Thursday, March 25, 2010

Hamill & Breslin

Although written only five years apart and about similar events, the Breslin and Hamill stories we read for class feel vastly different. Identify one literary technique that, to your mind, contributes to this different feel and explain how it contributes. You might choose, for example, from point of view, narrative structure, choice of language, and so on. Please be as specific and complete as possible. Your response should be posted prior to class on Thursday.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Postcards From the Edge

By 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, please send a list of five topics for our Los Angeles Notebook-type project. That is, what areas of life at SUNY New Paltz do you think it would be worthwhile and interesting to send Didion- or Orwell-like postcards about to readers? My idea is to divide you into five groups of four. Each member of a group would be responsible for creating at least one scene (maybe two) that illustrates an aspect of the group's subject. Each group would also need to create a contextualizing section, as both Didion and Orwell do, that cements the pieces of the mosaic together. I have already spoken to Nancy Heiz about using the stories in The Little Rebellion.

If anyone has other ideas or suggestions about how to proceed, please submit them with your response.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Dispatches

Compare the structure of the pieces by Davis, Orwell, and Herr. What changes do you notice? How are these changes in form related to the changing conception of imperialism and war? To the changing purpose of literary journalism?

Your response is due by noon, Sunday, March 7.