AGENDA:
EQ: Why do writers write?
1. Welcome/Intro to course/Find blog and bookmark/ Get Grammarly/First novel: Mudbound by Hilary Jordan
Sign in Google classroom (6r0mlef)
2. First Morning Reflection (you will be signing up for these and getting full classwork credit when you present ):
The Twin Poets:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVQgYkZUEzA
https://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3660
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaB3cGeJz1I&t=113s
Jericho Brown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DsG-tMZjK
First Blog Quickwrite : Your thoughts and post a comment (5 minutes) for credit/DISCUSS
3. 1st Activity: Read Hirshfield "Why I Write" and "The Poet"
Write Your Own "Why I Write" Letter/Poem to Your Self"/others--put in envelope for next year
Date: October 10, 2011
Summary: Prize-winning international poet, translator, and essayist Jane Hirshfield's poetry speaks to the central issues of human existence: desire and loss, impermanence and beauty, and the many dimensions of our connection with others. She tells NWP why she writes.
JANE HIRSHFIELD
Why do I write?
I write because to write a new sentence, let alone a new poem, is to cross the threshold into both a larger existence and a profound mystery. A thought was not there, then it is. An image, a story, an idea about what it is to be human, did not exist, then it does. With every new poem, an emotion new to the heart, to the world, speaks itself into being. Any new metaphor is a telescope, a canoe in rapids, an MRI machine. And like that MRI machine, sometimes its looking is accompanied by an awful banging. To write can be frightening as well as magnetic. You don't know what will happen when you throw open your windows and doors.
To write a new sentence, let alone a new poem, is to cross the threshold into both a larger existence and a profound mystery.
Why write? You might as well ask a fish, why swim, ask an apple tree, why make apples? The eye wants to look, the ear wants to hear, the heart wants to feel more than it thought it could bear...
The writer, when she or he cannot write, is a person outside the gates of her own being. Not long ago, I stood like that for months, disbarred from myself. Then, one sentence arrived; another. And I? I was a woman in love. For that also is what writing is. Every sentence that comes for a writer when actually writing—however imperfect, however inadequate—every sentence is a love poem to this world and to our good luck at being here, alive, in it.
The Poet She is working now, in a room not unlike this one, the one where I write, or you read. Her table is covered with paper. The light of the lamp would be tempered by a shade, where the bulb's single harshness might dissolve, but it is not, she has taken it off. Her poems? I will never know them, though they are the ones I most need. Even the alphabet she writes in I cannot decipher. Her chair -- Let us imagine whether it is leather or canvas, vinyl or wicker. Let her have a chair, her shadeless lamp, the table. Let one or two she loves be in the next room. Let the door be closed, the sleeping ones healthy. Let her have time, and silence, enough paper to make mistakes and go on. Jane Hirshfield
Discuss her essay and poem.
Joan Didion:
http://genius.com/Joan-didion-why-i-write-annotated
RELATED ARTICLES ON NWP.ORG
- Why I Write: A Celebration of the National Day on Writing
- Poet Laureate Kay Ryan: Poet as Teacher, Teacher as Poet
- Billy Collins: A `Reader's Poet' Reads at NWP's 2009 Annual Meeting
EQ: How does POV effect narrative storytelling?
4. 2nd Activity (preparation for Mudbound):
POV Writing exercise--Writing in POV and the voice of the "other"
Write 4 paragraphs exploring point of view.
a. 3rd person limited
b. 1st person
c. 3rd person omniscient
d. your choice--another character, second person/
example:
MODEL:
3rd person Limited
Her feet dragged in the dirt as she swayed back and forth on the playground swing set she used to soar on when she was younger. Her head hung low as she watched her dusty shoes trace circles beneath her. The rhythmic creaking of the rusted metal chains mixed with the patterns in the sand were enough to put her into a trance while she waited for a tap on her shoulder. When it came, it startled her, shocking her out of the coma she let herself fall into. His touch wasn’t warm like it used to be, the fingers that ran over her knuckles and along the lines in her palm felt forced, contrived. He sat beside her on the next swing and adjusted his feet to sway in sync with her. He smiled at her and she tried her hardest to smile back, feeling like the corners of her mouth were held up by string.
1st person
I made piles and lines in the sand with my shoes because they were dirty anyway. The screeching sound of the metal chain dug into my head. My hair would always get stuck in the links, ripping it out in pieces. The longer I swung back and forth the more my stomach would ache, but I couldn’t stop. The silence would be too much without anything to test it. I felt his icy fingers on my shoulder, exposed in the summer heat. My chest ached and my stomach fell into the dirt. I wish he didn’t come. I wish he never showed. There was no way to feel close to him anymore, even when he tried to swing in sync without me noticing. He was trying to get me to look at him. I could see from the corner of my eye, but I didn’t want to. Instead, I forced myself to smile, facing down the patterns in the dirt. I thought that would be good enough.
3rd person omniscient
A girl hopped over the fence into the playground, then she looked around more a minute, grinning slightly when she saw that it was empty. She walked over to a bench that stood under a red maple tree. Her fingers glided over the bark as she passed it. She sat down on the bench for a moment, her legs crossed and her head resting in her hands, but she quickly got up, taking a new place on the swing set. She started to swing back and forth fast, her legs kicking back and forth to propel her higher and higher until there was slack in the chains when she went up. She smiled big as the wind whipped her hair back. After a minute or so she started to slow, eventually coming to a hard stop. Her face looked pale and her smile was gone. From then on, she just swayed slowly, dragging her white shoes in the dirt. A boy hopped over the fence behind her, but she didn’t seem to notice. He tapped on her shoulder and sat down next to her. That smile didn’t come back.
2nd person
You hop over the chain link fence, expecting her to hear you. Of course she doesn’t though, she’s always lost in her thoughts. That’s one of the reasons you love her. You tried to make as much noise as you could as you walked up behind her, but still, she stared down at the ground. You didn’t mean to scare her, but when you tapped on her shoulder you could feel her jump with fear. You know that you should’ve just called her name, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say it without bringing tears too. You touched her hand as softly as you could because you know she loves it, holding on until you take the spot next to her. She didn’t notice as you adjusted your swing to align with hers. You stared at her as you swung in exact sync. She smiled and you smiled back because you knew that as long as she was smiling she was still yours.
5. Sign out books: Mudbound
HWK: Get Course Criteria signed for credit
it was very deep, like you couldn't ignore what they were saying or tune it out. it was interesting because I didn't think they were going to say real problems and situations, they're energetic in their poems. they put reality in their poems about society which stood out to me the most.
ReplyDeletemy thoughts on the why i write poems and the twin poets are nice they Spock truth and made the audience get attached and not fall asleep because they said some relate able stuff it was interesting i don't like poems but they made me like theirs!
ReplyDeleteI really like the Why I write because of the fact that they touched so many different issues from drug abuse all the way to america's government. I loved their performance because the first video we saw they were very passionate and they seemed as if they had maybe even went through some of the things they wrote about. The second video they looked a little older but they still performed the piece with the same if not more passion.
ReplyDeleteI admire how their reason for writing is genuine and sincere, and how they're continuously getting that reason across through their poetry. They're fully aware as to what their writing and how significant their words can be to others which is one of my favorite things about them.
ReplyDeleteThe twins' poems were enjoyable and effective. The tempo was strong and it's clear that they've practiced their routine a lot. I think this poetry, if an all child audience was ready for it, might be good for them. Dreams aren't illegal?
ReplyDeleteThe topic of the twins poems were a very good introduction to a discussion that people in this country need to have. It would make people who might disagree with them feel as though they're speaking too much about controversial topics. They speak like they have experienced all the trauma and sadness discussed in their poems and are very energetic when reciting, and bouncing off of each other. Very inspirational to see them use their voice to educate in an entertaining matter.
ReplyDeleteThe Twin Poets use reality and real life problems or situations in their poems to attract an audience. I think it works, the listener can't help but to stay tuned in. I don't necessarily like poetry but I did enjoy theirs. It was nice to see someone of color having a platform to advocate for the youth.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching the twin brothers, the most powerful thing that stuck out about their writing is how blunt they are with the issues and how they talk about things that some people sugar coat. To provide emphasis on these phrases they both said them, which made the audience listen. Another thing I really liked about the twin poets was the rhythm they had in their spoken word and how they used dialogue between them to spark interest.
ReplyDeleteI liked the "Why i write" by the twins because it gave a sense of urgency we needed to here this poem. Its too many worldwide problems where not addressing or tending too. there performance was outstanding it had some flaws but the way they delivered made you wanna pay attention and engage in their poem.
ReplyDeletewhen listening and watching the why I write poems and twin poems, the wording was very strong and hard hitting. like you could feel the words that were said and the amount of passion they had reflecting the issues mentioned in both performances.
ReplyDeleteThe Twin Poets and their Why I Write poem is a powerful slam poem almost rap like, and they claim within the poem that their writing is not just for themselves but as a gift of escape to the constant troubles of life for young kids. Their poem is a testament of the times and and their explanation for being wrapped into one.
ReplyDeleteI was interested in the poems because the things that they were talking about were real things and things that go on everyday. The reason that they write was interesting to me because most of the reasons were for their writing to speak for the people who go through things.
ReplyDeleteThe twin poems was very interesting because they was talking about real life problems. They was talking about things I see people go through everyday. There reasoning for writing was interesting. It made me take writing more seriously. It made me look at it from two different points of views. The twins speak for the people that was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI thought the poets and their poems were very deep and the way they deliver each and every word makes the audience actually think about the problems they are talking about. They make it very clear and the way they change their tone in the middle of the poem is unique and I really like their poems.
ReplyDeleteJonaya Wright
ReplyDeleteThe twins poems were very encouraging and empowering for the African Americans or just people in general to understand the struggle of the African American who has never seen their father or lives with harsh hardships of life. Explaining as to why they write and use their passion to express the undefined emotions that the twins, and many others from the American African community feel. I really enjoyed listening and seeing them talk about what they feel are problems with the world.
The twin poets was interesting to watch because they included things in the poem that was relevant to this day of age, it wast basic it had a rhythm to it that I haven't really seen other poets do it was like a song that you could relate to, it was smooth and it related more to the African American culture. They talked with passion and it really made you feel the emotion behind the words.
ReplyDeleteThe twin poets go to show how writing can help people process the world they live in. It can also help people see how something beautiful can be made out of something hard. I tend to write for myself, so it is really cool to see how these two people write for other people.
ReplyDelete