08/25/2010 New Individuals

Now that the bridge program is coming to a close, how do you feel about the whole college situation? Was it what you expected? Did you enjoy your teachers? Did it teach you alot about yourself as a student and an individual? In each novel did the characters learn new things about themselves as an individuals? If so explain what certain situations helped main characters and minor charaters to discover themselves even deeper then at the beggining of the book.

survey!

http://surveymonkey.com/s/bridge2010survey

After reading Persepolis, Marjane was tired of holding her true feelings from Reza. Their relationship wasn't working out as a couple. Marjane chooses to get a divorce from Reza. She finally realizes she doesn't need a guy to be happy in life. Can you remember a time in your life when you felt independent.

Bridge Survey

surveymonkey.com/s/bridge2010survey

In your five page paper what have you overcome that you feel made you more confident in your writing? What do you get out of writing? Do you feel that the characters in the book show courage? When do you know to stand up and fight for what you believe in and take risks?

08/24/10 Change

Since most of us are done with our novel or towards the end, has your novel affected you drastically in any way? If so give examples. Did the novel effect you as a whole or make you have a different outlook on things in life? Why? Help us connect with your emotional feelings in terms of how the book changed you, if at all.

Heroes 8/23/2010

1.In Persepolis, how does Marjane view Anoosh as her hero? Do you agree or disagree with her belief of Anoosh as a hero and why?
Or
In True Notebooks, Mark is seen as a hero to the juvenile inmates. Describe how Mark has impacted one of the inmates lives. Explain what made him a hero in their eyes.

2. Who is your hero and why is this person your hero? What have they done to become your hero?

Be sure to answer part one and two thoroughly.

Insider/Outsider Dynamic in Persepolis and True Notebooks

For your blog post, address the following questions:

1. First, let's think locally (within your text). How do the characters in your book grapple with the insider/outsider dynamic? Where and when are they insiders? What about outsiders? Is this dynamic explicit within the first half of the book or is it something that you, as the reader, finds implicit? Do you have to analyze the text to find this dynamic? Be specific. Use passages from the text and page numbers to support your discussion.

2. Now, let's think globally (outside of your text). Have you ever felt like an outsider? Where and when? Are there communities where you feel like you're an insider? Explain.

Your post must be a minimum of 300 words. When you are finished, you must read and comment on at least one of your classmates' posts about this question.

Question!

If you were an author would you believe that writing books is a form of art. If so why? Are writers artists? Are dancers? Do you call yourself an artist? What is the definition of an artist to you?

Since we are making bones today to represent Genocide. What Bone will you make, and why? What does a bone symbolize? Does a specific bone bring more emotion to you? What bone in your body seems to cause more emotion when it is destroyed?

08/18/2010 Your Purpose

In True Notebooks Marks father asked him, “but what is the purpose for your class?” As artist we all have purpose to our art form. Explain your purpose.

One Million Bones Project (Bone-making Party)

After watching Naomi Natale's call for artists and activists we can see her passion and intensity, along with her wish to bring attention to the topic of world genocide. How do your personal questions and ideas, passions and art, reflect issues of the world? For those of you who wish to touch other peoples' lives with your art, how do you make that a reality? What will you do, whether it be with a specific project, or within your outlook, to move or help people, to bring attention to certain issues, or change peoples' outlooks, through your art?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4iMimpyZX4

Remember the Madness

Have you ever had a time when your creativity was at a peak? Were you going through a tough time during this period of creativity? Tell us whether you feel there is some truth in the creative madness that we heard of in our last lecture. If you agree or disagree tell us why. Be as in-depth as possible about your experience in your response.

8/17/2010

In True Notebook Mark talks about when he is at home with his two cats who distracts him from his writing. Is there something that distracts you from your writing responses or from doing different activities you do at home? Describe. How do you avoid that distraction?

Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo

Today Jean Petrolle will give a lecture on “Madness, Medicine, and Literature.” Above are works by two surreal female artists, Leonora Carrington (below) and Remedios Varo (above). Jean has devoted much study to the work of these two artists. They did not receive much notoriety until recently, and Jean is most interested in how their friendship and collaboration with one another inspired them to create more detailed and unique work. These two pieces are strikingly similar. Can you relate to a relationship that pushed you to be a better artist? Describe a collaboration project you've done in the past. Columbia College promotes interdisciplinary work; musicans work with designers, poets work with painters. If you could propose a collaboration project what would it be?

08/12/2010 Where Am I

In Persepolis Marjane is sent to Austria for a better life, once there the original plans for where she would be staying changed unexpectedly causing her to reside in a nunary. Recall a time when have you ended up somewhere completely crazy and unexpected instead of the place you planned/thought you would be at? Explain your feelings once in this place. Was it a good or bad experience? If you could do it again would you, if so is there anything you would change?

8/12/10

In Persepolis, Marjane seems to not know how to keep her mouth shut when she got in trouble with the nuns. The nun was stereotyping Marjane and she told the nuns off. Can you remember a time when someone caused you to say something that was mean even if they deserved it?

08/11/10

Which character in your book do you connect with the most emotionally? Describe the emotion and give examples and reason from the last chapter read. Compare a time when you felt the same emotion.

Independence

Friends and families don't complain about each other.Friends and families go through thick and thin with you if they are true.So my question today,do you think you have someone to depend on and trust? In the two books we are reading who do the characters depend on and trust or do they have no one but themselves?

Days with my Father

Below is a link to a photo journal by Phillip Toledano. Read through and comment on one or more of the following things: How do you like the form of this blog, photo journal? How does the presentation of photo and prose affect you? Would the journal be as effective as just prose (writing) or just visual (photography)? Why did Toledano decide to do this project? Who are the players, or characters, within this journal and what do we as viewers/readers learn about them? Do you have a person you could devote a project to, or who you would like to learn more about? Who is it, why?

08/10/2010 Johnathan Mason

Do you believe the authors of either books had a personal reason for writing their books, if so what do think it would be? If you were to write a novel what kind of novel would it be?

08/10/10 Blog Post: Enemies

In True Notebooks the boys discuss what makes a person an enemy. What is an enemy to you? Does an enemy form from jealousy, hatred, etc.? Explain.

8/9/2010 Blog Post

On thursday we talked about our muse's. What do you think is the muse of the character in the book you are reading?

Helping someone.

In True Notebook Mark tells his students to write about sometime they had really helped someone out. Tell me how you have helped someone out you didn't know or someone that you know.

If you can be any character from out the book that would you chose and why how does that character stand out to you?

As the reader could you relate emotionally to one particular scene? maybe it wasn't so emotional to you, but did you feel guilty at any point of your reading because of your privileges in America or as free people who are not in jail?

Blog post day 3

In the story you are reading, Who is the author's audience? Can you connect with the authors style of writing? Explain.....

While reading analyze the narrators thoughts and actions. What can you identify about their personal biases? Also what do you see beyond their bias? What do you think the narrator is not seeing and how could he or she understand specific sutiations and other individuals better?
Also recall a specific time when you realized your prejudices and biases had an impact on the way you handled a situation or interacted with another person or group of people.

Blog Prompt Day 2

Consider the narrators Marjane from Persepolis and Mark from True Notebooks. What have you learned so far about these characters (i.e. their personality, ideals, beliefs, family background, sense of humor, etc)?

In what ways are you similar or dismiliar to Marjane or Mark? Explain your personal similarities or disimilarities.

In your reading from last night, each of these characters (Mark/Marjane) encounter the emotion FEAR. Remember a time you have been afraid or scared. Describe the situation and use as much detail as possible. Try to write the story by SHOWING, not TELLING.