Examples

Baked Stepfather

10 cups anger
8 cups religious hypocrisy
8 cups rage
6 cups bitterness
5 cups fear
5 cups insecurity
Scant teaspoon love

Mix anger, bitterne, rage, and religious hypocrisy well. Spread over fear, covering it completely. Let love sit until cold, then sprinkle haphazardly onto the pan. Stir in insecurity. Bake at 500 degrees until hard shell has formed.



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Racial Draft

Chappelle's Show
The Racial Draft
www.comedycentral.com
Buy Chappelle's Show DVDs Black Comedy True Hollywood Story

Video

Youtube Video

4th and 2

Parallel poem

Based on the first "found poem" below. I took its first line and imitated its structure to produce my own poem. This time I supplied the words.

People looked at me
while I stood in line
waiting to use the drinking fountain
behind the boy whose ear
asked to be licked.
I mean . . .

it was right there
right in front of me
right when I bent forward
right when my tongue leapt out
right when the teacher pulled me out of line.

And I don’t think
she understood.

Found poems

SOURCE:
"A Child's View of Attention Deficit," New York Times, Feb. 8, 2008

1.

People looked at me
differently, like,

oh, she
has a disability,
oh, she’s
stupid,
she’s retarded.

I mean…

I just don’t get
things as easily as others.
And I don’t think
they understood that.

2.

What does it feel like to have . . .
feelings of isolation . . .
People looked at me differently,

like, oh, she has a disability,
oh, she’s stupid, she’s retarded.
Not only do I have a tendency to interrupt…

they’ll say it makes them feel
uncomfortable. . . and I’ll have it
the rest of my life.

struggles with homework
ability to make friends
coping strategies

“Report to the special ed office”
focus when you’re zoned out
get a friend who understands

I just don’t get things as easily
as others. And I don’t think
they understood that.

What does it feel like to have
Attention Deficit Disorder?

Website Version of Multigenre Essay

I've created a website for my multigenre essay at weebly.com.

Dialogue on ADHD (formatted three ways)

Version 1

"What did you find out?"

"The school counselor told us we should have her checked out to see if she's ADHD."

"Really? I think ADHD is overdiagnosed."

"Well, it fits with what every teacher she's ever had has told us."

"I just think that kids today have so many distractions--TV and video games and computers--that they just can't pay attention to anything for very long. Doctors and schools are too quick to stick a label on kids and give them all drugs."

"Well . . . if we have her evaluated, it doesn't mean we have to do anything about it. We wouldn't necessarily have to medicate."

"That's true. Let me know what you find out."

Version 2

Friend: What did you find out?

Me: The school counselor told us we should have her checked out to see if she's ADHD.

Friend: Really? I think ADHD is overdiagnosed.

Me: Well, it fits with what every teacher she's ever had has told us.

Friend: I just think that kids today have so many distractions--TV and video games and computers--that they just can't pay attention to anything for very long. Doctors and schools are too quick to stick a label on kids and give them all drugs.

Me: Well . . . if we have her evaluated, it doesn't mean we have to do anything about it. We wouldn't necessarily have to medicate.

Friend: That's true. Let me know what you find out.

Version 3

"What did you find out?" Jane asked me.

"The school counselor told us we should have her checked out to see if she's ADHD."

"Really? I think ADHD is overdiagnosed."

"Well, it fits with what every teacher she's ever had has told us." I felt the blood rising in my face. Why did I feel so defensive? Her first and second-grade teachers had both said Elizabeth was a delightful girl, but she was immature. She never could stay in her seat and frequently got notes sent home for talking in the hallway or playing around in the bathroom.

"I just think that kids today have so many distractions--TV and video games and computers--that they just can't pay attention to anything for very long. Doctors and schools are too quick to stick a label on kids and give them all drugs."

"Well," I paused, not knowing what to say. I didn't know that much myself about ADHD. What if Jane was right? "If we have her evaluated, it doesn't mean we have to do anything about it. We wouldn't necessarily have to medicate."

"That's true. Let me know what you find out."

Ginny Weasley

Ta-da! You can add a picture to your blog.

Response to Bauerlein

Newsweek reviewed Mark Bauerlein's "The Dumbest Generation," taking issue with his assertion that digital culture is making us dumb.

Are you the dumbest generation?

An English professor at Emory University says you are.

Memoir: Beginnings and endings

Her are some ideas from our class discussion. To begin a memoir, you can -

* Start with a related memory that relates to the theme of your memoir
* Start with a snapshot
* Start at the beginning of the story with
- Context
- Action
- Dialogue
* Start in the middle or at the end, then go back to the beginning
* Foreshadow the event with a reflection, teaser sentence, or "thesis statement"

To end a memoir, you can -

* Reflect on what you learned, or how you felt
* End abruptly after resolving the key question or conflict
* End with a question or mystery relating to an unresolved question
* Recall a moment in the present that relates to your memory
* End with the last action or dialogue

However you end, it is a good idea to connect your ending to your beginning.

LeBron James, Memoirist

NBA star LeBron James's memoir, "Shooting Stars," comes out Tuesday. He had a little help writing his.

What is rhetoric?

Rhetoric is the art of effective communication. Usually we think of rhetoric in terms of communication intended to persuade, so we can also define rhetoric as the art of persuasion. Richard Norquist has gathered some definitions through the ages on his rhetoric page at about.com. Does it seem like the definition has changed over the years?

Most people have a negative connotation of rhetoric. But ethical and reasonable communication is also rhetoric.

Blogs in Plain English

Create a Blog!

Everyone create a blog!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's fun.

Day One

And so we begin. Welcome to English 103. Welcome to Ball State. Let's start writing . . .