of Cancer" (due Tuesday September 13) A) Comment on Hitchens' attitude about his diagnosis and quote him directly. B) Comment on the emotional appeal of both pieces. How does Hitchens connect to the audience? C) Copy a short excerpt from "Topic of Cancer" that is especially good writing and explain why you think so. EVALUATION Thinking /10 Communication /5 |
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