NOTE: Schedule Change--Paper due on Friday; Superheroes/Comics Discussion on Wed

I changed the schedule slightly to give everyone an extra class day to work on their Short Paper #1 assignment (see post below this one). So for Wednesday, just come to class and I'll discuss the history of comics and why superheroes have become one of our most potent modern metaphors. This will prepare us for our next book, Ms. Marvel, which we'll start discussing on Monday. If you don't have it yet, there are copies in the bookstore. We're not done with the Best American SF/F book yet--we'll return to it in a few weeks. 

Let me know if you have any questions about your paper! Good luck! 

English 1213/Short Paper #1: Metaphors ‘R Us (Due FRIDAY)

For your first short assignment, I want you to use metaphors to “help people to understand the unfamiliar” (Erard). In this case, I want you to explain to someone who has never been to college, what your first semester of college was like. However, to make it a little more visual—and challenging—I want you to do so using one of the fantasy/sci-fi metaphors below:

A Dragon     A Sorcerer     A Robot     A Spaceship

In other words, I want you to either describe a day in your life as a student, or a composite of several of your experiences and adventures, but through the metaphor of something completely imaginary. Just like Yoachim wrote about wind-up toys or Payseur wrote about “rivers running free,” I want you to show us college through the eyes of a dragon, or a sorcerer’s magic, etc. How can this help translate an unfamiliar experience in a way that makes them see and feel your day-to-day reality in college? How can a robot help people understand what’s it like to study all night and take a test first thing in the morning? How could a spaceship translate the whirlwind of activities that has become your daily ritual?

EX: You can do this assignment in a variety of ways: you could actually pretend to be a dragon going to college, or a spaceship going to flight school. OR, you could write about yourself and use metaphors derived from sorcery or robotics. Either way, think about what these things are, how they function, and what they represent, and relate it to what you experience on a daily basis. There are more comparisons than you might think!

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 2 full pages, double spaced (but you can do more)
• Think metaphorically: how can you help people see through your metaphor so they actually experience what your life feels like?
• Due Friday, February 1st in class

For Monday: Goh, “The Last Cheng Beng Gift”

LINK TO STORY: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/last-cheng-beng-gift/

NOTE: “Cheng Beng” or “Qingming” is a traditional Chinese festival also known as “Ancestor’s Day.” It goes back over 2,000 years, and is a celebration of one’s ancestors in early spring; families visit the graves of their ancestors and offer food and gifts while enjoying their own traditional foods and festivities.

The “A” / “SF” group should answer TWO of the following:

Q1: What is slightly absurd about the kind of gifts Mrs. Lim receives in the afterlife? How does she feel about these gifts? Do we understand why her daughter gives them?

Q2: Mrs. Lim mentions that “once [her husband] had been satisfied that he had accomplished all he had meant to do in this life…he opted instead for Meng Por’s forgetfulness tea and went straight for reincarnation” (92). If he was satisfied, why wasn’t Mrs. Lim? What does she get out of ‘living’ in death that her husband didn’t?

Q3: In her author’s note, Goh writes that “I wrote this for fellow Asian daughters who have similarly fraught relationships with their mothers, and from whom filial piety demands a gratitude that we can’t give freely” (345). In the story, what makes it difficult for Hong Yin to reconcile with her mother, and for her mother to accept her and apologize?

Q4: Mrs. Lim reflects that “The afterlife…was a place where nothing could happen, because it is not, after all, a place of living” (97-98). In that case, why might this story be more about life than death? In other words, how might this be a metaphor to what we hang onto, as well as how we decide to let go?

Response Groups for Both Classes

11:00 Class 

Group A (or "SF")

Kentaaji A.

Mandi B.

George B.

Benjamin B.

Alexis C.

Isabel D.

Shelby D.

Meysa D.

Sean F.

Cody G.

Kaylee H.

Timothy H.

Wyatt L.

Group B (or "F") 

John L.

McKenzie L.

Myranda M.

Destin M.

Hannah N.

Thomas N.

Tarah O.

Arren P.

Emily R.

Brea S.

Faith S.

1:00 Class
GROUP “SF” (Science Fiction)

Nichole B.

Angela C.

Sebastian C.

Kealan C.

Jaylnn F.

Michael G.

Nathan G.

Taylor G.

Ashlyn H.

Lydia H.

Raven J.

Austin M.

GROUP “F” (Fantasy)

Danielle M.

Brooklyn M.

Wyatt P.

Sandro R.

Klaytan S.

Rylee S.

Dalton S.

Jaren S.

Zachery W.

Rebekah W.

Tinia W.

Lilith W.

For Wednesday: Yoachim, “Carnival Nine” (pp.241-257)

LINK TO THE STORY: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/carnival-nine/

Group “F” (or Group “B”) should answer TWO of the following for class on Wednesday. But everyone should read this story—it’s a really good one! Much easier than the last one, but metaphorical in the same way, so don’t read too literally.

Q1:  Caroline Yoachim, who wrote this story, said the idea came from “spoon theory, developed…as a way to describe living with disability or chronic illness. In spoon theory, the energy to do tasks is represented by spoons, and people get a limited number of spoons each day” (354). Why do you think she changed this to ‘turns’ and created the metaphor of people with wind-up keys in their backs? What does this help us see or understand about our own lives and ambitions?

Q2: When the narrator, Zee, and Vale are at the master’s workbench, she notes, “We had agreed on building a boy, but we hadn’t talked much about the details” (249). Though we don’t build children from a pile of spare parts, how might this passage relate to the business of starting a family and raising a child in our world? What kind of conversation should they have had?

Q3: Much of this story is about the conflict between doing one’s duty and following one’s heart. How does Zee embody this conflict? Is she fulfilled in being Mattan’s mother and caregiver? Or does her restricted life help her appreciate her own mother’s decisions, even if she can never forgive her?

Q4: Toward the end of the story, Zee reflects, “In childhood the days stretch out seemingly forever, and we spend our time and turns freely on any whim that catches our fancy. But at the end of our lives each day becomes an increasingly greater fraction of the time we have remaining, and the moments grow ever more precious” (256). Based on this reflection, are longer lives necessarily happier ones? Is Mattan’s brief life (he’ll never get one thousand turns) doomed to be unfulfilling? What advantages does Zee’s longer life and stronger mainspring allow her to achieve?

For Friday: Payseur, “Rivers Run Free” (pp.1-12)

I FOUND A LINK TO THE STORY: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/rivers-run-free/

NOTE: I accidentally named the groups A & B in my 11:00 Comp class, though they are "SF" and "F" on the syllabus. So A = SF, and B = F. Sorry about that! 

Group "SF" should answer TWO of the four questions below in a short response, at least a few sentences, and in enough detail so I can see you ‘thinking.’ I don’t want a yes/no answer, and there’s no one right answer; I simply want you to engage with the story and be able to explain why you think the way you do about it. Don’t worry about being wrong or even confused. Writing your way through a response will help you understand the story more than if you wrote nothing at all.

Q1: In his author’s note, Charles Payseur writes that he was inspired to write the story because of “how rivers are exploited and polluted, a situation that mirrors other, much more human experiences” (351). What do you think he means by “other…more human experiences?” How could the story of exploited rivers trying to free themselves relate to us?

Q2: According to the story, why did the rivers get exploited/enslaved in the first place? Why didn’t they fight back earlier, and why do so few of them resist even in the events of the story?

Q3: When the rivers accuse the people of Abbotsville of betraying them and being no better than the Luteans (the ‘bad guys’ of the story), the Sheriff  responds, “I am better than the Luteans!...You think we want it this way? We’re just making the best of a bad situation, and not one that we caused” (9). Why does he feel forced to enslave and torture the rivers as well, even though he’s one of the ‘good guys’? Are we supposed to be sympathetic to his point of view, or does the story suggest that all humans are ultimately ‘bad’?

Q4: The rivers are trying to reach the ocean, but one of them admits, “The sea is a myth,” and even the narrator fears that he might be right. Since we as readers know the ocean isn’t a myth, why does the author have the rivers question the existence of a gigantic body of water? What might this represent to the characters that they hope for its existence, but secretly can’t believe in its existence? (hint: think metaphors)

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to Dr. Grasso's two sections of Freshman Composition 2! This course is designed around the theme of science fiction and fantasy writing, which should allow us to write about many ideas that affect our world today, even though they might sound futuristic or fantastic. The goal of this course is to challenge your ability to read in different fictional genres, and connect these works to a larger cultural conversation that is anything but fictional. Hopefully, you'll find this an interesting and unusual way to develop your writing, even if Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings aren't necessarily your cup of tea (I promise I won't make you watch either of them). 

Be sure to buy the books for this class as soon as possible, particularly Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing 2018, since we'll have a reading assignment from this book on Friday. The books are listed below:

Required Texts: (a) The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, ed. N.K. Jemsin; (b) Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles, (c) Wilson, Ms. Marvel

Check the syllabus for other information about the course, and feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns. See you next week! 

FINAL EXAM: MAY 7th @ 11:30

Remember, all revisions are due by Final Exam Day! That's Monday, May 7th @11:30. You must come to the Final Exam to take the exam--no make-ups are allowed, so be careful! 

For the Final Exam, be sure to bring all three books--Best American SF/F 2017, Superman: American Alien, and Station Eleven. I will give you an excerpt of a short article as the 'conversation' to respond to, and you will use your own ideas plus TWO of the books to assist you. This is your last chance to prove that you can write a well-balanced conversation paper that (a) introduces quotes properly, (b) documents quotes properly, (c) responds to quotes, (d) integrates primary sources (the article excerpt), (e) integrates secondary sources (the books), and (f) considers the Naysayer. 

Good luck! I enjoyed teaching the class this semester and hope you enjoy the long break to come! 

Final Conference Schedule for This Week (No Class Otherwise)

Below is the schedule for this week, but please let me know if you would like to reschedule. We'll briefly go over your paper, I'll give you your final grade (so far), and I'll tell you about the Final Exam. See you then! 

Wednesday                                        Friday

11:00         Miles                                11:00  Coleman

:10            Nathaniel                            :10    Japheth

:20            Stacy                                :20    Annabell

:30            Penny                                :30    Riley

:40            Amanda                             :40    Benjamin

:50            Joel                                   :50    Mitchell

12:00        Nathen                              12:00 Kelsey

:10            Jadeyn                               :10

:20                                                    :20

:30            Kayla                                 :30

2:00          Lizbeth                               2:00

:10            Halie                                 :10

:20            Kasandra                           :20

:30            Gabe                                 :30

:40                                                    :40

OR Thursday, between 10:00 and 12:00

Conversation Paper #2: Due Monday! And some links...

Conversation Paper #2: A Post-apocalyptic Education, Part II

In Chapter 46 of Station Eleven, Jeevan is discussing the subject of Year Twenty education with some friends. One of them remarks, “Does it still make sense to teach kids about the way things were?” And Jeevan’s wife, Daria, responds, “I suppose the question is, does knowing these things make them more or less happy?” (260-270). 

So there is where you come in: I want you to imagine that you’re designing the first college for the Post-Flu Age. Now that we’re in a new world, we can start over again, with a completely blank slate. We really get to decide what would make the new generation of students “more or less happy”—and what would truly educate them for the future. So what should an education look like in a “perfect world”? This is your chance to imagine what education should be and what it could be rather than what it is today.

Consider what works about the modern university, what should be preserved, and what seems broken. Discuss at least one thing you would KEEP from the past—either a class, a field of study, or a method of teaching, and at least one thing you would CHANGE—again, the same types of things. You should also identify the overall philosophy that you think a university should embody: is it simply preparing students for careers and employment? Or is it to make them more responsible and educated citizens? Or is to teach values, morals, and ethics? What would you want the new generation to remember about the past, and how much of their education would create their identity as human beings, Americans, Oklahomans, or whatever country, state, or culture you would want them to identify as. In other words, what would make them happy and able to live a productive, informed life with a minimum of regret and confusion?

REQUIREMENTS:

• You must use Station Eleven as an important part of your conversation, since you are literally in this world. Respond to specific quotes/ideas in the book.
• You should use at least THREE secondary sources (articles, etc.) to expand your conversation. At least one should occupy a ‘naysayer’ role. Quote from these articles and respond to their ideas.
• Should be at least 4-5 pages, double spaced.
• Due Monday, April 23^rd by 5pm

Some Links to Article that May Be Helpful:

* https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/technology-and-learning/read-robot-proof-if-you-only-read-one-higher-ed-book#.WtdULHa9KfY.email

* https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/us/holocaust-education.html

For Wednesday: Mandel, Station Eleven, Chs. 48-55 (finish the book!)

NOTE: We won’t have class on Friday, so Wednesday will not only finish our discussion of the book, but will be a last chance to discuss ideas for the paper (due on Monday). I’ll also give you a head’s up about the rest of the semester. We’re almost done!

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: In Chapter 49, the “Clarinet” admits that she finds Shakespeare “inadequate” to their situation, and when challenged to write something better, she starts writing a play of her own (which is later mistaken for a suicide note). Why might the Clarinet’s voice be an important naysayer for the Symphony, and an important voice for any culture? What might be the danger of only performing the past?

Q2: Why does Kirsten commemorate the men she killed as knife tattoos? For someone who doesn’t want to remember her past, and hopes never to kill anyone again, it seems a strange thing to memorialize. Related to this, why didn’t she want to tell Francois (the newspaper writer) about them?

Q3: Both Kirsten and the Prophet were about the same age when the Flu appeared. Both had similar experiences, reflected in the Prophet’s admission that “I have seen such darkness, such shadows and horrors” (301). And both, of course, are the “children” of Arthur—the Prophet his actual son, and Kirsten his stage daughter. So why did they turn out so differently? What saved Kirsten from becoming the Prophet, or someone like him? And what doomed him from becoming more like her?

Q4: Do you feel the novel ends with a sense of hope or a sense of loss? Do we feel that Elizabeth (the Prophet’s mother) was right when she said, “It always passes”? Can civilization come back from the brink? Or was it destined to be a faded memory or a myth of another world? Is the beauty of the past that it can really never return?

 

For Monday: Mandel, Station Eleven, Chapters 40-47

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Why might an airport be an advantageous place from which to start a new civilization? Is it really a coincidence that the Museum of Civilization begins in the Severn City airport? How might the airport itself—and the people it—inspire Clark to begin collecting the Museum?

Q2: In the early days of the collapse, Elizabeth tells Clark, “I’ve been taking art history classes on and off for years...[and] you see catastrophe after catastrophe, terrible things, all these moments when everyone must have thought the world was ending, but all these moments, they were all temporary. It always passes” (248).  In this case, why might knowledge of history be important? What could it teach you, or even help you understand about civilization and survival?

Q3: In Chapter 43, Clark more or less explains why he collects seemingly useless objects for the Museum: “Consider the mind that invented those miniature storms...Consider the white gloves on the hands of the woman who inserted the snow globes into boxes...Consider the signature on the shipping manifest when the ship reached port...” (256). What is he getting at here, and why are these objects important to see and contemplate, even when some of them, such as an I-pod, no longer have any use?

Q4: The airport eventually establishes its own school, which teaches all the abstract wonders of the past, such as airplanes, the Internet, and maps: “The children understood the dots on maps—here—but even the teenagers were confused by the lines. There had been countries, and borders. It was hard to explain” (262). What ideas do we still teach our children (and college students) which no longer completely make sense in the 21st century, but are considered vitally important? Do you understand why they are, or like the teenagers at the school, does it remain a mystery?

For Wednesday: Mandel, Station Eleven, Chs. 27-38

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: In Chapter 31, Kirsten is being interviewed by Francois about the last night of civilization, when Arthur died and a “mystery audience member” performed CPR on his body. Kirsten remembers “he was kind to me. Do you know his name?” and Francois replies, “I’m not sure anyone does” (181). Of course, we know the answers, and have since Chapter One. Why might this be the point of the novel itself, as well as the meaning behind Francois’ interview and the Museum itself? What story are they all trying to tell?

Q2: In Chapter 38, August and Kirsten discuss the idea of parallel universes, where “a person could theoretically be simultaneously present and not present, perhaps living out a shadow life in a parallel universe or two” (200). Kirsten also imagines this as “like the successive planes formed when two mirrors reflect one another” (200). Why might the theme of parallel universes be an important metaphor in this book, or a concept which might have inspired Mandel to write her book the way she did?

Q3: In the book that Frank (Jeevan’s brother) is writing, there’s a line that goes, “First we only want to be seen, but once we’re seen, that’s not enough anymore. After that, we want to be remembered” (187). Why is being remembered so important to human beings and to civilization itself? How can something selfish become something selfess—or perhaps, simply beneficial to other people?

Q4: Instead of leaving the apartment with his brother, Frank decides to stay in the apartment and die. His reason, or as much as he gives, is because of the time he spent in the hospital “thinking about civilization. What it means and what I value in it” (183). Why does his love for civilization make him choose not to “survive”? What did he fear might happen outside the apartment—or in the future? In a sense, was he correct?