Course Eval.

A reminder that the Course Eval is due before you flip your tassel. Please submit it by email as a Word doc attachment or copy it into my mamabear server faculty folder dropbox.

Across Kenwood Parkway and Into the Wild.

Extremely Greg, Annie, Matt & Incredibly Senta, Peter, & Lindsay.

Blake Dressen appears courtesy of Axe Body Spray for Men.

Week Six.

Agenda (revised since handout received on Monday, 5.5).

• Monday: proposal due by end of day.
• Tuesday: project work day.
• Wednesday: no class.
• Thursday: project work day.
• Friday: presentations; closure.

Other reminders:

• At some point in class this week your circle needs to fit in a final discussion on your current text.
• Complete your online Reader's Log entries.
  
• Of the texts you've read this semester, write two mini-“reviews.” Specifically, I'm looking for 5-7 sentences (approx. one paragraph) giving either “critical acclaim” (praise) or constructive criticism for the text. Type them both in a Word document and email it to me as an attachment.
  

Everything, including any missing work, is due by the beginning of class this Friday, May 9.

Online Reader's Log Entry #3 (final entry).

Post your third online Reader's Log entry here (it should be your eleventh overall in quarter three and your final entry on your current text). Again, be sure to include your name and the book you are reading prior to your entry. To avoid losing unsaved work, type your entry first in a Word document and then copy and paste into your comment.

Online Reader's Log Entry 2.

Post your second online Reader's Log entry here (it should be your tenth overall in quarter three). Again, be sure to include your name and the book you are reading prior to your entry. To avoid losing unsaved work, type your entry first in a Word document and then copy and paste into your comment.

Online Reader's Log Entry 1.

Post your first online Reader's Log entry here (it should be your ninth overall in quarter three). Be sure to include your name and the book you are reading prior to your entry. To avoid losing unsaved work, type your entry first in a Word document and then copy and paste into your comment.

MFO: A Peter Hajas Production.

Attack of the Killer Steinbeck.

In the photograph shown above, taken by a gawking passerby, Tim Walden (left) struggles to free himself while his classmate, George Faegre (right), lies in stupor having been intellectually defeated by Steinbeck's Of Mice & Men just seconds before.

Minneapolis, MN - A sunny, spring afternoon in the Midwest quickly turned grim as a vicious and unusual attack claimed the intelligence of two Blake seniors. Patrick's Lit Circles class was enjoying the sun and their respective novels when John Steinbeck's Of Mice & Men wreaked havoc on the two young men. After regaining consciousness, both students' intelligence were noticeably affected by the attack. While they've regained some of their brainpower, doctors say they may never fully recover. When asked about the incident Walden said, "Well, at least I still have my dignity." This statement couldn't have been a clearer indication of the detrimental affect of Steinbeck's wrath, as it is well known among Walden's peers that he traded in all of his dignity for a Chicago Bears t-shirt early on in his childhood. So it goes.

Editor's Correction: One of the victim's, Tim Walden, was right to point out that he was attacked by Into the Wild, not Of Mice and Men. Whether that's better or worse this editor cannot say.

New circles, starting Monday.

Check it.

S-5 bonus opp.

For those of you reading Slaughterhouse-Five, I'll award bonus points to anyone who is willing to count the number of times "So it goes" appears in the novel.

If you're reading Into the Wild or Invisible Man keep checking the blog, as I will soon post bonus opps for you, too.

Miscelleneous announcements.

1. Snapshot due before class begins on Friday, April 18. Recognize.
   
2. Q3 survey results are in. Check 'em out. Thank you all for both your praise and constructive criticism. I will make a concerted effort to take your perspectives into consideration in the last four weeks of the quarter.
3. Even you can drop some knowledge on the blog. If fact, I encourage it. Ideas:
1. Research your author. Post a bio, interviews, or other articles.
   
2. Research the book's history and historical context. Post your findings.
3. Pose a discussion question or an "Aha! moment" from your night's reading.
   
4. Q4 circle projects will take place at the end of the quarter. You'll have time in class to work on them, but not as much as was given in Q3. You'll have the option to do a project on your first or second text. (This means that your project group members will all have read the same text, but may not have been in your original circle.)

Reader's Log revision.

I've revised the Reader's Log system for the 4th quarter. No more coins. Before you freak, though, read on. Instead of writing an entry for every night of reading, you only need to complete two entries per week. Yes, that's right, only two entries per week. But, they better be solid. I'm looking for an authentic dialogue with the text. Quality over quantity. In short, I'm looking for substance. I'll also reserve part of a class period each week (likely on a Tuesday or a Thursday) for in-class Reader's Log writing.

So, if you've written two for this week already, you're good. Take a break. If you've written three, you're even better. Take a longer break.

Yours in reading,
El Jefe.

Quarter Three eval.

The Quarter Three eval is due before you come to class next Monday, April 7. Recognize.

Introducing...

New circles.

Beginning after Spring Break. Purchase books and bring to class on our first day back, Monday, March 31. For consistency in pagination, please purchase the editions of the books seen at left.

Head's up on rest of quarter...

1. Rest of quarter will be spent on novel supplements and projects. Specifically…
1. Tuesday (today), 3.4: see “Body” below.
2. Thursday, 3.6: PRB. iTunes Challenge featuring Double L vs. PSJ.
   
3. Friday, 3.7: in-class work on projects.
4. Monday, 3.10: in-class work on projects.
5. Tuesday, 3.11: flex day.
   
6. Thursday, 3.13: project presentations.
7. Friday, 3.14: project presentations.
   
2. 2nd Snapshots due by beginning of class next Monday, March 10. As with 1st Snapshot, submit by email or mamabear server dropbox.
3. Reader’s Logs due at beginning of class next Friday, March 15. Turn in earlier if you want.
   

Miscellany re: "No Country...".

1. Cormac McCarthy's official website: cormacmccarthy.com.
   
2. The New Yorker review, by James Wood: "Red Planet."
   
3. Village Voice review, by James Browning: "Motel Fix."
4. NPR review, by Alan Cheuse: "All Things Considered."
   
5. Lastly, anyone make any headway on the novel's title (specifically, its origins)? *Bonus Opp: find out where it comes from and why it's relevant to the novel.
   

Reader's Log entries for Friday, 2.22.

Before class meets, post your Reader's Log entry for Friday 2.22 here.

Reader's Log entries for Thursday, 2.21.

Post your Reader's Log entry for Thursday 2.21 here. (Do so before class meets.) So that you don't risk losing your entry, type it in a Word document first, then copy and paste it into this post's comment form below.

Taking "In Rotation" requests.

What's getting heavy play in your rotation? Hard bop? Dub and rock steady? Alt-rock and rock-a-billy? Ambient? Swedish black metal? Show tunes? The Juno soundtrack?

Who's getting heavy play in your rotation? All the Usual Tropes? The Deadly Potholes? DoppleGangstas? Perpetuating Irony? Ryan Hogan & the Pillar of Bees? Trapdoor Survivalists? The Wounded Butterflies?

Post a group or artist, song, or genre that you'd like for me to add to the "In Rotation" section of the sidebar at right.

On your marks, get set ...

Tricycle Championship.

Week's End Info.

For tomorrow, Friday 2.8 ...

1. Bring Everything is Illuminated to class; be prepared to discuss and bring finality to the text.
2. Bring your new book (No Country for Old Men or Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), having read your first night's worth of reading.
3. Turn in Jonathan's family tree for bonus points.

For Monday, 2.11 ...

1. Follow your circle's reading skedj.
2. Accept the email invite to create your blog account, which will give you authorship privileges.

Other things ...

1. Anyone see Jack or Max's Reader's Logs? Jack's is a blue Composition notebook; Max's is red.
2. Your Reader's Logs are to be submitted next Thursday, 2.14.
   
3. I'll have your first Snapshots back to you on Monday.
   

Beginning Thursday ...

New Circles.

Also, here are some web resources on Jonathan Safran Foer, some of which we looked at toward the end of Monday's class:

• Interview: Author discusses Everything is Illuminated.
• JSF official site: The Project Museum.
• JSF bio.
• The Village Voice interviews the author regarding Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: "Everything is Interrogated."
  
• A scathing review of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: "Extremely Cloying & Incredibly False."
• "My Life as a Dog," a JSF New York Times op-ed piece.

Augsburg College Invitational Reading.

On Wednesday, April 9, 2008, Augsburg College will host its 23rd Annual High School Invitational Reading. All high school students are invited to submit their best work. You may submit up to two poems and/or one prose piece. Winning submissions will earn an invite to a luncheon where students will read their work publicly. In addition, finalists will earn a Barnes & Noble's gift certificates and Augsburg t-shirts. Beyond that, the two best poets and two best prose writers will be awarded tickets to the Guthrie, Theater in the Round, or the Walker Art Center.

Guidelines for submissions:

• Submissions must be submitted on 8 1/2" x 11" paper, typed or computer printed, in 12-point font, and double-spaced.
• Poetry submissions should not exceed 100 lines in length; prose submissions must not exceed four pages.
• All submissions should be suitable for public reading.
  

Submissions deadline is Wednesday, March 10, 2008.

Mail submission to:
Augsburg College
English Dept., C.B. 59
Attn: High School Invitational Reading
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454

The Day's Headlines.

Revised Syllabus; recognize.
For Friday, 2.1: Read, annotate, and log pp. 194-218 (25).
For Monday, 2.4: 1) Read, annotate, and log pp. 219-242 (24). 2) Email me your first Snapshot Essay as an attachment before Monday's class (or copy it into my mamabear server faculty folder dropbox). This is a firm deadline; late work will be penalized. Please use MLA format: typed; double-spaced; 10-12 point standard font; one-inch margins on all sides. A concise summary of this format can be found beginning on page five of the Upper School English Department Handbook.
For Tuesday, 2.5: Read, annotate, and log pp. 242-276 (34).
For Thursday, 2.7: Purchase and bring to class your new book. I encourage you to hit up one of the Twin Cities' many independent book stores to do so. prb's picks: Booksmart, Mager's & Quinn's, Half Price Books, and Book House Dinkytown.

Bonus Opportunitree. (So uncool, so contrived; I know.)
Construct Jonathan's family tree. Include as much information as is known based on the text, such as names, dates, relationship to Jonathan, and any other pertinent info, such as "born in Trachimbrod" or "died by lightning strike." Due by class time next Tuesday, February 5. Exact point value TBD; it will be nor multitudinous nor miniature.

Survey Monkey pulls an all nighter to meet deadline.
An obscure, undisclosed location. (AP) Last night into early morning, with the help of a near-lethal concoction of one part black tea, eight parts Red Bull, the Survey Monkey computed the results of the class' Book Choice rankings. Check out the results by clicking here: Book Choice rankings, Round 2. (The resulting new circles will be announced in class Friday.)

Survey Monkey's work is complete, for time begin, and after a much-needed--and deserved--nap, he will deplete his accumulated vaca days. When asked where he'll travel to, he said, "I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps Dubai. I hear it's like the new Disneyland, but without Mickey ... I hate that obnoxious mouse."

A "Human Moment."

Patrick: Shapka means "undefined."

[A minute or two passes.]

Matt (softly, but with conviction): I don't think shapka means "undefined," but rather, is undefined. (According to my computer's language translator.)

Matt, your suggestion was correct. Thank you for drawing attention to this error of mine (I like to think of it as a "human moment"), comical--and embarrassing--as it was.

Actual Definition: An ushanka (уша́нка) [uˈʂan.kə] is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to protect the ears from the cold. In the English-speaking world, it is referred to as a shapka (шáпкa), from the Russian language word for "hat." Ushanka literally translates as "ear-flaps hat."

Optical Illusions & Negative Space.

Satiate your curiosity ...

... and dispel all urban legends regarding Mr. Fred Rogers. (From, of course, the much disputed--but heavy-"hitting" nonetheless--Wikipedia.)

Book List rankings, Round Two.

The field has been narrowed. Before completing the online survey, rembember that I'll have the books in class tomorrow for your perusal. When you're ready to do so, click the following link to rank your top five of the remaining twelve texts: Book List rankings, Round Two.

Also, as promised, let this serve as your reminder that you own me $12. Cash or check. Those of you who haven't paid me by the end of the day tomorrow will be given over to a collector's agency. And you will be sentenced to hard labor in the LW office.

—prb.

Book List correction.

On your book list, the title Waiting for the Barbarians should be Diary of a Bad Year. My bad.

Also, below you will find more extensive descriptions of Franny and Zooey and The Zoo Story & The American Dream.

Franny and Zooey, J.D. Salinger. (200 fast pages, 5 nights)
Volume containing two interrelated stories by J.D. Salinger, published in book form in 1961. The stories, originally published in The New Yorker magazine, concern Franny and Zooey Glass, two members of the family that was the subject of most of Salinger’s short fiction. Franny is an intellectually precocious late adolescent who tries to attain spiritual purification by obsessively reiterating the “Jesus prayer” as an antidote to the perceived superficiality and corruptness of life. She subsequently suffers a nervous breakdown. In the second story, her next older brother, Zooey, attempts to heal Franny by pointing out that her constant repetition of the “Jesus prayer” is as self-involved and egotistical as the egotism against which she rails. —from Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature .

The Zoo Story & The American Dream, Edward Albee. (128 pages, 4-5 nights)
The Zoo Story is Albee’s first play; written in 1958 and completed in just three weeks. The play explores themes of isolation, loneliness, social disparity and dehumanization in a commercial world. The American Dream is a satire on American family life. In the setting of a single day, a married couple and their grandmother are visited by two guests who turn their world upside down. —from Perspectives in American Literature: A Research and Reference Guide.

—Patrick.

About Alexander Perchov.

Hometown: Odessa, Ukraine.
Brief Bio: I am also dubbed "Alex-stop-spleening-me,""Shapka," "Currency," "Alli," and yet others, but I would be more partial to "Alex." I was sired in 1977, the same year as the hero. I have always thought of myself as very potent and very generative. I disseminate much currency. I dig American movies. I dig Michael Jackson. I am a very premium person to be with. I am homely, and also severely funny, and these are winning things. I toil at Heritage tours along with my father, Alex, and his father, who is also my grandfather, Alex. The picture below is of Sammy Davis, Junior Junior, my grandfather's officious seeing eye dog. (Here, of course, I am using the hero's idiom.)

Umbrella on film.

YouTube film adaptations of Fernando Sorrentino's "There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting Me in the Head with an Umbrella."