Lit Circles

Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information. See Censorship and Challenges and Notable First Amendment Cases.

Censorship can be subtle, almost imperceptible, as well as blatant and overt, but, nonetheless, harmful. As John Stuart Mill wrote in On Liberty:

“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. Were an opinion a personal possession of no value except to the owner; if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few persons or on many. But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.” — On Liberty, John Stuart Mill

Here is a list of the American Library Association's 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990-2000.

Here is the ALA's list of challenged books by authors of color.

Assignment:

1. 4-5 group members
2. Choose one challenged book--book must be cleared with me
3. If your group has another title in mind, see me about using it for this lit. circle.
4. Due:) _______

The Cognitive Basis of Gender Stereotypes

Read the following article and react.

* Do you agree or disagree with this overview?
* What evidence do you find the most intriguing?

Assignment: Poem #3

Your next poem will be composed using the cut-up method. The only requirements are the following:

1. "Sound of Silence" must be the main source of material used in this exercise, but it doesn't have to be the only one.
2. Must be at least 20 lines
3. Must be typed

Due: Monday 4/28

Junot Diaz Wins the Pulitzer and other Stuff

Read the following article about Junot Díaz, paying close attention to the interviewer's question that begins: "Did you have any doubts about having a hero who was such an uber-nerd?" and Díaz' response.

Write a brief reaction to this piece. Also, does this piece on Díaz inspire you to go out and look up some of this work? (of course if you haven't read some already) DUE: THURSDAY 11:59 pm

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ASSIGNMENT: POEM #2

Joe Brainard's great friend, confidante, and collaborator, Ron Padgett, once wrote of Brainard's work "His method had something childlike about it, and indeed Joe did have a taste for things that were free of adult overcomplication." Padgett also admitted "...[Brainard] had made a marvelous discovery, and many of us wondered why we hadn't thought of such an obvious idea ourselves." In the spirit of Brainard's spectacular long poem "I remember," which we will have read excerpts in class, you will be composing a similar poem made up of the following:

1. 20 lines minimum, each beginning with the anaphoric "I

remember" (More about this in class)

2. Typed

3. Due: Friday, April 11th in class (submit to Andrew)

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Here's a copy of the NY Times article "The Color of Mayhem, in a Wave of Urban Games."

Misconceptions

Read the following "misconceptions" and respond to the following:

1. What strikes you most about what you have read? Please cite specific
passages.

2. Out of all of the "misconceptions" listed by this author, which
one deserves the closest attention? Explain.

Point-of-View Piece

Using one of the following formats, write a point-of-view piece from the perspective of one of the individuals below:

-a 14-year-old girl whose family has moved from Tikrit, Iraq to Jordan to stay with relatives until the fighting ends

-a 15-year-old boy who has never been to school and sells matches on the streets of Baghdad to help his family eat

-an 18-year-old female first-year college student in Baghdad who has learned that her younger brother has recently joined an insurgent group

-a 16-year-old boy from Fallujah who wants to earn extra money to help his middle class family rebuild their home

-blog (or MySpace or Facebook profile page)
-letter to a family member
-personal diary
-script of a dialogue between two friends

Enrichment Article

sorry, I can't find the document for the "Enrichment." It's somewhere--I know that much! I will post it tomorrow. More later. Take care, and try your best on that poem. I can't wait to hear them!

Poem #1--"I Am"

Be sure to refer back to Langston Hughes' poem as an example.

"I Am"

* Includes an extended metaphor
* One line includes a combination of the following: I am...color, object, city
* Poem is at least 7 lines
* Typed

Due: Thursday, 4/3