Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Relating the Un-Relatable

If you are curious to hear more about why I, your esteemed English teacher, dislike the word "relatable," you can find a longer discussion of that question at the Non-Fiction Writing blog. If you don't care, perhaps you'd prefer to check out a funny video of a baby panda sneezing.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Ideas for the Bless Me, Ultima Response Paper

You can write your Bless Me, Ultima response paper on whatever topic you choose, but here are a few ideas to help you get started if you're having trouble coming up with a focus. Also feel free to share your ideas for response papers in the comment section below.
  • The character of Antonio and his believability as a young child: Is Tony a realistic seven-year-old or so character, or is he to mature, too "deep," too articulate for his age? More importantly, if you find that he's not, is that a flaw of Bless Me, Ultima, or does it make sense, given some of the other less-than-realistic elements of the book?
  • Bless Me, Ultima as magical realism: How would you define "magical realism," if you're familiar with the genre, and do you feel that Bless Me, Ultima qualifies? Why or why not?
  • The problem of good and evil in Bless Me, Ultima: What conclusions, if any, does this novel draw about the nature of good and evil and their balance in the world?
  • Antonio and faith: His Catholic faith, his role in Ultima's more complex spiritual world and work, and "pagan" spiritual ideas like Golden Carp keep Tony engaged in a deep inner struggle throughout the book. Does this struggle resolve, in your view, and how?
  • Ultima––bruja, curandera, or both? Is Ultima merely a misunderstood curandera, or is she also/instead a bruja? And if so, what does Bless Me, Ultima seem to think about brujas and their possible relationship to good and evil?

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Ideas for the Miko Kings Response Paper

You will have a choice fourth quarter of writing your response paper on LeAnne Howe's Miko Kings or on Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima, the next book we'll read together. If you choose to write in response to Miko Kings, here are a few ideas to consider. (As always, students are welcome to offer additional ideas for response paper topics in the form of a comment to this post.)

Miko Kings as a baseball story. Did you find Miko Kings to be a satisfying baseball story? Why or why not? If so, how did Howe's incorporation of baseball-related details and events enrich the novel? if not, how might a more in-depth or different approach to the baseball aspect of the novel have enriched it?

Miko Kings and time travel. What role does time travel play in this novel, and what thoughts and/or questions did that aspect of the novel leave you with?

Miko Kings and history. How did reading Miko Kings change, enrich, or illuminate your understanding of history? Did you find this novel satisfying as a work of historical fiction, and why or why not?

The role of science and/or language in Miko Kings. What assumptions, arguments, and/or challenges does Miko Kings make regarding scientific knowledge, language, culture, and the relationship between the three? Does Miko Kings offer compelling portrayals of physical and/or temporal principles as you understand them? What connections does it seem to make between the physical world, the realm of time, and language? Do these connections strike you as insightful or do you find yourself resisting them, and why?

Miko Kings as a multi-genre novel. LeAnne Howe incorporates a number of different genres of writing and artifact throughout Miko Kings. What effects does this create for you as a reader? In what ways might this shifting, collage-like strategy enrich our understanding of particular characters, relationships, and events, or any other aspect of the novel?

Miko Kings as postmodern fiction. How does Miko Kings compare to other postmodern fiction you've read? What elements of the book strike you as typical of postmodern fiction, and to what degree does the book depart from, add to, and/or challenge your perceptions of postmodernism?