Literature-Writing-Language   

Join me on a journey to understand and appreciate the literary art form of the short story. Each week we will first focus on one aspect of the short story form that an author has chosen to emphasize to convey his/her “theme.” We will then read and discuss two or three stories that emphasize this aspect and how it serves not only to convert the theme but why the author has chosen it. The emphasis in this course is on discussion and achieving an analysis through a variety of opinions and points of view of class participants. Some authors will include Hemingway, Tolstoy, Camus, Mansfield, Cather, Thurber, Faulkner, Wolfe, and more. Bonus: the understanding of these analytical aspects will apply to many more literary art forms than the short story: novels, movies, etc. etc. At the conclusion we will all participate in a comparison of three stories with similar subjects and attempt to rank them according to literary “value”

The course is comprised of reading, writing and speaking Spanish. The objective is that the students learn to have a conversation in a second language. The book is Practice Makes Perfect-Spanish Verb Tenses. This book has many exercises that help in the memorization and use of all of the verb tenses and construction of sentences and questions.

Every class period, the students will have opportunities to practice, ask questions, and read explanations for better understanding. It is difficult to learn another language and it takes time and a lot of practice. Once a student no longer has to translate in his/her mind, the student is now becoming fluent. And a second language speaker.

Richmond, Dorothy. Practice Makes Perfect-Spanish Verb Tenses Fifth Edition (2023) McGraw Hill

Consumed with grief, driven by vengeance, John Chenneville undertakes an unrelenting odyssey across the lawless post–Civil War frontier, seeking redemption, in this fearless novel from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of News of the World. We approach reading as discovery in a reading community; therefore, some of the reading is done in class so that, together, we encounter the text as a group, allowing multiple insights from the class. PLEASE DO NOT START READING THE BOOK BEFORE CLASS BEGINS

Have you ever laughed and cried at the same time? Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt frequently triggers that amazing reaction. This fascinating memoir is told in a lyrical Irish voice that will charm you. With numerous tales, McCourt reveals a miserable childhood of hunger and pain. This persevering lad is intelligent and eager to succeed but is held back from furthering his education because he is dressed in rags. Beyond all expectations, he manages to elevate himself to become a renowned writer, teacher, and lecturer. You will enjoy taking this astonishing journey with him.

This novel won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics’ Circle Award, and spent 117 weeks on the New York Times hardcover best-seller list.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, Scribner Paperback, 1996

No Class October 1st 

"Huck Finn is a masterpiece. This retelling just might be, too."NYTimes. In James. Perceval Everett's new, Pulitzer-listed, bestselling novel, Huck's enslaved sidekick, Jim, tells the story. This shift redirects the focus from a white boy's adventure to the harrowing experiences of a runaway. Through Jim's eyes, readers realize the mistreatment he endured in Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In James, Jim sheds his fearful, subservient identity to reclaim his freedom and manhood as James. Everett deftly maintains humor and page-turning drama throughout. Everett's James:

• reveals the racism of philosophers influencing the Founding Fathers;
• explains why African-Americans switch language or dialect based on social or conversational context, code-shifting;
• explores the blackface minstrel tradition; and
• reveals the sexual exploitation of enslaved women.

Facilitator presentations will delve deeper into these topics providing scenes from Twain's Huck with racial slurs redacted. Join us to decide if James is a new masterpiece and if Huck remains one?

Did you know that Frankenstein (1818), Mary Shelley’s iconic monster story:

• was written by a teenager who eloped with the already-married poet Percy Shelley and had recently borne him a child who had died,
• begins with the letters of an obsessed polar explorer,
• was created because of a ghost-story challenge among literary friends, who were discussing galvanism and the origins of life, during a rainy summer spent in Switzerland,
• the author gives the name Frankenstein not to the monster, but rather to the young scientist who creates him.

Join us as we read the novel, view film clips, and discuss the famous writers in Shelley’s circle, as well as the ethical limits of experimentation, Enlightenment attitudes toward science, the implications of bad parenting, and the psychological, political, and gendered readings of the book. We will work together to unpack the unending fascination of this modern myth – just in time for Halloween.

You know you’ve been meaning to write your memoir for years. Perhaps you’ve started and then abandoned the project as too daunting, too time-consuming, something you’ll get around to someday. We’ve all been there. This class is designed for those who may feel unqualified as a writer, who “don’t have anything to write about,” who don’t know where to begin or how to proceed and all of those other excuses you’ve been carefully accumulating over the years. We’ll learn how to break down this project into doable pieces, how to find topics that matter and how to put them into words without driving ourselves crazy in the process. A memoir is not a volume of an assigned length—it’s any collection of anecdotes you put together in your own familiar words for people who will deeply appreciate your efforts, and who will, as a result, never forget you. It’s time to do it!

Place is sometimes described as an additional character in novels, especially when an author develops a collection of characters in a specific location throughout a continuing series. "Mysterious Places" encourages armchair travel while exploring various mystery series - in this case, with a weather theme. Hurricanes, snowstorms, drought, gloomy or sunny days have all been used to establish atmosphere in a story and are sometimes the means, motive, or opportunity. In addition to our usual book club discussions of mysteries featuring weather, meteorologist Tom Corona will explain various weather phenomena that appear in our stories. A little science, some fun mysteries, lots of great discussion - another fine "Mysterious Places" class coming up!

Short stories are fun and they are easy to write. The oldest writers’ program in the country, the Iowa Writers Workshop, teaches writing by having writers read their stories to each other. The approach which Edward Ford uses is known as writing from life. Each class begins with Ford reading from a short story from his own life. Participants then write from their own lives and, finally, share and discuss their stories. The writer does not make up a story and try to make it real. Rather, the writer writes about everyday life and tries to make it seem magical. Ford will also teach his own Instant Short Story Recipe. The class will also include reading and discussing some famous and important short stories.

This 8-week course is designed to help you write the idea that has been hanging around on the fringes of your thoughts. Learn how to expand your idea and people it with characters, how to insert conflict and how to structure resolution. Most importantly – this course will help you decide where and how to begin. We also explore the different avenues of publication: publishing through a publisher, self-publishing, and contests. Join me on the adventure of unfolding your idea into a short story – the basis of storytelling.