Week 11

Lorrie Moore & Theodore Roethke: Each of these exercises are designed to be done AFTER you have read through the work once. Choose one activity to do.

Go through Moore's piece paragraph by paragraph and explain the structure of the piece. How does each move Moore makes add to some aspect of her "how-to" message?

OR

Go through the section on Roethke and identify ten concrete nouns. With your list of ten concrete nouns, decide whether each of these nouns is used literally or as a simile or metaphor.

Due 3/31 by 2pm.

Week 9

Sharon Olds & Louise Glück

These two writers use very different styles, however, the selections of poems in the anthology share some overarching themes:

love, religion, family

Choose one theme that you see in a poem or two from Gluck and in a poem or two from Olds and explain how each writer approaches the theme differently. What can you learn from these different approaches as a writer?

Write a 7-10 sentence paragraph.

Week 8 (On Writing Assignments)

So now you're on your own with regards to stories or poems... If you've been burning to write what you want, go forth happily.

If you're still feeling timid or you've got writer's block, I'll be posting weekly prompts in the sidebar. Because the fiction prompts accumulate, the poetry is pretty far down the sidebar. Just keep scrolling & you'll find it.

You don't have to use the prompt from any specific week, either. If you like a prompt this week, but have a good idea anyway, go ahead and use it some other time.

Week 8

Due by 2pm on March 3:

Read the following pieces and answer the discussion questions. Some people have been doing too much work, so I've given a guideline for how much I expect you to write to answer each question below. If you're confused, send me an email.


Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” SAW p.528 (Kristina)
How is this story still relevant to readers in 2011? (1-2 sentences) Re-write a paragraph of your choice in casual, 21st century American English. (1 paragraph)

Anne Sexton CAP p.431-437 (Kaitlyn)
Choose one poem from the selection and describe that poem in terms of the poetic devices she uses. (2-3 sentences)

Sylvia Plath CAP p. 405-409 (Nathan)
Choose one of the poems that struck an emotional chord for you. Google/Research the poem and see what kind of reception the poem received upon publication. Are you surprised? Disappointed? (1-2 sentences)

Week 7

Read the following stories. What do they remind you of in your own life or in popular culture? How are the stories written? Who are the stories trying to reach---that is, who are the intended audiences?

Then, write a few sentences that serve as an example of how you might emulate each writing style or theme.

Junot Diaz “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie” SAW p.385 (Matt)
David Foster Wallace “Good People” SAW p. 1341 (Sosuke)
John Updike “A & P” SAW p.1313

Week 4 (5)

1. For each story, identify the protagonist, antagonist, and conflict.

2. How are these stories similar? Different?

Joyce Carol Oates “Where are you going, Where have you been?” SAW p. 988
Franz Kafka “The Metamorphosis” SAW p. 719
Kurt Vonnegut “Harrison Bergeron” SAW p. 1328

Comments are due by 2pm Thursday 2/10.

Week 3

There will be a 9 question quiz this week over the poetry of Allen Ginsberg, Billy Collins, and Gwendolyn Brooks.

There will be an extra credit question that asks you to identify the poet and poem title of a poem from last week, as well. (I will read the poem aloud and if you can identify who wrote it and give it a go at the title, you will get the extra credit.)