Everything is Illuminated Prompt

I hope you are enjoying the film of the week, based on Jonathan Safran Foer's novel of same name, Everything is Illuminated.

To get you started on thinking about the film, you will have noticed by now the strange obsession "JonFen" has for collecting mementos related to events and people. Remember the wall shrine with various souvenirs taped around photographs of his family? What do you suppose at this point in the film is the function of his souvenirs?

For those of you interested in posting on last week's short stories from the Best American Short Stories 2007, do you sense any similar themes in the selections we read? Do you think the editorial decisions of edition editor Stephen King had anything to do with these perceived themes?

And finally, to choose just one, which story was most entertaining or thought-provoking? Did you prefer the depressing suicide that closed John Barth's selection? Were you inspired by the rescue scene that seemed to bring back purpose and meaning to the life of Alice Munro's main protagonist?

See you all Wednesday for another installment of Everything is Illuminated......

Reading for Friday

Just in case you missed it or weren't present for class today, we will be reading Richard Russo's short story, "Horseman," for Friday's class. Please come prepared to discuss this story from your Best American Short Stories 2007. 

Selection for Monday

In Monday's class, we will finish up with My Years of Meats, and move into the anthologies you bought for the course. We will begin with T.C. Boyle's short story "Balto" from the Stephen King edited Best American Short Stories 2007, so come to class ready to discuss the genius that is T.C. Boyle!

URGENT NEWS: CLASS IS CANCELLED TODAY

I am terribly ill and won't be able to make it to school today. Hopefully you all see this blog post before our scheduled class time! Friday we will cover both those of you who were scheduled to present your literary terms and definitions today (as well as Friday), and we will finish up our last day of My Year of Meats. Any questions, please email me directly.

Prompt question and reminders

For those of you who have already blogged your alternate endings to Will Ferguson's Happiness, they have been noted and read already. For those of you who forgot or just can't decide how to end such a wonderful novel, don't forget to do so....and soon. I will count this mandatory post as both class participation (since it's mandatory) and as a blog post towards your final goal. There aren't any true guidelines for an alternate ending (the sky is the limit since it is your interpretation of the novel's message that will shine through your prose), but just be sure to post at least 250 words.


As you begin Ruth Ozeki's 1999 novel My Year of Meats, it has probably already become obvious to you that Ozeki is exploring and critiquing various roles and issues. Meat, gender roles, nationalism, ethnicity...nothing is safe from Ozeki's gaze. As the back cover suggests, it is at once "juicy...tender...bloody...[and] sizzling." What roles stand out to you as the most important in this first half of the novel?

REMINDER: the above prompt is for those who would like a little nudge in the blogging direction. You are by no means required to respond to the prompt. Follow your own path, my grasshoppers!!

English 110 Critical Terms Presentation Schedule

Wed 10 Sept	Sandra R	Point of view
Wed 10 Sept	Madeline S	Narrator
Wed 10 Sept	Richard O	Symbol
Fri 12 Sept	Kaitlyn W	Allusion
Fri 12 Sept	Matt J	Hyperbole
Fri 12 Sept	James B	Dystopia
Mon 15 Sept	Andrew S	Poststructuralist Criticism
Mon 15 Sept	Bryna C	Formalist Criticism
Mon 15 Sept	Jasmine C	New Criticism
Wed 17 Sept	Spenser J	Postcolonial Criticism
Wed 17 Sept	Ethan J	Postmodern Criticism
Wed 17 Sept	Alison V	Psychoanalytic Criticism
Fri 19 Sept	Sarah S	Tone
Fri 19 Sept	Chelsea W	Imagery
Fri 19 Sept	Makanda K	Feminist Criticism
Mon 22 Sept	Brian H	Ambiguity
Mon 22 Sept	Stephanie C	Satire
Mon 22 Sept	Kate L	Parody
Wed 24 Sept	Emma L	Monologue
Wed 24 Sept	Dana D	Characterization
Wed 24 Sept	Michelle L	Diction
Fri 26 Sept	Tasha A	Genre
Fri 26 Sept	Bailey F	Historical Novel
Fri 26 Sept	Buck N	Graphic Novel
Mon 20 October	Rebekah O	Tragicomedy
Mon 20 October	Madeline W	Theme
Mon 20 October	Kristen P	Irony
Wed 22 October	Nicole F	Archetype
Wed 22 October	Camille W	Hero/Antihero
Wed 22 October	Johnny S	Paradox
Fri 24 October	Matt B	Reversal (Plot)
Fri 24 October	Marie Z	Short story
Fri 24 October	Amber T	Allegory

Our last day of Happiness

Well, maybe not our last day of happiness in life, but our last day of Will Ferguson's brand of happiness will be this Friday. For Monday's class we will begin Ruth Ozeki's My Year of Meats, which I hope you all find as entertaining and thought-provoking as our current text.