discovering the need for narrative
Websites
New Moon Magazine http://www.newmoon.com/ This is the website community of an amazing magazine edited (and mostly written) by girls aged 8-14. It very girl-power and includes places to complain about sexism or celebrate girls’ achievements as well as support diversity of all descriptions. The price for membership is because there is no advertising but you don’t have to be a member to enter the site. Have a look at the “future issues” section to see if you’ve written anything that suits their themes. Discuss the colours, fonts and layout in relation to the intended audience. Choose 5-6 important elements of content which relate closely to discovery, especially the users discovery of what it means to be a “girl”.
AAMI Insurance Australia. Belonging. http://www.belonging.org/ This website is an online exhibition of photos, videos and oral histories about the process of migration. Pick two or three elements to discuss in detail, but don’t forget to discuss the layout and presentation of the site as a whole – eg the division into “people” and “place” or the “timeline” of links that show the process of migration from “arrival” through “dressing to belong” to “work”. This is a brilliant text to use if you are studying Motorcycle diaries or go back to where you came from, but links well to any text which describes the discovery of new places
Ridell, Chris (2014). Love Letters to Libraries. [http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/gallery/2014/nov/26/-sp-love-letters-to-libraries-chris-riddell?CMP=share_btn_link] This love letter to the role of libraries in the author's life is almost a graphic novel. It begins with the metaphor of a mountain climber exploring the world of print and references to key texts that frame his development as an adolescent boy. It would be especially useful for students takign a metafiction approach or to students who are looking at how characters deal with issues around physical and intellectual maturity.
Isay, Dave (2015). "Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear". This collection of vignettes (=short snippets) of people's life stories is presented by the creator of Story Corps. You can listen to him at Ted Talks [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKHk_UiQboA] or visit the Story Corps website [https://storycorps.org/] which collects conversations between ordinary people telling a meaningful stories from their lives. Both the speech and the website would give you an opportunity to discover how personal narratives enable people to record and discover each other's experiences as unique and memorable. It would work well with biographical texts such as Swallow the Air. Standard students might choose to focus on a particular person's story while Advanced students could focus on the function of Story Corps as a repository of human experience.
Artworks
Gadsby, Hannah. (2013). Hannah Gadsby’s Oz - Episode 1 Comedian Hannah Gadsby unpacks the historical record of Australia's past through early Wuriopean and contemporary Australian artists. this diocumentary is brilliant from an Art and and English point of view because she focuses on "how" messages are created or critiqued. You could discuss the episode as a documentary or focus on a single painting. Read the review at No Award [http://no-award.net/2014/04/17/hannah-gadsby-oz-1/] and watch the copy on the TV4 Education drive.
Plays
Guare, John Six Degrees of Separation (822 GUA) When Paul turns up to New York art dealer’s flat with a stab wound, they accept him as their son’s friend. However, as the play continues, they discover friends with the same story. This play explores the idea that all people on earth are connected by six degrees of separation – someone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows the original person. As an ex-HSC text, it is useful for advanced students, but be aware that your markers are likely to know the play well (so don’t just watch the film). The Study guide at http://npproseminar.pbworks.com/f/Guare+Resource+Guide.pdf has useful references you could follow up through Auburn library. The theory is tested at Indya.com at http://www.slideshare.net/bharathi26/six-degrees-of-separation .
Marsden, John. So much to tell you. In this play a young girl who chooses not to speak after a traumatic experience (revealed later in the play). Focus on the way stage directions and dialogue (esp. by other characters) reveals her rediscovery of her indentity and her relationship with her family and peers. Recommended for ESL and standard students only.Tulloch, Richard. Space Demons: The Play (A822 TUL) Based on Gillian Rubenstein’s novel, Space Demons, this play examines the problem of computer game addiction the the characters of two boys who are drawn into a game based on anger and hate. Focus on the way the plot develops tension (and eventually a sense of belonging) between characters and the way the dialogue represents human and mechanical experiences of the world. Recommended for standard students.
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest (822 WIL) This late Victorian play is a social satire of the English Upper classes. Filled with exaggerated characters, mistaken identity and witty word play, it follows the fortunes of Jack/Ernest, an orphan found in a hand bag in a London railway station. An ex-HSC text, there are lots of study guides (including http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/ ) on this play as well as a couple of films (don’t forget your text is the actual play). Your markers are likely to know it very well. Recommended for advanced students.
Novels
Pierce, Tamora. Trickster’s Choice. Aly is taken by pirates and sold as a slave where she makes a bet with the god Kyprioth, to protect the children of the Balitang family from unknown dangers. Her adventures teach Aly enable Aly to discover a whole new way of life in a country far from her family. Focus on the way the weather and settings represent Aly’s emotions, the role of the prophecy in developing the narrative of her life and on the symbolic way her relationship with Nawat develops. Recommended for standard students (but don’t get sidetracked into telling the plot – focus on two-three important scenes).
Bone, Ian. Song of an Innocent Bystander. victim of a hostage situation as a child
Focus onthe way the novel develops tension through flashbacks and keeping the reader in the same position as the journalist (about what really happened).
Savides, Irene. Willow Tree and Olive. Memories of abuse are triggered by a guest speaker school PDHPE programme, causing Olive to run away from school and eventually re-evaluate her experiences while on holiday with distant family in Greece. Discuss the way the protagonist and her family deal with her slowly unfolding memories, paying particular attention to metaphor and the healing effects of the landscape and the power of narrative to enable self-discovery.
Franklin, Miles. My Brilliant Career. This Australian classic tells the story of Sybella, an intelligent and viviacious 16 year old who lives in rural Australia at the end of the C19th, from her discovery of the constraintys of ‘normal’ female roles to her romance with Harry Beecham from the nearby farm to her acceptance and fame as an author. Discuss the impact of first person and stream of consciousness on the reader, and investigate the role of the Australian landscape in defining Sybylla’s psyche. Recommended for advanced students.
Speeches
Isay, Dave (2015). "Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear". This collection of vignettes (=short snippets) of people's life stories is presented by the creator of Story Corps. You can listen to him at Ted Talks [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKHk_UiQboA] or visit the Story Corps website [https://storycorps.org/] which collects conversations between ordinary people telling a meaningful stories from their lives. Both the speech and the website would give you an opportunity to discover how personal narratives enable people to record and discover each other's experiences as unique and memorable. It would work well with biographical texts such as Swallow the Air. Standard students might choose to focus on a particular person's story while Advanced students could focus on the function of Story Corps as a repository of human experience.
Mokobe, Lee. (2015) "What it Feels like to be Transgender" (2015 International Slam Poetry Winner). Vivid religious imagery tells the experience of a "girl" in growing up in South Africa and discovering that she can become anything she wants - except a man. You can listen to this poem/speech on Ted Talks [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8DwxjDrNNM] and contact him at Twitter ( Please don't Troll - it's hard enough being transsexual!). Pay careful attention to the use of religious narratives of gender and powerful emotive language, and the careful control of tone and rhythm to manipulate the listener. As this is a performance poem you can also analyse his use of expression and body language - what was it that made this the winning poem?
Critical Essays
Little, Tracey. “High School is Hell: Metaphor made literal in Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in Buffy the Vampires Slayer and Philosophy ed. James B South. (2003) (Ms Carmyn has a copy). This article contends that “metaphor serves as a way to discuss topics for which we do not have a language”. Using the TV series BTVS it reflects on the way the horror genre constructs a series of metaphoric norms that personify our fears and desires, enabling the viewer to construct a language with which to discover the “dark continent” of our subconscious. This text would provide a platform from which to explore the metaphoric nature of the relationships in Life of Pi or the roles of Caliban and Ariel in The Tempest.
Popova, Maria. “Someone reading a book is a sign of order in the world” in Brain Pickings http://www.brainpickings.org/ Brain Pickings
Popova, Maria (2015) in Brain Pickings [https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/11/03/only-whats-necessary-peanuts-chip-kidd/]. Charlie Brown was the first comic Strip to include a black character and comment on Black Civil Rights. This blog uses letters between the creator, Charles M. Schultz, and his audience to discuss the genesis and impact of the character, Franklin, a Black child. Focus on the persuasive language used by his fans to convince him to tackle the issue as well as the C21st evaluation of his work. This text would work especially well with Go back to where you came from.
Films
Di Leo, Mario. Babylon 5. Episode 37 “And Now For a Word”.This sci-fi series approaches belonging in many different ways a various speicies of aliens try to live together on a space station. You could use almost any episode, especially those examining the relationship between Narn and Centuri cultures. Episode 37 “And Now For a Word” examines the political role of the media in creating relationships between the main characters. Look particularly at the cinematography and the way the scenes are cut together, as well as the patterns of dialogue that reveal different aspects of belong for the human and alien populations.
The Darkside This is a horror film with a difference – it compiles real-life ghost stories collected from indigenous people, enabling the viewer to explore what lies beyond mundane reality and also to discover a uniquely Aboriginal perspective on the supernatural. You could choose to focus on one story or the way the stories are interwoven. Pay particular attention to the use of voiceover, lighting and camera angles to position the viewer. This film could work well with either Life of Pi or The Tempest, if you are focusing on the spiritual/supernatural aspects of your set text.
Gadsby, Hannah. (2013). Hannah Gadsby’s Oz - Episode 1 Comedian Hannah Gadsby unpacks the historical record of Australia's past through early Wuriopean and contemporary Australian artists. this diocumentary is brilliant from an Art and and English point of view because she focuses on "how" messages are created or critiqued. You could discuss the episode as a documentary or focus on a single painting. Read the review at No Award [http://no-award.net/2014/04/17/hannah-gadsby-oz-1/] and watch the copy on the TV4 Education drive.
Wheedon, Joss. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Phases”. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. Almost any episode could be used to discuss discovery – there’s an essay on “Normal Again” in the O-drive. In this episode, a werewolf is discovered in Sunnydale and the heroes must find him before it is too late. This episode begins by using all the clichéd conventions of the horror genre (esp. the metaphor of teenage males as predatory wolves), then undoes these metaphors as they discover the werewolf needs to be protected. Listen to the excellent director’s commentary for techniques (lighting, camera angles, soundtrack etc) to discuss in your essay. Interesting essays from a film studies perspective can be found at http://slayageonline.com/essays/slayage17/Albright.htm and http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/sf/sampleAPaperMrO3d.html.
Wheedon, Joss. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Tabula Rasa”. [Ms Carmyn has a copy]. Almost any episode could be used to discuss discovery – there’s an essay on “Normal Again” in the O-drive. In this episode, willow casts a spell and all they key characters have their entire memories erased. They wake up and try to discover their relationships to each other – some of them very obscure (like the vampire Spike who thinks he’s a superhero). Pay particular attention to the way the camera angles and lighting are used to direct the readers viewpoints as well as the props the characters use to “discover” their identities. Listen to the excellent director’s commentary for techniques to discuss in your essay. Interesting essays from a film studies perspective can be found at http://slayageonline.com/essays/slayage17/Albright.htm and http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/sf/sampleAPaperMrO3d.html. If you’ve never watched Buffy before, have a look at wikipaedia or a similar site first otherwise you will miss the comedy by not knowing how the characters are supposed to fit together.
Poems
Angelou, Maya "Africa" online at Afropoets [http://www.afropoets.net/mayaangelou21.html] depicts the continent of Africa as a beautiful abused woman who is now fighting back against the colonists. Simple language and imagery conveys a powerful image of the damage European clonisation has done to Africa - first by exoticising her beauty then by plundering her resources. Only now is she discovering her power. Make sure you talk about the reader's disdovery (of Africa's past; of the fact that Africa is a Eurocentric concept because it consists of 54 different countries...) as well as Africa's power to fight back against the invaders. Schmoop [http://www.shmoop.com/after-great-pain-a-formal-feeling-comes/poem-text.html] has a good analysis of this poem.
Armitage, Simon. (2008). "Out of the Blue" online at Scottish Poetry Library [http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/poems/out-blue-12]. This heart-wrenching poem commemoratesthe 5th anniversary of 9/11. Because it is told from the point of view of a man waving a shirt from high up in the building, it highlights the irony that the attention he is attracting cannot save him because it is the attention of TV viewers far from the site. This poem allows you to discover the power of the media representation of an event, as well as the powerlessness of media/viewers to change a situation - or, from an alternative perspective, the ruthlessness of media's quest for a story that will "sell". Focus on the first person narrator, the endless rhetorical questions and use of the present particle (-ing verbs) and gerund (-ing nouns) to put you inside the narrator's mind. An analysis of this poem can be found at BBC Bitesize [http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetryconflict/outoftheblue1.shtml]
Mokobe, Lee. (2015) "What it Feels like to be Transgender" (2015 International Slam Poetry Winner). Vivid religious imagery tells the experience of a "girl" in growing up in South Africa and discovering that she can become anything she wants - except a man. You can listen to this poem/speech on Ted Talks [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8DwxjDrNNM] and contact him at Twitter ( Please don't Troll - it's hard enough being transsexual!). Pay careful attention to the use of religious narratives of gender and powerful emotive language, and the careful control of tone and rhythm to manipulate the listener. As this is a performance poem you can also analyse his use of expression and body language - what was it that made this the winning poem?
Bhatt, Sujati. "Search for a Tongue" describes the process of losing and gaining a language with which to create a coherent narrative. As an Indian poet who has lived and travelled all over the Western world, Bhatt understands the way that language both fragments and builds identity. Focus on the literal and symbolic use of the tongue and the effect of the two languages (Gujarati, if you're interested in translating it) in one poem. It could be used with Life of Pi or Go back to Where you came from or even as part of a postcolonial anaysis of the Prospero/Caliban/Ariel relationships in The Tempest. This poem is avaiiable online at Las Cumbres College [http://pchujman.cumbresblogs.com/2013/09/16/postcolonial-poetry/]. You can read more of her poems at the poetry archive [http://www.poetryarchive.org/explore/browse-poems?f%5B0%5D=field_poet:192406] or a review of her work at Mascara Review [http://mascarareview.com/the-memory-of-the-tongue-sujata-bhatts-diasporic-verse-by-paul-sharrad/]
non fiction
Gruewell, Erin et al. The Freedom Writers' Diary.