1191

Reading:
"Rules of Love" by Joe Pintura
on e-reserve (see today's other post on how to access e-reserve material)

Writing:
"Found Dialogue"
Collect at least 4 conversations of 8-10 lines each. Try to capture the exact diction of the speakers. See if you can't get their tone, their intonations, their interruptions, their pauses. One speaker may not speak for a line or so. Capture that. Try to get a variety of conversations. Do not transcribe T.V. conversation. Type it, and bring to class on Tuesday.

If, for example, you overheard me with my son:

- "Tazwell, look at the statues of the bears!"
- "BIG bear."
- "It is a big bear."
- "Mama bear. Baby bear."
- "That's right. It's a mama and a baby bear."
- "-"
- "Are you climbing on that bear?" (pause) "Good job." (pause) "Now be careful."
- "Riding bear."
- "You are. You are riding that bear. Is that fun?"

Perhaps, however, you will find more exciting conversations. Good luck.

1. Go to: http://libraries.colorado.edu/search/r

2. Type in: Engl 1191

3. Find the reading by title or author. Click on it.

4. You will get the E-Reserves Identification page. Type in your Identikey Username and Password, and click "submit" at the bottom of the page.

5. The reading will download to your machine in a .pdf file. Please print it out, read it, and bring it to class with you.

6. Email me if you have questions or problems.

Oct. 12, Thursday – Midterm

Nov. 2, Thursday – Poetry Workshop (bring six copies of two poems to class).

Nov. 7, Tuesday – Poetry Assignment Due (5-7 poems, typed).

Nov. 16, Thursday – Dramatic workshop/table-reading (bring one page of dramatic work to class – enough copies for each character and stage directions to be read).

Nov. 28, Tuesday – Dramatic assignment due (5-7 pages of a scriptwriting – either a short play or a movie, or a scene, formatted as requested).

Dec. 7, Thursday – Fiction workshop (bring four copies of one page of a story)

Dec. 12, Tuesday – Fiction assignment due. (One complete short story – no longer than fifteen pages, no shorter than five).

Dec. 19, Tuesday – Final portfolios due in my mailbox (Hellems 101) by 4pm. No late portfolios will be accepted. Please see guidelines.

Reading:
Handout - "The Hunter's Wife" by Anthony Doerr

Writing:
Reading response to the story. In your response please focus on how the author uses setting in the story (to create mood, to create conflict, to reveal character). Remember to use the object significance handout as a reading guide if you find it helpful.

Writing:
Character Status Exercise
Write a scene in which your characters are put into a context that calls their sense of status into play. Status can mean your character has (or believes he has) more money, a better job, or is smarter, stronger, and so on, or that he has less or is worse. Particularly focus on the character’s private assessment of his state or condition as compared to the other character’s in the scene. Does your character really believe he has a superior status, or an inferior one? How does it affect his motivations and explain his actions? Keep in mind that all sorts of status levels exist – who is coolest, who has more grandchildren, etc. How does status affect the power of a character?

Example: Write a short scene between two neighbors, one of whom has more Christmas lights than the other. Then, introduce a representative from the electricity company into the scene.

Reading:
Burroway: Setting Chapter
Gwynn: Ernest Hemingway's “Hills Like White Elephants”

Reading:
Burroway: Character Chapter (83-93), Eukiah (364)

Writing: Character as Desire Exercise

Return to the writing exercise on character that we did in class today.

Imagine your character in a situation that produces one of these emotions. What does he or she want in that situation? What is the deep, abstract desire? What, in this specific situation, does he or she want that would fulfill, at least temporarily, that desire?

Answer these questions (write them down):
1. Who am I?
2. What are the circumstances?
3. What are my relationships?
4. What do I want?
5. What is my obstacle?
6. What do I do to get what I want?

Then write the scene. 250 words

Writing:

Vocal Distinctions Exercise (handout from last Tuesday)

Reading:

"Sweat" by Zora Neal Hurston (Gwynn, pg. 138)
Write two discussion questions on the story - type them and bring to class. In writing your questions, think about voice, image and character. Try to create questions that will generate discussion, rather than simple yes or no questions.

Reading:
Burroway: Character Chapter 79-83
Gwynn:
"Tu Negrito" - Sarah Cortez
"My Papa's Waltz" - Theodore Roethke

Writing:
Rewrite the scene you wrote in class, but in third person narrative. Choose a tense.
A man gets off a bus, trips, looks around in embarrassment, and sees a woman smiling. Describe this event, using the same characters and elements of setting. Type it!

Write a short response to one of the poems. This can be a critical response or a creative one, but try to focus on character, voice and/or image in your response. No more than one page. Typed!

Reading:
Gwynn:
“Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too” – Jim Hall (738)
“A Red, Red Rose” – Robert Burns (471)

Handouts:
Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot – Robert Olen Butler
P.O.V. exercise – read it, answer questions, bring it to class

Writing:
A man and a woman have been married for three years. When they married, they agreed they would never have children. They have never since talked about this decision. Now they are on a backpack trip, alone together. It is the anniversary of their wedding. They have since both changed their minds about wanting a child, but each does not know the other’s feelings. Do not make this easy for either character. Choose a point of view and write a scene. 250 words. Now choose a second point of view and write another scene. 250 words.

Reading: (~20)
Burroway:
Voice Chapter, pgs. 37-49
Gas – Jose Rivera, pgs. 356 - 359

Gwynn:
“This Is Just to Say” - William Carlos Williams (573)
“Daddy” – Sylvia Plath (685)

Writing:
Try This 2.2 (pg. 41) – from Burroway - VOICE
Imagine (remember) that you have borrowed (borrowed?) a car and been involved in a fender bender. Write an explanation for the police report. Write a monologue (a speech for one voice) explaining the accident to the friend whose car you borrowed. Write an email telling a friend who thinks you are truly cool. 500 Words