Out Of Nowhere, There is Baseball
This is a more recent piece about the power of baseball in other countries. Specifically, this looks at the coach and he reminded me a bit of Lou Sweet. Read, comment, reflect. What are your thoughts on George and his baseball project?
Hope minicourse was lovely.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
One Shot @ Forever: up to 128
Some writing practice
1. What's one important symbol in the text so far and what does it represent?
2. How does Ballard create both realistic and mythical characters?
3. What role does masculinity and heroism play in achieving the American Dream?
4. How does Ballard's style and structure create tension not only in the games but also within characters?
1. What's one important symbol in the text so far and what does it represent?
2. How does Ballard create both realistic and mythical characters?
3. What role does masculinity and heroism play in achieving the American Dream?
4. How does Ballard's style and structure create tension not only in the games but also within characters?
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
One Shot @ Forever: up to 95
Writing:
David and Goliath. What do you know? What do you think of? Modern day examples? Value of this allusion?
Discussion
1. Looking at Ballard's early characterization of the team, what conflicts does this set up? What surprises? (p.35-41)
2. How does Ballard weave together evidence of promise and failure and what is the effect of those pieces of description?
3. Ballard includes a number of side stories about Sweet. Look at one of them and discuss the added value of the details and story.
4. How does Ballard contrast Shartzer and Sweet? Be specific. Use the text.
5. p. 52: Heneberry characterization
6. p.68-72: How does Ballard create suspense? Look at language and style.
7. How does Ballard use stereotype to his advantage? break from it?
8. How would you describe Ballard's language and style?
**What themes are present in the book so far?
**What has Ballard set-up for the second half of the book?
**Passages that standout?
**Am Dream connections.
David and Goliath. What do you know? What do you think of? Modern day examples? Value of this allusion?
Discussion
1. Looking at Ballard's early characterization of the team, what conflicts does this set up? What surprises? (p.35-41)
2. How does Ballard weave together evidence of promise and failure and what is the effect of those pieces of description?
3. Ballard includes a number of side stories about Sweet. Look at one of them and discuss the added value of the details and story.
4. How does Ballard contrast Shartzer and Sweet? Be specific. Use the text.
5. p. 52: Heneberry characterization
6. p.68-72: How does Ballard create suspense? Look at language and style.
7. How does Ballard use stereotype to his advantage? break from it?
8. How would you describe Ballard's language and style?
**What themes are present in the book so far?
**What has Ballard set-up for the second half of the book?
**Passages that standout?
**Am Dream connections.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Weekly Post #5
The 83F Project: Sign Here, Please
Another great piece that reflects back some of the themes we've encountered thus far. What are your thoughts? Keeping it open to any thought this week. Go wild!
For me, I love the line near the end when the idea of fraud is mentioned. Rather than give into that idea, Mortimer, "chooses instead to have faith." For me, baseball is the ritual, the worship, the commitment. Off the field, in the wee hours of the night, Mortimer found a faith that binds him to others. That's baseball at its best, and it transcends almost everything else in communities.
Another great piece that reflects back some of the themes we've encountered thus far. What are your thoughts? Keeping it open to any thought this week. Go wild!
For me, I love the line near the end when the idea of fraud is mentioned. Rather than give into that idea, Mortimer, "chooses instead to have faith." For me, baseball is the ritual, the worship, the commitment. Off the field, in the wee hours of the night, Mortimer found a faith that binds him to others. That's baseball at its best, and it transcends almost everything else in communities.
One Shot @ Forever: up to 31
1. America in late 60s and early 70s
2. How is nonfiction storytelling similar and/or different fiction? (focus on basic elements of a story: character, setting, conflict plot, theme AND exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
Write: Chris Ballard said, "This book isn't really about baseball; it's about the memory of an event and how those memories changed lives." Think about memories, about major events in your life. How do memories turn into myths?
Characterization (in groups w/text evidence)
1. The town
2. Lynn Sweet
3. Britton
4. Steve Shartzer
5. Bill McClard
Style
1. How would you describe Ballard's style?
2. What techniques does Ballard use to characterize people and places?
3. How does Ballard set up the conflict early on in the book? Is it effective?
2. How is nonfiction storytelling similar and/or different fiction? (focus on basic elements of a story: character, setting, conflict plot, theme AND exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
Write: Chris Ballard said, "This book isn't really about baseball; it's about the memory of an event and how those memories changed lives." Think about memories, about major events in your life. How do memories turn into myths?
Characterization (in groups w/text evidence)
1. The town
2. Lynn Sweet
3. Britton
4. Steve Shartzer
5. Bill McClard
Style
1. How would you describe Ballard's style?
2. What techniques does Ballard use to characterize people and places?
3. How does Ballard set up the conflict early on in the book? Is it effective?
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Handing in the essay
- Save the document as a PDF.
- Word users: FILE --> SAVE AS --> PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
- Pages users: FILE --> EXPORT --> PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
- Google users: FILE -->EXPORT -->PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
- Go to dropitto.me/mcollie to send paper to Mary.
- Password: EnglishRocks
- File name: Shoeless_Name.pdf
You will lose points for the following:
1. Improperly naming the file
2. Not submitting a PDF
Check MyMA for next book and reading!
Monday, February 2, 2015
First day writing workshop
THESIS!!
Work through these questions alone ....
Work through them with your group ...
1. Does this thesis answer the prompt?
2. Is the thesis arguable? specific? concise?
3. Does this thesis move beyond observation and more to interpretation (making meaning)? Think about how? why? cause & effect.
4. Is this thesis ONE amazing, action packed sentence?
5. Suggestions? Revisions? Rewrite.
Work through these questions alone ....
Work through them with your group ...
1. Does this thesis answer the prompt?
2. Is the thesis arguable? specific? concise?
3. Does this thesis move beyond observation and more to interpretation (making meaning)? Think about how? why? cause & effect.
4. Is this thesis ONE amazing, action packed sentence?
5. Suggestions? Revisions? Rewrite.
Weekly Post #4: Baseball Cards
This piece from the NY Times has all of the trappings of baseball literature: religious overtones, myth, legend, dedication, magic, and loss. Focus on one of these themes and discuss what role it plays in not only this article but also in baseball as we've learned about thus far.
Keep up the good work on your posts. Loving the insights and thoughtful writing.
Keep up the good work on your posts. Loving the insights and thoughtful writing.
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