Thursday, January 16, 2003
Syllabus:
For the next several weeks, my senior classes will be experiencing vestiges of Knuth's Jane Austen course, orginally taught and relished by the students of the Spring 2000 Colgate English Deptartment London Study Group.
I picked Pride and Prejudice because it is my second favorite of Austen's, and because Emma is too long to realistically plan for. Thus far, my readers are right on, especially the Taiwanese and Korean students (Brian Cho is especially surprisingly on-top of the visits, walks, dances, characters, and sensibilities).
In creative writing and my 9th grade class, we are dissecting poetry, isolating its three components: music, image, and thought.
For this week, and part of next, we're focusing on sounds: meter, rhythm, assonance, alliteration, and little or no importance attached to what words mean. It's the sound we're after. We are, or will be, reading some Blake, Dickinson, Whitman, and yesterday we read Kerouac's nature-jazzed poem "Sea," composed while listening to the Pacific crash at Big Sur, California. Matt Krause, among others, really responded to the Kerouac. And I never thought that this poem, included at the end of the edition of his novel Big Sur, would come in so handily: more proof that building a library pays dividends (if you're a lowly English teacher, that is).
I also had my creative writers try the freestyle technique I had been fond of last Fall where I write or steal a sentence of phrase from somewhere, and then permutate (?) or refract its sounds into a second line, then repeat for the third, etcetera, until I either have some direction or at least some sounds to work with. We practiced on the blackboard in class with some interesting results (that caught the next class off-guard), and I assigned them three "refractions" for homework. I'll share anything noteworthy here soon, 'cause with these kids I never know what to expect.
For the next several weeks, my senior classes will be experiencing vestiges of Knuth's Jane Austen course, orginally taught and relished by the students of the Spring 2000 Colgate English Deptartment London Study Group.
I picked Pride and Prejudice because it is my second favorite of Austen's, and because Emma is too long to realistically plan for. Thus far, my readers are right on, especially the Taiwanese and Korean students (Brian Cho is especially surprisingly on-top of the visits, walks, dances, characters, and sensibilities).
In creative writing and my 9th grade class, we are dissecting poetry, isolating its three components: music, image, and thought.
For this week, and part of next, we're focusing on sounds: meter, rhythm, assonance, alliteration, and little or no importance attached to what words mean. It's the sound we're after. We are, or will be, reading some Blake, Dickinson, Whitman, and yesterday we read Kerouac's nature-jazzed poem "Sea," composed while listening to the Pacific crash at Big Sur, California. Matt Krause, among others, really responded to the Kerouac. And I never thought that this poem, included at the end of the edition of his novel Big Sur, would come in so handily: more proof that building a library pays dividends (if you're a lowly English teacher, that is).
I also had my creative writers try the freestyle technique I had been fond of last Fall where I write or steal a sentence of phrase from somewhere, and then permutate (?) or refract its sounds into a second line, then repeat for the third, etcetera, until I either have some direction or at least some sounds to work with. We practiced on the blackboard in class with some interesting results (that caught the next class off-guard), and I assigned them three "refractions" for homework. I'll share anything noteworthy here soon, 'cause with these kids I never know what to expect.
Present Echoes:
I talked to my high-school self last night in the form of C. Hayes, a junior at Knox. He's one of my better atheletes, and just an all around good kid. He's also experiencing "girl issues" for the first time, and was seeking advice. It's the same old song, the same painful lyrics of "we have to talk" and "just friends," and the best medicine I could offer him was to try and occupy his mind elsewhere and watch Swingers. Apparently, there was the start of something with a someone, whom he phoned or tried to phone way too often over Winter break and scared off. I can relate; this is often my downfall. I think many people (often guys) in relationships give too much, or try to hard, without truly comprehending to what degree the other is into the relationship. And what clinches the blunder is our blindness, and the clumsy dance we do when we're drunk with it: jealousy, meanness, illogical postures, playing hurt, hiding the truth, sharing too much of the truth. Ultimately, the big movements of limbs and personality scare people away. This is what happened to me, and it made my senior year of high school more miserable than it needed to be. I learned a lot, back then, about what I even now fall victim to, and I only hope to curb it enough to make myself fun again. I'm sorry.
I talked to my high-school self last night in the form of C. Hayes, a junior at Knox. He's one of my better atheletes, and just an all around good kid. He's also experiencing "girl issues" for the first time, and was seeking advice. It's the same old song, the same painful lyrics of "we have to talk" and "just friends," and the best medicine I could offer him was to try and occupy his mind elsewhere and watch Swingers. Apparently, there was the start of something with a someone, whom he phoned or tried to phone way too often over Winter break and scared off. I can relate; this is often my downfall. I think many people (often guys) in relationships give too much, or try to hard, without truly comprehending to what degree the other is into the relationship. And what clinches the blunder is our blindness, and the clumsy dance we do when we're drunk with it: jealousy, meanness, illogical postures, playing hurt, hiding the truth, sharing too much of the truth. Ultimately, the big movements of limbs and personality scare people away. This is what happened to me, and it made my senior year of high school more miserable than it needed to be. I learned a lot, back then, about what I even now fall victim to, and I only hope to curb it enough to make myself fun again. I'm sorry.
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Neurotic, Neurotic/ put your hands all over my blog:
I have grown weary from battling withdrawl, and resentment toward my addictions. When did I lose my soul to the internet? I've managed, through Calvino, Nick@Nite, minesweeper, Jeff Buckley, and the re-onset of work to stay occupied during most daylight hours, but having been away from stable internet availability for more than a week (Gary has dial-up only, and the internet at The School has crashed every single afternoon since I've been here and has never been on in my appartment at all), I feel disconnected and out-of-control, which yes are fairly infantile reactions, but nonetheless real. It's also been more than a week since I've had decent contact with Laura, and I think some of the downtime this weekend (with no internet) and the lack of IM has put me in a semi-pathetic state of eager anticipation. Sweetheart, I'll bet you're just having a great time, and time is flying faster for you. For me, having not heard from you in 3 days just makes me worry, that's all. It's me, I'm just neurotic, I know. I'll deal. Can't wait to hear from you, though. And although I've had sort of an epiphany about my addictions and my behavior/psyche, I still await the re-establishment of secure internettage, else I am so alone.
I have grown weary from battling withdrawl, and resentment toward my addictions. When did I lose my soul to the internet? I've managed, through Calvino, Nick@Nite, minesweeper, Jeff Buckley, and the re-onset of work to stay occupied during most daylight hours, but having been away from stable internet availability for more than a week (Gary has dial-up only, and the internet at The School has crashed every single afternoon since I've been here and has never been on in my appartment at all), I feel disconnected and out-of-control, which yes are fairly infantile reactions, but nonetheless real. It's also been more than a week since I've had decent contact with Laura, and I think some of the downtime this weekend (with no internet) and the lack of IM has put me in a semi-pathetic state of eager anticipation. Sweetheart, I'll bet you're just having a great time, and time is flying faster for you. For me, having not heard from you in 3 days just makes me worry, that's all. It's me, I'm just neurotic, I know. I'll deal. Can't wait to hear from you, though. And although I've had sort of an epiphany about my addictions and my behavior/psyche, I still await the re-establishment of secure internettage, else I am so alone.
Sunday, January 12, 2003
North Korean Diplomacy:
The [official N. Korean Rodong Sinmun] newspaper blamed the United States for the current crisis and warned: "If the United States evades its responsibility and challenges us, we'll turn the citadel of imperialists into a sea of fire."
Doesn't this taunting sound like it should come from a video game boss-villian?
And when the 4th Reich American Imperial Army has conquered the face of the earth, and beyond, we will proudly proclaim "WE have defeated the Vile Red Falcon; Consider ourselves Heroes." duh-duh-duh-duh, duh-duh-duh-duh.....duh-duh duh-duh (that almost passes for the Contra end-stage theme, but I do what I can).
The [official N. Korean Rodong Sinmun] newspaper blamed the United States for the current crisis and warned: "If the United States evades its responsibility and challenges us, we'll turn the citadel of imperialists into a sea of fire."
Doesn't this taunting sound like it should come from a video game boss-villian?
And when the 4th Reich American Imperial Army has conquered the face of the earth, and beyond, we will proudly proclaim "WE have defeated the Vile Red Falcon; Consider ourselves Heroes." duh-duh-duh-duh, duh-duh-duh-duh.....duh-duh duh-duh (that almost passes for the Contra end-stage theme, but I do what I can).
School:
The dear student populous returns to The School tomorrow, and with them my means of distraction, growth, videogame challenge, excitement, headache, and fulfillment. Yay.
The dear student populous returns to The School tomorrow, and with them my means of distraction, growth, videogame challenge, excitement, headache, and fulfillment. Yay.
Music:
Beck "Lost Cause" -still aching along with Beck to this album
Jeff Buckley "Last Goodbye"/ "Lilac Wine" - this second song has had me transfixed and near weeping for a week now
The Flaming Lips "Fight Test" "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21" - I finally broke down and bought this splendid disc. wow.
Coldplay "The Scientist" "Green Eyes" - the year's best euro-haunt-melodies
Beck "Lost Cause" -still aching along with Beck to this album
Jeff Buckley "Last Goodbye"/ "Lilac Wine" - this second song has had me transfixed and near weeping for a week now
The Flaming Lips "Fight Test" "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21" - I finally broke down and bought this splendid disc. wow.
Coldplay "The Scientist" "Green Eyes" - the year's best euro-haunt-melodies
Filmography:
Went to Manhattan this morning for a day with Emily Taylor, long-time gallery- and movie-going friend and all around superstar. We introduced me to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or at least a few hour's worth of its enormity, which brought up yet more fond London memories. Sigh...
Then we caught the new Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman film, Adaptation, which still has me reeling. Not since the night I saw Mulholland Drive have I cranked out a review with such momentum and spirit (I hope I didn't go too giddy). It's been submitted to the philler for PhiLL's perusal and use on the site and in the next print, although I will print it here, as well, perhaps, maybe, etc....
Went to Manhattan this morning for a day with Emily Taylor, long-time gallery- and movie-going friend and all around superstar. We introduced me to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or at least a few hour's worth of its enormity, which brought up yet more fond London memories. Sigh...
Then we caught the new Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman film, Adaptation, which still has me reeling. Not since the night I saw Mulholland Drive have I cranked out a review with such momentum and spirit (I hope I didn't go too giddy). It's been submitted to the philler for PhiLL's perusal and use on the site and in the next print, although I will print it here, as well, perhaps, maybe, etc....
