Courtesy of David Brooks of the NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/opinion/25brooks.html?_r=2&ref=opinion
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/opinion/25brooks.html?_r=2&ref=opinion
Mr. Kaplan's class apparently had a spirited debate about the final paragraph of "Show Dog." I'm not totally sure of the exact nature of the discussion, but what do you make of it? Is it an appropriate, effective way to end the piece? Why/why not? Love to hear your reaction to this week's episode of This American Life, about America's No. 1 party school (Penn State): http://podcast.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/396.mp3 It strikes me that the clearest articulation of her angle in this piece is in the last 3-4 paragraphs. What is it, in your view? And how does she go about laying the foundation for that ending earlier in the piece? Respond as a comment on this message. Check 'em out: http://community.livejournal.com/mrbaron/92665.html After you've read the story, do these two things as a comment on this message: 1) Chose a line from the story that you liked; type it in, and explain why you chose it. 2) Write 300-400 words about the ending -- what point does it emphasize? How has Orlean set up this Just in case you missed it: for Monday, read the intro to Bullfight, plus the first paragraph of each piece (except "Shortcuts"). Once you've done the reading, write a page in your journal explaining your initial impression of Orlean as a writer. The money quote from the intro: "An ordinary life examined closely reveals itself to be exquisite and complicated and exceptional, somehow managing to be both heroic and plain." Your motto for the freshman profile... Here are a couple of links that might be interesting to you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJQK1KV-EPo http://www.bookpage.com/0101bp/susan_orlean.html http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:HZAX2qUK0RAJ:woe.ucdavis.edu/An_Interview_with_Susan_Orlean.pdf+colin+duffy+susan+orlean+uc+davis&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari 1) On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that sums up your interview with each of the two interviews you've done for your profile 2) Read these two pieces that describe Rick Bragg's departure from The New York Times: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dy http://www.slate.com/id/2083539/ 3) As a comment on this message, answer these questions: How serious do you think the transgressions the pieces describe are? Does it make you think differently of Bragg as a writer? Does it affect the way you read the pieces in the book? We'll have a Susan Orlean assignment for the weekend, so make sure you secure youre -- Read the AP prompt I gave you in class and the two sample essays -- Respond as a comment on this message: What questions do the essays raise for you? What can you learn from them about what makes an effective response? Note: We're going to move right on to Susan Orlean and The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup when we're done with Bragg. If you haven't yet secured a copy for yourself, now might be a good time. We've talked a bit about Rick Bragg being a typically southern writer, and here, more directly even than in Dirty Red, he takes on the subject of race. Does anything surprise you about the events of these stories? In your response, refer to at least one other classmate's post (unless you're the first to post, when you get the floor all to yourself). |
