Atomic Cafe

If you missed any part of the film, watch this. When we come back, you'll be responsible for having seen all of Atomic Cafe, and having taken notes.

Blog Requirements for Monday, February 9

AP Lang: 15 posts since Jan. 1, totaling 6000 words

Perspectives: 15 posts total, totaling 3750 words

Perspectives: In-Class Writing

As the opening title comes on screen in part two of Beyond the Color Line, we have a group of several children in Chicago. They're all talking to the camera at once, but we can clearly hear one boy repeating that although he had lived in one of the Robert Taylor homes, "Now I live in a house." We get a glimpse of several public housing communities in Chicago, and what the surrounding communities are like. One young man in particular discusses the dilemma of working a low-wage job clear across town, or earning far more by selling drugs. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Harvard professor conducting the interviews, tells us that he's not sure he could've made it if he'd grown up in such a community, because of "the sheer weight of poverty."

In a short essay of at least four good paragraphs, address how some of the following would affect the way a person might think about him/herself:

• where a person lives


• who raised the person


• what the person's parents/guardians do for a living


• what job the person holds


• what the neighborhood looks like


• the presence of drugs in the home or neighborhood


• the presence of violence in the home or neighborhood

Make it 1-1/2 spaces, Times New Roman, 12-point.

Assignment: AP Lang & Comp

I've mentioned before, I think, that Andrew Sullivan is my favorite blogger. In the tradition of some of the Orwell-inspired "Why I Write" essays, Sullivan has written an essay in the new Atlantic Monthly entitled "Why I Blog." On his blog today, he had this to say about the essay:

If you feel me working up to another celebration of Montaigne, you're not wrong.

One other thing. The essay is a defense and celebration of blogging - but not as a replacement for long-form writing or in-depth journalism. In fact, I think blogging makes the long, deep take more important in our ADD culture.

Please read it and write a notebook entry.

Perspectives: Blog Assignment #3

It's time to start thinking about what kind of blog you want to create. There will be more specifics later, but here are some guidelines:

1. It's best to choose between 1-4 topics that you're really interested in, topics that you enjoy thinking about and talking about with others, even if you've never written or read about them.
2. The topics don't have to be related to one another. If you want to write about fashion, politics, and the latest installment of the Twilight series, go for it.
3. Topics might seem very specific and idiosyncratic. There are no bad topics. Except...
4. Remember that this is a school assignment, so we have to follow similar rules of conduct online to those we would follow in the classroom. So if the topic isn't appropriate for school, best to leave it out.
5. You can sometimes write about things in your life, but you'll want to avoid specifics when possible. Remember that other people will be able to access your blog and read your posts, and although you won't be posting under your real name, I'll have a list of who's who, others at Kennedy can probably figure out which blog belongs to which student.

So your job today is to begin thinking about what you'd be interested in writing about. What do you like to do and think about when you have free time? What interests might you follow into a career? What blogs did you find at the beginning of the term, that you might use as a model for your own blog?

The Assignment: By the time you come in tomorrow, write at least one good paragraph apiece on three topics you might like to write about. For each, explain what sorts of things you would talk about in your posts. This should be typed and 1-1/2 spaced.

Perspectives Assignment

Hi again, folks. Remember me? I should only be gone one more day, because this is my last day of comprehensive exams. However, I still have this horrible virus-thing, and I've lost my voice... So I'm not promising anything just yet.

Here's the drill: We talked a while back about audience, purpose, composition, and context. I want you to write a 3-5 paragraph essay that addresses the first three of these in 'This Boy's Life.' Talk about who this is aimed at, and what you think Wolff wants to accomplish. Remember that both of those are CLAIMS. For EVIDENCE, you need to look at the composition--the writing. At the very least you can talk about what happens in the book. But if you want better than an average grade, talk about HOW the book is written as well.

Hand it in to your friendly sub. Do your best. I'll be back soon...

Assignment: Blog Review #2

Hey everyone,

I'm still battling whatever virus this is, and I'm starting to take my comprehensive exams anyway, so think good thoughts for me.

In the meantime, here's the deal: I want another blog review out of you. Make sure you title it "Blog Review #2" and include your name, the date, and the hour of your class in the upper right. Down below the title, make absolutely sure you include the name (or names) of the blogger (or bloggers), the title of the blog, and the url (the address you type in).

Hopefully, since this is the second time you've worked through this list of questions, you'll have a little extra time. Oh, one other thing: this time it has to be a blog that I have not linked to.

Otherwise, the instructions are the same as last week. Plus, if you're not sure you did the right thing last week, I've posted an example.

Sample Blog Review: Andrew Sullivan

"The Daily Dish"
Andrew Sullivan
andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com

Andrew Sullivan is an editor for the Atlantic Monthly, and has been blogging since the summer of 2000. On his blog, The Daily Dish, he writes about politics, religion, current events, pop culture, and sometimes (though less often these days) about gay rights issues. Sullivan is Harvard-educated, Catholic, gay (and married, as of early 2008), and politically conservative (the libertarian kind). His most recent book, The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back, was about the influence of religion on political conservatism. He updates his blog daily, often twenty or thirty times in a day.

His online work for the Atlantic seems designed primarily to provoke strong opinions. Sullivan won't just write about the events of the day, he tells you what he thinks about them. He sometimes gets into heated exchanges with other writers, both on and offline. As much as anything, I think, it's this strong set of opinions that keep readers--both those who agree and those who disagree--to come back and read more.

The Daily Dish is easy to navigate. The stories are on the left, while links--including those to his archives and biography, and a number of other websites and blogs--are on the right. He links to blogs of all political leanings, even those he consistently disagrees with. He includes photos and YouTube videos, but probably only about 10% of the time. Regular features include "The View from Your Window," in which readers e-mail photographs from their homes around the world, and "Mental Health Break," where Sullivan posts some random, often ridiculous YouTube video.

I read Sullivan regularly, because I consider him a smart guy with a lot of interesting things to say. He writes about topics that interest me, and I find his writing voice sharp and often funny. The Daily Dish is linked to my own blog.

Assignment: Blog Review

Over the past couple of weeks, you've been looking for blogs that suit your interests. Today, you're going to write about a couple of these blogs. Here's what I want to know about each of them:

• Purpose. What reason does the blogger seem to have for continuing to update the blog, and what reason does the reader have for continuing to visit it? What topics are the focus of the blog?
• Point of view. Describe the author's perspective. What credibility does s/he seem to have on this topic? What attitude does the author take toward his/her topic, and toward his/her audience?
• Quality of presentation. How easy is it to navigate the site? What kind of content is included? How much does the blogger rely on content found elsewhere on the Internet? How often is other media (images, video, audio) included?
• What about this blog appeals to you? Why is this one of the blogs you'd be interested in reading on a regular basis?

Write about one blog at a time, providing the title, blogger's name, and url (the web address). Provide the above information in a clear format, single-spaced.

Perspectives Assignment, 9/10

Read This Boy's Life through page 91.

AP Assignment

AP students: please read chapter two of Patterns of Exposition (excluding the essay in that chapter), and Donald Murray's "Why I Write." Do a RN (reading notebook) entry on Murray's essay.

ASSIGNMENT: Write a Letter

You already know all the interesting stuff about you. But I don't.

So I'd like you to write me a letter introducing yourself. The more I know, the better chance there is that I can make this class work for you.

Tell me any important stuff you think I should know. You could tell me about previous LA experiences, what you do outside of school, your hobbies, interests, jobs, plans for the future... anything at all. Be as formal or informal as you wish, but don't abandon common sense. It is a school assignment, after all.

Please do type it, rather than handwriting it. Easier for me to read.

This letter is due on Tuesday, September 2.

Looking for Blogs

On Thursday, I asked all students to make a list of 5-10 topics of interest, and then to go find blogs related to those topics. I want you all to get a sense of what blogs are like, how they work, and to find at least a few that you enjoy reading. Some suggestions:

• I'd start with Google, Yahoo, or some other search engine, and type in a few key words related to your topic. Be sure to include the word "blog," so you don't just get any old website or news article related to the topic. You want blogs.
• Blogs often have a set of links down one side or the other, sometimes called "blogroll." Even if you don't like a particular blog, you can use that blog to find other blogs on the same topic.
• Hopefully, you'll be able to find a couple you enjoy reading. If you do, write down the titles and authors (or "bloggers"), so you can find them again later, or copy and paste the URL (the address) into a Word document.