Wishing you the very best---Happy Holidays and New Year!!!
Today---work on your short stories, read, and prepare entries for contests...
How to Talk to a Hunter
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZaBr2XUCa5wC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=how+to+talk+to+a+hunter&source=web&ots=0Vd46M-GOP&sig=0xv4obs0jIYBlxjq8iASth2wcMs&hl=en#v=onepage&q=how%20to%20talk%20to%20a%20hunter&f=false
Homework over the two week break:
Finish Stewart O'Nan's A Prayer for the Dying
Continue to work on and think about your 2nd person short story
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
More 2nd person stories
Read Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Haunted Mind"
http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/nh/hmind.html
Read Italo Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler...""
http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/winter.htm
Another example:
They are coming for you, to take you to the firing squad, the gallows, the stake, the electric chair, the gas chamber. You have to stand up; but you can't. Your body, gorged with fear, is too heavy$to move. You'd like to be able to rise and walk between them out the open door of your cell with dignity; but you can't. So they have to drag you away.
Or, it is coming, it is upon you and the others; bells or sirens have gone off (air raid, hurricane, rising flood), and you've taken shelter in this cell-like space, as out of harm's way as you can be, and out of the way of those trained to cope with the emergency. But you don't feel safer; you feel trapped. There's no place to run, and even if there were, fear has made your limbs too heavy, you can barely move. It's an alien weight that you shift from the bed to the chair, the chair to the floor. And you are shivering with fear or cold; and there is absolutely nothing you can do except try not to be any more terrified than you already are. If you remain very still, you pretend that this is what you have decided to do.
(Susan Sontag, The Volcano Lover 2.4.217; original emphasis(1))
Homework:
Continue to work on your 2nd person narrative and read Ch. 5 in Prayer for the Dying for Friday
http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/nh/hmind.html
Read Italo Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler...""
http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/winter.htm
Another example:
They are coming for you, to take you to the firing squad, the gallows, the stake, the electric chair, the gas chamber. You have to stand up; but you can't. Your body, gorged with fear, is too heavy$to move. You'd like to be able to rise and walk between them out the open door of your cell with dignity; but you can't. So they have to drag you away.
(Susan Sontag, The Volcano Lover 2.4.217; original emphasis(1))
Homework:
Continue to work on your 2nd person narrative and read Ch. 5 in Prayer for the Dying for Friday
Monday, December 13, 2010
UNTIL GWEN--Dennis Lehane
What about "Until Gwen" sticks out the most to you? You could focus on a scene, an image, a character, the style, the point of view, a theme--anything really. Write a perfect paragraph of 5-7 sentences in response.
Post your comments!
Continue reading A Prayer for the Dying, Ch. 3 and 4 to pg. 94 for Wednesday.
Current Contests: Sokol--a poem and/or story
Gannon--1-3 poems
Lelia Tupper Scholarship---essay, and creative writing variety, (up to 12 pages total--4 essay and 8 creative writing)
What does this picture say about the story?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Last Day
I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for being so helpful throughout the past four weeks. You were great and made my student teaching experience so worthwhile! The projects and short stories turned out better than I could have imagined! I would love for everyone to take the time to email me a copy of your cartoon write ups so I can put them in my portfolio.
Please keep in touch! I will miss you all!
Ms. Snyder
My Email: NatashaKSnyder@gmail.com
Please keep in touch! I will miss you all!
Ms. Snyder
My Email: NatashaKSnyder@gmail.com
Monday, December 6, 2010
Prayer for the Dying
Discuss the following questions in a small group. We will come back as a class and share what was discussed.
Questions to Consider for Chapter One
The town of Friendship will be going through a lot of changes throughout the book. Describe the town of Friendship and what we have learned about it so far. This will allow us to look at the changes the town goes through as we read.
How does the second person narrative add to the reading experience of the book? How does it take away from the book?
Jacob was called to claim the body of a dead solider, who is dressed in his uniform, the same uniform Jacob wore in the War. The solider can function as a type of metaphor for Jacob. What can it be?
Jacob’s character plays a large role in Friendship. He is the constable, preacher and undertaker. What types of characteristics can describe Jacob? Compare Jacob’s characteristics in relation to the town. Does Jacob have a positive or negative effect?
Questions to Consider for Chapter One
The town of Friendship will be going through a lot of changes throughout the book. Describe the town of Friendship and what we have learned about it so far. This will allow us to look at the changes the town goes through as we read.
How does the second person narrative add to the reading experience of the book? How does it take away from the book?
Jacob was called to claim the body of a dead solider, who is dressed in his uniform, the same uniform Jacob wore in the War. The solider can function as a type of metaphor for Jacob. What can it be?
Jacob’s character plays a large role in Friendship. He is the constable, preacher and undertaker. What types of characteristics can describe Jacob? Compare Jacob’s characteristics in relation to the town. Does Jacob have a positive or negative effect?
Horror Genre
We will be reading a short story written by Stewart O'Nan called "Summer of 77". Keep the following characteristics of horror stories in mind while reading it:
Horror fiction has these common elements:
Highly improbable and unexpected sequences of events that usually begin in ordinary situations and involve supernatural elements
Contrast the oddness of these events with the minutiae of daily life so readers identify with the characters
Explores the dark, malevolent side of humanity
Main characters are people we can understand and perhaps identify with although often these are haunted, estranged individuals
Lives depends on the success of the protagonist
Mood is dark, foreboding, menacing, bleak and creates an immediate response by the reader
Setting may be described in some detail if much of the story takes place in one location
Plot contains frightening and unexpected incidents
Violence, often graphic, occurs and may be accompanied by explicit sexuality
Most stories are told in the third person
The style is plain
The key ingredient in horror fiction is its ability to provoke fear or terror in readers, usually via something demonic.. There should be a sense of dread, unease, anxiety, or foreboding. Some critics have noted that experiencing horror fiction is like reading about your worst nightmares.
There is some debate as to whether "horror" is a genre or, like "adventure" an aspect that may be found in several genres. Horror is a certain mood or atmosphere that might be found in a variety of places.
Traditionally, horror was associated with certain archtypes such as demons, witches, ghosts, vampires and the like. However, this can be found in other genres, especially fantasy. If horror is a genre, then it deals with a protagonist dealing with overwhelming dark and evil forces.
Horror fiction has these common elements:
Highly improbable and unexpected sequences of events that usually begin in ordinary situations and involve supernatural elements
Contrast the oddness of these events with the minutiae of daily life so readers identify with the characters
Explores the dark, malevolent side of humanity
Main characters are people we can understand and perhaps identify with although often these are haunted, estranged individuals
Lives depends on the success of the protagonist
Mood is dark, foreboding, menacing, bleak and creates an immediate response by the reader
Setting may be described in some detail if much of the story takes place in one location
Plot contains frightening and unexpected incidents
Violence, often graphic, occurs and may be accompanied by explicit sexuality
Most stories are told in the third person
The style is plain
The key ingredient in horror fiction is its ability to provoke fear or terror in readers, usually via something demonic.. There should be a sense of dread, unease, anxiety, or foreboding. Some critics have noted that experiencing horror fiction is like reading about your worst nightmares.
There is some debate as to whether "horror" is a genre or, like "adventure" an aspect that may be found in several genres. Horror is a certain mood or atmosphere that might be found in a variety of places.
Traditionally, horror was associated with certain archtypes such as demons, witches, ghosts, vampires and the like. However, this can be found in other genres, especially fantasy. If horror is a genre, then it deals with a protagonist dealing with overwhelming dark and evil forces.
What is the Second Person
An example
from
www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1200131-That-Second-Person
Let us talk about writing, just me and you. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Pour a cup of joe, or whatever your favorite poison is. Settle in and we'll get down to the nitty gritty. I can go on for hours about this writing business, but I won't take up too much of your time today. Writing is one my favorite subjects. I'm thinking it might be yours too. Why do I think it might be yours? Well, you're here aren't you? That's a pretty good indication. I could be wrong though, and I'm more than willing to admit that. But let's talk a bit if you don't mind.
See this paragraph above? That's one way to use the second person properly, when directly addressing someone. I'm addressing you, the reader and possible writer, directly. The paragraph is written with a specific audience in mind, not a general one. I blame my first college professor for my pet peeve about the misuse of the second person. He pounded it into my freshmen skull many years ago that "you" had no place in any essay except for extraordinary circumstances. When I had him again for nearly every other English class, that lesson was simply emphasized in other writings. Other professors touched on it in literature, but he really sent it home.
I mostly blame advertisement for the misuse of the second person in new writing. I don't know how many times I have driven my family to distraction because I've absentmindedly disagreed with an advertisement. Listen to those things sometime - advertisements. Most of them are trying to target a specific market, but the way the commercials are written is so broad. The net thrown tries to catch as many people as possible. The public at large is included in the message. "You" is inclusive. The message is worded so everyone hearing it is led to believe they need that product or service by the simple use of that one little word. It's no wonder beginning writers use it in their writing; they're exposed to it constantly.
Another reason some beginning writers use the second person incorrectly is because they are "telling the tale." Most people learn to talk before they learn to write, and more people are better at telling stories than writing them. When beginning writers start to write the stories in their heads, often things become lost in the translation. Oral telling is different than the written word, and some writers don't make the distinction between what's said and what's written. When storytellers have an audience in front of them, they can say "It's so black that you can't see your hand in front of your face..." or "...the wind's so cold it'll cut right through ya." Storytellers talk directly to their audience. Even if the audience doesn't "feel" the cold, the use of the second person can bring them deeper into the story.
It can be done; Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tim Robbins is a fictional novel written in second person, and there are several short stories which use the second person well, but they are rare. Also, the "choose your own adventure" genre of fiction has often been written in second person. Now that the Internet is so well established, interactive stories and many role playing forums are perfect homes for fictional stories that incorporate the second person.
In non-fiction writing, the use of the second person is commonplace. As in this opening sentence from Take Control of Your Sales by Sonya Carmichael Jones, "Regardless of your writing genre, marketing is the primary means by which your book sales are generated." This article addresses a specific audience, the book writer who wants to sell books. By inserting "you" into the article, the author attempts to draw the writer in and make the article personal. Such casual writing is routine nowadays. However, the above sentence could just have easily been written, "Regardless of genre, marketing is the primary means by which book sales are generated." Both are correct, it's simply a matter of preference.
If used properly, use of the second person can draw the reader into a piece like no other word. Such as this statement: "If you're one of the millions of people in the United States who has ever..." It is written directly to a specific audience. It attempts to hook that audience immediately. Hopefully, anyone who falls into the category of the article will read the rest of article with interest. Those who do not fall under the umbrella of whatever the article covers will most likely not read it. However, since they are not the intended audience, the use of the second person has fulfilled a purpose as well.
Using the second person is the easy way, but it can alienate half the readers in the blink of an eye. Consider an article written about some extreme sport where the author has written "... and you feel the rush of wind screaming through your hair. This is why you dig freefall, the rush..." Well, there went all of his sensitive bald readers and anyone who's never felt freefall, or those who don't "dig" it.
Using the second person can be a very powerful tool in an author's toolkit. But if it's used incorrectly it can gum up the works good and proper. Generally, try not to use the second person in an essay or a fictional story that is not aimed at a specific audience. There are always exceptions of course. What would this wonderful language be without exceptions? In my opinion, there are ways to get around using the second person - notice how I have not used it since the first paragraph except in quotations? A writer simply has to be creative. It's more fun that way. Is there a better way to enhance writing skills than finding more creative ways to say things? I can't think of one.
Well, I enjoyed this time with you. I hope you did too. Thanks for coming by and listening to me voice my opinion. It was a blast. I've got to get on to other things, but I hope you'll stop by again soon.
Take care.
from
www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1200131-That-Second-Person
from
www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1200131-That-Second-Person
Let us talk about writing, just me and you. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Pour a cup of joe, or whatever your favorite poison is. Settle in and we'll get down to the nitty gritty. I can go on for hours about this writing business, but I won't take up too much of your time today. Writing is one my favorite subjects. I'm thinking it might be yours too. Why do I think it might be yours? Well, you're here aren't you? That's a pretty good indication. I could be wrong though, and I'm more than willing to admit that. But let's talk a bit if you don't mind.
See this paragraph above? That's one way to use the second person properly, when directly addressing someone. I'm addressing you, the reader and possible writer, directly. The paragraph is written with a specific audience in mind, not a general one. I blame my first college professor for my pet peeve about the misuse of the second person. He pounded it into my freshmen skull many years ago that "you" had no place in any essay except for extraordinary circumstances. When I had him again for nearly every other English class, that lesson was simply emphasized in other writings. Other professors touched on it in literature, but he really sent it home.
I mostly blame advertisement for the misuse of the second person in new writing. I don't know how many times I have driven my family to distraction because I've absentmindedly disagreed with an advertisement. Listen to those things sometime - advertisements. Most of them are trying to target a specific market, but the way the commercials are written is so broad. The net thrown tries to catch as many people as possible. The public at large is included in the message. "You" is inclusive. The message is worded so everyone hearing it is led to believe they need that product or service by the simple use of that one little word. It's no wonder beginning writers use it in their writing; they're exposed to it constantly.
Another reason some beginning writers use the second person incorrectly is because they are "telling the tale." Most people learn to talk before they learn to write, and more people are better at telling stories than writing them. When beginning writers start to write the stories in their heads, often things become lost in the translation. Oral telling is different than the written word, and some writers don't make the distinction between what's said and what's written. When storytellers have an audience in front of them, they can say "It's so black that you can't see your hand in front of your face..." or "...the wind's so cold it'll cut right through ya." Storytellers talk directly to their audience. Even if the audience doesn't "feel" the cold, the use of the second person can bring them deeper into the story.
It can be done; Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tim Robbins is a fictional novel written in second person, and there are several short stories which use the second person well, but they are rare. Also, the "choose your own adventure" genre of fiction has often been written in second person. Now that the Internet is so well established, interactive stories and many role playing forums are perfect homes for fictional stories that incorporate the second person.
In non-fiction writing, the use of the second person is commonplace. As in this opening sentence from Take Control of Your Sales by Sonya Carmichael Jones, "Regardless of your writing genre, marketing is the primary means by which your book sales are generated." This article addresses a specific audience, the book writer who wants to sell books. By inserting "you" into the article, the author attempts to draw the writer in and make the article personal. Such casual writing is routine nowadays. However, the above sentence could just have easily been written, "Regardless of genre, marketing is the primary means by which book sales are generated." Both are correct, it's simply a matter of preference.
If used properly, use of the second person can draw the reader into a piece like no other word. Such as this statement: "If you're one of the millions of people in the United States who has ever..." It is written directly to a specific audience. It attempts to hook that audience immediately. Hopefully, anyone who falls into the category of the article will read the rest of article with interest. Those who do not fall under the umbrella of whatever the article covers will most likely not read it. However, since they are not the intended audience, the use of the second person has fulfilled a purpose as well.
Using the second person is the easy way, but it can alienate half the readers in the blink of an eye. Consider an article written about some extreme sport where the author has written "... and you feel the rush of wind screaming through your hair. This is why you dig freefall, the rush..." Well, there went all of his sensitive bald readers and anyone who's never felt freefall, or those who don't "dig" it.
Using the second person can be a very powerful tool in an author's toolkit. But if it's used incorrectly it can gum up the works good and proper. Generally, try not to use the second person in an essay or a fictional story that is not aimed at a specific audience. There are always exceptions of course. What would this wonderful language be without exceptions? In my opinion, there are ways to get around using the second person - notice how I have not used it since the first paragraph except in quotations? A writer simply has to be creative. It's more fun that way. Is there a better way to enhance writing skills than finding more creative ways to say things? I can't think of one.
Well, I enjoyed this time with you. I hope you did too. Thanks for coming by and listening to me voice my opinion. It was a blast. I've got to get on to other things, but I hope you'll stop by again soon.
Take care.
from
www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1200131-That-Second-Person
A Prayer for the Dying
A Prayer for the Dying Discussion questions
A Prayer for the Dying
A Novel
by Stewart O’Nan
ISBN-10: 0-312-42891-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-42891-4
About this Guide
The following author biography and list of questions about A Prayer for the Dying are intended as resources to aid individual readers and book groups who would like to learn more about the author and this book. We hope that this guide will provide you a starting place for discussion, and suggest a variety of perspectives from which you might approach A Prayer for the Dying.
About the Book
Set in Friendship, Wisconsin, just after the Civil War, A Prayer for the Dying tells of a horrible epidemic that is suddenly and gruesomely killing the town's residents and setting off a terrifying paranoia. Jacob Hansen, Friendship's sheriff, undertaker, and pastor, is soon overwhelmed by the fear and anguish around him, and his sanity begins to fray. Dark, poetic, and chilling, A Prayer for the Dying examines the effect of madness and violence on the morality of a once-decent man.
About the Author
Stewart O’Nan’s novels include Last Night at the Lobster, The Night Country, and A Prayer for the Dying. He is also the author of the nonfiction books The Circus Fire and, with Stephen King, the bestselling Faithful. Granta named him one of the Twenty Best Young American Novelists. He lives in Connecticut.
Discussion Questions
1. The book is narrated in the second person, addressing the main character, Jacob, as “you.” Who is speaking? Why do you think the author chose this mode to tell the story?
2. When Jacob is called to take care of Clytie, he has a very hard time pulling the trigger. Look at the passage (p. 49) in which he has to convince himself to kill her. Why does he agonize when he knows it’s the right thing? What does it mean that he’s “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness”? Does he continue to cling to that dream later in the story?
3. Why does Jacob elect to bleed and treat the bodies of some victims, even after Doc has told him not to, and even though he knows he’s putting himself in danger? Why is precision and diligence so important to him even when everyone around him is worried only about survival?
4. What role does religious faith play in the story? How does it influence Jacob, Chase, and other citizens of Friendship? Is their faith rewarded?
5. Jacob is a veteran of the Civil War. How does his experience there affect the way he behaves in the crisis in Friendship? How did the war change him?
6. How would you describe the relationship between Jacob and Doc? How do their different ideas about the world lead to different strategies for handling the outbreak in Friendship?
7. How does Jacob’s relationship with Marta affect his behavior in the outbreak? How do his priorities as a father and husband conflict with his responsibility to the town?
8. How do you interpret the book’s ending? What is Jacob choosing when he returns to Friendship? What do you imagine happening to him next?
9. Is Jacob sane at the end of the book? How does the author demonstrate the changes in his mind as conditions worsen?
10. “You’ve stopped believing in evil,” the narrator says of Jacob early in the story (p. 6). “Is that a sin?” Is there evil in this story? Does Jacob come to see it by the end?
11. How do the book’s two epigraphs relate to each other? Why do you think the author chose them?
12. Jacob is committed throughout the book to saving Friendship, and willing to sacrifice himself if necessary. Is he naïve? Does his commitment to principle do more harm than good in the end?
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