ENGLISH with McCABE

1A: Schedule Update

2012-03-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

T 3/6 Be prepared to discuss Mairs (244), Johnson (196), Eighner (146) and Thoreau (403) essays

Th 3/8 Essay #1 (In-Class - Blue Book); Essay #2 Assigned

1A: Thoreau

2012-03-05T22:38:00.002-08:00

Be sure to read the upcoming post here re: Thursday's (March 8th) in-class essay assignment.

Would Henry David Thoreau wear these pants?

Some words from Henry David Thoreau: "Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes." These words are pertinent to English 1A students who are reading Thoreau this week, but any ENGLISH with McCABE student should feel free to join the discussion. Just be sure to sign your full name and course number.

Here is the question for an informal discussion: Is Thoreau right or wrong (re: his new clothes assertion)? Give three responses. 1. Why he's right. 2. Why he's wrong. 3. Why you agree with him or not. (Go for it. Offer your thoughts in the comments section.)

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Henry David Thoreau and Walden Pond:

1A: Steven Johnson

2012-03-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to our Tuesday, March 6th, class meeting and our examination of Steven Johnson's "Games." As I have been preparing for the class, I came upon a couple of things that might be of interest to you. First, there is his website, www.stevenberlinjohnson.com. While there, I was directed to a New York Times article, "Wired for Distraction," by Matt Richtel. It looks good, as does Johnson's response to the article. I hope to get to both soon.

I also watched this video promoting his book, Where Good Ideas Come From. I'm going to have to watch it again.

Here's must-watch TV: Stephen Colbert interviews Steven Johnson in 2006. And Charlie Rose, about five years ago, talks with Johnson for about 15 minutes. The interview starts shortly after the 40 minute mark.

1B: Baldwin & Jazz

2012-03-04T00:14:00.003-08:00

James Baldwin by Carl Van Vechten, September 13, 1955

General information about James Baldwin can be found at the sites hosted by the CSPAN American Writers and the PBS American Masters television programs. Here's an excerpt of a documentary on Baldwin; it includes an interview with Baldwin as he talks about his family and remembers his life in Harlem:

Baldwin gave a speech on civil rights and race at UC Berkeley on Jan. 15, 1979. You can watch an excerpt of it here:

CSPAN also has a complete copy of the speech at their site and they profile Baldwin at this page.

And James Baldwin and jazz go together like rhythm and blues. The following two songs are performed by Sonny Clark, a great jazz pianist from the 1950s and 1960s. (Sonny Clark is not related to Baldwin's Sonny. But they do both play the piano.)

Sonny Clark Trio: "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" (1957)

Sonny Clark Quintet: "Blue Minor" (1959)

At the end of Baldwin's story, Sonny plays a version of "Am I Blue," a standard that has been recorded countless times. Read the lyrics:

Am I Blue? (from 1929)

Harry Akst and Grant Clarke

It was a morning, long before dawn
Without a warning I found he was gone
How could he do it
Why should he do it
He never done it before

Am I blue
Am I blue
Ain’t these tears, in these eyes telling you
How can you ask me am I blue
Why, wouldn’t you be too
If each plan
With your man
Done fell through

There was a time
When I was his only one
But now i’m
The sad and lonely one...lonely

Was I gay
Untill today
Now he’s gone, and we’re through
Am I blue

Here's five recordings to choose from for your viewing and listening pleasure: Ethel Waters, Hoagy Carmichael, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Kevin Conroy. What's your favorite?

1C: Schedule Update

2012-03-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

M 3/5: Samuels (1-104); ARG: Chpt. IV; Harvey: Chpt. 2

W 3/7: Be prepared to discuss Samuels (1-104)

M 3/12: Essay #1 re: readings from Morris (Part I & II), The Secret Histories, Weston/Arguments and Samuels (1-134). Bring a Blue Book for Essay #1, an in-class essay. It will not be open book or open notes. However, bring all of your books to class for a brief discussion at the start of class.

W 3/14: Samuels (135-76); bring Samuels and Fair Play to class. Essay #2 assignment discussed.

1C: James Hogue: The Runner

2012-03-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

When we talk about David Samuels and his book The Runner on James Hogue the following discussion questions will be helpful.

Your discussion will involve careful analysis of the book, so you will turn to specific examples from the book to support your positions. Before you get into your group, start with question number 15. Write your questions down and bring them to your group and ask your colleagues to respond. Take notes on what they have to say.

1. Consider the book's title and the first paragraph of the narrative and note that James Hogue's story is not told in chronological order. Why do you think Samuels opened his book (with that first paragraph and) with that scene?

2. We think of liars as the ones telling the lie, but Samuels says Hogue preferred to let "other people do the talking" (4). Why would this be an important feature of his persona? Later, Samuels claims, "Hogue didn't care much for telling stories about himself" (36). What is beginning to emerge regarding Hogue or liars, at least from the point of view of Samuels?

3. David Eckley says that "[Hogue] was a sweetheart, but dangerous in his own way. . . .He just can't seem to come to reality" (5) Do you agree with Eckley or not?

4. Samuels says that "[Hogue] only fooled people who wanted to be fooled." (6). This sounds like something Ricky Jay might have said when he was speaking with Errol Morris. (Find where Jay says this.) How might Jay's remarks help us understand someone like Hogue? You may also want to see Samuels's remarks about Dr. Alaia as "a sucker" (24).

5. I am trying to find the reason that Samuels wrote The Runner. What is his purpose? See what Samuels says on page 9: "Hogue also did what all liars do, which is to diminish the universal store of truthfulness . . . and establish meaningful connections to others" (9). Do you think that this is the book's heart, or is it something else? Explain.

6. "Cindy's habit of telling tall tales is familiar," Samuels writes (13). Why does he tell us this?

7. Samuels wonders "Perhaps one reason that James Hogue has held my interest the past ten years is that I still can't figure out exactly what he was up to, at the same time as he reminded me strongly of myself." (14). Do you see a connection, or a similarity, between the two men? Explain.

8. Let's look at Hogue's family life, especially pages 41-43. Why would Christmas be such an important holiday for Hogue? What was his relationship with his sister? What were the peculiar habits of his mother? How do all of these things tell us about Hogue--if anything?

9. Let's stop and take some time with Chapter V. "The Escape Artist." I think of this as Samuels's "big idea" for the book. Do you think he is overreaching? Or does he hit the right note and successfully makes his story about Hogue serve a larger purpose? Explain.

10.What is the theme of The Runner? Offer several examples from the book in support of your position.

11. Is The Runner a story of class consciousness? Would someone from the upper class engage in the same conduct as Hogue did? Or to look at this question from another angle: would Hogue have lived his life as he did--falsifying his academic record, his name, and stealing--if he was wealthy? Explain.

12. Was Hogue's greatest crime against himself or others? Or his harm was equal to both? Explain.

13. Samuels identifies with Hogue. (See question #7, above.) Does this cause him to lose his objectivity in telling Hogue's story? Or does it allow him to better explain who Hogue is?

14. Is The Runner principally a story about one man, that is, Hogue, or is it about the American characteristic of remaking or redefining or self-invention? Explain.

15. Come up with three questions of your own about The Runner.

And here's the trailer for Con Man, a film about Hogue. Maybe we should watch it. What do you think? (An earlier viewer, Gerardo of English Plus, spots news reader Kent Manahan. A tip of the hat to Gerardo for his careful observation.)

And the trailer for Catch Me if You Can:

Can't leave out the opening credits for it:

Find other stories like Frank Abagnale, Jr., (Catch Me if You Can) or Hogue's? What happened to these guys (like Abagnale, Hogue et al) anyways? (Post your comments inside.)

Anyone find other James Hogue-liek stories out there? If so, please post in comments section. From semesters past, students have learned that Hogue-like stories are not all that unusual.

Ivette Gonzalez kept her eyes on the news with Twitter. She got news of a story that she wanted us to see. I'm glad she did. Sounds like the illustrious James "The Runner" Hogue.

This time it is a basketball player. Here's the story:

22 year-old man posed as 16 year-old high school student

Angela Liu found a similar story about a man who . . . well, just go to this link and find out.

Look what Laura Noonan found: "A 33-year-old woman is charged with stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading team." Want to read more? Of course you do. Click here.

Anyone want to find more James Hogue wannabees? Let the games begin. (Post links in comments . . . . .)

1C: Murrow & McCarthy

2012-02-29T09:15:00.003-08:00

Any good things on the web--i.e., web pages or videos--regarding Edward R. Murrow and/or Sen. Joseph McCarthy? Please post what you find.

.... Nick Gomez of English 1C (Spring 2012) has found a great clip on YouTube. Thanks a million to Nick for leading us to this film footage of Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joseph McCarthy. It's a must watch in glorious black & white!

You can also find this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4LZsDqSSfk

1B: Ralph Ellison and Jeff Wall

2012-02-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

In fall 2010, Joey Naranjo, an English 1B student, told me how much he liked Jeff Wall, a great contemporary photographer. I think highly of Wall, too, and told Joey of this one image of Wall's that was inspired by Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Now that we are reading "Battle Royal," a selection from Invisible Man, I wanted to show you some of Wall's work and one photograph, in particular.

This is the room, as envisioned by Jeff Wall, that the Invisible Man made for himself underground. Wall's photographs are often staged: he designs sets and poses individuals, in scenes that pay homage to other works of art and literature, as he does here. His works are then mounted in lightboxes, so large that you could step into it and become a part of the moment. Click on After "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, the Preface, 1999-2000 to get a larger reproduction and its dimensions. Here's a video of Jeff Wall talking about his photography:

Photographs like painting | Video of the day by deutschewelle

Though the following words are not included in our anthology, they are pertinent to understanding Ellison's protagonist. For your reading pleasure, from Ellison's Invisible Man, the protagonist describes the place where he makes his home:

My hole is warm and full of light. Yes, full of light. I doubt if there is a brighter spot in all New York than this hole of mine, and I do not exclude Broadway. Or the Empire State Building on a photographer's dream night. But that is taking advantage of you. Those two spots are among the darkest of our whole civilization--pardon me, our whole culture (an important distinction, I've heard)--which might sound like a hoax, or a contradiction, but that (by contradiction, I mean) is how the world moves: Not like an arrow, but a boomerang. (Beware of those who speak of the spiral of history; they are preparing a boomerang. Keep a steel helmet ready.) I know; I have been boomeranged across my head so much that I now can see the darkness of lightness. And I love light. Perhaps you'll think it strange that an invisible man should need light, desire light, love light. But maybe it is exactly because I am invisible. Light confirms my reality, gives birth to my form. (6-7)

If you do have a chance to respond before Tuesday morning's class, please do in 50 words or less to this question: How well does Jeff Wall capture the character of the Invisible Man as presented in the selection "Battle Royal"? You can post your response by clicking on "comments." I look forward to reading what you have to say.

English 1A, 1B, 1C ... Are We Getting Dumber?

2012-02-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

from
The New York Times

February 27, 2012

Room for Debate: Are People Getting Dumber?

If you turn on the TV, or flip through standardized tests, or spend mindless hours on YouTube, it’s hard not to wonder: Is our species devolving? Are people getting dumber?

To read this debate go to this link.

Join in the discussion, if you like, and post your comments here on our blog.

OFF-CAMPUS LIFE: NEWSPAPER READING

2012-02-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

Image from The New York Times, September 5, 2009

During the first week of school I stressed the importance of reading the newspaper daily. James MacGregor Burns, who has been a college teacher for over 50 years and the author of many books on U.S. government and history, encourages students to "[t]ry to read a good newspaper every day." Most of you do all the things he suggests, but it is good to see his ideas in print. In addition to reading MacGregor's article, you might want to take a look at some of these other articles in The New York Times Education Life section. You'll find articles on college athletics, student "occupy" activism and . . . you name it. Please post some of your reactions to what Burns and the other writers have to say. What do you think is going on at colleges today?

English 1C - - Lost Notebook -- Is it yours?

2012-02-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

A student notebook, it's white and has blank paper inside, was found in the C building's 2nd floor men's room. Is it yours? There's no name in it, only a copy of our class syllabus. I'll bring it to class next Monday.

English 1C -- Errol Morris & Ricky Jay & Joseph's Tunic

2012-02-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

Jacob Receiving the Tunic of Joseph. Diego Velazquez, c. 1630

The painting, above, by Diego Velazquez appears with the Errol Morris column, "Seven Lies About Lying," The New York Times, August 5 and 6, 2009. Try these links for Part 1 and Part 2 of the column. If the link doesn't work for you try the following: Errol Morris archive and look for his "Opinator" columns. You can also try registering at The New York Times website and search for it, go to ProQuest and search, and go to Google and search.

Sarkis Boyadjian of our English 1C kindly sent this note to me for posting. "I googled 'seven lies aboutlying' and it showed up [as] part one and part two. Here [are] the links":
part one: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/seven-lies-about-lying-part-1/
part two: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/seven-lies-about-lying-part-2/

PLEASE NOTE: You do not need to print the pictures that accompany the Morris column.

How well do you know bible stories? Well, this might be a good place to offer a link to the biblical story that Morris discusses. Here's the link to a summary of the story from Genesis.

Since you'll be reading a column by Errol Morris, and his interview with Ricky Jay, here's a couple of things to check out to learn more about both men.

Decide for yourself if Errol Morris has a pretty good website. And after you do, watch this video in which Morris, a documentarian, talks about his desire to "recover reality."

Ricky Jay's website is worth a look. And so is this card trick of his:

After watching these video clips and reading the Errol Morris column from The New York Times, answer the following question in 27 words or less: Would you like to have dinner with Morris and Jay? Why? Click on the "comments" and post your response.

And for fans of Ricky Jay and Bob Dylan, who like a little music with their card tricks, here you go.

English 1A -- David Sedaris

2012-02-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

What does David Sedaris look like? What does David Sedaris sound like? Watch this:

Now that you have watched the video (and possibly others, as well) and read "A Plague of Ticks," post an answer to one the following set of questions in the comments section: If you met David Sedaris, what would you like to ask him, and what do you think his answer would be?

You may also want to read former English 1A student Omri Avraham's field report, a terrific piece of writing, about her meet and greet with David Sedaris. You'll find it below on this page.

Omri "Irmo" Avraham: David Sedaris Field Report

2012-02-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

(A field report from English 1A student Omri "Irmo" Avraham of David Sedaris's appearance at Vroman's Books, Pasadena, CA. Filed December 1, 2010 4:42 PM. Because of the high value of Omri's post, her report is reposted here. Comments by Omri's loyal audience are encouraged. Let's turn, now, to Omri's report from Vroman's Books.)

Mr. Sedaris is quite the charming and adorable man, with a pink collared shirt, and polka dot tie. I spotted him at Vroman's sitting at a small wooden table for the pre-signing, actively engaged in a conversation with one of the many fans who were standing in line, now snaked through the bookstore.

I headed upstairs to get my pre-ordered copy of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. Although I purchased my book a mere three days after the event was announced, my ticket was only valid for a signing, and not a seat for the reading. Instead, me and about 50 other people were sprawled on the floor at Vroman's listening to Mr. Sedaris read over a speaker system. He sounded...cute. I just wanted to put him in a little box and take him home with me and have him be my own personal narrator and life-story teller, like in that movie, Stranger than Fiction.

He began by reading the title story out of his new book. All the characters in these stories are animals acting as humans; he did this because it turns a boring, simple, daily scenario into something a lot more interesting. A squirrel and a chipmunk conversing can provide hours of entertainment while a man and a women gets...boring. Additionally, he does not need to come up with names for his characters or lengthy descriptions because everyone can clearly picture a duck or a cat in their mind's eye.

He then read an excerpt from a story not included (upon his editor's suggestion) in this book because it was “disgusting.” The story, which of course I cannot remember the title of, was about flies eating vomit and fecal matter while having a legitimate conversation that one would have over dinner. And because it is expected for flies to engage in this sort of poop-eating behavior, Sedaris is not disturbed by his detailed, vivid, and at times gruesome yet hilarious descriptions of human waste.

On this book tour of his, he is collecting jokes from his fans. So after reading some random ones which he collected, and throwing in a few of his own, we were invited to wait around Vroman's for the actual signing.

8, 9, 10pm. Finally, at around 10:30 my group was called upstairs to the signing area. Why would a signing take so long, might you ask? Well, Mr. Sedaris was giving each fan his undivided attention, listening to jokes for his collection, and personalizing each autograph. His remark about my name? “Wow, this is the second name I have seen tonight that looks like a typo! I mean, you can rearrange the letters in almost any way and it would be just as legitimate!” Apparently he has not read The Indian in the Cupboard, but thank you Mr. Sedaris, I appreciate it.

I did not have a joke for him, but I asked him a question instead. Something slightly personal, yet not taboo. What is your favorite comfort food, or something you can eat without ever getting sick of? His answer...noodles with butter (and maybe salt/good cheese). and his favorite ice cream flavor? clotted cream from a small parlor in London.

So what is your favorite food?

Mine you ask...probably peanut butter and jelly.

December 1, 2010 4:42 PM

LENS: PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO AND VISUAL JOURNALISM

2012-02-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

Amina, 13, who weaves carpets for a living, surrounded by her classmates
at a literacy center. Kabul, 2006. photograph by Jean Chung

from The New York Times
Monday, February 20, 2012

Turning Art into Activism
by David Gonzalez

Leslie Thomas wants to shock you. She wants to anger you. And above all, she wants you to do something.

She’s not talking about run-of-the-mill, “Hey buddy, watch your step” angry or TMZ sleaze shock. She’s talking about the great humanitarian and social crises of our time, like in Darfur, Afghanistan or Myanmar. And yes, she’s talking to you.

Ms. Thomas, an architect turned activist, is the founder of Art Works Projects, which uses photography to raise awareness of human rights concerns and spur action. Over the last five years it has mounted exhibitions and presented large-scale public slide projections on various themes. It has now published a book of images with accompanying posters and curriculums on the lives of women in Afghanistan. A wide-ranging retrospective opens in Slovenia on Tuesday.

Find the whole story, "Turning Art into Activism" by David Gonzalez, from The New York Times, here.

From the British Journal of Photography: Noor Nisa, 20, pregnant, and her mother, Nazer Begam, 40, who live in Weha village, a four hour drive by car to the clinic in Faizabad, wait along the side of the road to be transported to the hospital, after their car broke down, in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, Nov. 14, 2009. Image © Lynsey Addario / VII.

PCC Student Demonstration

2012-02-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

ASPCC LOBBY COMMITTEE is sponsoring

MARCH in MARCH
A March to save Higher Education

Monday, March 5th, 2012

in Sacramento, California
Statewide student rally
in support of higher education funding

FREE
to PCC Students registered for SPRING 2012

March in March Quick Facts:

TRIP INCLUDES: AIRFARE, FOOD and
ALL GROUND TRANSPORTATION

Limited to the FIRST 90 Students
This is an ALL DAY trip to Sacramento, Ca.
A $25 dollar refundable deposit is required

• Must have a valid government issued ID (State issued ID, Driver’s License, or Government issued Passport) to participate

To participate, students MUST ATTEND AT LEAST ONE Information Meeting:

Office of Student Affairs CC-105 or email cmafuso@pasadena.edu

FEB 28, 2012 CIRCADIAN 12-1:30 pm
FEB 29 2012 CIRCADIAN 5-6:30pm

PCC Academic Scholarship

2012-02-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

I received this announcement today, January 17, 2012, from the PCC Academic Senate re: scholarships. See if you qualify.

The Academic Senate Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships available at PCC. The Senate scholarships are given to students who are ready to transfer to four-year colleges/universities after the spring semester or summer intersession, 2012. Students must transfer during the 2012/2013 academic year. There are two kinds of scholarships each year:

Dean’s Honor/Edna Plummer Scholarship—offered to academically excellent students who have placed at least two semesters on the Dean’s Honors list and who have a minimum 3.7 GPA.

Keith Miller Educational Scholarship—offered to academically strong students whose career goals are in teaching at the kindergarten to 12^th grade level and who have a minimum 3.4 GPA.

Please announce this outstanding scholarship opportunity in your classes and encourage your qualified students to apply. During the past few years the Senate has offered six to fifteen scholarships each year, with each award ranging from $1,000 to $1,500.

Any eligible student can pick up an application at the Senate Office (C227) beginning January 12, 2012. The completed application with all necessary supporting documents must be submitted to the Senate Office by 1:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 15, 2012.

TEXTBOOKS Spring 2012

2012-02-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

You can buy your textbooks for all of my classes by following this link to the PCC Bookstore online service. At the course menu pull-down on the left, click on Spring 2012, and then look for EF-Engl to begin your search. Prices are always subject to change.

ENGLISH 1A

50 ESSAYS

COHEN

ISBN:9780312609658

New Purchase $29.35

Used Purchase $22.00

COMPLETE SHORT STORIES OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY

HEMINGWAY

ISBN:9780684843322

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Used Purchase $16.50

COYOTES

CONOVER

ISBN:9780394755182

New Purchase $15.95

Used Purchase $12.00

WRITER'S REFERENCE BUNDLE/ACCESS CODE

HACKER

ISBN:9781457609596

New Purchase $58.00

Used Purchase $43.50

ENGLISH 1B

LITERATURE: PORTABLE ANTHOLOGY

GARDNER

ISBN:9780312461867

New Purchase $40.00

Used Purchase $30.00

STORIES (TRANSLATED by PEAVER)

CHEKHOV

ISBN:9780553381009

New Purchase $15.00

Used Purchase $11.25

WHERE I'M CALLING FROM

CARVER

ISBN:9780679722311

New Purchase $16.00

Used Purchase $12.00

ENGLISH 1C

FAIR PLAY

OLSON

ISBN:9781597971539

New Purchase $19.95

Used Purchase $15.00

NEWJACK: GUARDING SING SING

CONOVER

ISBN:9780375726620

New Purchase $15.00

Used Purchase $11.25

RULEBOOK FOR ARGUMENTS

WESTON

ISBN:9780872209541

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RUNNER, THE

SAMUELS

ISBN:9781582435046

New Purchase $14.95

Used Purchase $11.25

SECRET HISTORIES

FRIEDMAN

ISBN:9780312425173

New Purchase $17.00

Used Purchase $12.75

WRITING WITH SOURCES: GUIDE FOR STUDENTS

HARVEY

ISBN:9780872209442

New Purchase $6.95

Used Purchase $5.25

PCC Scholarship

2012-02-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

from PCC news to my email to you:

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS

SusieH. Ling / February 7, 2012 / Of Note

PCC hasa new student scholarship opportunity: the George and Ruri Sugimoto FamilyScholarships. These $500 awards are for students on BOG (Board of Governors)Fee Waivers. Please let students know as the deadline of March 1st approaches.Full eligibility requirements and the application form is available at theFinancial Aid Office L114 and Social Sciences Division Office C321. For moreinformation, contact Susie Ling shling@pasadena.edu.

1B--Carver Final Exam

2012-02-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

English 1B final exam

Select one of the following stories by Raymond Carver for discussion: "Boxes," "Intimacy," or "Elephant."

The question: Which of the above stories presents a protagonist who travels the greatest distance in self-realization and hope? Discuss in a well-organized essay.

Please type. Limit your response to 2-3 pages. Cite page numbers when you quote or paraphrase from the story. Follow MLA guidelines.

I will be in our classroom on Thursday, February 16th, from 10:30 am-11:30 am to collect your essays.

Best of luck. It has been great working with all of you.

English 1B: RAYMOND CARVER--SCHEDULE UPDATE FEB. 14TH

2012-02-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Group work at its finest? Or a staged photo op? From left to right, clockwise: Kary, Elizabeth, Elia, Nancy, Sara, and Stephanie, take on Carver's "Fever" at Shatford Library. What do you think? Staged? Or not staged? Let the debate begin. June 1, 2011.

The Carver Gang Discussing "What We Talk About When We Talk About Caffeine." Clockwise, left to right: Stephanie, Tina, Sara, Kary, Brian, Some Guy, Kim and Nancy. June 8, 2011.

Once we start on Carver, you've got a couple of things to do.

First: Go to carversite: raymond carver. When you get there, roam around. Read. Check out the audio. There's probably a video link in there somewhere. Watch it.

Second: Read the Paris Review interview with Carver.

Third: Visit The New Yorker site re: Carver. The magazine has published many of Carver's stories and remembrances of him over the years. Here's the magazine's Raymond Carver page. The draft of the particular story, "Beginners," which became "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," can be found here. The Gordon Lish edited version--"Beginners," heavily edited--also appears at The New Yorker's site. It is an excellent example of the dynamics, or call it the conflict, that exist between writer and editor. Just skim through it.

Fourth: And, yes, you should follow the syllabus re: Carver readings. They are: "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" and "So Much Water So Close to Home." At Monday's Nov. 21st class we'll discuss these two short stories and discuss getting copies of "The Bath" to you.

Fifth: Thanks to Andy Ngo of English 1B, here's "The Bath" in PDF. If this link is broken, find :"The Bath" at this address: http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/fms/Colleges/College%20of%20Humanities%20and%20Social%20Sciences/EMS/Readings/139.105/Additional/The%20Bath%20-%20Raymond%20Carver.pdf.

Find an early version of "So Much Water So Close to Home" right here. Please note, however, that this version incorrectly includes a question mark ("?") at the end of the story; it should end with a period.

WEDNESDAY 2/15

CARVER: READ “Cathedral” (356); “A Small Good Thing” (376); “The Bath” (early
version of “A Small Good Thing”; see English with McCabe, Carver section, below, for link)
“Boxes” (409); “Intimacy” (444); “Elephant” (472)

Find "The Bath" at this address: http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/fms/Colleges/College%20of%20Humanities%20and%20Social%20Sciences/EMS/Readings/139.105/Additional/The%20Bath%20-%20Raymond%20Carver.pdf.

THURSDAY 2/16

Final Exam re: Carver (Bring a Blue Book and your copy of the Carver stories)

Having trouble with the Chekhov revision?

2012-02-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

Try this (new and improved link):

Feel better? Send thank you to OK Go. And look behind the scenes of their "Needing/Getting" video.

Guitar Heroes to Guitar Gods & Goddesses? (Zocaro)

2012-02-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Book review: Gary Marcus' 'Guitar Zero'

Can Guitar Hero aces become guitar gods in real life? That's what a psychology professor at NYU explores in his look at the science of learning through music.

By Nick Owchar, Los Angeles Times

February 10, 2012

Spending countless hours playing the video game Guitar Hero has fostered an illusion among many middle-age guys. It's not too late to be a guitar god.

Then they discover something: There's a big difference between the colored plastic buttons on the guitar-shaped game control and the six strings of an actual guitar. But is the difference insurmountable? Gary Marcus set out to answer that question in "Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning."

"I had a sabbatical coming up," says Marcus, a psychology professor at New York University. "I decided to see what would happen if I devoted myself to music full time, for a month or two — or as long as I could stand. If someone as tuneless as I could make progress, perhaps there was hope for anyone."

Marcus' journey may have started because he wanted to rock, but he's also director of NYU's Center for Language and Music. This book in the end is about more than a desire to shred like Eddie Van Halen. Marcus examines how our brains are affected by creativity — learning a musical instrument, for instance, or a new language — and how these experiences remain open to all of us, no matter our age.

How? By practice. Practice spurs brain growth, he says. It causes the brain to take what it learns and shift it from explicit to implicit — a process he calls "proceduralization." That's why the beginning guitarist struggles to bend a string but a practiced player bends the same note seemingly without any effort. The whole exercise moves, thanks to the brain, to a deeper, visceral level — that's the level at which great musicians play.

It's also the level that a young child reaches more quickly than an adult, but that doesn't mean adults should give up. The fact is, Marcus says, "a musical mind develops only if we put in years of hard work … in which parts of the brain that evolved for other purposes such as language … are gradually co-opted into doing something new."

It sounds as if Marcus were stating the obvious — "Practice makes perfect," right? — but his book looks far more deeply into the ways our brains rewire themselves and find ways to compensate for certain gaps or deficits in our abilities.

In the process of demonstrating these, Marcus sounds an encouraging note (pun intended) for older readers who have always wanted to do something but have never had time.

The reason for learning anything, whether it's guitar (Marcus succeeds, playing well enough to perform before a Brooklyn audience), Guitar Hero or Mandarin Chinese, isn't perfection or virtuoso skill. The motive is far simpler: bliss. Learning makes us happy, and it provides us with feelings of control and novelty, Marcus concludes in this thoughtful study, that are crucial to our psyches.

"[M]aybe, just maybe," he says, "the art of reinvention and acquiring new skills can give us a sense of a life well lived."

Rock on.

Marcus will visit L.A. on Feb. 24 for a Zocalo Public Square event at the Museum of Contemporary Art, http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org. There is a link to Zocalo Public Square under the Arts and Culture section of English with McCabe to the right. Zocalo Public Square calls itself "a living magazine, an innovative blend of on-the-ground events and on-line journalism, that connects people to ideas and to each other in an open, accessible, non-partisan and broad-minded spirit." You may find some of their programming of special interest to you. See what's upcoming and their video archive. Programs are free to the public.

nick.owchar@latimes.com

1B CHEKHOV & CARVER Assignments

2012-02-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

In a well-organzied essay, discuss whether Chekhov's protagonists take life as it is or imagine one as it could be. Limit your analysis to one of the following stories: “Gooseberries,” “A Medical Case,” or “The Financee." In addition, include two or three of Chekhov’s letters in your discussion. You may also use material from Richard Pevear’s introduction to Stories by Anton Chekhov or Carver’s “Errand” in your essay.

Length for Draft and Revision: 3-4 typed pages. Follow MLA guidelines

Thurs. 2/9

CHEKHOV: Essay #4 DRAFT due (3-4 pages, typed, follow MLA; bring 2 typed copies) GRADED: CREDIT/NO CREDIT

CARVER: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” (170); AND read but don't print a copy of “Beginners,” an early version of “What We Talk About When. . .” that was published in The New Yorker. Find it and read it at: http://www.newyorker.com/online/2007/12/24/071224on_onlineonly_carver
Bring Literature and Carver books

Mon. 2/13

CHEKHOV: Essay #4 REVISION due (3-4 pages, typed, follow MLA; 1 typed copies) GRADED: LETTER GRADE

CARVER: “So Much Water So Close to Home” (213) (also read early version of “So Much Water So Close to Home”; see English with McCabe, Carver section, for link to the early version);

“The Calm” (238); “Where I’m Calling From” (278); “Chef’s House” (297); “Fever”(303)

Bring Literature and Carver books all this week

Tues. 2/14

CARVER: “Cathedral” (356); “A Small Good Thing” (376); “The Bath” (early

version of “A Small Good Thing”; see English with McCabe, Carver section, for link)

Wed. 2/15

CARVER: “Boxes” (409); “Intimacy” (444); “Elephant” (472)

Thurs. 2/16

Final Exam re: Carver (Bring a Blue Book and your copy of the Carver stories)

Chekhov Essay Resources & Reader's Comments

2012-02-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Links to Online Resources

Purdue Online Writing Lab:

Tips and Examples on Writing Thesis Statements

L. Kip Wheeler: Awful Thesis Exercise

Purdue Online Writing Lab pages:
Introduction to Writing about Literature
Close Reading a Text and Avoiding Pitfalls
Developing a Thesis
Prewriting and Drafting Your Essay

Reader's Comments

When reviewing the essay draft, make your editorial comments directly on the draft and, in some cases, answer the questions below on the back of the student’s essay. Once you have completed these steps, which should take about 20 minutes, discuss your remarks with the writer.

2. Does the first paragraph clearly introduce the author and title under consideration? Is the theme of the work presented? Are there words (or sentences) in the first paragraph that can be removed (or edited) in order to make the introduction more concise and clear?

3. What is the essay's thesis? Is it specific enough for a 3-4 page essay? Where does it appear in the essay? (A thesis is an argument and it is the thread that runs from the beginning to the end of the essay.) Copy what you think the writer’s thesis is on the back of his or her essay.

4. Is the story under consideration clearly summarized near the beginning of the essay? Should anything be added? On the other hand, is the work summarized at too great of a length? If either is true, make your suggested revisions directly on the draft.

5. Are quotes from the original work(s) used judiciously? If not, how could they be improved? (Note: no more than 25% of the essay should be comprised of quotations.)

6. What are the best examples in support of the writer's thesis? Can they be more fully developed? How? What other examples could the writer provide?

7. Is there sufficient analysis of the examples? Or does the writer let the examples “speak” for themselves? If this is true, suggest where the writer needs to provide a fuller analysis of the example(s) provided.

8. Is the essay unified? Do paragraph topic sentences connect to the thesis? If not, what are the examples or discussions unrelated to the essay's thesis? If there are sections where the essay lacks focus, suggest an alternative presentation of the thesis and/or the examples so the essay achieves coherence.

9. Is the conclusion earned? Or does it introduce a new topic or idea not relevant to the essay’s thesis?

10. Are rules of citation followed within the essay’s text? If not, mark them for correction by the writer. Do all in-text citations appear on the Works Cited page? Review the sources—short story, letters, biographical, and/or criticism—on the Works Cited page. Are all of these sources cited within the essay? Does the Works Cited page follow MLA guidelines?

11. For the writer’s attention, mark errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

English 1B - Winter 2012

2012-02-05T20:27:00.001-08:00

English 1B students: If you can't find a particular class topic on our blog that you would like to address, post your class questions and comments here.

PCC English Prof. Brian Kennedy's My Country is Hockey

2012-02-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

PCC English Prof. Brian Kennedy discusses and signs My Country is Hocke at Vroman Books in Pasadena

Thursday February 9, 2012 @ 7:00 PM

Vroman Books

695 E. Colorado Blvd

Pasadena

"An intelligent and reflective look at hockey's place in the fabric of Canadian society, Kennedy nicely leads the reader down a path that is, in places nostalgic, and at other times, confronts the issues that bedevil the game today. Might be the best read of the current season's hockey offerings."
--Eric Duhatschek, sports columnist, Globe & Mail

1B: Anton Chekhov and UPDATED ASSIGNMENT as of 2/4/12

2012-02-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Homies Anton "Tall Boy" Chekhov, at left,

and Leo "The Bear" Tolstoy Kicking It

What about addressing those complicated Russian names? They are not as difficult as it seems, Masha Holl explains at her site. I find her description easy and straightforward. Let me quote her: "To see just how crazy and wild these nicknames can become in Russian, click on the names in the table. The cascading folders will reveal the common diminutives (hypociristic forms, as linguists like to say) in progressive order: from the more ordinary to the more intimate. This is where readers are often lost in Russian novels: characters may have several different nicknames and still be the same person." Go see her. She knows what she's talking about.

If you want more information, there are an endless number of sites to turn to. One such place is Russland Journal, which you might find easy to navigate. Another source, surprise, surprise, is Wikipedia.

OSF production of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, 2007

This documentary, Meeting Chekhov, might be of interest to those of you who are reading Chekhov right now (in 1B), have read him previously, or are considering attending the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Libby Appel, the former artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, talks about her lifetime love of Chekhov's plays and the man, from the day she was introduced to him as a 16 year-old girl. OSF actors also talk about thier admiration of Chekhov, and we get to see some scenes of Ashland and the OSF campus.

You may find it easier to watch if you go directly to YouTube.

Meeting with Chekhov Part I

Meeting with Chekhov Part II

Meeting with Chekhov III

Judith Marie Bergan and Gregory Linington in The Cherry Orchard, OSF, 2007

Chekhov reads The Seagull to actors. 1899.

A question: What was Anton Chekhov's favorite breed of dog? There is one person out there who believes it was a dachshund. Get the story here at "The Long and Short of It All: Dachshunds in Pop Culture." Good to know that someone is working on this canine's behalf. More proof that we live in fascinating times.

UPDATED Assignment Schedule as of 2/4/12

Mon. 2/6

Chekhov: “The Lady with the Little Dog” (361); “The Fiancée” (437); QUIZ likely on "The Lady with the Little Dog," "The Fiancée” and Chekhov letters. Chekhov essay assignment will be discussed during class. Bring Literature and Chekhov books.

Tues. 2/7

Chekhov: Essay #4 discussed and begun in class.

Bring Literature and Chekhov books

Wed. 2/8

Chekhov: Essay #4 Draft due (3-4 pages, typed, follow MLA; bring 2 typed copies)

Bring Literature and Chekhov books

Thurs. 2/9

Chekhov: Essay #4 Revision due (3-4 pages, typed, follow MLA; bring 1 typed copy)

Carver: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” (170); AND read but don't print a copy of “Beginners,” an early version of “What We Talk About When. . .” that was published in The New Yorker. Find it and read it at: http://www.newyorker.com/online/2007/12/24/071224on_onlineonly_carver
Bring Literature and Carver books

Mon. 2/13

“So Much Water So Close to Home” (213) (also read early version of “So Much Water So Close to Home”; see English with McCabe, Carver section, for link to the early version); “The Calm” (238); “Where I’m Calling From” (278); “Chef’s House” (297); “Fever”(303)
Bring Literature and Carver books

CHARLES BUKOWSKI

2012-02-03T23:34:00.000-08:00

Charles Bukowski (1920-1994), Los Angeles writer and U.S. postal worker.

After reading Charles Bukowski's poem the other day, I thought I'd resurrect this post from last year about the Huntington Libary, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens exhibition of Bukowski's books, drawings, and letters that ran through February 14, 2011. If you haven't been to the Huntington in San Marino, it is worth a trip and not all that far from PCC; it is just a five minute drive from our campus to the home of a beautiful garden (14,000 different kinds of plants), classic art (paintings by Thomas Gainsborough and Mary Cassatt), and important historical documents (Gutenberg Bible, letters by Washington and Lincoln.)

I ask you: How did a ramblin', gamblin', two-fisted drinkin' man get himself an exhibition at the Huntington with paintings known as "Blue Boy" and "Pinkie" nearby? Good question. You tell me.

Maybe an answer can be found in the Huntington's Bukowski press kit with information about the exhibition.

Charles Bukowski, the artist.

Philip Levine, U.S. Poet Laureate

2012-01-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

In English 1B we will read "What Work Is" by poet Philip Levine. At this page an audio version captures Levine introducing the poem. No matter what class you're in, you might like to read it and listen to it. Here is a profile of Levine, below, from the PBS NewsHour.

You can also see it at the PBS NewsHour site where "Poet Philip Levine Recalls Life at the Factory". A New York Times interview shows that "Philip Levine Still Knows How to Make Trouble". News about his appointment to serve as the U.S. poet laureate is here. Go to Levine's page at Poets.org to read more of his work. The Poetry Foundation page on Levine is also informative. His inaugural reading as U.S. poet laureate was videotaped.

1B: Arthur Miller & Death of a Salesman (Updated FRIDAY 1/20--INFORMATION re: IN-CLASS ESSAY for MONDAY)

2012-01-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

Arthur Miller: younger (at left); older (at right).

The New York Times has an extensive archive of articles on Arthur Miller. Click here to see their many reports, slide shows, and videos on him, from reviews to interviews to a celebration of his life in the theater.

Miller also appeared on the Charlie Rose show where he offered his thoughts on what makes a great playwright. With a little searching you can find many other interviews with Miller on YouTube.

Here is another interview with Arthur Miller, that I found in The Paris Review, Summer 1966 issue.

Here is a must print and read for all English 1B students: Arthur Miller's "Tragedy and the Common Man." In this 1949 essay, Miller makes clear the relationship between a character like Willy Loman and the more classical (and commonly accepted) tragic figures from Greek playwrights and Shakespeare. BRING YOUR COPY TO OUR Thursday, JAN. 19th CLASS!

ATTENTION! If the above link does not work, search "tragedy and the common man" on Google. The second hit should be Arthur Miller's essay, as published in The New York Times. If this does not work, try this link. This copy of "Tragedy and the Common Man" was posted by Prof. Eric Hibbison of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, VA.

Questions re: Death of a Salesman: All Miller quotes below are taken from his “Tragedy and the Common Man” essay. It would be wise to respond to these questions prior to Monday's class.

If we have time, we will form groups for discussion regarding these questions. If groups are formed, one group member will lead the discussion, one take notes and another be prepared to represent the group for a class discussion. One set of notes per group will be collected at the end of the discussion.

1. What does Miller mean when he says in his essay, “we are often held to be below tragedy or tragedy above us”? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

2. How is Willy Loman, as Miller writes, unwilling to “remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status”? Does Willy’s family—Linda, Biff and Happy—share this trait with him or not? Explain.

3. Miller discusses “the underlying fear of being displaced” and its connection to tragedy. How does this quality apply to Willy Loman?

4. Miller argues how “tragedy requires the finest appreciation by the writer of cause and effect.” Offer examples from Death of a Salesman that illustrate his claim.

WEEK of JANUARY 23rd
Monday's assignment was discussed in-class on Thursday, 1/19. Here's the information again and our schedule for the week.

Mon. 1/23
Finish reading Death of a Salesman prior to class
In-Class writing assignment at the start of class. You will write an essay on Act I of Death of a Salesman. The prompt will ask you, in some fashion, to make connections between Miller's essay "Tragedy and the Common Man" and Death of a Salesman. You will have about 45 minutes to respond. You don't need a blue book, but bring paper, pen, your textbook and copy of Miller's essay. This essay assignment will be collected and graded.
Discussion re: Act II.

Tues. 1/24
Possible Quiz on Death of a Salesman, Act II
Discussion re: Act II

Wed. 1/25
Death of a Salesman
Getty Center preview and assignment discussed

Thurs. 1/26
Meet at the Getty Center, 10:30 AM-1:30PM.
Getty Center Assignment: short essay on a poem, story or play from our textbook and its relationship to a work of art at the Getty. Students pick the literary and art work. Essay: typed 2-3 pages. Due: Tuesday, 1/31. Essay will be graded. See Getty post on English with McCabe for more information about the Getty trip.

Mon. 1/30
Essay Draft Due re: Getty/Literature/Art
Bring Chekhov collection and Literature

Tues. 1/31
Essay Revision Due re: Getty/Literature/Art
Bring Chekhov collection and Literature

Getty Center Field Trip

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

An aerial view of the Getty Center. The museum is on the right.

We will be visiting the Getty Center on this Thursday, January 26th between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. The museum's hours: 10:00 AM -- 5:30 PM.

Online maps say it will take 40 minutes by car from PCC to the Getty Center. More likely it will take an hour.

Parking is $15. Admission to the museum is free.

From the parking structure you take a tram to the Getty Center. The tram ride is about 5-10 minutes.

The Getty Center trams overlook the San Diego Freeway (405).

Near the tram stop you will be greeted by Getty Center volunteers who can offer you directions to the museum. We will meet at the entrance to the museum.

Museum entrance is up the stairs on the left.

There are tours of the Getty Center's architecture, art collection and garden. Tour information and schedule is here.

Will our class take a tour as a group? No. Students are free to tour as they like, at their own pace and to their own destinations.

The Getty Center has a cafe and restaurant, but you might find both a little high for your budget. You can bring your own lunch and water, etc.

Can students bring family and friends? Of course.

Can students car pool with fellow students? Sure.

Bring paper and pen to take notes for your essay; you may want to bring your copy of Literature, too. Begin your essay before you leave the Getty. You are free to select any work of art at the Getty, including the architecture and the garden; the same goes for selecting any work of literature in our textbook---your choice--in making a comparison between your selections.

What reading do I suggest that you select? Again, I emphasize, the choice is yours. But here's a dozen poems that may be of interest to you. Read them before you go.

Blake, "London" (487)
Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" (506)
Dickinson, "I felt a funeral in my brain" (534)
Frost, "Birches" (551)
Williams, "Spring and All" (558)
Eliot, "Preludes" (566)
McKay, "America" (569)
Auden, "Musee des Beaux Arts" (581)
Clifton, "at the cemetery, walnut grove plantation, south carolina, 1989" (644)
Bukowski, "my old man" (597)
Stern, "The Dog" (606)
Olds, "I Go Back to May 1937" (664)
Silko, "Prayer to the Pacific" (677)
Nye, "The Small Verses from Hebron" (689)
Chin, "Turtle Soup" (710)
Song, "Girl Powdering Her Neck" (711)

This list is not meant to limit you; it is just a point of departure. You are likely to find readings in Literature that will be more important to you for this assignment.

What else? Dress for weather. Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen can be useful. In the past, when it rains, the Getty has provided umbrellas.

The Getty Center website is a good place to start when you are planning your visit. You can also go to About.com for Getty Center visitor tips.

Interior court of the Getty Museum buildings.

Do not confuse the Getty Center and its museum in Los Angeles with the Getty Villa in Malibu. We are going to the Getty Center, which has a view of West Los Angeles from its Santa Monica Mountain site above the San Diego Freeway (405).

If you cannot join us at the Getty Center on Thursday, talk to me ASAP.

Keep your eye on this post for updates throughout the week.

The garden at the Getty Center.

'49 Mercury: Hearse-Like?

2012-01-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

Last seen in PCC parking lot. The Misfit at the wheel. Flannery O'Connor in the backseat. David Lindley & El Rayo-X on the radio blasting "Mercury Blues."

1B - HEMINGWAY

2012-01-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" appeared in his 1927 short story collection, Men Without Women

Photograph taken of Hemingway one year after Men Without Women was published.

If you have the chance, read Ernest Hemingway, The Art of Ficion No. 21. It is one of the many famed Paris Review interviews with writers.

Komunyakaa, Glenn Beck . . .

2012-01-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

Komunyakaa

Here's something that I posted way back in Fall 2010, that is worth bringing back:

In the first week, as we went over the class syllabus I encouraged (ok, ranted) all of us--yes, myself included--to read the newspaper everyday. For a class like 1B with its focus on literature, it would seem that a newspaper would not be a necessary reference for reading poetry, fiction and plays.

BUT THEN I MADE the point as I introduced Yusef Komunyakaa's poem "Facing It" that having read this week's newspaper about Glenn Beck and his appearance at the Lincoln Memorial might be pertinent, however small. At least knowing of Beck's event and being reminded of King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the same location 47 years ago will remind us to put the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that Komunyakaa writes about in a physical context. It is in Washington. It is on our nation's mall. It is next to the Lincoln Memorial. It is our history. None of these are insignificant things when considering Komunyakaa's poem. By the way, here are two good sites on Komunyakaa: from the Academy of American Poets poetry.org site and the Poetry Foundation.

ON TO PLATO. Who would think that the newspaper would turn us toward Plato and poetry and an issue we consider each time we are faced with a work of art, literature, or even a video game? Well, it does in Alexander Nehamas's article from The New York Times, "Plato's Pop Culture Problem, and Ours," from Sunday, August 29th. Nehamas writes in his first paragraph, "This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on a case that may have the unusual result of establishing a philosophical link between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Plato."

Arnold

I DON'T KNOW IF ARNOLD is writing lyric poetry between his rounds at the gym and the state capitol, but Nehamas made we wonder about our ongoing cultural debates and why we read literature and justify (or not) the time we spend with heroes who are far less than perfect. (Arnold, I'm not talking about you.) Shouldn't we only spend time with heroes who ennoble us? (Arnold, please sit down.) This question will come up often in our class. (Arnold, please, you'll have time to respond.) And we can wonder what Glenn Beck would be thinking as he stood at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, facing towards Congress and the Supreme Court. What spell will he want to cast--and the many others, too, who joined him at his rally--on the Chief John Roberts court when they make their decision this fall?

FOR ALL OF YOU, no matter what class you're in, join in the discussion. Read the article, "Plato’s Pop Culture Problem, and Ours". And I invite you to post your comments. What would Komunyakaa think of Plato's advice? And Beck . . . . . . . does he even matter in such a debate? And Plato? And, yes, let's not forget Arnold. What would Arnold like to say? Arnold?

OFFER YOUR OPINIONS. Respond. Give answers. Ask questions. You need not write at length. A quick, informal response is OK. (Just be sure to sign your full name and note your class--1A, 1B, or 1C,)

Plato

ENGLISH 1B - POETRY

2012-01-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Dylan Thomas (1914-53)

Here are some things that you might want to check out on the web: Dylan Thomas reading "Do not go gentle into that good night" and an interview with Elizabeth Bishop that appeared in the Paris Review.

Elizabeth Bishop (1911-79)

Frank O'Hara reads "Having a Coke with You". O'Hara, as you know, wrote "The Day Lady Died" as a rememberance of Billie Holiday. Watch performances of Holiday singing "One for My Baby (and one more for the road)" and "Strange Fruit". The latter song is considered one of the greatest of the 20th Century and certainly one of the greatest about racism in America. If you've never heard Holiday sing, both are worth a few minutes of your time.

Frank O'Hara (1926-66)

Theodore Roethke is heard reading "My Papa's Waltz."

Theodore Roethke (1908-63)

You can also watch Carolyn Forche read "The Colonel."

Carolyn Forche (1950-- )

Should I tell you about one more reading of "Do not go gentle into that good night"? I guess I just did.

POETRY.ORG from the Academy of American Poets

2012-01-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

On the right side of this blog is a list of categories with links to websites about writing, arts and culture, and other topics that might be of interest to you. One example is POETS.org from the Academy of American Poets. It is a comprehensive site with essays about poetry and poets and videos of poets reading and discussing their work.

You can find essays on writing and poetry craft and spotlights on major 20th Century writers like Ezra Pound and Allen Ginsberg, and emerging writers like Kevin Young and Suji Kwock Kim. There are videos with poets from the academy's own archives and a selection from the web. In one video Ada Limón talks about the role of poets in our culture and the benefits they might find on the internet today.

Sneezing for History

2012-01-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Learn more about this moment at a webpage of the Library of Congress and watch the video. It's all of seven seconds.

College Application Personal Statement

2012-01-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

Whether you are writing a college personal statement or not, take a look at these words of advice from college admissions officers. Their advice can be applied to all forms of writing.

Read The New York Times article, October 28, 2011, "College Application Essay as Haiku?" To the right on the blog there are also links to personal statement writing tips by the University of California and the Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Purdue's site includes the personal statement and the application process, examples of successful statements, advice from admissions representatives, and top 10 rules and pitfalls.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T19:24:00.000-08:00

Jim Carrey celebrates the New Year on David Letterman. Remember: stay safe and stay warm!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

aters of the Mediterranean off Barcelon

Christmas in Catalonia. Group Swim in Barcelona. Credit: Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press. from The New York Times, December 15, 2011

Chrisas Day, the big event is a group swim in the chilly waters of the Mediterranean off Barcelona.

English 1C Prison Topic (Conover, NEWJACK, Supreme Court Decision, and THE FARM)

2011-11-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

PRINT
and BRING to CLASS

Newjack by Ted Conover
Discussion Questions Suggested by Students

When we have the chance we will be discussing these questions in groups, but first review them on your own. When you do join a group you will be responsible for answering these questions, taking notes and representing your group’s responses to the class. All students will be asked to participate in the group and class discussion.

1. On page eight Conover writes that after making eye contact with the prisoners he got a “sense that grows of the human dimension of this colony.” What does this mean?

2. On page 99 in the last couple of sentences of the first paragraph I realized that a simple sentence such as “you’re going to learn, CO, that some things they taught you in the Academy can get you killed.” This can be either a threat or advice. What does it say about the prison system that what you were taught could cost you your life?

3. Why would a professional enforce another officer’s questionable demand to keep a prisoner locked up? (See page 102 when a CO is asked to enforce a rule that wasn’t a rule.)

4. Why would one officer (in this case Wickersham) humiliate another officer in front of the prisoners? (See page 110 and the line, “Do you have a problem with picking this inmates comb off the floor?”)

5. With reference to page 122: Conover writes about being a prison guard from a man’s perspective, and he says that the job is depressing, tiring, and stressful. There are female prison guards working in the male prison. Do these females go through the same emotional rollercoaster or are they more likely to be taunted by the inmates than male prison guards?

6. In Chapter 5 (171-209) Conover gives the reader background on the jail system and the development of electrocution. Why does he present this information and what was he trying to convey by discussing these topics?

7. Study the Jack Henry Abbott quote on page 126. Does this quote reveal prison life as described by Conover? Explain.

8. What importance is Conover’s report of the suicide watch to his story about Sing Sing?

9. Why is Lewis Lawes so important to Sing Sing’s history? Why does Conover bother to tell us about him? (Pages 199-202)

10. What does Conover mean when he says, “I was probably somewhere in between”? (221) What does this say about Conover’s personality and his connection to prison life? Name three specific examples where Conover is “in between.”

11. Name five examples of race as a topic for Conover to discuss in his book. How is racial issues significant (or not) to life in Sing Sing?

Newjack by Ted Conover More Discussion Questions Suggested by Students

1. Do you think Conover is consistent when attempting to challenge the stereotypical views of prison life? For example, do you still view prisoners as victims? Or do you now feel sympathy for prison guards?

2. Do you feel content with what Conover has illustrated in Newjack? Or do you feel like certain scenarios have been left out? Is spending one year at Sing Sing enough time to really become familiar with a prison guard’s lifestyle?

3. Why does Conover place one or more excerpts at the beginning of every chapter? Does he use them to strengthen the point he is trying to make, or are they simply used as preludes to his story?

4. On page 142 Conover states, “No one, as far as I could see, improved in prison.” Do you think this also applies to the prison guards? Why?

5. Throughout the book Conover italicizes words and phrases such as “the cure” (142), “he” (150), “support” (155). Italics are usually used for emphasis or to show importance, but why is Conover italicizing these words?

6. At the end of their day in the Visit Room, Colton says, “It’s a regular Hallmark card” (156). What does he mean?

7. Do you think that correction officers “control” the inmates of the inmates “control” the correction officers? (234)

8. Can Delacruz be trusted with his dialogue? (292) Or is Conover induced by the poem on his back, thus creating a prettier picture of him?

9. Why was it most common for things to go wrong in the prison with inmates during the holidays? Why is it that most suicides occur around that time of year? (294)

10. How hard was it for Conover to work as a CO with the prisoners? Give three examples of the good and the bad for him, and then argue whether or not Conover was comfortable in the role of prison guard.

Newjack by Ted Conover EVEN MORE QUESTIONS Suggested by Students

1. Conover writes, "The process of breaking a man simply takes longer and costs more. Does it represent injustice or tyranny? That depends on your point of view." (136) What is Conover's point of view? Discuss with at least four examples from Newjack.

2. Explain why Conover writes at length about the history of Sing Sing and the death penalty. Point to several examples from the book.

3. Based on Conover's experience and understanding of other COs, does learning about your prospective prisoners serve as a positive or negative in being able to maintain control? Explain.

4. Does Conover offer a fair representation of his superiors (as orrections officers) or does he seem set on making them look like bad guys? Explain with examples from Newjack.

5. In the Charlie Rose interview, Conover briefly mentoned that the frustration he went through at the prison followed him home. Do you think Conover believes it is possible for guards how to leave their frustration in the work place? Explain.

6. Why is race such an important part of Sing Sing prison? Point to several examples from Newjack as you discuss the question.

7. If you were a warden, would you hire Conover as a corrections officer? Why or why not?

8. Do you think Conover's first day on the "gallery" was as stressful as any other OJT's? Do you think it was less or more stressful, considering that he is an established writer and journalist?

9. Conover tells of many encounters of him with an inmate, whether it be name calling or harassment from an inmate. Turn to pages 123-26 (and other pages, too) as you discuss Conover's experience during such moments as a corrections officer, writer, and regular citizen. Does he compartmentalize--divide--his perspective as corrections officer, writer, and regular citizen? Explain.

10. Why would a C.O. (in this case St. George) choose not to write a prisoner up when said prisoner has cearly disobeyed some rules? (86) A follow-up question: Conover writes that "Smith succeeded because he viewed the inmates as human beings." (87) What does Conover mean by this?

11. What is the point of the Academy if it doesn't prepare you for the real thing? (94)

To learn more about Ted Conover, go to his website. It is worth a visit. You can see his interview with Charlie Rose at Conover's site here or on the Charlie Rose website.

Conover in his correction officer uniform at Sing Sing Prison

The Supreme Court made an important decision regarding prison conditions in California. From The New York Times, May 23, 2011, article, "Justices, 5-4, Tell California to Cut Prisoner Population": "Conditions in California’s overcrowded prisons are so bad that they violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday, ordering the state to reduce its prison population by more than 30,000 inmates." The Los Angeles Times story on the Supreme Court decision can be found here. KQED has also posted an audio interview about the decision.

Conover mentions The Farm: Life Inside Angola. Wish to learn more about it? You can go to A Decade Behind Bars: A Return to The Farm for more information about the men profiled in the documentary. You can also watch The Farm: Life Inside Angola at that site. Go to nola.com for a profile of filmmaker Jonathan Stack and his work on the first documenatary and its sequel about the prison. (A big thank you to former 1C students Shaun Keenan and Joanna Parada for tipping us off to this news!)

English 1C: Reading Assignment and Final Exam

2011-11-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

Tues. 11/29 Class will start at 8:15; Scholars Presentation with Ivy Song

read SH / Solzhenitsyn (91-110) and Newjack to page 209

Thurs. 12/1 Newjack (210-241)

FP: Scenario 8 (72), 9 (77)

Tues. 12/6 Newjack (242-303)

Thurs. 12/8 Newjack (304-319)

English 1C Final Exam Date and Time: Thursday, Dec. 15, 8:00 a.m.—10:00 a.m. .

Bring a Blue Book – Final Exam re: Conover, etc.

English 1A: Ernest Hemingway, Assignment & Final Exam

2011-11-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

Ernest Hemingway outside of his residence at 13 rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Paris, ca. 1924.

Two assignments for you:

First assignment: go to these web sites and learn more about Hemingway:

A biography of Ernest Hemingway supplemented with many photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. See other photographs of Hemingway here. (Thanks to Nick Klotz for photograph tip.)

The Paris Review is well-known for its many author interviews--they've conducted dozens and dozens and dozens--since the 1950s. Here's the one they did with Hemingway. Be sure to click on "View a Manuscript Page," which includes a manuscript page of "The Battler," a story that first appeared In Our Time and one that we will read.

Second assignment (if you dare): In 30 words or less respond to this scenario: Ernest Hemingway has come to Los Angeles and wants to go to a movie, with a request that you pick the movie (it need not be in current release; a special screening can be arranged) and a place to eat. He'll pick up the check for both. Name the movie, the place to eat, and explain why they would be your destination. Post your response in the comments section.

Hemingway passport photo, 1924.

MOVIES to WATCH:

Since Hemingway's In Our Time, which are the early stories in his Complete Short Stories, is shaped by his experience during WWI, a film about the war might give you a better sense of its overwhelming catastrophe. I mentioned Joyeux Noel, and Dustin Lo suggested All Quiet on the Western Front, as another WWI film worth seeing. Some people have also suggested seeing the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris for its Paris in the 1920s scenes.

Artist links for "The Revolutionist":
Images of Giotto's paintings
Giotto biography #1 and Giotto biography #2

Images of Masaccio's paintings
Masaccio biography #1 and Masaccio biography #2

Images of Piero della Francesca's paintings
della Francesca biography #1 and della Francesca biography #2

Images of Mantegna's paintings

Mantegna biography #1 and Mantegna biography #2

History links for "The Revolutionist"
History of Hungary

Whites in Budapest

Horthy

Magyar

Hemingway Reading & Assignment Schedule (Be Prepared for Reading Quizzes)

Tues. 11/29: On the Quai at Smyrna/63

Thurs. 12/1: Indian Camp/65; The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife/71; The End of Something/77

Tues. 12/6: The Battler/95; read Chpts. I-VII; A Very Short Story/105; Soldier's Home/109; The Revolutionist/117; Big Two-Hearted River, Parts I/161 and II/171; Scholars Presentation by Cinyi Zheng & Ashleigh Pierson: George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant"

Thurs. 12/8: In Another Country/206; Now I Lay Me/276

Final Exam: Thurs. Dec.15. 10:15-12:15. Bring a blue book. Re: Hemingway

English 1A -- GEORGE ORWELL

2011-11-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

Orwell passport photo, circa 1935

There are numerous sources available on the web about George Orwell. A good place to start is YouTube and watch a six part series on him. It runs about a half-hour. Here are the links for the Orwell program: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI.

"Eric Blair (George Orwell) stands third from left in this photo from his days at the Burma Provincial Police Training School, dated 1923." from Wai Moe's article "Orwell's Old School Sold to Burmese Tycoon" in The Irrawaddy: Covering Burma and Southeast Asia, October 26, 2010. http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17590

Here's an overview of the recent history of Myanmar (formerly Burma) from The New York Times:

"Myanmar, a southeast Asian country that was formerly known as Burma, has been under military rule in one form or another since 1962, when General Ne Win staged a coup that toppled a civilian government. The current junta, formed in 1988, threw out the results of a democratic parliamentary election in 1990 that was overwhelmingly won by the party led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and the daughter of Aung San, one of the heroes of the nation’s independence from the British Empire in 1948.

"After years of deadlock and stagnation in the country, change is coming at a rapid pace, though still on the military’s terms. Nonetheless, there is hope among business people and diplomats that Myanmar is moving away from years of paranoid authoritarianism and Soviet-style economic management that has left the majority of the country’s 55 million people in dire poverty."

ENGLISH 1A: Letter from Birmingham Jail (read by Tues. Nov. 1)

2011-11-22T00:05:00.000-08:00

Rev. Ralph Abernathy, left, and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
demonstrating in Birmingham, Alabama on April 12, 1963.

Before you read--and read it by Tuesday, Nov. 1--Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" of April 16, 1963, take a moment and read the Statement by Alabama Clergymen, sometimes known as the Good Friday Statement of April 12, 1963. King's "Letter" was a response to it.

In conjunction with King's "Letter," I recommend that you watch Spike Lee's documentary Four Little Girls. It tells the story of the Birmingham church bombing that took place on September 15, 1963. At Modern American Poetry you can find out more about the church bombing. It is worth, at the very least, a quick review.

A bomb that exploded during services at the 16th Street Baptist Church
in Birmingham, Ala., killed four young girls in September 15, 1963.

1A Research Project--Update Thurs. 11/17

2011-11-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

Copy, Format, Save, and Print these Guidelines and Details. Bring to class along with your handbook and other pertinent materials.

Topic: Select from the following CQ Researcher: "Business Ethics" (May 6, 2011)

Note: Narrow your topic—adapt one of the questions—from CQ Researcher. (You will find these questions in bold throughout the report.) Keep in mind that your research paper is not a report; you will be writing an argumentative essay.

Tues. 11/22:

Read 50 Essays: King (203) and Orwell (284) for today's class.
Bring handbook to class
Keep Working on your Research essay.

Tues. 11/29:
Due: Typed Research Revision/MLA (7-9 page essay plus Works Cited page; at least 7 sources cited.) Bring Hemingway short story collection to class.

The Proposal is based primarily on the CQ Researcher report that corresponds with your topic and the sources you have found to date. State your research question as your title (i.e., what question will guide your research and will lead you to a working thesis statement), and discuss how you will address the question and why. Offer a compelling reason for researching and writing on the topic that you have selected. Why should the general, educated public be informed about the topic and hear your argument? Provide a history of the issue and how it is currently debated by at least two sides. You may also discuss your own experience with the topic, or how it fits with your educational or career goals. Convince me that you can successfully complete this assignment based on your knowledge of the topic. The proposal must be at least one page in length.

The Annotated Bibliography. Follow MLA guidelines as you list each of the sources you might use for your paper. After you provide the bibliographic information for each source, write a 2-4 sentence description of it; books and longer magazine and journal articles are likely to be 4 sentences in length. Please note: The annotation reports information about the source that is pertinent to your essay; the annotation must be in your words and sentence structure. Copying from the source for your annotation is plagiarism. The annotation must be concise.

Your sources must include a variety of major newspapers, magazines, books, and academic journals. ( For examples of these sources see the section entitled "Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals" on the right of English with McCabe.) Self-published web pages, self-publications, dictionaries, and encyclopedias are not acceptable sources, nor—don’t laugh—Teen People, Maxim, or similar popular magazines. Here are some sources that are acceptable: major newspapers (e.g., the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, or The Wall Street Journal), magazines (e.g., The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, or Harpers), scholarly and professional journals (e.g., The Chronicle of Higher Education, Columbia Journalism Review, PS: Political Science and Politics) and books (when possible, from university presses). Publications of The Brookings Institute, the New American Foundation, and The Heritage Foundation are also worthwhile to review. (Caution: each of these last three organizations has a particular point of view on social and economic policy; be sure that you know what it is.)

Grades: The Proposal and Annotated Bibliography must be typed and will receive a letter grade. The Essay will be 7-9 pages. The Essay Draft must be typed, a complete essay with citations, and will be graded credit/no credit. The Revised Essay, of course, must be typed, complete and polished, follow MLA guidelines, and will be marked with a letter grade, reflecting the satisfactory (or unsatisfactory) completion of the paper.

Note: Remember that you are writing an argumentative essay; you are taking a stand. (KEEP ALL OF YOUR SOURCES. I MAY ASK YOU TO SHOW THEM TO ME.)

More on the Essay: As you conduct your research and draft your paper keep narrowing your focus. Specific examples and thoughtful reasoning will be hallmarks of a strong paper. Keep in mind that writers do not employ sources just to present their side of the debate; sometimes a source permits writers to show common ground or refute the other side and, thus, strengthen their position. It is also important to use sources that represent both sides of the issue to show your understanding of the complexity of the debate. Just as citizens can argue with a Supreme Court decision, you too can disagree with a source or two or three. It is possible that you will "prove" the correctness of your position with this essay, but it is more likely that you can offer a reasonable argument as you weigh, or test an idea. After all, the word essay has its root in the French and Latin words that mean just these things.

Deadlines, Manuscript Style, and Plagiarism: All of these topics are covered within the syllabus, but a couple of things to note. Deadlines: incomplete or late drafts will be marked no credit and reduce the grade on the revision 10%. Plagiarism: since this assignment is such a large part of your course grade, you will not pass the course if you plagiarize any portion of this assignment. Plagiarism is also discussed further in the syllabus and in numerous handbooks for writers.

Questions: Ask questions of your colleagues and me as we work on this assignment in the weeks ahead. Go to English with McCabe (as you are now) and discuss your questions in the Comments section for the particular course research assignment posted below.

Tip: I also encourage you to read the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and other periodicals every day in order to stay abreast of news regarding your topic. Historical documents are important, but in this instance current news reports are essential for you to be aware of; you want your essay to be relevant, and you don’t want to be arguing an aspect of your topic that is no longer an issue. That can be embarrassing—and a waste of your time.

Revision, Editing and Proofreading

2011-11-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of sites that I invite you to visit as you revise, edit and proofread your essay.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/

After the Deadline aka Polish My Writing: http://www.polishmywriting.com/

C.J. Winslow of English 1A told me about After the Deadline. It looks like a good one. Thanks, C.J.!

The Radical Camera: New York's Photo League, 1936-1951

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Along with my affection for the writing of Anton Chekhov and Ian Frazier, the music of Gustav Mahler and Charles Mingus, the songs of Bob Dylan and the basketball of Bill Russell, I have a love for the work of American documentarian photographers like Dorothea Lange (and her roadside dog stand, as shown above.)

The work of many other documentarians is on view at The Jewish Museum, in New York, November 4, 2011 to March 25, 2012. The exhibition is also making a stop at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, October 11, 2012 to January 21, 2013. Here's a sampling of what lucky visitors will see at these museums in the months ahead.

Weegee (born Arthur Fellig) (American, b. Poland, 1899-1968)

Max Is Rushing in the Bagels to a Restaurant
on Second Avenue for the Morning Trade,

c. 1940

Ruth Orkin (American, 1921-1985)Times Square, from Astor Hotel,c. 1950

Rebecca Lepkoff (American, 1916--)

Broken Window on South Street, New York,

c.1948

The New York Times has more to say about this exhibition. You can also find many photographs from the exhibition at The Daily Mail.

Sarah Hamil--Thank You, Sarah!--of English 1C suggested a photography exhibition now on view at the Getty Center. It is Lyonel Feininger, Photographs, 1928-1939, an exhibition the Getty calls "the first comprehensive overview of photographs by one of the most important artists of the 20th century." It will be up through March 11, 2012. And it's on my calendar.

Lyonel Feininger (American, 1871-1956)

Untitled (Street Scene, Double Exposure, Halle)

1929-1930

1C: Research Assignment...UPDATE Monday Evening

2011-11-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Copy, Save and Print these Directions and Bring to Class.

We’ll Review it Together.

English 1C McCabe Fall 2011

Research Project: Proposal, Annotated Bibliography and Essay

Topic: Select one of the following questions taken from the CQ Researcher, "Computer Hacking" (9/16/2011) report, in order to develop your thesis statement:
"Can 'good' hackers help fight cybercrime?"
"Does hacking have a useful role to play?"
"Does hacking require a new legal framework?"
"Is hacking a legitimate tool of political protest?"
"Is the (presidential administration) taking the right approach on cybersecurity?"

Note: Narrow your topic from one of these questions. Keep in mind that you are writing an argumentative essay. Though you will mix rhetorical modes in your essay, you will likely be writing an essay that emphasizes cause and effect, or comparison and contrast.

Schedule: (for all of the essay assignments, check the descriptions below for guidelines)

Follow this schedule, not the one on the syllabus.

Th 10/20
ARG: Appendix II

Meet in our classroom and then Library Orientation at 7:30 a.m. (downstairs in Shatford Library)

T 10/25
Research Project Discussed

Fair Play #5: Tina, Connie, Diana, Laura

Fair Play #20: Emmanuel, Sarah, Jenny, Albert, Gabriela

Harvey (Chpts. 3 and 4)

Th 10/27

Fair Play #28: Janice, Kathleen, Allen, Daniel, Sabrina, Ashley

Fair Play #50: Mark, Juliet, Stuart, Lauren, Tatiana

ARG: Appendix II

T 11/1

Suggestions: Bring a rough draft of your proposal and a list of 15 sources to class. Do you remember our discussion from last Thursday? Nothing is required for 11/1. I only encouraged you to get your research project underway and bring in what you had. Bring in a rough draft of your proposal and a list of sources, if you choose. These can be handwritten.

As I mentioned at last Thursday's class, we will begin to refine this assignment on Tuesday, November 1.

I spoke with Gina Davis of English 1C today. I suggested to her that she consider shaping this research assignment towards something of particular interest to her. In her case, she is intrigued by the visual arts. This is advice that I would give to all of you: Within the parameters of this assignment, consider a topic that dovetails with your interests, whether it is in the arts, sciences, humanities, social sciences or business.

Bring the following article from the Los Angeles Times: “My Dad, the Spy” by Leslie Absher; Feb. 22, 2009; find it at www.latimes.com

FP: Scenarios 33 (160) & 36 (168)

Harvey and Weston books: bring to every class through the remaining part of the semester

Th 11/3

Revised Proposal & Annotated Bibliography

FP: Scenario 21 (116)

Scholars Program Meeting

T 11/8

Essay #5 Research Draft (2 copies)

Th 11/10
Essay #5 Research Draft (2 copies)

T 11/15

Essay #5 Research Draft (2 copies)

FP: Scenarios 6 (67)

Th 11/17
Essay #5 Research Revision Due

Scholars Presentations

T 11/22
SH / Solzhenitsyn (91-110); Hersh (512-526)

Th 11/24
Thanksgiving

The Proposal: Length: a 2 page essay based on the CQ Researcher report that corresponds with your topic; use no other sources at this time. Follow MLA guidelines. Here’s what you also need to do: state your research question and discuss how you want to address it and why. Offer a compelling reason for researching and writing on the topic that you have selected. Why should the general public be informed about the topic and hear your argument? Provide a history of the issue and how it is currently debated by at least two sides. Describe the specific research--name books, academic journal articles, etc.--that you have done on this topic to-date. Based on the work that you have done, convince me that you can successfully complete this assignment.

The Annotated Bibliography will be a 3-4 page list and a 2-3 sentence description of at least 15 sources. Follow MLA guidelines.

Your sources must include a variety of newspapers, magazines, books, and scholarly and professional journals. Half of your sources should be books (preferably from university presses) and articles from scholarly and professional journals. Self-published web pages, self-published books, dictionaries, and encyclopedias are not acceptable sources, nor—don’t laugh—Teen People, Maxim, or similar popular magazines. Here are some sources that are acceptable: major newspapers (e.g., the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, or The Wall Street Journal), magazines (e.g., The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, or Harpers), scholarly and professional journals (e.g., The Chronicle of Higher Education, Columbia Journalism Review, PS: Political Science and Politics) and books (when possible, from university presses). Publications of The Brookings Institute, the New American Foundation, and The Heritage Foundation are also worthwhile to review. (Caution: each of these last three organizations has a particular point of view on social and economic policy; be sure that you know what it is.)

Make use of our readings from our textbooks as appropriate. Fair Play might be a good source, especially the section on historical and philosophical perspectives. You may use any of these as sources for citation within your essay. In addition, you might wish to review two books that I have on Reserve at Shatford Library: Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life, and Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation, both by Sissela Bok; these might help as well.

Follow MLA guidelines when providing the bibliographic information for each source. After each source is named, write a 3-5 sentence description of it; books and longer magazine and journal articles are likely to be 5 sentences in length. Please note: The annotation must be in your words and sentence structure. Copying from the source for your annotation is plagiarism.

The Proposal and Annotated Bibliography will receive a letter grade. The Essay Draft will be graded credit/no credit. The Revised Essay will be marked with a letter grade, reflecting the satisfactory (or unsatisfactory) completion of the paper.

Essay: Both Draft and Revision must be 9-11 pages, typed, cite at least 9 sources and follow MLA guidelines. Remember that you are writing an argumentative essay; you are taking a stand.

More on the Essay: As you conduct your research and draft your paper keep narrowing your focus. Specific examples and thoughtful reasoning will be hallmarks of a strong paper. Keep in mind that writers do not always employ sources just to support their argument; sometimes a source permits you the pleasure of refuting someone else’s position. Using sources that represent the other position are also important in demonstrating your familiarity with all sides of the issue. Just as citizens can argue with a Supreme Court decision, you too can disagree with a source or two or three. However, this is not an instance where you will likely “prove” something; instead, you will attempt to, weigh, test an idea. After all, the word essay has its root in the French and Latin words that mean just these things.

Deadlines, Manuscript Style, and Plagiarism: All of these topics are covered within the syllabus, but a couple of things to note. Deadlines: incomplete or late drafts will be marked no credit and reduce the grade on the revision 10%. Plagiarism: since this assignment is such a large part of your course grade, you will not pass the course if you plagiarize any portion of this assignment. Plagiarism is also discussed further on the syllabus and in numerous writer’s handbooks.

Questions: Ask questions of your colleagues and me as we work on this assignment in the weeks ahead. Go to English with McCabe and discuss in the1C Research comments section.

Tip: I also encourage you to read the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times every day in order to stay abreast of news regarding your topic. Historical documents are important, but in this instance current news reports are essential for you to be aware of; you want your essay to be relevant, and you don’t want to be arguing an aspect of your topic that is no longer an issue. That can be embarrassing—and a waste of your time.

LACMA Field Trip Week of Oct. 23rd for 1A, 1B & 1C (with essay assignment)

2011-10-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

We will be visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art the week of October 23rd. By Tuesday, October 18th, complete the PCC Student Travel Agreement and return to me. Also, by October 18th, tell me which day that you will be joining us at the museum. The class assignment, a very brief essay, will be announced soon.

You may know that LACMA shares the same park with the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire Boulevard. Pick one of the following times for your visit: Tuesday, October 25, 5 PM to 7 PM; Thursday, October 27, 5 PM to 7 PM; or Friday, October 28, 5 PM to 7 PM. Please tell me in-person by October 13th what day you will be attending the museum. I will meet students at 5 PM on each scheduled evening at the Urban Light installation by Chris Burden (see photos above and below.) At that time I will give you instructions on your assignment. You are then free to visit the museum on your own, unless we schedule a tour. If you have a legitimate reason for not being able to attend at one of the scheduled times, please see me for an alternative assignment.

I can't guarantee that you will get free admission to all of the exhibitions that evening. LACMA says on their website that after 5 PM on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday "general admission to the permanent galleries and non-ticketed exhibitions is free to Los Angeles County residents with proof of residency." However, LACMA explains that "Tim Burton is a Special Ticketed Exhibition: You must purchase tickets for a specific date AND time. Your tickets are only valid for the date and time printed on the ticket." If you wish to see the Tim Burton exhibition during your class visit, buy them in advance. However, you need not attend the Tim Burton exhibition for this class assignment.

Here's the link to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The LACMA home page will lead you to information about visiting the museum, tickets and admissions, planning your visit, directions and parking, and current art exhibitions on view. We will be focusing on such exhibitions as ASCO: Elite of the Obscure, Edward Kienholz: Five Car Stud, Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, Glenn Ligon: America, and Monet/Lichtenstein: Rouen Cathedrals, among others. There will also be special public programs during the week we are visiting. You might want to coordinate your visit with one of these special public programs that are of interest to you. Like Tim Burton, some of these programs are ticketed, paying events.

The Los Angeles Times has already run stories and reviews on the Ai Weiwei installation, Kienholz's 'Five Car Stud', and Asco. Let us know if you see other articles about LACMA in the days ahead. We can post additional links here.

Before You Go

Know your route to LACMA. Know, too, that if you are driving from PCC for a 5:00 PM arrival at the museum, that it will take you at least one hour to get there. I invite your to arrive much earlier to avoid rush hour.

Review the LACMA website thoroughly before you visit the museum. You need not become an expert about the museum, but you should become familiar with its collection and its general layout so you can chart a course to some of the galleries during your visit.

The Assignment

1A:

Using 1/2 of a small blue book, take notes about your visit. Identify a work or works of art and find a connection between the art and one of the essays in 50 Essays or Conover’s Coyotes. You will write an essay in-class on Tuesday, November 1, about your LACMA visit. Bring your blue book with notes to class. (The writings by Jefferson, King, Plato, Vowell, and Conover, among many others, will work with this assignment.)

1B:

Using 1/2 of a small blue book, take notes about your visit. Identify a work or works of art and find a connection between it (or them) and one of the works in one of our textbooks. Your brief essay may be handwritten, double-spaced, and fill the remaining half of your blue book. If you would like, you can type your essay of equal length, instead.

In class I offered examples for writing topics: consider the notion of “seeing” as presented in the Monet/Lichtenstein exhibition with Carver’s “Cathedral”; discuss Ellison’s and/or Baldwin’s story along with Kienholz’s “Five Car Stud”; or compare Keats‘ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” with an ancient object from LACMA’s collection.

This essay and your notes are due Wednesday, November 2.

1C:

Using 1/2 of a small blue book, take notes about your visit; the second half of your blue will contain your essay, handwritten, double-spaced, or you can type an essay of approximately equal length. What is the topic? Identify a work or works of art and find a connection between the art and any of the writing assigned for our class. Your response is due Thursday, November 3.

English 1B: CHEKHOV--Russian Names Clarified

2011-10-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

Homies Anton "Tall Boy" Chekhov, at left,
and Leo "The Bear" Tolstoy Kicking It

COPY, SAVE, PRINT & bring to

CLASS the Reader's Comments

Reader's Comments re: Chekhov Essay

1. Is the essay title sufficiently focused? If not, offer a suggested title. (A good title would include the author’s name, the title of the story, and the quality that will be analyzed. Example: Chekhov’s Love of Irony in “The Lady with the Dog”)
2. Does the first paragraph clearly introduce the author and title under consideration? Is the theme of the work presented? Are there words (or sentences) in the first paragraph that can be removed (or edited) in order to make the introduction more concise and clear?
3. What is the essay's thesis? Is it specific enough for a 4-5 page essay? Where does it appear in the essay? (A thesis is an argument and it is the thread that runs from the beginning to the end of the essay.) Copy what you think the writer’s thesis is on the back of his or her essay.
4. Is the story under consideration clearly summarized near the beginning of the essay? Should anything be added? On the other hand, is the work summarized at too great of a length? If either is true, make your suggested revisions directly on the draft.
5. Are quotes from the original work(s) used judiciously? If not, how could they be improved? (Note: no more than 25% of the essay should be comprised of quotations.)
6. What are the best examples in support of the writer's thesis? Can they be more fully developed? How? What other examples could the writer provide?
7. Is there sufficient analysis of the examples? Or does the writer let the examples “speak” for themselves? If this is true, suggest where the writer needs to provide a fuller analysis of the example(s) provided.
8. Is the essay unified? Do paragraph topic sentences connect to the thesis? If not, what are the examples or discussions unrelated to the essay's thesis? If there are sections where the essay lacks focus, suggest an alternative presentation of the thesis and/or the examples so the essay achieves coherence.
9. Is the conclusion earned? Or does it introduce a new topic or idea not relevant to the essay’s thesis?
10. Are rules of citation followed within the essay’s text? If not, mark them for correction by the writer. Do all in-text citations appear on the Works Cited page? Review the sources—short story, letters, biographical, and/or criticism—on the Works Cited page. Are all of these sources cited within the essay? Does the Works Cited page follow MLA guidelines?
11. For the writer’s attention, mark errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

1A: CONOVER/COYOTES ESSAY & schedule update

2011-10-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

Copy, Save and Print these Directions and Bring to Class.

We’ll Review it Together.

Essay #3 re: Ted Conover & Coyotes

Select one of the two questions, below, as your essay prompt.

1. By befriending the Mexican workers as a reporter and telling their story, has Conover intruded on their lives strictly for his own benefit? Discuss your position with specific examples from the book.

2. By the end of “The Gringo and the Mexicano” chapter—and subsequent chapters—do you trust Conover as a reporter? You must point to specific examples to support your position.

Essay Length: 4-5 pages

Sources: Your primary source, of course, is Conover's Coyotes. You may also include other sources about Conover or his writing, as you see it. However, this is not mandatory.

MLA Style, Deadlines and Plagiarism: see Syllabus

Follow this UPDATED schedule, not the one on the syllabus.

Thurs. 10/20

Essay #3 Draft re: Coyotes (in-class)

Tues. 10/25

Essay #3 Draft re: Coyotes (in-class)

Thurs. 10/27

Essay #3 (Typed Draft--2 copies)

Tues. 11/1

King (203); and see blog re: King

LACMA response (in-class re: American Essayists & American Art;

bring notes and blue book)

Essay #3 Draft Due (bring 1 copy)

Research Project discussed
Thurs. 11/3
Essay #3 Due (Revision 1 copy)

We will meet in our classroom and then go to Shatford Library for research

Tues. 11/8

Draft Proposal & List of 10 Sources Due

Thurs. 11/10

Revised Proposal & Annotated Bibliography Due

Tues. 11/15

Research Draft Due (2 copies)

Thurs. 11/17

Research Draft Due (2 copies)

Tues. 11/22

Research Revision Due

Bring Hemingway stories
Thurs. 11/24

THANKSGIVING

Tues. 11/29

Orwell (284)

Hemingway stories

1A: CONOVER & COYOTES

2011-10-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

TED CONOVER on the WEB @ www.tedconover.com

TED CONOVER (March 2010) @ Zocalo Public Square

from The New York Times, October 12, 2011
"At the Border, on the Night Watch"
by Marc Lacey

DOUGLAS, Ariz. — The lanky young man with two bales of marijuana slung over his back who was apprehended by Border Patrol agents in a rugged area about a mile from the border here one recent night represented both the significant strides the country has made in controlling its southern border and the challenges that remain.

“If you would have visited 11 years ago, it was like a scene out of a movie,” said Mario Escalante, a Border Patrol agent who used to work in the Douglas area but has since moved to the headquarters in Tucson. “We were overrun. People were coming across in groups of 30 or 50 or 100 or more. We were catching thousands of people a day.”

To keep reading this New York Times article, click here.

PLEASE NOTE FILM: Janeen Gonzalez of 1A recommended a documentary, American Harvest, that touches on the same themes Ted Conover presents in Coyotes. To learn more about American Harvest, you can go to its website or watch an 18 minute video from it. (Thanks, Janeen!)

PLEASE NOTE FILM #2: Yadira Easley, 1A student and a great fan of documentaries, told me about this one, Life and Death on the Border, that is a perfect film complement to Coyotes. (Yes, this is the film that we saw in class on Tuesday, October 11th. (Thanks, Yadira!)

LIBRARY ORIENTATION: As a follow-up to our library orientation, librarian Krista Gougen created this site that serves as a review and link to some of the sources that she introduced to us. Save this link for the Conover assignment and your upcoming Research paper.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for COYOTES

Print these out and bring to class, starting Tuesday 10/11

1. Discuss the section “A Note on Translation”. Why would Conover use the terms “illegal alien” and “undocumented” when he says that he tries “to avoid both labels.” Why would the term “illegal aliens” appear in the subtitle? What term do you prefer to use—“illegal aliens,” “undocumented worker,” etc., to describe the subjects of the book. Explain.

2. See page xviii and the first full paragraph and the following sentence: “What La Migra does not know—what it perhaps cannot afford to know—is the more human side of the men and women it arrests, the drama of their lives.” What is Conover’s point here? Do you agree or not with his assertion? Why?

3. After Conover says “What La Migra . . . “ (as quoted #2, above), he makes a distinction between a story and a policy book. Though he claims he is only writing the former, explain the difference between the terms. Based on what you’ve read so far, do you agree with Conover that his book is mainly a story? What impact do you think his book could have on American immigration policy?

4. Conover could have opened his book in many different ways. He could have told his reader about how he prepared for this writing assignment, or his trip to Mexico from the United States, or where he grew up, among other approaches. Why do you think he selected Alonso to open Coyotes? How would you describe the relationship between Alonso and Conover?

5. Point out at least three different examples of Conover’s and the workers’ reaction to police officers (and other uniformed personnel.) Explain how these different reactions may or may not be the central conflict that Conover faces as a reporter. Note his experience with Alonso crossing the border and with Carlos and the others at the airports.

6. By the end of “The Gringo and the Mexicano” chapter—and subsequent chapters—do you trust Conover as a reporter? You must point to specific examples to support your position.

7. By befriending the Mexican workers as a reporter and telling their story, has Conover intruded on their lives strictly for his own benefit? Discuss your position with specific examples from the book.

8. Why does Conover describe the workers on page 42 as “professionals”? Do you agree with his assessment? Why or Why not?

9. Point out examples where Conover is naïve. Does this quality help or harm him as he works as a reporter? Explain.

10. In the “Welcome to L.A.” chapter Conover describes the relationships between different racial groups. Point out at least three stereotypes—and the notion of “team”—that he faces and describes in the chapter. Does he succeed in upending these stereotypes through his reporting? Explain.

11. Conover published this book in 1987. Does the “Welcome to L.A.” chapter present a different society, especially with regard to race and the “team,” than what you know about race issues today in Los Angeles County? Discuss.

12. Discuss at least three things that surprised you about Coyotes and the story Conover has told.

13. Define the notion of work in your own words. Illustrate your definition with several examples from Coyotes.

Conover and some of the men who crossed
at Sonoita, AZ, north of Nogales, Mexico

1B: HAMLET, MACBETH & PBS ONLINE, BART SIMPSON

2011-10-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

David Tennant as Hamlet on PBS

A Noise Within, the classical repertory theatre based in Pasadena, offers a study guide to Hamlet.

Patrick Stewart as Claudius, left, and David Tennant as Hamlet.

Annie Tang, former PCC student, now at UCLA, and former attendee of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival told us about some great Shakespeare productions online at PBS. See Hamlet and, not to be missed, Macbeth, both shown on PBS and streaming online. David "Dr. Who" Tennant has the lead in Hamlet; Patrick "Star Trek" Stewart appears as Claudius in Hamlet and in the title role of Macbeth.

A big thank you to Albert Carranza for finding this link of Bart Simpson as Hamlet. Hamlet, above, kills Polonius, at left.

1C: FAIR PLAY, Operation Dark Heart and Secrecy News (SEE UPDATES)

2011-10-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Class groups will be gathering in the coming weeks to lead discussions on scenarios from James M. Olson's Fair Play. Students will use the comments section of this post to develop their work with each other.

There will be a writing assignment with this project: all students will be writing 1-2 typed pages for each scenario presented on a Tuesday and Thursday. Students will write on all scheduled scenarios, not just the one they are presenting. Everyone does this writing assignment individually for each scenario to be presented. Don't summarize the scenario; just offer your response to the question re: ethical choice. If you have questions or comments about the assignment, whether the written or class presentation portion, post them in this comment section. I'm looking forward to these discussions. They will be great.

Update: 10/16/2011
In response to Nancy Wong's question (and a fine reminder to me!), I have posted in the Comments section of this post a GUIDE TO WRITING the short essay responses to the Fair Play scenarios. It is the same information that I gave you in class, Thursday, Oct. 13.

See the comments section for CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE of the presentations.

Here is a brief interview with Olson about Fair Play from CSPAN 2. The CIA posted a review of Fair Play on their website May 2007.

As we read Fair Play and its author James Olson, it worth taking a look at a couple of links about him and Valerie Plame, ; all are related to Fair Play, the book by James Olson. He mentions Plame in his book.

James Olson interview on YouTube

Valerie Plame 60 minutes YouTube

Valerie Plame 60 minutes part II YOUTUBE

Valerie Plame's Fair Game first chapter and reviews at Amazon and news about Plame at The New York Times

Dave McIntyre biography (the man who interviewed James Olson).

Former English 1C student Gerardo Sanchez posted a comment with an interesting link that is worth checking out. Operation Dark Heart by Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer (ret.) was censored, or redacted as we have seen practiced in Fair Play. As Gerardo reports, "Recently the book Operation Dark Heart was censored by the government [which] purchased 10,000 first edition printings, destroyed them, and redacted the second edition." Follow the links and see a side-by-side comparison of pages as they appeared in Operation Dark Heart's original form and the redacted version. Thanks, Gerardo!

The Los Angeles Times reports, 10/10/10, that the censorship of Operation Dark Heart has pushed it up the bestseller lists for Amazon.com and The New York Times.

The above articles reminded me of Stephen Aftergood, publisher of Secrecy News, his blog for the Federation of American Scientists. His site, he says, "works to challenge excessive government secrecy and to promote civilian oversight." Often he publishes government documents that have been declassified or leaked to him and the press. Some examples include the infamous Bush Office of Legal Counsel Torture Memos, featuring the August 1, 2002 memorandum for John Rizzo, Acting General Counsel of the CIA.

Here is an interview that U.S. News and World Report conducted with Aftergood.