It's over?! What ... they all died?

1. Revisit the Hero's cycle/chart. Fill it in. Discuss.
2. What's the difference between Gypsy & Richard? What changes in Richard --?p. 255
3. The fall with Karin
4. Salinger's sermon
5. Where does Salinger go?
6.  What is the perfect dream that Salinger refers to before leaving?

**Bringing it all back to Eight Men Out --> Why does WP Kinsella use the nostalgia of Eight Men Out to craft his story? What does this tell us about dreams? The American Dream? About the nature of sports and heroes? What's the connection between dreams and sports?

Shoeless Joe: 196-233

1. Review essay questions & timeline (3 class periods to work, drafts in stags, due end of class Friday 2/6)

2. Write 3 discussion questions pertaining to last night's reading?

• One of the questions must be focused around a single passage (no longer than a page).
• One question must be about characterization.
• One question must be about theme?

3. Narrow down ... break into groups ... each group select top three (one from each category) ...discuss

Eddie
"But I understand Eddie Scissons. I know that some of us, ... sweet love" (218-219). What role does self-delusion play in life and dream fulfillment? Is Ray or Salinger or any of the seers delusional? How does delusion play into one's ability to see the field?

What connections are we to make between the Kid Scissons and Eddie Scissons? What does the field reveal about the dreamers?

Eddie's sermon (227-229). **In what way is baseball a universal language?

Why is is Eddie who gives Ray permission to see/speak to his dad? Why does Ray need permission? "Last inning of a perfectly played ball game (231).

The Others (just like Lost)
220-221: Idea of Field of Shared Dreams. Idea of payment for dreams. Can real dreams bring in money? Maybe only as an unplanned benefit? Why is Ray so reluctant to accept money? "The magic has been broken" (221).

Weekly Post #3: The scorer

An article on the official scorer of the game, this piece looks into some of the subjectivity present in baseball. Sure there are the umps who seem to be the arbiters of the game, but the scorers are like the gatekeepers of stats.

Two questions:
1. With instant replay and so many eyes on the field these days, do you think an official scorer is still necessary? Of course there would be someone collecting balls and strikes and hits, but why put the work on one person?
2. What new piece of baseball information did you learn from this article?

Keep up the good work!

Shoeless Joe: up to 196

Questions about the story? Plot lines? Confusions? Questions?

Character Inventory

1. Karin & Annie
2. Eddie Scissons
3. Salinger
4. Doc Graham
5. Richard & Mark

Group 1: Ally, Joe, Connor T

Group 2: Chloe, Connor R, Bryan

Group 3: Katarina, Cooper, Angus

Group 4: Jack, Kirsta, Samantha

Group 5: Duncan, Sam, Griff

Each group needs to answer the following and use TEXT to support your ideation.

• What does this character offer Ray? / What role does this character play in Ray's journey?
• What does Ray offer this character? 
• How has WP Kinsella developed this character?
• What themes are expressed by this character?
• How would this character define the American Dream?
• Significant detail, quote, action? (optional)

Everyone should work on this document.

Shoeless Joe: up to 153

Baseball Nation Map

1. Ray's sermon 84-85 --> what do we learn about Ray in this speech? What does he want Salinger to learn?

2. Read 96-101 aloud.

• final two paragraphs on 97  before the break -- Ray is a dreamer. How does Kinsella employ imagery to convey mythology?
• What's the difference between myth and religion?
• What does Ray learn from Salinger? Salinger from Ray?
• How does Ray convince Salinger to go? Look specifically at the language.
• Ray is tuned into baseball while others are tuned into religion. What is Salinger tuned into?
• Big question -- why do people believe or have faith?

3. Compare & contrast Salinger and Ray. Use text to support your ideas.

4. p.112 --> mud --> TRUE!

5. Board work .... connect to themes, characterization, Am Dream, and more


Maybe .... Ray is on this mission to collect players and people and bring them to his field. He's facilitating dream realization for not only himself but also strangers in need. Put yourself in Ray's shoes. Imagine you've heard a voice and gotten a call.

1. What do you build?
2. Who do you bring to your location?
3. Why have you brought this person(s)?
4. What lessons do they offer you?

Weekly Post #2

Inspired by the awesome responses about a fallen hero and the American Dream, here's an article to balance the life of A-Rod. Chipper Jones. What a guy. Very different departure from baseball than what A-Rod is likely to experience.

Some questions ... How does this article play into the sentimentality surrounding the game of baseball and the idea of heroes? Is Chipper the anomaly or the norm? Let's play arm chair psychologist for a moment: why was Chipper able to resist the pull of steroids when A-Rod could not. Give me your best psycho-analysis.

Loved the insights and honesty of last week. Keep up the good work. Remember -- be insightful but be concise. I love your thoughts.

Shoeless Joe: up to 77

Free write: Look at the quote that prefaces the book. Why do you think W.P. Kinsella began the book with this idea?

"Some men see thing as they are, and say why, I dream of things that never were, and say why not."

A bit more insight into the novel. And what is magical realism?

Discussion questions:

1. What do we know about the main characters thus far: Ray, Karen, Annie, JD. What description does the text offer us?
2. Hero's cycle?
3. You are Ray. How do you define the American Dream? Use text to support ideas.
4. Sentimental: excessive, self-indulgent. Nostalgic: longing for
How can we see these two feelings thus far in the novel? What is the nuanced difference as expressed through Ray?

Other questions

• How is Ray's epiphany on p.16 related to the magic on the field?
• Where in the reading can we find magic (not literally the word)? Why is it important to weave that in from the start? What is W.P. Kinsella trying to show us? What is he asking of us?
• In what ways do Karin & Annie differ? Why is their difference essential to Ray's success/failure?
• How does Annie's faith in Ray mirror his faith in baseball? And why has W.P. Kinsella created such similar faiths? What commentary might he be making on faith in general?

Cleveland

Cleveland 

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh at night, post-game

Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium at night

1981 Yankee Stadium

Some bat info: see 1.10

Bat Technology from Louisville Slugger

MLB Groundskeepers DOn't Mind Getting Dirty

Hitters with Blue Eyes are Wary of the Glare

J.D. Salinger Obit

Weekly Post #1

A Cruel Bargain for A-Rod and Boys With Baseball Dreams

I'll start the semester off with a great read about A-Rod. And no I'm not posting this because I grew up rooting for the Yankees; rather, I think this article and the steroid issues address one of the major themes we'll cover this semester: the fallen hero. Forget what you think of the over-paid geezer; A-Rod has an impressive baseball resumé and relationship with the game. But then things changed.

What are your thoughts on the idea of A-Rod as a fallen hero? Was his trajectory unavoidable? Is the pressure to be better, faster, stronger partly to blame for his fall?

2015 Day 1: It begins

1. Who are you?
2. Who am I?
3. What's this course? the details ...
4. To the movie!