Francofication of Literature

Likely many of you have seen this already, but if not...

Hawthorne Blog for Monday, Sept 23

One of the reasons people write historical fiction is to revisit time periods and events that defined a nation. In particular, such historical literature re-opens those times and events for investigation and analysis--in other words, Hawthorne's stories break up the American mythology/ies into which Puritan history had become ossified. His stories helped people examine the solid foundations of the past as well as the traumas that seemed still to haunt Americans. For this blog, spend some time writing about ways that Hawthorne's stories re-frame elements that we've seen depicted in Bradford, Morton, Winthrop, etc. Keep your quoting to Hawthorne since I want this writing to focus on his work, but feel free to make reference to the other texts.

Yelping with Cormac McCarthy

Follow this link to a concept-site that imagines Cormac McCarthy, the American novelist, writing Yelp reviews. One more inspiration for the group projects you'll be doing this semester.

Two Tales of a Maypole, due 9.18

Now that you've read Morton, please post a 250-350 word writing that compares Bradford's and Morton's writings. Please aim for a bit of close reading in this, by which I mean, please attend to specific language in 1-2 passages in each writer's work as you make claims about them. You might want to focus on how the writer's come across as people and how the writing fits into and/or undermines the purposes they seem to have for writing these accounts in the first place. Please post by 10am, Wednesday, September 18th.

John Smith

Early American Literature: It's so hot right now!

Abuela Grillo

If you're interested in different media depictions of the Water Wars, here's an amazing animated film called Abuela Grillo.

First Blog!

Hi American Literatureans! For your first informal writing, to be posted on your own blog, please take 250-350 words to start synthesizing the written texts we will have just read for the "Spanish conquests and encounters" unit and the film, Tambien la Lluvia (Even the Rain). You might choose to compare one person's text with the representations of him in the film. You might choose to compare approaches to the non-human world in a writing and the film. Or, you might choose something entirely different from these. Regardless of your choice, please work hard to put the two texts into conversation. Please post your writing by 9:30am, Wednesday, Sept 11.