Best & Worst Feedback

What was your favorite poem? Your least favorite poem? Why?
My favorite poem was “A Blessing” by James Wright, mostly because it was about a setting and feelings that I’m familiar with and love. My least favorite poems were the imagist poems. So much description in only a few lines they’re over way too soon!
What was your favorite short story? Your least favorite short story? Why?
My favorite short story was “The Story of an Hour.” It’s just one of those “well dang” kind of moments to be so excited and have that excitement ripped right out from under you. I know that feeling all too well and I’m grateful I don’t ever die of heart failure when it happens to me. My least favorite short story was Bartleby. So long and dry…it was hard to keep my attention to it.
Should next semester's ENGL150 students read Death of a Salesman? I don’t see why not, but I don’t know what other options you would consider either. It’s a deep story when you get into it a little more, something for everyone to take away from it.
How did you feel about watching Hollywood versions of Bartleby and Death of a Salesman? Is there utility in seeing a visual version of something you're responsible to read?
I did not enjoy Bartleby in film or on paper but seeing film versions is always beneficial to me, being a visual learner. I take a lot from facial expressions and movements even if it is left up to director and actor interpretations.
What was your favorite in-class activity? What was your least favorite in-class activity?
I liked getting intro groups to talk about Death of a Salesman. Since it’s our biggest paper for this class, it’s nice to collaborate with others and get verbalize your ideas.
You'll notice that I didn't have your small groups present (even though the syllabus claimed you would). Did you miss that? Would you have rather that whole-class discussions were led by students doing presentations?
I don’t even remember anything about a presentation on the syllabus, so no, not missed. Group projects are a favorite of few being that one person always ends up doing all the work it seems. I think that student led discussions through presentations would be interesting, maybe one or two students per poem or story?
Finally, what are your feelings on the creative blog entries? Which entry did you enjoy most? Least? I wasn’t thrilled about it at first, I think it could easily be done through Blackboard rather than having each student make a blog account. I liked the Facebook blog the most, I got to be really creative (I did not actually make a Facebook for Louise Mallard; picture editing is just a beautiful thing.) I didn’t really have a least favorite but if I had to pick I’d say the Lottery post. It wasn’t so much creative as it was analytical.

Grandpa Willy

Your grandfather always did what he thought was right. He worked to keep us comfortable and always seemed to want the best for me and your uncle Hap. But if there's one thing I learned from him, it's not to let pride get in the way of everything else. Don't ever be too proud to pick up a mop. Don't ever be too proud to tell the truth. When you're hurt, find someone you can talk to. Your grandma has always been a real pal to me, always understood when I was mad...I wish I had been a better pal to her. That's why I always tell you to treat your momma right. So you can talk to her if I ever make you mad. Please tell me if I ever make you mad. Families have their rough moments, but I don’t want you to ever be scared of me, or of talking to me. I could never talk to my dad, I’d always try so hard to do everything he ever talked about wanting me to do or have. It just never seemed enough. I want you to know that I am proud of you no matter what you do, as long as you’re happy. Life is too short to not spend it happy and with the people you love, like your family. 

Linda's Diary

Past:

Life seems too sweet for us all right now! My boys, so proud of them and they try so hard to impress their father. Willy is away so often it's wonderful when he can be home with us for a while. Of course I understand that the money is needed but how I wish it wasn't about the money. It's not my place to say or ask Willy to stay closer, maybe work in New York. With all the things we have to pay off, the car, the vacuum, the refrigerator…all of his contacts along the coast help us so much. Maybe someday he can stay closer.

 

Present:

Willy came back tonight, unable to drive anymore. I finally had the confidence to ask him to ask to work in New York. He’s so exhausted he just can’t stand the drive anymore. And he’s depressed… it hurts my heart to see him falling apart the way he does. Rambling into the night and reenacting conversation from long ago. The other night I heard him going on about what sounded like another woman; I shouldn’t pry and I should be grateful that he’s stayed with me all these years, provided for me and the boys. Boys who have since forgotten all their father ever did for them. Ungrateful...things are going to have change in this household.

"The Lottery"

In Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery,” the theme of tribal natures in smaller communities is extremely evident.

“The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions.”

“There’s always been a lottery.”

“Some places have already quit lotteries,” Mrs. Adams said.

“Nothing but trouble in that,” Old Man Warner said stoutly.

            These few statements in the story are blatant cues that this is normal and traditional behavior for the community. There is little room left to argue the possibility of quitting the lottery with Old Man Warner constantly calling anyone who quits the lottery a “pack of young fools.”

            Tribal natures are usually linked to celebrations in this day and age. Events such as parades, seasonal festivals or contests are common in many smaller communities. I know that the small town I’m from has a Settler’s Day celebration every July where nearly everyone from the town gathers along the main drag to watch the parade, the rodeo is the next night, and there are various contests all through the weekend. During the wintertime we have Winterfest. Children compete to be the designer of the years logo, games are put on, and a bonfire usually happens at least one night. Although these are very different from a yearly stoning, they are still traditions that nobody would dream of taking away or changing too much that bring a community together at least a couple times a year.

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Hopefully you can read all of it...enjoy!

Boy

Boy

Take your boots off outside. Don't wash your workin’ clothes with momma’s dresses. 

Pull your pants up, you look like an idiot. Turn your hat right, your head aint crooked.

But daddy that’s what the guys on TV look like and they get all kinds of money for it.

Take your hat off at the table and when walking into church before you shake the preacher’s hand. 

If the trash is full, take it out. Don’t drink right from the milk jug. Elbows off the table and sit up straight, this isn’t a feeding trough. Ask to be excused after you’re done eating and take your dishes to the kitchen.

Help your momma dry the dishes. Keep the wood box loaded and split more when the shed runs low. 

Kiss your momma on the cheek and say good night before you go to bed. Love your god, your momma, and your country in that order. This is how you pray. This is how you show respect to the red, white, and blue. This is how you saddle up your horse. This is how you herd the cattle and this is how you know the crops are ready. This is how you run a tractor. This is how you load hay bales in the truck.

This is how you dress for workin’, this is how you dress for church and goin’ out.

Wave at everyone, it’s just the nice thing to do. This is how you tip your hat to a lady.

When you find an interest in a girl, look her in the eyes and ask her by name if she would like to go out.

Be best friends; protect her even though she might be a stubborn ass that says she can fight her own.

She can, but she likes to know you got her back. Over use ‘I love you’ and always tell the truth.

This is how you take your hat off before you kiss the lady you love and when you find the one you love, you ask her parents for their blessing. If you get mad at your lady, don’t yell at her.

Go outside, cool off, go  back and say you’re sorry asking how you can make it up to her.

All the guys on TV yell at their ladies and some of ‘em hit ‘em. Don’t you dare lay a hand on a lady or I’ll lay a hand on you.

Dialogue

The sun was shining and the skies were clear. A girl walks across the parking lot and spots a friend out for a smoke.

There’s the prettiest girl I know! How are you pumpkin? He says as she gets closer.

Oh, I’m here I suppose. That’s about as good as it gets. How are you? She asked as she comes up to give him a hug.

I’m pissed to be honest! I found out that my instructor lost my portfolio and I have to reprint all of my work. And I’m not the only one that has an MIA portfolio either. It’s just annoying, she saw it I don’t want to have to reprint everything!

That’s why I save all my work on three different drives. That’s unfortunate though…and frustrating. About as frustrating as the male population is to me right about now.

            Yeah we are pretty stupid. Unless you hit us over the head with a brick we really don’t know what we’re doing. What happened?

            Oh you know, a guy thought pulling a disappearing act counted as relationship ender.

            A disappearing act? Like…

            Like just stopped hanging out, stopped talking…the whole nine yards. The thing is, it’s not quite the same effect as a man leaving his lover in a movie to fend for her life because I can still find him at breakfast and then he gets all uncomfortable and practically runs away.

            HA! He runs away from you? What ever did you do to that poor boy? No, I’m teasing, and I don’t mean this offensively but that’s what I hate about girls, they always think it’s their fault and it’s not. We’re just stupid!

            I’m noticing more every day!

            Well, I’ll tell ya, my wife and I dated in high school and then I went on to college. We agreed that I would finish college before marriage ever came to be an option and I went to school and kind of pattered off and one day she asked me if I was ever going to ask her to marry me. I asked her if I really had to ask? Dumbest question of my life!