Need your help!!!!

I am interesting in what you seniors think about our reading so far. The reading for House of Sand and Fog was the most you will do in terms of intensity. For the other books, I have made room in our schedule to watch movies, but since I am so loving our discussions, I was wondering if you - as a class - would want to squish in another text.

There was one other book that I couldn't fit into the syllabus - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.
Amazon.com Review
In this touching and atmospheric novel set among the fishermen of Newfoundland, Proulx tells the story of Quoyle. From all outward appearances, Quoyle has gone through his first 36 years on earth as a big schlump of a loser. He's not attractive, he's not brilliant or witty or talented, and he's not the kind of person who typically assumes the central position in a novel. But Proulx creates a simple and compelling tale of Quoyle's psychological and spiritual growth. Along the way, we get to look in on the maritime beauty of what is probably a disappearing way of life.

It is a pretty simple book, and we could read it as a class, or perhaps as independent reading.

Take the poll that is too the right, and let me know what you think!!!

For Monday February 2nd

1) Read to page 173
2) Complete "locus of control test" online (here are some examples):

http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch11/survey11.mhtml
http://www.psych.uncc.edu/pagoolka/LocusofControl-intro.html
http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=704

3) Write one page reflection / response to your test results either on yourself or relating to the book.

AUthor interview

Check out this site (Identity Theory) where they interview Andre Dubus III. There are also many other author interviews on this site.

House of Sand and Fog

Schedule…tentative as always
1.23 Intro;House of Sand & Fog

1.27 HSF (p 15-68)
1.29 68-109

2.2 109-173
2.4 173-212
2.6 213-254

2.10 254-311
2.12 311-365 (end)

February Break – hopefully, no homework

course description

Contemporary Fiction
Ms. Strickland
joymstrickland@gmail.com
637-5475 (home) – before 8 pm
882-5475 (cell)
http://stricklandcontemporaryfiction.blogspot.com/

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” – Albert Einstein

“Within yourself deliverance must be searched for, because each man makes his own prison” – Edwin Arnold

“Freedom of mind is the real freedom. A person, whose mind is not free though he may not be in chains, is a slave, not a free man. One, whose mind is not free, though he may not be in prison, is a prisoner and not a free man. One whose mind is not free though alive, is no better than dead. Freedom of mind is the proof of one's existence.”

This course will explore contemporary fiction and modern-day issues that the novels encompass. In addition, the novels we will read all connect through the concept of prisons, whether they are self-created or by others. We will not only explore the numerous forms these “prisons” can take, but also delve into how people come to understand these restrictions / boundaries and the impact of this realization, or in many case, this obliviousness.

Texts: House of Sand and Fog
Affliction
The Hours
Interpreter of Maladies
Into the Wild (film)

WELCOME