books

  • I've been asked to participate in a odd sort of book club.
    But now, I need to figure out what book to hand over. It's very difficult.
    And I discovered that I have itty bitty piles of books all over my dang apartment.
    Like a miniature landscape of my brain bits.

    The metropolis of Deborah Tannen overlooking the living room rug is near the
    very small stretch of farmland filled with guides to astrology,
    What Not To Wear, and the SATC viewbook of all the seasons.

    In my home office lie little towns of alternative literature and research.
    One city with three towers: David Sedaris and Toni Morrison and Salman Rushdie.
    Not to mention the skyline in my bookcase of the short paperbacks.
    Siddhartha, The Color Purple, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, 1984, The Idiot.
    I receive sideways glances from e.e.cummings' biography,
    Paul Reiser's Couplehood & Babyhood,
    and... The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie.

    Who knows what kind of craziness is at my campus office.

    "They" say you can learn a lot about a person by, say, looking into their fridge
    or looking at what they have on their iPod,
    but I ask... What books do YOU have? And where are they located?

  • What do I really own about myself? My name? My first and middle name were chosen for me. My last name is my father's, essentially (links to previous entry doesn't it?). My personality? Nature & nuture, right? A little bit of genetics & a little bit of environment (being the oldest, growing up in ND, etc etc.). My looks? Genetics mostly, and my diet, and Mystic Tan. My intellect? Probably a little bit of everything. And why was I a bookworm at an early age? Mom read to me? Genetics (my dad loves to read, as does Robin, my youngest sister)? I may possibly only own my fashion sense, and even that was affected by Sex and the City.

    I sure do think of strange topics, don't I?

    So, I just wrote an email to welcome my English 120 students to the online summer course. I have a hair appointment in less than 30min, and then I have tidbits of this and that to accomplish for the rest of the day. This week seemed quiet at first (as does next week), but it's slowly filling up with projects.

    I did receive the last of my books I ordered, and now I await two shipments of shoe possibilities. Many places, due to the gas prices perhaps, are offering free shipping for orders over a certain amount. It seems like a better deal to me to pay $6.95 to try something on and ship it back rather than drive to Fargo or Minneapolis.

    It's supposed to rain most of the week. At first thought, this excites me. I love rainy days... thunderstorms. But then I realized that I'd like to bike around, and, honestly, sweating on a bike in 50 degree temps as the sky drips on you doesn't seem like a fun exercise. Plus, getting sick before my brother's wedding is not the best idea either. I guess I'll have to watch the skies for a break as well as use my huge exercise ball to get in some fat-burning sessions.

    Yesterday, on the way back from my boyfriend's brother's reception/visit to the parental unit, we talked about forgiveness, sort of. I often look at a person's drama and think, "Oh, this is silly; just forgive each other," etc. But it's not that simple, is it? That whole "easier said than done" quote constantly comes into play the older I get. Wisdom is not so much giving advice that basically tells the other person what to do, but rather, wisdom is putting it all in perspective. Right? Or throwing out a thought/idea for the other person to consider and leave it at that.

    I think I should focus on the forgiveness missing in my own life before I go and point out its use in others' lives. That sounds pretty wise, doesn't it? Slowly, but surely.

  • I love Amazon.com. What English teacher doesn't? Went and purchased a few recreational reads and a few academic. I truly hope to read more this summer than last. Here's hoping! In the meantime, I should go through my books (and clothes) and decide what to sell, what to donate, and what to use more. The theme for this week may be "The Week of Sorting"?

    The first book, I've only heard of. And Rachel Zoe has dressed some cool people in some cool outfits, so I figured I had to read it. And share it with other fashionistas afterwards. Then Chelsea's books were must-haves since I think she's hilarious. It's like an Obama/pastor conspiracy to list her books titles: what does it say about me as an English teacher? I don't care; she's funny.  The last group of books are very academic but with cool titles. Since I already "follow" Deb Tannen's logic well, I think I need to read more of her research. And, another connection to the first book, the last one is one I have only heard of as well.

    Books that should be delivered (?): May 27

     

    "Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour"
    Rachel Zoe; Hardcover

    "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea"
    Chelsea Handler; Hardcover

    "My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands"

    Chelsea Handler; Paperback

     

    Books that should be delivered (?): May 21

     

    "I Only Say This Because I Love You: Talking to Your Parents, Partner, Sibs, and Kids When You're All Adults"
    Deborah Tannen; Paperback

    "Talking from 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work"
    Deborah Tannen; Paperback

    "You're Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation"
    Deborah Tannen; Paperback

     

    "Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet"
    Sherry Turkle; Paperback

    Whoa. I purchased seven books. My lucky number... without even trying. And spent under $70 to do so.

  • Ken Bain rocks my world. In an academic way, of course!

    Last chunk of notes from THE COLLABORATION sessions on Saturday...
    How to give better feedback- use Factual Evidence ("You have five topics in one paragraph.") versus Guidance/Advice ("Put in more commas.") or just Praise ("Great paragraph!") because factual evidence causes students to self-assess ("Why is having five topics in one paragraph not good? Oh yea, they should each have their own.") and learn on their own. They won't learn if you mark up their papers & put the commas in for them; they have to learn WHY a comma should go where you are putting it. This just reminds me to have longer writing conferences; it's a hint I got from another conference session awhile back.

    The Promising Syllabus (by Ken Bain - same guy who gave an awesome keynote on Friday):
    If a syllabus didn't exist, how would you invent it knowing what we know about human learning? Three parts to the Promising Syllabus: a) The promise (You will walk out of my course able to _____.) and the questions (Can writing be more than just text? Can writing be more than what I've learned already in high school? Can writing be more than the five-paragraph essay? etc); b) The beginning to a discussion of what they'll do to achieve the promise (a.k.a. assignments, avoid language of "requirements, connection between assignments & promise should seem obvious); c) The beginning of a conversation as to how we will come to understand the nature and progress of students' learning (a.k.a. grades/assessment).

    My promises & questions: You will leave my class able to write well, think differently, and read critically. OR You will never look at writing the same. Or, with World Literature: You will learn what it is like to be human all over the world. Are the great thinkers of the world (Einstein, Plato) also the greatest writers? Is writing a task or a skill? What are students already interested in in your field? (Facebook, multi-media/YouTube, MySpace, email, IM, texting, etc)

    *Start with their existing paradigms and revise/move/carry those paradigms to a new place.

  • Just "stole" a few books & things from Errol's giveaway table. I scored a book by William Hubben about Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Kafka, a book by Ernest J. Simmons about Dostoevsky, Cliffs Notes on Crime and Punishment  (Dostoevsky), and From Absurd to Zietgeist: The Compact Guide to Literary Terms. A elephant coffee mug, a teeny silver statue of a reindeer, a tiny buffalo, and a lantern were also good finds of the morning.

  • Weee... downloading podcasts and music in the office. And, yes, I did nab a subscription to "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips to Better Writing." I should have my students subscribe. On that note, I did try to find world literature podcasts for my online class next spring... no such luck.

    Why am I downloading stuff today? Easy. On the 2 hour plane ride from Minneapolis to Nashville this Friday morning (and on the return flight Monday night), I'll have NEW things to listen to. That's thinking ahead... and as for the teeny flight from Fargo to Mpls? Books... yes, books. I have really thought this all through, haven't I?

    No worries - it's not all academic... I subscribed to Dane Cook's podcast as well as one called the Dance Department.