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.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
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.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
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?
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?
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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?
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).
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).
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