Posts
Short Stories - For Fun!
14 years ago
Monday, March 30, 2009
Drama
For those who were interested in extra credit for going to see the play, your reflections will be due Friday before we leave for break. Reflections must be at least one full page typed (double-spaced is ok). In your reflection, you should choose one scene you enjoyed and explain what you thought was successful about it, reflecting specifically on what you think the actors did to enhance the scene through their choices in portraying the characters through body language, tone, gestures, pitch, etc. (you can also discuss costume, lighting, scenery, or other aspects of the scene not specific to the work of the actors). You must also include an original ticket stub with your reflection. If your reflection meets these criteria you will earn 10 extra credit points.
Short Story Length
In reading your drafts this weekend, I realized that 3-4 double-spaced pages is not nearly enough length to adequately allow for enough detail in your stories. While I'm not going to require that you write more than the length I already gave you, many of you have asked if your stories can be longer. Because short stories (and novels) are generally single-spaced (while essays are in most cases double-spaced), you are invited to write 3-4 SINGLE-SPACED pages. Regardless of what you choose to do, when we print our zine the stories will be single-spaced. I apologize for not realizing this when I gave you the instructions, but I do want to give you accurate information about the general differences in formatting between short stories (which you are writing) and essays (which you are not), along with giving you enough space to write a narrative where something can actually happen and be resolved. So, again, you are certainly encouraged to single-space your stories, but you are not required to.
Info from Thursday's Class
Here are the overheads I made for Thursday if you want to see them again while you revise:
Fragments? Unheard of! Seriously. (You can!)
The shared, unsanitary bathrooms, probably carrying thousands of bacteria and diseases with them on the seats. Leaky pipes. Peeling paint. Damp, dark carpet. And lastly, my personal favorite, the sweat and cigarette-scented hallways so narrow they would give even the thinnest person alive claustrophobia.
I saw the boy stooping down, as if to pick up something of sentimental value. Then, his arm shot out so fast you would have thought he had super reflexes or something. I thought, “Ugh,” when I saw what he picked up. If that wasn’t enough, my stomach almost flipped out when I saw him put the thing into his mouth. He did it. The boy put a live cockroach into his mouth and ate it. Whole. Talk about 100% organic..
Half past five, Oh no, not again. They won’t understand.
“Where have you been?” questioned her Father. But it sounded too much like “You should’ve been here an hour ago to do your chores and help your brother.”
“What were you doing?” sounded like “Your food is cold, heat it up and eat. Quick. You have other things to do.”
“How was school?” sounded too much like “Try your best and get good grades. Did you?”
Sometimes the television blocked all the screeching screams blasting through Mary Anne’s ear. But today it was the only thing she could hear.
Create some tension! A great way to use your snapshot skills . . .
He stumbled in one night from doing god-knows-what, with god-knows-who and startled me scouting for his stash under his mattress. “Hey!” he barked, “What’cha lookin’ for in there?”
(...)
I just shrugged it off, mumbling, “Nothing.” It’s not like I was expecting a parade for snooping around his bed.
But doing a double take, there was something in his face that spoke more than what he could say. I’ve heard that people say only 10% of what they say with words and the rest is in your facial expression, your body language, and how you say it. Well, standing there and looking at me, Dad delivered an essay with his face. With the most powerful subtle combination of nerve impulses triggering his facial muscles in layers of meaning, he said he didn’t want to catch me looking under there again. He said “stay out” with his mouth, but not with his voice.
Original:
One day, at long last, her persistence was rewarded—a police report had been issued, singling out the gang in question: it was a group of high school dropouts, who had all gone to the same school as Iris at one point in time or another.
Alternative:
One day, at long last, her persistence was rewarded—a police report had been issued, singling out the gang in question—it was a group of high school dropouts; all had gone to the same school as Iris at one point in time or another.
Original:
Although she couldn’t figure it out quite yet, Iris knew there was a pattern to these murders—it was due to something a friend told her a long time ago.
Alternative:
Although she couldn’t figure it out quite yet—Iris knew there was a pattern to these murders—it was due to something a friend told her a long time ago.
Either way works! Make sure if you are using a semicolon though that it separates something which could be a sentence on its own. Conversely, make sure you don't just add commas where you could have another sentence (or use semicolons or m-dashes)--that will leave you wil run-ons.
Again, try some dialogue! Here are the two IM conversations I showed you for comparison:
3threat@hotletter.com: hey
lilqt@gletter.com: whatever
3threat@hotletter.com: whatever
lilqt@gletter.com: bye
3threat@hotletter.com: bye
3threat@hotletter.com: hey baby, you there?
lilqt@gletter.com: you want to talk about things here?! wow. you r classier than I thought!
3threat@hotletter.com: look, stop. i’m sorry. how many times do I have to say it I AM SORRY!
lilqt@gletter.com: no you’re not! you just got caught, like that Rihanna song. so just stop. it’s so over.
3threat@hotletter.com: i know i can’t change your mind. i know you. and i know it looks bad but that girl must have slipped that number in my pocket without me knowing. i did NOT ask for it, and i wouldn’t ever have even known about it if you hadn’t snooped in my stuff.
lilqt@gletter.com: so now i not only DON’T believe you, but i think you are ungrateful for calling me a snoop because
3threat@hotletter.com: hello?
lilqt@gletter.com: sorry, thought i heard a noise downstairs…as i was saying…because stupid you forgot to empty your pockets before your girl DID YOUR LAUNDRY FOR YOU!!!! HOW ABOUT A THANK YOU?!
3threat@hotletter.com: i’m sorry again, you’re right, i can’t say anything how i mean it, baby.
lilqt@gletter.com: don’t you keep calling me baGI;UJHBV q;bg ;’;’ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
3threat@hotletter.com: huh?
lilqt@gletter.com is signed off
3threat@hotletter.com: baby?
Become a filmmaker—use imagery (and all five senses) to create your scene
Lino reminisced when he and his wife would huddle together on the couch in the Philippines and watch soap operas all day. The aroma of freshly cooked adobo filled the air and the savory scent of kare-kare encased the kithen room; his wife was a fantastic cook.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“AYE, YOU MOONG-KEY, I got that piece of fruit furst. Why you take frum me,” I heard some lady yell in broken English.
I could recognize that voice from anywhere, it was my mother in her faded washed out Hello-Kitty pajamas; my face flushed red from the embarrassment. I attempted to turn around and make a run, but it was too late, she had already recognized me, “SIU MING, SIU MING. Where you going? Ah Mah rai here.”
[...]
As I finally got in front of our housing complex, I turned around to see if any of my classmates had “accidentally” followed me, it was as deserted as the sale racks in Target after a Black Friday sale, and I could almost even hear the rats squeaking through the sewage pipes.
Found poems
Here are the poems we created in class last week from Alexie's story "Witnesses, secret and Not" about being thirteen and Indian:
I learned how to use a hypodermic needle before I learned how to ride a bike.
Punctuated by more accidents
A tough life,
Thirteen.
One Indian doesn't tell another what to do.
It's all about reaction as opposed to action.
We just watch things happen then make comments.
We ordered diet since my father and I are both diabetic.
Must be kind of like disappearing.
***
Most of all, I had to find out what it meant to be an Indian
and there ain't no self-help manual for that.
360 degrees
At age 13 nobody thinks they're going to die.
I had to figure out what it meant to be a boy, a man too.
Just got swallowed up
Figuring out each year as it came,
then discarding it when the new one came along.
His eyes had stories written across them.
I learned how to use a hypodermic needle before I learned how to ride a bike.
Punctuated by more accidents
A tough life,
Thirteen.
One Indian doesn't tell another what to do.
It's all about reaction as opposed to action.
We just watch things happen then make comments.
We ordered diet since my father and I are both diabetic.
Must be kind of like disappearing.
***
Most of all, I had to find out what it meant to be an Indian
and there ain't no self-help manual for that.
360 degrees
At age 13 nobody thinks they're going to die.
I had to figure out what it meant to be a boy, a man too.
Just got swallowed up
Figuring out each year as it came,
then discarding it when the new one came along.
His eyes had stories written across them.
Friday, March 27, 2009
HW reminder for this weekend
Due Wednesday (but do not leave all of this until Tuesday night!)
- Bring in one copy of draft 2 of your short story for peer editing on Wednesday. You should have done significant revision using the draft with your notes from this week. I will also give you my feedback Tuesday.
- Read the criticism articles on Alexie and write a 1/2-1 page response - Do you think Alexie is reinforcing stereotypes or criticizing them, or both? Why do you believe this?
- Final drafts of your short stories will be due Thursday, when we will also begin presentations. You may want to meet with your group over the weekend, either virturally or in person, to make a plan for your presentation.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Research Task
Welcome to the computer lab! Today we will work on researching our topics for our community studies. Before we begin, though, we are going to practice evaluating websites.
First, use google to find some websites about your topic. Use the sheet in front of you to evaluate two websites on your topic. When you are done, give your worksheet to Ms. Aaland and begin researching! Below I have included some links to help you get started.
First, use google to find some websites about your topic. Use the sheet in front of you to evaluate two websites on your topic. When you are done, give your worksheet to Ms. Aaland and begin researching! Below I have included some links to help you get started.
Research Info
The 5 W's of Website Evaluation
General Research Links
San Francisco Public Library's Local Links
San Franciso Public Library's SF Statistics
New America Media - Ethnic Media
Some Websites You Can Use
Stress
NEA (National Education Association) – Stress Management
AIS (American Institute of Stress)
Parent Poll on Bay Area Students' Health (includes statistics)
New York Times article on teen stress
San Francisco Chronicle - Stress -- and how kids deal with it
Adolescent Stress and Depression
Berkeley Daily Planet - Teens and Stress
Stanford conference: Stressed Out Students
Parental Pressure on AsianAmericans
Report on Asian Americans student stress in the Bay Area
Asian American Youth Needs Assessment Report
Report on 'Model Minority' Stereotype - NY Times
Article responding to model minority myth on IMDiversity.com
Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women
Learning to Stand Out Among the Standouts
Pew Research - Parental Pressure
UCLA article on pressure to succeed
Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women
Homelessness
SF Department of Public Health Homeless Services
San Francisco Homeless Services Coalition
San Francisco Homeless Coordinating Board
Attitude Toward Homeless Shifts in San Francisco
Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco
San Francisco Homeless Resource
San Francisco Plan to Abolish Homelessness
Sexism Against Asian-American Women
Breaking Down Sexualized Stereotypes of Asian Women
Racism and Sexism - A Collective Struggle: A Minority Woman's Point of View
Asian American Women: Why We Are Everywhere
Asian American Women: Issues, Concerns and Responsive Human and Civil Rights Advocacy
Asian Nation: Women and Gender Issues
Asian American Women: Issues and Concerns
Asian American Women and Men – Yen Le Espiritu
Gang Violence
SF Chronicle - Widow pleads for death penalty
SF Chronicle - Latino homicides on sharp increase
ABC - Excelsior District sees increase in murders
SF Gov Office - Civil gang injunction
What San Francisco Can Do About Gangs
SF Excelsior Residents Demand End To Violence
Golden Gate Xpress - Murder In The Mission
City Attorney's Office - Gang OSC Hearing
Immigration
Center for Immigration Studies
SF Chronicle - Feds probe S.F.'s migrant-offender shield
SF Chronicle - Immigration debate riles Latinos
San Francisco Sanctuary Ordinance
Beyond Chron - San Francisco Activists Must Build Latino Power
IM Diversity - Hispanic Media Size Up Election Results
Mission Local - Immigrant Voters Divided on Immigration, Presidential Picks
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Today's Activity
Because it is important to have some cultural and historical context in order to understand literature written from an Indian perspective, over the next two days we will be building on our collective knowledge of American Indians. Today, you will conduct research on a topic in Native American history/culture which Sherman Alexie draws on in The Lone Ranger and Tonto. You will use this information to create a handout which is one (1) page. Here is what your handout needs to include:
Title/topic
200-300 word summary of research in your own words
A brief, interesting, and relevant quote from one of your sources
A 3-5 item bulleted list of important facts or a timeline of 4-5 important dates
One image
3 complete citations
Choose one of the topics below to research (you may need to pair up, sharing topics and computers but creating your own handouts):
Broken Native American treaties
Coeur D'Alene War/Spokane Plains War
Colonel Wright and 1858 Horse Slaughter
Crazy Horse
Coeur D'Alene/Schitsu'Umsh tribe
Chief Til-co-ax
Commodity food
Ghost Dance
General George Armstrong Custer
Coerced sterilization of Native American women
HUD houses (US Department of Housing and Urban Development)
American Indian Movement/Alcatraz Occupation
Indian Health Service/tribal hospitals
Stick game
Spokane Indian Reservation
Dawes Act/allotment of Native lands
Owl dance
Fancydancing
Smallpox-infected blankets
Diabetes in Native American populations
Sacred Black Hills/Mount Rushmore
Uranium mining on Native American land
Massacre at Wounded Knee
This will be due Thursday, March 5th at the beginning of class.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Meet Sherman Alexie...
Sherman Alexie, author of our next book (a collection of short stories, actually), The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian who lives in Seattle, Washington. Born in 1966, he grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, WA a very impoverished community about 5 hours east of Seattle (very close to Idaho). He loves basketball and much of his writing brings in his love of sports.When he began high school, he decided to attend a mostly-white school off the reservation, and was "the only Indian except the mascot." Recently he published his first work of young adult fiction, The True Diary of a Part-time Indian, which is about this time in his life. It's a great read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested! Our school library has a copy and I may even consider giving some extra credit to anyone who reads it and writes a short reflection. Let me know!
He received his B.A, from Washington State University. During college, he had a drinking problem (which is another recurring theme we will see in his writing), and so at 23, gave up drinking and has been sober ever since.
Sherman Alexie has two sons, Joseph, who is 12, and David, who is 8 years old. He has won many awards for his writing and has had his work made into at least three films, one of which we will watch in class (Smoke Signals).
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