Just a reminder that the end of the marking period is Dec. 5. Your journals are due on Wednesday, 12/3.
As you read your selected novel, please look for ideas or characters that move you, or inspire you in your own work. Jot down these ideas in your journal as you read.
You may wish to comment on:
--Which character is most intriguing in the novel? Why? What is the author doing to present the character in an interesting way? How is the character tied to the plot or setting of the book?
--What event or plot event is the most interesting to you? Why? How does the event fit into the story at (hopefully) just the right time?
--Choose a particularly well written passage in the book. What about the writing is well crafted? (Notice the use of specific grammar, syntax, or style techniques).
--Write a chapter that your author did not include for his/her characters.
--What did you like about the opening of the book? What did you NOT like about the opening of the book? What would you have done differently, had YOU written the novel?
--What did you like or dislike about the ending of the novel? What would you have done differently, had you written the novel?
--If any words or sentences strike you, use them as a way to inspire your own poem, story, play, or essay.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Katherine Lederer - Masterclass (11/25)
Occasionally in the Creative Writing department we have guest speakers or special events to enrich your writing experience and knowledge. These masterclasses are a specific priviledge for our creative writing students. Please plan on bringing a journal and writing utensil to the Ensemble Theatre tomorrow. Furthermore, please research our guest poet and write down any questions you would like to ask her.
Tomorrow we are going to have a masterclass (2 & 3rd) period with poet Katie Lederer. Please read about Ms. Lederer and the four poems at the link provided.
After you have search the website, please turn your attention to the packet of poems I have provided for you.
With a partner, please read the packet of her poems. You will have to look up a variety of words. Please highlight or circle the words you do not know and look them up. (We are helping you develop your vocabulary--a necessary tool for any writer). I will collect your vocabulary list at the end of class.
As you read, notice the following motifs Ms. Lederer uses in her poetry:
Water imagery, nature, money, opposites, relationships. Many of Ms. Lederer's poems rely on sound or play with similar sounding words. Try to notice where the poet is being "playful."
Tomorrow we are going to have a masterclass (2 & 3rd) period with poet Katie Lederer. Please read about Ms. Lederer and the four poems at the link provided.
After you have search the website, please turn your attention to the packet of poems I have provided for you.
With a partner, please read the packet of her poems. You will have to look up a variety of words. Please highlight or circle the words you do not know and look them up. (We are helping you develop your vocabulary--a necessary tool for any writer). I will collect your vocabulary list at the end of class.
As you read, notice the following motifs Ms. Lederer uses in her poetry:
Water imagery, nature, money, opposites, relationships. Many of Ms. Lederer's poems rely on sound or play with similar sounding words. Try to notice where the poet is being "playful."
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Independent Novel Project
Choose a novel that you would like to read. Make sure that it is a novel that meets your reading level. The novel can be from any author and can be any genre. We will be completing a series of journal-type questions regarding it and writing about your experience reading the book. More instructions to follow.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Rehearsal
Today, during 3rd period, please rehearse your speech. Your speech should be written on notecards (to be turned in after you deliver your speech) and your written speech should be turned in today by the end of class.
4th period we will be delivering our speeches.
4th period we will be delivering our speeches.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2 - Minute Oratory
Sometime in your life, you will probably need to deliver an original speech. Most speech topics are given because you have a specific interest. Speeches are meant to be spoken to a specific audience. Knowing who you are speaking to, is an important component to delivering an effective speech.
Use the handout directions to brainstorm ideas for a short informational speech.
Check above for examples of speeches.
The 2 minute oratory is due next class. Your outline (notecards) and speech are also due next class. Turn in your notecards and draft of speech at the end of that class.
Use the handout directions to brainstorm ideas for a short informational speech.
Check above for examples of speeches.
The 2 minute oratory is due next class. Your outline (notecards) and speech are also due next class. Turn in your notecards and draft of speech at the end of that class.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thief of Always - Journal - Part IV
Journal Exercises:
Chp. 14-26
1. Pg. 139. Start a story with the sentence: “He knocked on the door…” continue the story.
2. Describe a time in your life when you wished that time would move faster or slower.
3. pg. 153. Draw a picture of a house or place. Use this drawing to start a story or poem set in that location.
4. Pg. 194. Describe your attic or a fictional attic. What sorts of things are there in the dark?
5. Pg. 199. Start a story or poem with the line: “There were five doors ahead of him.”
6. Chp. 20 – Have a conversation with an inanimate object. What might it say or believe?
7. Pg. 220. Oh, to be a vampire again…. Start a poem with a similar line. Choose a noun that you would want to be “again” and use this repetition (like pg. 220) to create verse.
8. Chp. 23. Write about the war between two or more inanimate objects. What would they argue about? Who might win?
9. Describe a time when you stole or thought about stealing something.
10. Pg. 266. Start a poem, story with the line: “The days were…”
Additional Journal entries:
Draw a series of pictures. Use these drawings as a way of creating characters, settings, and situations for a story or “comic” strip or graphic story.
Chp. 14-26
1. Pg. 139. Start a story with the sentence: “He knocked on the door…” continue the story.
2. Describe a time in your life when you wished that time would move faster or slower.
3. pg. 153. Draw a picture of a house or place. Use this drawing to start a story or poem set in that location.
4. Pg. 194. Describe your attic or a fictional attic. What sorts of things are there in the dark?
5. Pg. 199. Start a story or poem with the line: “There were five doors ahead of him.”
6. Chp. 20 – Have a conversation with an inanimate object. What might it say or believe?
7. Pg. 220. Oh, to be a vampire again…. Start a poem with a similar line. Choose a noun that you would want to be “again” and use this repetition (like pg. 220) to create verse.
8. Chp. 23. Write about the war between two or more inanimate objects. What would they argue about? Who might win?
9. Describe a time when you stole or thought about stealing something.
10. Pg. 266. Start a poem, story with the line: “The days were…”
Additional Journal entries:
Draw a series of pictures. Use these drawings as a way of creating characters, settings, and situations for a story or “comic” strip or graphic story.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Poetry Exercises - Recipe Poem, Parent Poem, & Political Poem
Please complete as many of these as you would like. You MUST complete and turn in at least ONE of these exercises. Please label the poem draft with the assignment name.
1. Think of the format of a food recipe. First there is a list of ingredients you will need, then the explanation of how to mix the ingredients together, and finally the cooking time. Using this format, write a recipe poem that has nothing to do with food. Ex. you might write a recipe for how to make good conversation, how to climb a tree, how to fight with your father, or how to fall in love, etc.
2. Write a poem in which you describe one of your parents or a family member. Try not to describe this character directly. Instead, make the poem hinge around just one memory that sums up your mother’s, father’s, family member’s personality.
3. Write a poem about politics. In light of recent events, consider writing an inspirational poem about new beginnings.
Example poems:
Recipe Poem
Recipe Poem: How to Make a Morning
By Elaine Magliaro
Melt a galaxy of stars
in a large blue bowl.
Knead the golden sun
and let it rise in the East.
Spread the sky
with a layer of lemony light.
Blend together
until brimming with brightness.
Fold in dewdrops.
Sprinkle with songbirds.
Garnish with a chorus
of cock-a-doodle-doos.
Set out on a platter at dawn
and enjoy.
Parent Memory Poem example
Daddy
by: Sylvia Plath
You do not do, you do not do
Any more, black shoe
In which I have lived like a foot
For thirty years, poor and white,
Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.
Daddy, I have had to kill you.
You died before I had time--
Marble-heavy, a bag full of God,
Ghastly statue with one gray toe
Big as a Frisco seal
And a head in the freakish Atlantic
Where it pours bean green over blue
In the waters off beautiful Nauset.
I used to pray to recover you.
Ach, du.
In the German tongue, in the Polish town
Scraped flat by the roller
Of wars, wars, wars.
But the name of the town is common.
My Polack friend
Says there are a dozen or two.
So I never could tell where you
Put your foot, your root,
I never could talk to you.
The tongue stuck in my jaw.
It stuck in a barb wire snare.
Ich, ich, ich, ich,
I could hardly speak.
I thought every German was you.
And the language obscene
An engine, an engine
Chuffing me off like a Jew.
A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen.
I began to talk like a Jew.
I think I may well be a Jew.
The snows of the Tyrol, the clear beer of Vienna
Are not very pure or true.
With my gipsy ancestress and my weird luck
And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack
I may be a bit of a Jew.
I have always been scared of you,
With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.
And your neat mustache
And your Aryan eye, bright blue.
Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You--
Not God but a swastika
So black no sky could squeak through.
Every woman adores a Fascist,
The boot in the face, the brute
Brute heart of a brute like you.
You stand at the blackboard, daddy,
In the picture I have of you,
A cleft in your chin instead of your foot
But no less a devil for that, no not
Any less the black man who
Bit my pretty red heart in two.
I was ten when they buried you.
At twenty I tried to die
And get back, back, back to you.
I thought even the bones would do.
But they pulled me out of the sack,
And they stuck me together with glue.
And then I knew what to do.
I made a model of you,
A man in black with a Meinkampf look
And a love of the rack and the screw.
And I said I do, I do.
So daddy, I'm finally through.
The black telephone's off at the root,
The voices just can't worm through.
If I've killed one man, I've killed two--
The vampire who said he was you
And drank my blood for a year,
Seven years, if you want to know.
Daddy, you can lie back now.
There's a stake in your fat black heart
And the villagers never liked you.
They are dancing and stamping on you.
They always knew it was you.
Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.
From "Ariel", 1966
Political poem example:
Standing Tall by James McKenzie
In honor of Martin Luther King
Some kings rule their kingdoms sitting down
Surrounded by luxury, soft cushions and fans
But this King stood strong
stood proud
stood tall
When the driver told Rosa
"Move to the back of the bus!"
When the waiter told students
"We don't serve your kind!"
When the Mayor told voters
"Your vote don't count!"
And when the sheriff told marchers
"Get off our streets!"
using fire hoses, police dogs and cattle prods
to move them along
This King stood strong
stood proud
stood tall
Speaking of peace
of love
and children
hand in hand
free at last
free at last
When some yelled for violence
For angry revenge
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
He stood his ground
Preaching peace
And when some spit out hate
He stood there smiling
Spreading love
Until it rolled like the sea across the land
Sweeping away Jim Crow
Breaking down the walls
Ringing the bell
Joyfully
For Freedom
Until
Standing on the mountain top
They shot him
Coldly
Hoping to see him fall
Hoping to put him away
To bring him low
But this King
even in death
even today
stands strong
stands proud
stands tall
And we remember
by Jamie McKenzie, 1982
1. Think of the format of a food recipe. First there is a list of ingredients you will need, then the explanation of how to mix the ingredients together, and finally the cooking time. Using this format, write a recipe poem that has nothing to do with food. Ex. you might write a recipe for how to make good conversation, how to climb a tree, how to fight with your father, or how to fall in love, etc.
2. Write a poem in which you describe one of your parents or a family member. Try not to describe this character directly. Instead, make the poem hinge around just one memory that sums up your mother’s, father’s, family member’s personality.
3. Write a poem about politics. In light of recent events, consider writing an inspirational poem about new beginnings.
Example poems:
Recipe Poem
Recipe Poem: How to Make a Morning
By Elaine Magliaro
Melt a galaxy of stars
in a large blue bowl.
Knead the golden sun
and let it rise in the East.
Spread the sky
with a layer of lemony light.
Blend together
until brimming with brightness.
Fold in dewdrops.
Sprinkle with songbirds.
Garnish with a chorus
of cock-a-doodle-doos.
Set out on a platter at dawn
and enjoy.
Parent Memory Poem example
Daddy
by: Sylvia Plath
You do not do, you do not do
Any more, black shoe
In which I have lived like a foot
For thirty years, poor and white,
Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.
Daddy, I have had to kill you.
You died before I had time--
Marble-heavy, a bag full of God,
Ghastly statue with one gray toe
Big as a Frisco seal
And a head in the freakish Atlantic
Where it pours bean green over blue
In the waters off beautiful Nauset.
I used to pray to recover you.
Ach, du.
In the German tongue, in the Polish town
Scraped flat by the roller
Of wars, wars, wars.
But the name of the town is common.
My Polack friend
Says there are a dozen or two.
So I never could tell where you
Put your foot, your root,
I never could talk to you.
The tongue stuck in my jaw.
It stuck in a barb wire snare.
Ich, ich, ich, ich,
I could hardly speak.
I thought every German was you.
And the language obscene
An engine, an engine
Chuffing me off like a Jew.
A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen.
I began to talk like a Jew.
I think I may well be a Jew.
The snows of the Tyrol, the clear beer of Vienna
Are not very pure or true.
With my gipsy ancestress and my weird luck
And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack
I may be a bit of a Jew.
I have always been scared of you,
With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.
And your neat mustache
And your Aryan eye, bright blue.
Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You--
Not God but a swastika
So black no sky could squeak through.
Every woman adores a Fascist,
The boot in the face, the brute
Brute heart of a brute like you.
You stand at the blackboard, daddy,
In the picture I have of you,
A cleft in your chin instead of your foot
But no less a devil for that, no not
Any less the black man who
Bit my pretty red heart in two.
I was ten when they buried you.
At twenty I tried to die
And get back, back, back to you.
I thought even the bones would do.
But they pulled me out of the sack,
And they stuck me together with glue.
And then I knew what to do.
I made a model of you,
A man in black with a Meinkampf look
And a love of the rack and the screw.
And I said I do, I do.
So daddy, I'm finally through.
The black telephone's off at the root,
The voices just can't worm through.
If I've killed one man, I've killed two--
The vampire who said he was you
And drank my blood for a year,
Seven years, if you want to know.
Daddy, you can lie back now.
There's a stake in your fat black heart
And the villagers never liked you.
They are dancing and stamping on you.
They always knew it was you.
Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.
From "Ariel", 1966
Political poem example:
Standing Tall by James McKenzie
In honor of Martin Luther King
Some kings rule their kingdoms sitting down
Surrounded by luxury, soft cushions and fans
But this King stood strong
stood proud
stood tall
When the driver told Rosa
"Move to the back of the bus!"
When the waiter told students
"We don't serve your kind!"
When the Mayor told voters
"Your vote don't count!"
And when the sheriff told marchers
"Get off our streets!"
using fire hoses, police dogs and cattle prods
to move them along
This King stood strong
stood proud
stood tall
Speaking of peace
of love
and children
hand in hand
free at last
free at last
When some yelled for violence
For angry revenge
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
He stood his ground
Preaching peace
And when some spit out hate
He stood there smiling
Spreading love
Until it rolled like the sea across the land
Sweeping away Jim Crow
Breaking down the walls
Ringing the bell
Joyfully
For Freedom
Until
Standing on the mountain top
They shot him
Coldly
Hoping to see him fall
Hoping to put him away
To bring him low
But this King
even in death
even today
stands strong
stands proud
stands tall
And we remember
by Jamie McKenzie, 1982
Thief of Always - Journal - Part 3
Chapter eight-thirteen:
1. Pg. 80; Tell a water story from your real life; describe a time when you encountered water.
2. Pg. 81; Describe a precious item you lost or that was stolen from you.
3. Pg. 83; Describe a dream you have.
4. Pg. 89-92; Describe a transformation or explore the possibility of being something else. What would you like to be? Why?
5. Describe a time you witnessed or participated in the death of a living being.
6. Pg. 130. An appositive is a description of a named noun. It is used after a comma to clarify or provide further detail to something already identified. Carna is described in a series of appositives (the appositive phrase is italicized): “Carna, the tooth-stealer; Carna, the devourer; Carna, the beast.” Use the appositive to describe an object or person.
This covers the first half of the book. The book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book has 13 chapters. The second does as well. There are 26 chapters in all. Think about why Barker divided his book in this manner.
1. Pg. 80; Tell a water story from your real life; describe a time when you encountered water.
2. Pg. 81; Describe a precious item you lost or that was stolen from you.
3. Pg. 83; Describe a dream you have.
4. Pg. 89-92; Describe a transformation or explore the possibility of being something else. What would you like to be? Why?
5. Describe a time you witnessed or participated in the death of a living being.
6. Pg. 130. An appositive is a description of a named noun. It is used after a comma to clarify or provide further detail to something already identified. Carna is described in a series of appositives (the appositive phrase is italicized): “Carna, the tooth-stealer; Carna, the devourer; Carna, the beast.” Use the appositive to describe an object or person.
This covers the first half of the book. The book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book has 13 chapters. The second does as well. There are 26 chapters in all. Think about why Barker divided his book in this manner.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Non-Fiction Story
Please complete the draft of your non-fiction story inspired by the personal stories from the movie "Freedom Writers."
Tell your story.
Write a non-fiction draft about a story that happened to you. Pick something that is important to you or something that you need to say. It should be based on your own life, but if you feel the need to, change names and places to protect yourself.
Advice:
1. Non-fiction stories are just like fictional stories. You need to describe action and settings, develop your plot, include "characters", etc.
2. Include dialogue. You won't remember exactly what people said, but try to get the gist of the conversation.
3. Use literary devices and techniques to make your writing creative.
Tell your story.
Write a non-fiction draft about a story that happened to you. Pick something that is important to you or something that you need to say. It should be based on your own life, but if you feel the need to, change names and places to protect yourself.
Advice:
1. Non-fiction stories are just like fictional stories. You need to describe action and settings, develop your plot, include "characters", etc.
2. Include dialogue. You won't remember exactly what people said, but try to get the gist of the conversation.
3. Use literary devices and techniques to make your writing creative.
Thief of Always - Journal - Part 2
More Journal ideas for the Thief of Always:
Chapter Four - Seven:
1. Pg. 33; “Another day, another dollar.” Collect sayings that your parents or family use. List these sayings in your journal.
2. Pg. 46; “This was a place where dead things belonged.” Start a description of a setting with the words: “this was a place where…” Perhaps turn your list into a catalog or chant poem.
3. Pg. 49; The description of autumn. This passage uses a lot of imagery: appealing to our senses through words that recall a touch, taste, smell, sound, or sight. Pick a season and, using imagery, describe it without naming it.
4. Pg. 55; The description of the musty room with the masks. Barker uses effective imagery here as well in this passage. You should note that the most important detail is left for last and that there is a build up of details. Write a description of a room, leaving the most important detail for last. (he does this again on page 56 when describing clothes).
5. Wendell’s practical joke (pgs. 59-62). Write about a time you played a practical joke on someone or when someone played a practical joke on you.
6. Pg. 68; Make a list of things you would like for Christmas. Add to your list odd items that may be impossible to find or get. Be creative!
7. Pg. 70-72; Describe an old gift given to you many years ago or describe a favorite gift. Where is this gift now, or what happened to it?
Chapter Four - Seven:
1. Pg. 33; “Another day, another dollar.” Collect sayings that your parents or family use. List these sayings in your journal.
2. Pg. 46; “This was a place where dead things belonged.” Start a description of a setting with the words: “this was a place where…” Perhaps turn your list into a catalog or chant poem.
3. Pg. 49; The description of autumn. This passage uses a lot of imagery: appealing to our senses through words that recall a touch, taste, smell, sound, or sight. Pick a season and, using imagery, describe it without naming it.
4. Pg. 55; The description of the musty room with the masks. Barker uses effective imagery here as well in this passage. You should note that the most important detail is left for last and that there is a build up of details. Write a description of a room, leaving the most important detail for last. (he does this again on page 56 when describing clothes).
5. Wendell’s practical joke (pgs. 59-62). Write about a time you played a practical joke on someone or when someone played a practical joke on you.
6. Pg. 68; Make a list of things you would like for Christmas. Add to your list odd items that may be impossible to find or get. Be creative!
7. Pg. 70-72; Describe an old gift given to you many years ago or describe a favorite gift. Where is this gift now, or what happened to it?
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