Hello everyone, glorious morning here.
In today's Age A2 section there is, as always, some wonderful weekend reading.
Peter Craven writes about the Bell Shakespeare company, and how it has grown - Craven is always articulate, and strongly opinionated. Then there is a double spread on a new book about "Who wrote Shakespeare" - sounds very interesting.
The Age A2 section should be mandatory reading, or flicking through, if you are interested in what's happening in the world of books, writing and film. It's not high-brow, it's very accessible.
Kate Holden and Robert Drewe write very beautiful, often funny, vignettes on alternate weekends, and they are really pleasant to read - and the writing is very finely crafted. Anson Cameron's TV review pieces on the back page ( under the Leunig) are always worth reading.
I am having a very "cultural" 24 hours, having been to the MSO last night at Costa Hall to listen to Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky ( saw lots of familiar student and staff faces in the audience!), and then off to the Rupert Bunny exhibition at Ian Potter Gallery in Melbourne this afternoon. Lovely!
That will be followed by the more mundane (but still enjoyable) activities such as ironing, baking, and many many hours of marking.
Bon weekend. Those of you out there in the Blogosphere who have not posted for the last week, we are all expecting some evidence of your existance by the end of the weekend.
JC
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Poetry - We could have Donne so much more!
Hello everyone,
I agree with Elisha and Cinda about Lisa's visit to our class today. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have her for a half day, and to discuss all sorts of poetry ideas with her? She is clearly an expert - in the true sense of the word - and I felt so privileged that she came to our class.
I asked her how she first became involved with and interested in Donne, and she said it was not until she was at university, and was studying Elizabethan Culture and History. That lead to her passion for Donne, and she has a wealth of knowledge about broad Elizabethan English society ( the kind of things we were researchin in our background to King Lear).
Wasn't it fascinating to gain that insight into the lives of the poets and artists of the time? The comparison I draw is with bands of today - how some bands and musicians are not interested in chasing big gigs and popular acclaim, but would rather maintain their artistic integrity by playing what they like ( not what record companies tell them they must) to smaller groups of dedicated fans. Donne was like that - he didn't want mass popularity, he was happier being in an elite circle of intellectuals who were satisfied that only the very sophisticated, smart and savvy people "got" their writing. As Lisa said, quite a snobby attitude in some ways. But then everyone who was "cool" knew the other "cool" people, much as it is today.
Mrs Doctor Who, sorry we missed you today. Your contributions with the interesting YouTube links make you our resident guru in that area.
JC
I agree with Elisha and Cinda about Lisa's visit to our class today. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have her for a half day, and to discuss all sorts of poetry ideas with her? She is clearly an expert - in the true sense of the word - and I felt so privileged that she came to our class.
I asked her how she first became involved with and interested in Donne, and she said it was not until she was at university, and was studying Elizabethan Culture and History. That lead to her passion for Donne, and she has a wealth of knowledge about broad Elizabethan English society ( the kind of things we were researchin in our background to King Lear).
Wasn't it fascinating to gain that insight into the lives of the poets and artists of the time? The comparison I draw is with bands of today - how some bands and musicians are not interested in chasing big gigs and popular acclaim, but would rather maintain their artistic integrity by playing what they like ( not what record companies tell them they must) to smaller groups of dedicated fans. Donne was like that - he didn't want mass popularity, he was happier being in an elite circle of intellectuals who were satisfied that only the very sophisticated, smart and savvy people "got" their writing. As Lisa said, quite a snobby attitude in some ways. But then everyone who was "cool" knew the other "cool" people, much as it is today.
Mrs Doctor Who, sorry we missed you today. Your contributions with the interesting YouTube links make you our resident guru in that area.
JC
Thursday, May 13, 2010
How much of the Bard can you bear?
Hello everyone,
I have heard a rumour that, perhaps, just perhaps, you are suffering from too much of a good thing at the moment.
Are Macbeth and King Lear giving you Shakespeare overload?
On Friday May 21 ( next Friday), you can use the lesson to complete your Lear text response questions, and hand them up at the end of that lesson. Hope that alleviates any time pressures you may be feeling.
We'll do activities in class over the next couple of weeks, as you have all read the text and have a solid grip on the plot and character details. That will prepare us for the production, too. Very exciting.
We'll definitely set a date for our Literature Soiree, complete with (optional) dress-ups and period style food. I'll pass on the tripe thanks, Elisha.
JC
I have heard a rumour that, perhaps, just perhaps, you are suffering from too much of a good thing at the moment.
Are Macbeth and King Lear giving you Shakespeare overload?
On Friday May 21 ( next Friday), you can use the lesson to complete your Lear text response questions, and hand them up at the end of that lesson. Hope that alleviates any time pressures you may be feeling.
We'll do activities in class over the next couple of weeks, as you have all read the text and have a solid grip on the plot and character details. That will prepare us for the production, too. Very exciting.
We'll definitely set a date for our Literature Soiree, complete with (optional) dress-ups and period style food. I'll pass on the tripe thanks, Elisha.
JC
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Reading Journal
Hello everyone, what a glorious day it has been - all that sunshine! I love the publicity for King Lear - the ad currently circulating has the caption " The Dangers of playing favourites with your children". Very funny.
To clarify the Reflective Reading Journal: You are encouraged to write reflectively about your reading process, and responses, and changing reactions, to your reading. This can be to any books you read, if you wish to include books outside the scope of our Literature studies. However, to achieve a pass in this AOS, your responses to the novels on the Wider Reading List must be included. So, for example, if you have read three books for Semester 1, and you write your Journal responses about those three books, and NONE of them are from the Wider Reading List, that is not meeting the task requirements. The first aim of the task is for you to note your responses to books from the Wider Reading List. Other books of your own selection will round out your reading experience and growth as a reader, and of course it is very valuable for you to reflect on how you respond to these also. It will broaden your knowledge and understanding of context if you read a mixture of Classic novels, poems, Australian authors, short stories, and modern novels as well. But certainly at the end of semester 1 you should have completed 3 books from the Wider Reading list, and that is the minimum requirement for yor Reading Journal. Other novels you read are a binus. If you can mount a case for one of your novels to be included in the Wider Reading List, bring it to me and we'll discuss it.
It is great that so many of you love reading and are passionate readers. As Literature students, though, you must expand your reading choices to gain an understanding and appreciation of literature outside of your usual selection. These reading choices will enahnce your understanding of historical periods, cultural changes, societal pressures at different times, and will allow you to study subtext, values, ideas. The Wider Reading List has not been hastily cobbled together, they are carefully chosen!
Hope that clarifies matters. You'll let me know otherwise.
Have a great remainder of the weekend, be kind to your mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and everyone you know who is a mum! JC
To clarify the Reflective Reading Journal: You are encouraged to write reflectively about your reading process, and responses, and changing reactions, to your reading. This can be to any books you read, if you wish to include books outside the scope of our Literature studies. However, to achieve a pass in this AOS, your responses to the novels on the Wider Reading List must be included. So, for example, if you have read three books for Semester 1, and you write your Journal responses about those three books, and NONE of them are from the Wider Reading List, that is not meeting the task requirements. The first aim of the task is for you to note your responses to books from the Wider Reading List. Other books of your own selection will round out your reading experience and growth as a reader, and of course it is very valuable for you to reflect on how you respond to these also. It will broaden your knowledge and understanding of context if you read a mixture of Classic novels, poems, Australian authors, short stories, and modern novels as well. But certainly at the end of semester 1 you should have completed 3 books from the Wider Reading list, and that is the minimum requirement for yor Reading Journal. Other novels you read are a binus. If you can mount a case for one of your novels to be included in the Wider Reading List, bring it to me and we'll discuss it.
It is great that so many of you love reading and are passionate readers. As Literature students, though, you must expand your reading choices to gain an understanding and appreciation of literature outside of your usual selection. These reading choices will enahnce your understanding of historical periods, cultural changes, societal pressures at different times, and will allow you to study subtext, values, ideas. The Wider Reading List has not been hastily cobbled together, they are carefully chosen!
Hope that clarifies matters. You'll let me know otherwise.
Have a great remainder of the weekend, be kind to your mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and everyone you know who is a mum! JC
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