This week 28 February - 4 March

So long February, don't let the door hit you on the way out!

I don't know about you, but March always puts me in a better mood. Spring is on its way, the holiest of high holidays, St. Patrick's Day, arrives in the third week of the month, and we're that much closer to longer, warmer days when we spring forward for daylight savings time. What could be better??

Well, for starters...Reading Shakespeare!!

Here's an overview of the week with some reminders for those who will be gone on Monday for choir festival and Science Olympiad.

Monday - You'll be viewing an A&E biography on William Shakespeare and taking notes on a video guide. I'm collecting this as an assignment, so if you are leaving for Science Olympiad, I expect you to come in after school to make up the viewing. This can be done Wednesday or Thursday. Please make arrangements to do so and let me know when you will be staying after.

Choir doesn't leave until 9, so the choir members should be able to see all of the video and get the notes.

Alex and Julio - be sure to grab your copies of King Lear and handouts from the absent folder.

Tuesday - Enjoy your day off!!
If you didn't show me your resume at the end of class Friday, I'd like to give it a once-over before the end of the week. A few errors were spotted in the ones I did see and I'd like to make sure you are making those corrections for the final copy for your senior portfolio. If you haven't finished your resume, Tuesday would be a good day to do that.

Also - don't put off A Thousand Acres. I'm finalizing a reading schedule that shows the progression of the play and the novel so you can see how far you should be while we read the play. It would be of GREAT BENEFIT if you read up to page 19 of Acres by Wednesday because that is roughly where the action of King Lear  begins to parallel the novel.

Don't forget that you are expected to complete a reading log for A Thousand Acres (no vocabulary list). Feel free to offer insights on the character, tone, themes, plot, etc., as well as make connections between the novel and the play. It's important that you work to recognize the similar themes and make distinctions about how Acres adapts those themes for a modern setting.

Wednesday and Thursday - Mr. Wismer is subbing for me in his room, so please report to Wiz's room on both days for class. He will have the lesson plan, Act I reading list, and Act I discussion questions for you. You should roughly be able to cover Act I, scenes i-iv (probably not all of scene iv, but part of it).

Do your best to answer the discussion questions as you read the play. We'll go over the more difficult questions together on Friday.

If someone has signed up for a part, but is absent that day, could one of you please fill in? There were several parts that were not spoken for in class on Friday. Alex and Julio, be sure you sign up to read during one of the days. If everyone has read and there are still parts available, it's fine if you double up. And remember...no read=no participation points.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are absent either Wednesday or Thursday, be sure to make up the reading for Lear on your own. Communicate with your classmates about how far they read so you know where you need to be for the next class.

Friday - We will go over discussion questions, discuss the opening scenes of Act I, and finish the background lecture I started on Friday.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

-MCC

Shakespeare

URGHH!!! I'm a day late but it's better than nothing!

I believe Shakespeare deserves all the credit he has received over the years. When first studying his work I was skeptical due to his time period and writing style. Fortunately, I ended up loving his work and actually enjoyed studying it also. The say his writing flows is unbelievable and he is very talented.

I believe if he tried starting his popularity in today's society it would be different. Since everyone has access to the Internet and a proper education, there are many different personalities that have a say in what is "good" or "bad" literature. During his time not many people had the opportunity to learn like we do now. If he was to get started in today's society he would have many more critics. It seems like many people jump to conclusions and like to complain about things so they would try to shut down his style before even giving him a fair chance. Many times today people do not like diversity so his older style would have a difficult time becoming well-known.

However, for the people who do take the time to read his work and give it a chance, they would discover his talent and beautiful work quickly. I believe that from that point on people would learn that he is a very talented man who deserves recognition. As for contemporary authors who could stand beside Shakespeare, I am not sure. Many times I wonder if some of the talented dramatists and poets of today would be more popular if they lived many years ago when people weren't so critical and not everyone had the opportunity to have a good education.

-Lisa :)

Shakespeare

I believe that Shakespeare is every bit deserving of the fame he has. He has written many stories, many of which are interesting. Some of them may be over hyped, but most of them are for the right reasons.

I do not think another Shakespeare will happen. The world is not focused enough on musical plays and literature. There may be another person equally as famous, but it will be for a different reason.

For the third question, I think that there may be many authors just as good as Shakespeare, but they are unrecognized. The world today does not value these things as much anymore, as I said in the last question. Many great works will appear, but they will never be placed alongside Shakespeare.

Shakespear today

I personally don't believe that he would've had as great as impact today as he did in his time. I think he's a good writer and definitely would've had a name. I don't think he was as good as all of the hype, just that compared to writers of his time and the drought of good workers in literature, he seemed like the best thing. Not to understate him because the guy can write, just that I personally don't think he deserved to be followed around by disciples with palms in their hands. I think that, nowadays, there are a lot of writers. A good majority of those writers actually are good, but only a handful are really noteworthy. However, those that are noteworthy are excellent!

Krysta

King Lear/Shakespeare

I believe Shakespeare deserves all of his popularity because his work is actually very good. However, I do struggle understanding all that he says because it's complicated. Many authors today are good writers but I don't believe that they can compare to Shakespeare. The reason being is what Shakespeare wrote was so different and better than what other authors can do. I enjoy the authors of today but none of them can stand next to Shakespeare in comparison.

Shakespeare

I think Shakespeare does deserve the popularity that he has earned as an influential poet and dramatist. His works are read in schools and everyone knows Shakespeare’s name. I agree with Meg about his work being beautifully written. As time continues to go by Shakespeare has kept his popularity instead of it diminishing.
I don’t think that another Shakespeare is possible in a world where just anyone can write. I also agree with Alex that since literature is being mass produced it isn’t as special. That is one thing that I think is so great about Shakespeare’s work, there weren’t as many writers back then so he stood out more.
Personally I don’t think there are any contemporary authors who can earn a place by Shakespeare. Shakespeare was a writer of great works and people who write now may write good pieces of literature but they will never be on the same level to me.

King Lear

Hey look at me, I'm actually getting this assignment done early :)

From what I have read of his works, I think that Shakespeare completely deserves the popularity he has earned over the years. He wrote some of the greatest literary works that are still studied to this day. Between the struggles with being accepted by society and bringing a new art form into light, Shakespeare worked hard to earn recognition, and I think that he should be celebrated for this. It is just unfortunate that it took so long for Shakespeare to get the attention that he deserved all along.

With all the technology these days, I completely agree with Kyle in that someone like Shakespeare could become well known much quicker and earn more recognition through modern communication. That being said, I still do not think that it would be possible to have another Shakespeare in our modern society. People just do not appreciate great literary works like they should anymore because most literature is mass produced and is not as special. Shakespeare's works were meant to be appreciated and thought about, but people today just do not have the patience for longer poems and plays. Even though it would be great to have someone as inspiring and great as Shakespeare to change our views of literature, I do not think someone like this would be successful in our fast-paced society.

While Shakespeare has inspired many modern works (just look at "West Side Story"), I do not think that anyone in the recent past could be compared to him or other great authors from history. Over the centuries, writing has become less and less appreciated and authors have stopped caring about writing "great works." The quality of these literature has declined in my opinion, so cannot be compared to Shakespeare's works. Even though there are authors and poets that are very well known, none have been appreciated for as long as Shakespeare.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, and I don't know about you guys but I am really loving seeing the rain outside :)

King Lear Question

For the first part, yes I do believe that Shakespeare deserves the popularity he has. His pieces are wonderfully written, contain fantastic plot lines and are some of the best works ever. If someone works hard enought to produce all these works, he definitely deserves all the credit.

Even though today's culture provides many different ways to express oneself, I don't think another Shakespeare is possible. Just like some old movies are NOT meant to be remade, one can never redo what Shakespeare without it being tacky and not measuring up to his work. If something isn't broken, don't fix it.

And lastly, I am really not sure if any authors are similar to Shakespeare today. Honestly, the books that I read are not written by any similarly Shakespearian authors. Since we are going to read "A Thousand Acres", which is based on a Shakesperian play, I would assume that author is sort of Shakespeare-esque.

I hope this is the kind of answer you wanted. I hope everyone is having/has a great four-day weekend!

New York Times

First, I do believe that Shakespeare does deserve the credit that he has been bestowed hundreds of years after his death. It certainly must take a lot of talent and determination to write a play or collection of poems, let alone composing really good ones. Especially since they are still referred to in this day and age.
Second, I think that Shakespeare could have survived in today's high-tech world. It is with frightening ease that we can send and recieve information, even on a global scale. It would be much easier for his plays to be heard about, shown and praised with the internet and other media that we have today.
Third, I am not 100% confident that a 20th or 21st century author could come up to par with The Bard. Writing styles of this day are different than they were when Shakespeare was alive. The world has undergone some growth. The language that we write and speak, though fundamentally the same, has changed as well. So, no, I don't belive that any modern writers could compare with Shakespeare because they are so different already that it would be unfair to compare the two.

NY Times Response

Yes I read Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade, but other than that I really don't know a lot about Shakespeare. I absolutely loved Romeo and Juliet, however, so I can say that from my experience, I think he earned and deserved it. I'm not sure if he became popular during his own time or not, but I have a feeling though maybe he was known during his time, his real popularity and respect came much later.

To respond to him being as popular today with the internet and such, I think it could happen. But, just like it was back then, I don't think he'd be extremely respected until later after his death. I only think this if he had not existed before, though. Knowing him now, I don't think there's anyone now who could replace him or even "out do" him in his level on the "FANTASTIC LITERATURE" (hhahaha) scale. I can't make up my mind though, because from another angle, he might be even bigger than he was then because of the internet. Information spreads like wildfire now, so maybe he would be known and respected even quicker!

I don't know too much about him, like I said, so I don't have a very intelligent response, but that's what I have :)

Reponse to Shakespeare :)

Okay. So I just typed my whoooooole response...and it's gone. I don't know where it is. Somewhere in the world wide web...this is unfortunate.

I guess I really don't have a choice but to retype it :(

As for the first question, I do believe that Shakespeare deserves the popularity that he earned. I mean, he EARNED it. He wrote great literature and worked very hard and people love it, so yes he does deserve it.

I don't think another Shakespeare is possible. If it is, it will be very difficult. Shakespeare changed English literature and made a huge impact. I don't think anyone will ever be able to do that.

My previous answer also kind of answers the third question about there being any comtemporary writers like Shakespeare. And again, I don't think there are. I don't read very much "hardcore" literature, but I have heard that John Donne and John Milton are VERY good writers, but still not as good as Shakespeare.

So I hope this post went as it was supposed to...I wasn't really sure how long it was supposed to be but I think this should cover it :)

*excitement*

I just wanted to say how excited I am to read King Lear with everyone!!! It's one of my more favored Shakespearean dramas and I hope you will enjoy it as I have. Now I just have to make sure I keep my mouth shut so I don't give away the ending! :) Plus I've never read it with a group before so it will give the story a whole new dynamic. Yay reading! ^.^

Would the Bard Have Survived the Web?

There is an interesting op-ed piece in The New York Times today about whether or not Shakespeare would be as popular in a world where internet piracy, eBooks, and file sharing are as common place as status updates.

As we start our journey with King Lear in the next unit, I'd like to hear your thoughts on Shakespeare. Does he deserve the popularity he has earned as an influential poet and dramatist? Do you think another Shakespeare is possible in a world where writing and internet communication have become accessible to everyone and not just the "learned"? Are there any contemporary authors (think 20th and 21st century) that could earn a place alongside Shakespeare and other well-known writers of literary history? A little 'food for thought' as we set sail for the kingdom of Lear.

I'd like to see a response from each of you before next Thursday, February 24. We'll be launching into Lear then and I'd like to get a feel for your views on Shakespeare and his influence.

Lions, tigers, and $@&%, oh my!

AP warriors-

A question has been posed about the selection of songs with colorful
language in the lyrics. As long as the song doesn't rely on the naughty bits as the main theme, a bleep or three are fine. Example: Cee-Lo's "Forget" You" is out.

Any concerns, drop me an email or ask in class.

Rock on, warriors, rock on!

MCC

Irony

Where was this video when we were discussing irony during the poetry unit? Check out the other What You Ought to Know videos on YouTube. Great stuff!

CATCH-22!?!

Remember in the summer when Mrs. Conklin told us it is everywhere? Well, IT IS. Though all of us have talked about how many Catch-22 situations there are in every day life, I'm still shocked every time I hear it. Last night I went to the Economic Growth Alliance meeting at the beach house, and the presenter made a reference to it. I wanted to scream! There were no AP Warriors to understand what I was going through hahah :)

Blog Bam

Just racking some participation points! Who's excited for the Dubliners test?!?!
Oh but a real discussion: did you guys think that Dubliners was a wholly pessimistic book like the question suggested? I thought no but i wanted to hear your thoughts!!!
happy hunting
krysta

Due Dates

I just want to make sure of the due date of the paper. It is on Friday, correct?

Yaaaay for the snowpocalypse!

How is everyone's snow day? I'm actually doing our paper right now, and I've only talked about two stories so far and am at three pages. I didn't think I'd know enough about the stories to even get two pages but now I'm having trouble cutting it down! Maybe I'll make the font smaller? Hope everyone is doing okay with the paper. It's taking a long time but not too hard!