Day Twenty-Nine / 4.28.10

Today we started with the Vocabulary 13 Quiz. Then, we went over the words and definitions for Vocabulary 14 (due May 10, 2010). After that, we edited the essays from Japan. I posted one below, if you missed it. Next, we discussed the poetry homework. Finally, we talked about how we make meaning when reading creative writing. We briefly analyzed the histories of 2 students, and thought about how the "movies in their heads" would be different when reading creative writing. We make meaning out of the prior experiences we have and the pictures we create in our head (among a few other things), and this means there will be different interpretations of texts, and different meanings for different people.

For Friday, we've got a WIBR party:
P1. Adam, Brittany, Kelly, John C., Rhiannon
p3. Arshia, Timothy, Catherine, Courtney

Also, will all the people I requested to e-mail me their essays, please do so by Friday (so do it like, now). Please e-mail me at ankenym@uci.edu. Thank you!

The Strike is Over

We return to 1/3/5 tomorrow, for a block day. Be prepared to pick up the pace, since we've definitely lost some ground. Here's the game plan:

We're going to be turning in Vocabulary Packet #13.
We're going to be taking Vocabulary Quiz #13.
We're going to be turning in our Poetry Assignment Homework.

So please come prepared to class, we've got some catching up to do.

Day Twenty-Eight / 4.21.10

Today we selected the top 6 (approximately) "A Day in My Life" essays. Then we did some writing in our Writers Notebook. Next, we went over the details of the Multi-Genre Paper. Finally, we went over What is Poetry? We saw a clip from So I Married an Ax Murder, looked at poets of the past, and went through a slideshow on the aspects of poetry. The slideshow is here. The handout accompanying the slideshow is here.

Finally, we had homework: analyzing a poem. The homework is here.

Day Twenty-Seven / 4.19.10

Today we were introduced to the Multi-Genre Paper. We read the Biography passage about Count Basie, then we read the poem, "Basic Basie." Here's the poem:

Basic Basie
by Kamau Brathwaite

Hunched, humped backed, gigantic
the pianist presides above the
rumpus, his fingers clutch the chords,

dissonance and discord vie
and vamp across the key
board

his big feet beat the beat until the whole joint
rocks, it is not romantic
but a subtle fingering exudes a sweet exotic

fragrance now and then, you'll
recognize the fragrance if you listen
well, this flower blooms and blossoms,

till brash boogie woogie hordes come burgeoning up from hell
blind
and gigantic

Then we listened to a song by Basie, you can listen to it here. Then we read an example of a Multi-Genre paper that dealt with parental relationships, religion, and an eating disorder. The author used short pieces of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, et cetera to build a "mood" that described her feelings about her topic. Finally, we went over our schedules for next year.

Day Twenty-Six / 4.16.10

Today we started with a quote from Pablo Picasso: "Art is the lie that tells the truth." Then we went over the 1=25 sheet, to help us come up with further ideas for writing. You can download and print the sheet here. Then we covered the grading of our journals, and briefly touched on the multi-genre paper. The handout for those two is right here. Next, we wrote in our Writers Notebook for 20 minutes. Then we read some vignettes (vignette: a brief, evocative description, account or episode) from Sandra Cisnero's The House on Mango Street. We discussed how our 2x2 picture frame is a good way explore our world. Then, we talked about sharing with the Japanese "A Day in My Life." The rubric for that assignment is here. Remember, focus on a notable event in your day, and draw your reader into that scene. Avoid the "Bed to Bed" style.

Day Twenty-Five / 4.14.10

Today we went over the words for Vocabulary 13, which is due on 4.26.10. Then, we worked on our Rough Drafts, preparing for the Final Draft, which is due this Friday, 4.16.10. Finally, we started our unit on creative writing, by defining Creative Non-Fiction and looking at two examples. The New Yorker piece by David Sedaris can be found here. And the Malcolm Gladwell piece from Slate.com can be found here. Mr. Ankeny's story can be read here.

For further examples of Creative Non-Fiction, or creative diaries, check out Slate.com's diary page, here.

Day Twenty-Four / 4.12.10

Today we finished watching Romeo + Juliet.

For Wednesday, please bring your writing notebook and your rough draft.

Day Twenty-Three / 4.02.10

Today, we turned in our rough drafts, and we watched Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo & Juliet. To find out more information about the film, you can click here.

For Spring Break, you are required to fill out the following survey.

Click here to take survey.

And you are required to get a Writer's Notebook, a standard, 8x11 notebook. I purchased mine at Target for $2.22.

Day Twenty-Two / 3.31.10

Today we had Quiz 3 and then had a Writers Workshop. We read excerpts from Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (if you want to re-read this excerpt, it's here), The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, and 78 Reasons by Pat Walsh. We also started concept mapping and writing our rough drafts. Finally, we went over the difference between the colon and the semi-colon.

Here is the colon/semi-colon GQ.